News

(reprinted from SCCA newsletter, Nov 14, 2009)  The California Air Resources Board, at its September meeting in Diamond Bar, directed staff to prepare a report, based on industry input, on the effects the economic downturn was having on emissions.

 

The staff dutifully set up a meeting to discuss economic issues for October 28...then mysteriously canceled the workshop where they were supposed to get economic information from industries impacted by their regulations. Yesterday the staff completed cycle with this:

 

Public Workshop on the Impact of the Economy on Emissions will not be re-scheduled.

Staff postponed the workshop originally scheduled on October 28 to discuss the impact of the economy on emissions with the intention of re-scheduling the workshop to a future date.  Staff has now determined that re-scheduling the workshop before the December Board meeting will not be possible. 

These things don't happen in a vaccuum. 

 

It should be noted that CARB Chair Mary Nichols was absent from the September meeting.  The staff would not have decided to ignore a Board directive without the tactic consent (if not the direct order) of the Chair. It is equally unlikely that she would have taken this action without consulting the man who appointed her, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

 

Ms. Nichols also has chosen to, so far, ignore a letter signed by 50+ members of the Legislature, from both houses and both parties, requesting the ARB to stand down on the off-road and on-road diesel regulations until the California economy revives.

 

SCCA is working to rally a coalition of the industries impacted by these oppressive regulations to put a stop the arrogance of an agency that feels it is above the power of the Legislature and the will of the people. CARB's next board meeting is Thursday, November 19 and we will be there to make the case for our members.