13 Large Firms Bear Brunt of Pollution Fees

Thirteen of the county’s largest industrial companies will pay more in pollution permit fees during the coming year, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors decided Tuesday.

The board, acting in its role as the county’s Air Pollution Control District, voted to reduce by $400,000 the amount of general fund money to be spent on operations of the air quality district. The $400,000 will be offset by charging “emissions-based fees” to be determined by the amount of pollution from each company’s plants.

The largest share of the increased fees will be paid by companies such as San Diego Gas & Electric, Rohr Industries and General Dynamics. The action means that smaller pollution sources--such as gas stations and dry cleaners--will be spared drastically increased fees.

However, the supervisors, who have been struggling for three months to find a way to cut county funding of the air quality district, limited the emissions-based fee to a one-year trial.

Supervisor Susan Golding suggested that a citizens group be formed to develop a “more equitable” way of collecting fees that could continue to increase if the county cut back on its funding any further.

The $400,000 in general fund money had been used to cover general and “indirect” pollution-control costs that the air quality district has not been able collect from specific industrial polluters.