Air Quality Task Force Will Examine Car-Pool Strategies

A task force will examine options and alternatives to Southern California’s car-pooling regulations to find new ways of removing solo drivers from the roads and ease the burden of compliance on businesses, an Orange County air quality official said Tuesday.

Henry W. Wedaa, chairman of the governing board of the South Coast Air Quality Management District, said he wants to convene the first meeting of the newly formed task force later this month. Two of the three task force members have backgrounds in Orange County.

Wedaa, a Yorba Linda city councilman who represents Orange County cities on the board, called for the group to look into three areas:

* Reducing the cost and time required for businesses to comply with regulations;

* Developing a menu of options for businesses to meet state and federal laws that would curb solo driving;

* Suggesting how current laws might be changed, or new ones proposed, to help achieve ride-sharing goals.

Wedaa has been on the AQMD board for six years but has come under fire recently for his strong stances on protecting air quality. Although supporters praise his willingness to deter businesses from polluting, opponents--especially conservatives--say he is overzealous and harmful to industry.

He has been the subject of several heated arguments recently at local California League of Cities meetings. Under new state law, the mayors of Orange County cities must vote to either reelect or replace Wedaa as an AQMD board member by March 1.

Wedaa will lead the task force but has appointed three vice chairmen from the private sector to oversee the review of each area.

The appointees, Wedaa said, are Hugh Hewitt, an Irvine attorney, commentator and frequent critic of the AQMD; Bruce Nestande, a former state assemblyman and former Orange County supervisor; and Robert Wyman, an attorney with Latham & Watkins in Los Angeles and chairman of the Regulatory Flexibility Group.

Wyman will head a study on current regulations, Hewitt will examine alternatives and Nestande will oversee legislative remedies.

Under the AQMD’s ride-sharing rule adopted six years ago, companies in Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties with more than 100 employees must set up programs that encourage employees to car pool, take mass transit or use other means to get to work.

The rule has been unpopular because thousands of offices and other non-industrial businesses must spend large sums of money to create elaborate ride-sharing strategies.