Air Quality District’s $64-Million Budget Stresses Enforcement, More Inspections

Stepped-up air pollution inspections and tougher enforcement were approved by the South Coast Air Quality Management District board Friday as it adopted a record $63.6-million budget for the 1988-89 fiscal year beginning July 1.

The new budget, which represents a 24% spending increase over the current year, calls for an additional 101 engineers, inspectors and support staff. The new hires are part of an accelerated effort by the district to look at smaller polluters.

In a related action, the board withdrew pollution control exemptions from 17,200 small businesses, including 2,500 char-broil restaurants. Officials said that increasingly smaller polluters must be regulated if the four-county South Coast Air Basin is ever to meet federal clean air standards.

Revenues to fund the higher spending level will come from increases in various fees and penalties charged by the district. Fees and penalties account for about 90% of the district’s budget; federal and state funds account for the remaining 10%.

“This budget will allow the AQMD to step up the war on unhealthy air by accelerating the development of new and cleaner technologies. This includes clean-fuel cars and buses powered by methanol and electricity and ways to cut pollution from industry,” board member Larry Berg said.

The board added $3.4 million to the $2.9 million requested by AQMD Executive Officer James M. Lents for the district’s clean fuels program. Board members said the additional funds are needed because a state appropriation they sought now seems doubtful. The state funds are proposed in a bill by state Sen. Herschel Rosenthal (D-Los Angeles).

The board also approved spending up to $250,000 over the next two years to underwrite the costs of testing a fuel additive that may speed the conversion of diesel buses to cleaner-burning methanol fuel by allowing them to burn the methanol with a minimal of engine modifications.

In addition, the board voted to spend up to $400,000 to help develop a 65-mile-per-hour electric vehicle. Funds for both the electric car and methanol fuel additive will be matched by industry.