3 Counties to Work on Pollution Rules
The Ventura County Air Pollution Control District is working with officials in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties to coordinate regulations and enforcement as a means of reducing costs to the public and business.
At a meeting Thursday of the South Central Coast Basinwide Air Pollution Control Council, the top officials of the three districts decided to consolidate five rules that are under development.
“You could have 15 people writing five rules,” said Richard Baldwin, air pollution control officer for Ventura County. Under the new system, he said, “We will have five people writing five rules.”
Baldwin said industry will benefit from the coordination among the districts in two ways.
“It keeps the cost of our programs down and helps keep the cost of permit fees down,” he said. “It also provides more uniform rules in all three counties.”
Marc Charney, president of the Ventura County Economic Develpment Association, applauded the move to reduce costs.
But he said the potential is for the regulations to become more restrictive if the demands of all three counties must be met.
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