Piece on Environmental Industry Misled Readers

It was with a great sense of disappointment and frustration that I and many other members of the California environmental industry read the article “Green Tape: Environmental Technology’s Reality Falls Short of Hype” (Sept. 20). The article left readers with the misimpression that the California environmental technology industry is not a healthy component of our state’s economy and that the state government is not doing anything to assist the industry. Nothing could be further from the truth.

California’s environmental industry is made up of over 10,000 companies that employ approximately 180,000 Californians and generate close to $20 billion in annual revenues. The industry is the acknowledged worldwide leader in providing state-of-the-art environmental solutions in domestic and foreign markets.

Despite a severe recession that has affected all sectors of California’s economy, the environmental industry continues to be a vibrant and positive contributor to job creation and export development for the state.

It is an industry with a varied range of experiences, but one that continues to grow and mature, and that represents a critical component of California’s new economy.

BRIAN A. RUNKEL

Executive Director

California Environmental

Business Council