Business Leaders Fear U.S. Smog Plan

A U.S. District Court decision to delay a federal clean-air plan for Southern California gives Ventura County two more years to push through its own smog-clearing measures that are more palatable to business, county officials said Tuesday.

But Richard Baldwin, the county’s air pollution officer, said the decision concerns some business leaders who fear that new industries might not relocate to Ventura County because of impending federal anti-smog rules.

“Ventura County ought to be allowed to come up with its own plan without the threat of federal regulations hanging over us,” Baldwin said.

Under the court-ratified agreement to delay federal rules, the EPA will unveil its sweeping air pollution plan next week as scheduled, but will not implement it for two years.

The delay on implementation, initially proposed by business leaders in Los Angeles and extended to Ventura County, has not been opposed by key environmentalists.

Stan Greene, president of Citizens to Preserve the Ojai, said the delay will not have a major impact in the county because most of the anti-smog measures would not go into effect for at least another 18 months.

Furthermore, he said, the federal plan was never intended to be socially or economically disruptive.

“We are interested in protecting human health,” Greene said. “If there are ways of achieving the same goals that are less expensive, that’s fine with us.”

The American Lung Assn. said the county’s failure to meet health standards places one-third of county residents at significant risk of developing respiratory diseases or other pollution-related health problems. One study cited by the county states that local residents could save $45 million to $69 million a year in health costs if air quality meets federal standards.