Edison’s Air Quality Plan Called a ‘Sham’

State Sen. Herschel Rosenthal and other critics on Friday denounced as “a sham and a fraud” an agreement between Southern California Edison Co. and air quality officials on ways to reduce pollution resulting from Edison’s proposed merger with San Diego Gas & Electric Co.

Last month, Edison and the South Coast Air Quality Management District staff tentatively agreed on a plan intended to offset the expected increase of nitrogen oxides in the South Coast Air Basin that would result from Edison’s plan to shift electrical generation from San Diego to the Los Angeles area under the merger. Nitrogen oxides are precursors of the ozone in smog.

Under the proposal, Edison would agree to pay its industrial customers to convert from internal combustion engines to less-polluting electric motors. The resulting reduction in emissions in the basin would more than offset any increases from the merger, Edison argued. AQMD staff have accepted the proposal as technically sound, but the AQMD board must still approve it at a meeting on Aug. 3.

Rosenthal (D-Los Angeles), speaking at a news conference outside Edison’s Redondo Beach power plant Friday, called the proposal “an air quality hoax.” Rosenthal is chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Public Utilities.

“Edison will probably proceed with (the conversion program) even if there is no merger” because it makes business sense, Rosenthal said. As a result, there will be no real air pollution gains, he argued.

Rosenthal and the others repeated arguments that the proposed $2.5-billion merger, which would create the nation’s largest utility, would generate 1,000 to 1,300 tons of new nitrogen oxides per year.

For its part, Edison denied that its proposal is a sham. Michael M. Hertel, Edison’s manager of environmental affairs, also denied that Edison would have proceeded with the conversion program despite the merger.

In written testimony delivered on July 13 to the California Public Utilities Commission, which must approve the merger, AQMD Planning Director Barry R. Wallerstein said Edison’s proposal was “technically sound” enough to mitigate emissions increases predicted in a draft environmental impact report on the proposed merger.

He added that Edison would still have to deal with other pollution problems that crop up later, and that it would be subject to fines if it failed to offset emissions increases.

On Friday, Rosenthal also suggested that Edison had made improper private contacts with members of the air district’s staff and board members in reaching the agreement. He declined to go into details but threatened to call a committee hearing into the matter once the California Legislature finishes with the state budget.

“I fear that certain (AQMD) board members have been buckling under to the back-room lobbying pressure being applied by Edison,” Rosenthal said.

“Edison is now pressuring the South Coast Air Quality Management District to withdraw its objections to the merger--to stop asking the hard questions, to stop pointing out that this basin can’t stand any new pollution,” added Susan Durbin, a state deputy attorney general, speaking on behalf of Atty. General John K. Van De Kamp, who opposes the merger.

Officials at both Edison and the AQMD denied any improper contacts. “Anybody who wants to call up the staff, can,” said AQMD spokesman Tom Eichhorn. “We’ve met with opponents of the merger as well. . . . As government officials, we have an open-door policy and anyone who wants to talk with us . . . we can’t deny access.”

Barbara Baird, senior deputy district counsel for the AQMD, said the proposed agreement was consistent with the district’s continuing concern about the merger’s air quality effects.