Powerful industries are pressuring California regulators to delay or roll back air quality and climate regulations due the coronavirus pandemic.
As experts warn that exposure to pollution can increase the risk of dying from COVID-19, an array of powerful industries is pressuring California regulators to delay or roll back air quality and climate regulations due the coronavirus outbreak.
The breadth of requests presents a conundrum for regulators who, even in eco-minded California, have been open about the need to grant some measure of relief from environmental requirements in response to the pandemic. While officials say their commitment to fighting climate change and air pollution remains unshaken, they are nonetheless postponing compliance deadlines and delaying pollution-reduction rules.
Officials at the California Air Resources Board said they are forging ahead in crafting regulations to cut pollution from trucks, ships and other vehicles that generate the bulk of the state’s emissions. Officials for the South Coast district said delays in adopting rules aren’t unusual, and were commonplace even before the pandemic. They acknowledged COVID-19 had pushed back timelines for adopting some rules by a few months, but blamed those delays largely on stay-at-home orders, telecommuting, and other coronavirus-related restrictions, rather than industry pressure.“We’re still trying to move as hard and as fast as we can,” South Coast AQMD Executive Officer Wayne Nastri said.
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