Poll: O.C. Wants Clean Air and Cars, Too

While a majority of people in Orange County say clean air is important at any cost, an almost equal number do not want to improve air quality at the expense of personal life styles or suburban comforts such as gasoline-powered lawn mowers and barbecue starter fluid.

This major finding about the public’s perception of air pollution and its role in clearing the air is part of the 1989 Orange County Annual Survey by Mark Baldassare, a professor of social ecology at UC Irvine. Questions about air quality were included in the survey for the first time this year.

“People want clean air, but they don’t see themselves as part of the problem or the solution,” Baldassare said of the poll results. “It’s not just smokestack industries that are the problem. It’s people going about their daily habits in their homes and doing their errands in and around town.”

Despite the apparent distaste for personal sacrifice, state and local air pollution officials and residents involved in air quality issues were heartened by the conclusions--particularly those that showed people would pay substantial amounts for cleaner air.

“This says to me that a significant number are disturbed by existing air quality levels and believe an expenditure of dollars will improve the quality of life,” said Yorba Linda Mayor Henry W. Wedaa, vice chairman of the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD). “These are interesting statistics and could have an impact on governments, companies, and people who say, ‘Go away, don’t bother me.’ ”

The poll, paid for by public agencies, private foundations and corporations, including The Times Orange County Edition--surveyed 1,085 adult residents of Orange County between Sept. 6 and Sept. 23. It has a 3% margin of error.

Overall, the poll shows that 48% of the public believes that air pollution is a big problem in Orange County, while 72% thought it was a big problem in Southern California in general.

And 52% of those polled said it was important to have clean air “at any cost.”

But the same number said they oppose bans on barbecue lighter fluids and limits on drive-up windows at banks, fast-food restaurants and other businesses. These are among tough new regulations being proposed by the AQMD in an effort to meet federal clean air standards.

Similarly, 61% said they oppose more parking fees as an incentive to car-pool, while 64% object to bans on gasoline-powered lawn mowers.

When it comes to industry and government, however, at least three-fourths of the sample said they would support much broader programs by those institutions to ban aerosols, make cleaner fuels for cars, improve city planning and encourage ride sharing.

“It’s more comforting to point to industry or someone else,” said Cheryl Katz, co-director of the survey, which is in its eighth year. “People think that those guys in the refinery will make the difference, not us. But that is not necessarily true.”

Jerry Yudelson, who is on the board of the statewide Coalition for Clean Air, a citizens group with an Orange County chapter, had a different view: “I am very encouraged that over 50% want clean air at any cost. But until our plans and our programs make the large corporate polluter clean up first, I can’t blame the individual citizen for saying, ‘Why me?’ ”

Although small when compared with major industries and rush-hour traffic, certain modern conveniences such as barbecue lighter fluid, gas mowers and unrestricted use of automobiles cause substantial air pollution, according to air quality experts.

Besides halting the use of gas mowers and starter fluid, the AQMD’s regional plan also calls for increased parking fees as an incentive to car pool, as well as bans on drive-through windows.

“Most of these people don’t realize that they do not have to make a major sacrifice in their life style,” AQMD spokeswoman Claudia Keith said of the findings. “You know we are asking people to change starter fluids and stop using gasoline power mowers. Alternatives are available.”

Despite public opposition to those four regulations, the survey found that two-thirds of the sample preferred a regional effort to solving the air pollution--seen as tacit approval of the approach used by the AQMD and the state Air Resources Board.

While nearly half the respondents recognized that there is an air pollution problem in Orange County, six out of 10 people were unfamiliar with major proposals by the Air Resources Board and AQMD to improve air quality, despite extensive media coverage.

“It shows we just have our work cut out for us,” Keith said. “There has been a lot of publicity about the plans. Don’t these people read the newspapers or watch TV? We try to get the word out. That’s part of our job.”

FUTURE

47% of residents in poll fear O.C. is going downhill. A1

1989 ORANGE COUNTY ANNUAL SURVEY

CLEAN AIR AT ANY COST

Some people think it is important to have clean air in Southern California at any cost. Do you agree? Disagree? Yes: 52% No: 44% Don’t Know: 4%

FAVORABILITY TOWARD REGULATIONS

How do you feel about regulating these areas to improve the environment?

Strongly Somewhat Total Favor Favor Favoring Ban gas-powered lawn mowers 14% 22% 36% Impose parking fees 21 18 39 Restrict barbecue starter fluids 24 24 48 Limit new drive-through lanes 23 25 48 Require solar heaters in new homes 49 26 75 Ban aerosols 55 20 75 Encourage jobs-housing balance 49 27 76 Ban chlorofluorocarbons 69 15 84 Require clean fuels for new cars 58 26 84 Encourage ride-sharing 70 20 90

Source: Orange County Annual Survey, UCI