| May 4, 2007 Citing a
public health crisis caused by Southern California’s severe air pollution,
the South Coast Air Quality Management District today called upon the
President and the Governor to declare a state of emergency to address the
problem.
“Air pollution is responsible for thousands of premature deaths each year
in the Southland – more than the number of fatalities resulting from
Hurricane Katrina,” said Dennis Yates, AQMD Governing Board Member and Mayor
of Chino.
“We are asking President Bush and Gov. Schwarzenegger to declare a state
of emergency to provide us with additional tools to accelerate the cleanup
of the region’s air pollution and to reduce its serious health toll.”
AQMD’s action follows the unanimous adoption yesterday of a resolution by
the Southern California Association of Governments calling on the Governor
and the President to declare a state of emergency to address the region’s
air quality, considered the worst in the nation.
A recent analysis by the California Air Resources Board showed that fine
particulate (PM2.5) pollution in the South Coast Air Basin is responsible
annually for 5,400 premature deaths, 2,400 hospitalizations and 980,000 lost
work days. The analysis was based on 1999-2000 air pollution levels.
Southland residents bear 82 percent of the statewide burden and 52 percent
of the national burden of unhealthful levels of particulate pollution on a
population-weighted exposure basis.
In other action today, the AQMD Board:
- Awarded $975,000 in funding to help replace 12 older diesel trucks as
part of an ongoing program to accelerate the cleanup of older, highly
polluting diesel trucks operating in the Southland;
- Adopted a $125.5 million budget for fiscal year 2007-08, including a
3.3 percent Consumer Price Index increase for select fees, including those
for source testing and Hearing Board cases, for fiscal year 2007-08 only.
This year, the AQMD Board also adopted new fees to cover legal costs if
AQMD must defend an issued permit. Streamlined operations and past cost
recovery efforts have helped AQMD propose a balanced budget for fiscal
year 2007-08; and
- Set a public hearing for June 1 to consider adopting the 2007 Air
Quality Management Plan.
AQMD is the air pollution control agency for Orange County and major
portions of Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
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