Countywide

The Air Pollution Control Board on Tuesday approved the concept of developing a plan to curb pollution spewed by power plants in San Diego County.

The board’s action was designed to prevent an increase in local air pollution if the proposed merger between San Diego Gas & Electric and Southern California Edison is approved.

Just what the board’s plan will be has not been decided. Board members voted to authorize the Air Pollution Control District to conduct public workshops, beginning later this month, to seek suggestions from the community on the best way to curb power plant emissions. The district will submit a proposal for curbing power plant pollutants to the board in early 1991.

In a separate action, the board also voted to use the 1987 Baseline Planning Emissions Inventory as a gauge to measure future emission trends and annual pollution reductions.

The district cited 1987 figures, which blamed motor vehicles for most of the area’s air pollution. According to the 1987 study, automobile emissions accounted for 58% of the gases that combine to form smog. The study also revealed that auto emissions accounted for 90% of the carbon monoxide emitted into the atmosphere.

But the study also showed that while some emissions were higher than projected, greater emission reductions were also achieved in 1987. As an example, the reduction of carbon monoxide emissions was three times greater than projected for 1987.

The local Air Pollution Control District will have to submit a revised regional air quality strategy to the Air Resources Board by June 30.