California Air Resources Board Bleeds San Diego Blood Bank

An unusual holiday request went up on the San Diego Blood Bank's website: it needs new - or retrofitted - bloodmobiles. At issue are environmental rules devised by the non-elected California Air Resources Board, which render seven of the blood bank's eight blood collection vans unusable.

Unless the blood bank can raise $1 million to upgrade or replace its fleet of vans, its ability to meet the blood transfusion needs of the community is at risk. According to the blood bank, the decommissioning of its fleet - save one vehicle - will result in a 50 percent decrease of available donor blood.