Page 2 - ARUBA TODAY

A2 UP FRONT
Wednesday 25 september 2019

EPA targets California over poor air quality

Continued from Front ly punishing California for
EPA's own inaction."
Tuesday's announcement The federal government
by U.S. Environmental Pro- sets rules for how much
tection Agency Admin- pollution can be in the air.
istrator Andrew Wheeler Lots of places in the coun-
chastised California for its try don't meet those stand-
backlog of pending rules ards. But no state has more
and regulations to reduce problems than California,
pollution in areas that do where 85% of the popula-
not meet federal air quality tion — 34 million people —
standards. breathe dirty air.
But Wheeler's letter to the Federal law requires states
California Air Resources with dirty air to come up
Board puzzled state regula- with a plan on how to re-
tors and even former EPA duce pollution. Those plans
officials who say the back- must be approved by the
log exists because the fed- EPA. The federal agency
eral government has not has a backlog of these
approved the plans. plans awaiting approval,
"It makes no sense," said and California accounts
Gay MacGregor, a former for more than 130 of them,
senior policy adviser for the or about one-third of the Environmental Protection Agency administrator Andrew Wheeler speaks during a television
EPA Office of Transporta- total. Wheeler blamed interview in front of the West Wing of the White House, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2019, in Washington.
tion and Air Quality from California for the backlog Associated Press
1983 until 2016. "What they on Tuesday, saying most and have "fundamental The letter lists six Califor- ern California, home to two
are doing today is basical- of the plans are "inactive" issues related to approv- nia plans it says are not in of the world's largest ports
ability." He asked the state compliance. It includes where much of the coun-
to withdraw the plans and one for Ventura County try's freight passes through
come up with new ones. If for the 1997 federal ozone and is carried away on die-
they don't, the government standards. But Ventura sel trucks and trains.
would punish the state by County already meets the Only the federal govern-
withholding federal road 1997 standards, so a state ment can regulate emis-
dollars. But that punish- plan is not required, said Ali sions from trains, planes,
ment involves a process Ghasemi, division manager ships and heavy-duty
that could take up to 18 for the Ventura County Air trucks, according to Co-
months. Quality Pollution Control rey, the executive officer of
"California has failed to car- District. the California Air Resources
ry out its most basic respon- The letter also chastis- Board. "California and oth-
sibilities under the Clean Air es Southern California's er states had to go to court,
Act, and as a result, millions Coachella Valley for an in- repeatedly, to get the EPA
of Californians live in areas adequate plan addressing to implement the strict
that do not meet our na- the 2008 ozone standard. smog standards it claims to
tion's air quality standards," "That's news to us," said be worried about," he said.
Wheeler said in a news re- Philip Fine, deputy execu- The EPA says it plans to is-
lease. "EPA stands ready tive officer for Planning and sue $40 million in grants
to work with California to Rules at the South Coast Air to help areas around the
meet the Trump Administra- Quality Management Dis- country meet federal air
tion's goal of clean, healthy trict. "We work very closely quality standards, includ-
air for all Americans, and with the (EPA) to make sure ing several communities in
we hope the state will work everything we submit is ap- California. Separately Tues-
with us in good faith." provable and staff there day, California sued the
Wheeler's announcement, told us there were no issues EPA over the federal agen-
detailed in a letter sent with it. We were expecting cy's March determination
to California regulators, approval." that salt ponds in the San
"contains multiple inaccu- Much of California's smog Francisco Bay Area are not
racies, omissions and mis- problem comes from its "waters of the United States"
statements," according to 35 million registered cars that are protected under
Richard Corey, executive and trucks, the most of any the Clean Water Act. That
officer of the California Air state. But the problem is reverses a 2016 decision by
Resources Board. also compounded in South- a regional EPA office.q