Shake-Up Designed to Streamline AQMD Is Planned : Pollution: Several top posts will be eliminated. Changes are in preparation for creation of emissions credit trading program.

In a major reshuffling of the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s top staff, Deputy Executive Officer Pat Leyden will assume broad new powers, including overall responsibility for development of a sweeping new emissions credit trading program and enforcement of smog regulations.

The changes, which include the elimination of several top management positions for a savings of $500,000 a year, were ordered by Executive Officer James M. Lents and are to take effect April 6.

They come at a time when the AQMD is under growing criticism from major businesses for the escalating costs of controlling smog. Small businesses also have complained about red tape in securing operating permits.

Lents said Sunday that the reorganization is not only intended to streamline his staff in preparation for the emissions credit program, but is aimed at achieving faster turnaround time for issuing permits and improving dealings with businesses.

Separate divisions for small and major businesses will be created and headed by Leyden. “We think that the way you approach small business is a little different than the way you approach big business,” Lents said.

But environmentalists, who fear that clean air gains under the emissions trading program will be illusory, were wary of the reorganization. Gladys Meade of the American Lung Assn. of California called the reorganization premature. She said the AQMD governing board had embraced the emissions trading program only in concept, and that details awaited board approval.

Under the plan, traditional smog controls on polluting equipment such as refinery stacks would be largely scrapped. In their place, separate markets for three pollutants--hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides--would be established. Each polluter would be issued a share of overall emissions in the region, based on their past production.

Companies could meet clean air goals either by putting controls on offending equipment or by buying emission credits from other firms that exceed their pollution reduction goals. Over a period of time, the value of emission credits would drop, theoretically forcing a cleanup.

Under the reorganization, Leyden would assume additional duties for engineering, enforcement and small business assistance, AQMD sources said. Most significant, Leyden will oversee development of the new emissions trading program.

The reshuffling also allows Edward Camarena, deputy executive officer for operations who has overseen enforcement, to retain most of his other duties while taking on new authority over information services and administration.

Deputy executive officer positions for public affairs and administration are being eliminated. Carolyn Green held the public affairs post before recently taking a job in private industry. Jay R. Peters, who held the executive officer for administration job, is on extended medical leave. The functions of the two positions will be consolidated under other executives.

Eugene F. Calafato, assistant to executive officer Lents, will get new jurisdiction over transportation programs and public affairs, including ride-sharing, the AQMD’s press office and public adviser’s office.

AQMD chief scientist Alan Lloyd will assume additional responsibilities for some planning functions that were carried out by Leyden, sources said, adding that Lloyd also will oversee an expanded economic development program.