Cleaning Up the Air and Antonovich’s Appointment to the AQMD

There has never been as great an opportunity for real clean air achievement as there is right now. The SCAQMD has been reorganized and given the teeth it needs to make strong reforms in areas long ignored. The new executive officer, Jim Lents, has committed to aggressively pursuing an effective pollution reduction program. As a result, we may see ride-sharing, tougher controls on big polluters, and more consistent clean air policies.

It is a tragedy that the newest board member, Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich, feels that it is his duty to protect polluting industry rather than public health. He has clearly stated that position, a position contrary to the goals of the SCAQMD.

The nation’s smoggiest county needs a representative on the new board sensitive to the concerns of the public and willing to take the steps needed to bring us into compliance with state and federal health-based air quality standards. How can we afford not to have a voice for clean air from L.A. County?

Los Angeles County produces most of the air pollution in the region. Has Antonovich now declared war on the health of the rest of the basin?

This simply cannot be what state Sen. Robert Presley had in mind when he drafted the legislation leading to the board’s overhaul.

Los Angeles should be a good neighbor, not a dirty one.

ELIZABETH STEVENSON

Coalition for Clean Air

Santa Monica