Council Backs Program to Recycle Old Cars

The Los Angeles City Council urged the South Coast Air Quality Management District Wednesday to spearhead a program to recycle older model cars, which are considered to be the area’s worst polluters. The council was to consider a resolution that calls for the AQMD to provide credits to businesses that recycle pre-1980 model vehicles by turning them into scrap.

The resolution was introduced by Councilman Hal Bernson, who also serves on the Community Air Quality Task Force, a committee of local business, labor and government representatives who have attempted to work out equitable anti-pollution measures. The AQMD has implemented a plan for businesses to cut air emissions or face stiff penalties.

William Huston, president of the task force and chairman of Watson Land Co., said scraping older cars is one of the cheapest means of cutting pollution, because automobiles and other vehicles account for 65% of the region’s dirty air.