‘The Trail Grows Murkier’

The Times editorial on air quality (“The Trail Grows Murkier,” Aug. 11) was correct when it stated that blazing a new regulatory trail will be more difficult after the region fails to meet the Dec. 31 deadline for attainment of air quality standards.

The editorial also correctly states that the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce thinks that the time has come to more carefully look to mobile and other, smaller, sources for emissions reductions, instead of primarily relying on still more controls on large stationary sources such as power plants and refineries.

However, our reason for urging this approach is that we feel that larger, quicker and more cost-effective benefits for public health can be gained in this way. The chamber does not rule out additional controls on stationary sources, but instead supports consideration of a broad range of positive steps, including transportation measures, that will provide the best investment we can make for a maximum air quality improvement.

We agree with The Times that enforcement of these measures may be more complicated than policing controls on large sources. However, most of the simpler stationary source controls have been implemented; those left will affect every individual and many more businesses than before.

To win the war on smog will take a degree of economic sacrifice and self-enforcement from individuals that we have not had to face up to this point. Working at cross purposes would certainly be counterproductive. Instead, the chamber hopes that, through clear-headed debate among all sectors of the community, a consensus will develop around the tasks necessary to achieve the chamber’s dual goals of clean air and a strong, competitive economy.

RAY REMY

President

L.A. Area Chamber of Commerce