South Coast Air Quality Management District | CalMatters

Super-surge pricing, 2020 politics, Newsom’s second thoughts, and a public servant calls it a career

by Dan Morain August 30, 2019August 30, 2019

Gig companies threaten to take worker fight to voters. Democratic lawmakers eye 2020 ballot measures. Newsom rethinks air district board appointment.

The most debated portion of the Garcia bill involves an existing loophole under the current cap and trade law that allows industrial facilities to get around retrofitting old, less-efficient equipment by purchasing pollution offsets and continuing to emit. But in addressing one cap-and-trade loophole, Garcia’s bill appears to open another: While it requires local air boards to establish equipment retrofitting programs, because the original law’s language was not struck, facilities could continue to trade pollution credits in lieu of replacing older equipment. Such a program, known as RECLAIM, is operated by the South Coast Air Quality Management District. During floor debate, Garcia made it clear that her bill did not intend to create that loophole, but the language remained in the version that passed.

Newly passed pollution bill is ‘downpayment’ to environmental justice

by Julie Cart July 18, 2017June 23, 2020