Sander Kushen, sander.kushen@sierraclub.org
DIAMOND BAR, Calif. – Over 100 clean air advocates rallied outside the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) headquarters Friday, cheering the agency's passage of pioneering regulations to slash emissions from polluting industries and drive a transition to zero-emission appliances.
In a series of votes, the SCAQMD board finalized rules mandating a shift to zero-emission boilers and water heaters, imposing fees on major polluters and setting a hearing on regulation that will curb pollution from trains and rail yards. The decisions followed a spirited "Rally for Clean Air" where over 15 diverse environmental, community and environmental justice groups demanded urgent action on Southern California's notoriously dirty air.
“People turned out en masse today to demand SCAQMD take bold action to protect public health and make our air safe to breathe,” said Ana Gonzalez, Executive Director of the Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice. “Requiring cleaner trains, ships, boilers and furnaces means preventing untold asthma attacks, heart problems and premature deaths.”
In a groundbreaking move, Rule 1146.2 mandates that over 1 million fossil fuel-powered water heaters, residential furnaces, and other commercial and industrial equipment be replaced with zero-emission electric technologies over the next decade. These fossil fuel appliances are responsible for nearly 10% of the emissions from all stationary sources in the region.
“Setting zero-emission standards for boilers will do more to clean our air than any rule passed by the Air District since 2021,” said Evan Gillespie, a Partner at Industrious Labs. “This commercial and industrial equipment spews massive amounts of smog and particulate matter. Once implemented, we’ll have slashed 5.6 tons of smog-forming nitrogen oxides per day —the equivalent of nearly half the NOx emissions from every car in the region combined. This is a great day for clean air!"
“When it comes to our industrial sector, we don’t have to boil the planet to boil water. With this pivotal rule, Southern California is set to replace over a million pieces of gas-powered equipment with zero-emissions technology. This is a major step forward in our region’s fight to clean the air for over 17 million people and invest in zero-emissions solutions,” said Adrian Martinez, Deputy Managing Attorney of Earthjustice’s Right To Zero campaign. “If Southern California can forge ahead and do this, so can the rest of the nation.”
Rule 317.1 establishes a pollution fee program requiring large industrial polluters to pay to support regional clean air efforts, replacing a system where taxpayers unfairly subsidized private industry's emissions. In the legal settlement instigating this rule, plaintiffs estimated that the fines could result in SCAQMD collecting over $25 million annually from major polluters.
"Environmental racism means communities like ours have lived and worked in life threatening conditions for generations while corporations have evaded accountability," said Paola Vargas, the Long Beach Organizer for East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice. "These polluter fees are a critical first step toward making sure polluters pay their fair share when the air is unsafe to breathe."
Finally, Rule 2306 sets a hearing date for the SCAQMD to consider requirements for emissions monitoring and ultimately transitioning rail operations to zero-emission technologies at the region's major rail yards. This ‘Indirect Source Rule’ will reduce community exposure to diesel pollution from trains.
“After we successfully passed a Warehouse Indirect Source Rule in 2021, industry lobbyists have used countless delay tactics to avoid similar regulation for ports and railyards," said Bobbi Jo Chavarria, Senior Field Organizer at the Sierra Club. "Our health, climate and clean air cannot afford any more delays. This vote is a promising step in the right direction, and we are looking forward to continuing our work with the SCAQMD to pass a strong railyard rule."
“AQMD’s Rule 2306 (Rail ISR) and Rule 2304 (Port ISR) offer an unparalleled opportunity to achieve emissions reductions that will help bring air in the South Coast into compliance with federal and state air quality standards,” said Alison Hahm, Staff Attorney at Natural Resources Defense Council. “We urge AQMD to adopt the strongest possible Railyard and Port ISRs this year and start delivering on the promise of the 2022 AQMP to realize a zero-emissions future.”
The SCAQMD votes cap years of advocacy by environmental groups, which rallied, testified and lobbied for the newly approved regulations amid fierce opposition from industry.
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.