| Nov. 3, 2008
Schools, Hospitals, Sewage Treatment Plants and Landfills Affected
LOS ANGELES -- A Los Angeles Superior Court judge today may have blocked
future construction of major projects at essential public facilities
including schools, hospitals, landfills and sewage treatment plants that
need air emission credits.
"We are disappointed in today's decision," said Barry Wallerstein, executive
officer of the South Coast Air Quality Management District. "This will
seriously restrict if not totally prohibit some cities and government
agencies in our region from meeting a growing need for essential public
services in the future." AQMD will decide whether to appeal the judge's
decision within the next two weeks, Wallerstein said.
The judge also invalidated air emission credits issued to several public
service facilities since the rules governing these credits were adopted or
amended in August 2007.
Today's ruling by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Ann I. Jones stems from a
2007 lawsuit challenging the AQMD's efforts to transfer pollution-reduction
credits to power plants. Power plants must provide air emission credits
before beginning construction.
Responding to a severe credit shortage preventing construction of even the
lowest-polluting natural-gas-fueled plants, and projections by the
California Energy Commission that an energy shortage would occur unless new
plants were constructed in Southern California, AQMD took regulatory action
in 2006 and 2007 to make credits from its internal bank available for new
power-plant construction.
AQMD's actions were challenged in a lawsuit brought by several environmental
groups including the Natural Resources Defense Council, Communities for a
Better Environment, Coalition for a Safe Environment and California
Communities Against Toxics. The environmental groups challenged the
environmental impact report for the rules governing air emission credits.
In her July 2008 ruling on the lawsuit, Judge Jones effectively barred
construction of any new natural-gas power plants.
In addition, her ruling not only put a stop to planned power-plant projects
in the Southland, but also threatened to halt essential public projects at
landfills, sewage treatment plants, hospitals and schools.
At today's hearing, attorneys for AQMD informed the judge that except for
two power plant projects in the Mojave Desert, it was dropping plans to
transfer credits from its internal bank to power plants, but requested the
ability to transfer credits on a temporary basis to essential public
services. Judge Jones denied the AQMD's request. As a result, several
planned essential public service projects will be in limbo, AQMD officials
said.
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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