ROBERT PRICE: $29 million fine for bad air? Please explain
| Saturday, Sep 25 2010 05:16 PM
Last Updated Saturday, Sep 25 2010 09:37 PM
So it's come to this: We're being fined for living in the San Joaquin Valley. Not for abusing our valley, or disrespecting our valley, or allowing a uniquely cantankerous group of people to live among us in our valley -- we're getting dinged merely for occupying this particular swath of earth. As if we weren't penalized enough in July and August when temperatures nudged 110, now we're being punished just for being.
That's the alarming conclusion we must take from the news that the eight counties of the San Joaquin Valley will soon pay nearly $29 million in fines for violating federal air-quality standards. Officials of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District are almost embarrassed to admit it, but it's likely we'll each fork out an additional $10 to $12 in car registration fees to cover the bill.
That's right, we're in trouble for living in a bad-air basin. Yes, even though the valley's air this summer was the cleanest on record, according to the Air District. Even though the valley's largest stationary polluters, such as oil refineries, power plants and agricultural-production facilities, had a better-than-average year in terms of compliance. Even though it was the summer's hotter-than-normal temperatures, and not our collective lack of concern, that wreaked havoc with official ozone meters. Even though, for the 700-millionth straight year, God refused to rip an asteroid-sized air vent in the Tehachapi mountains, thereby allowing all of that bad trapped air to flow out and those soothing ocean breezes to flow in.
Look, most of us are team players. Most of us want to rid this place of asthma and heart disease and all of the other unpleasant long-term by-products of dirty air. If the Environmental Protection Agency wanted to get everybody on board, it would officially admit that we're making a responsible effort here. Fine the rest of the state and give it to us as compensation for putting up with these immutable geographic/meteorological circumstances. Give us some credit for putting up with wood-burning restrictions and electric lawn care products; don't condemn us.
But no. We're being fined for living in a horseshoe-shaped valley that traps pollutants -- as much as 10 percent of it regularly wafting south from the San Francisco Bay Area. We get smog from the other side of the mountains, too, whenever California's tinderbox back country goes up in flames, which is generally once or twice a year, often owing to the encroachment of residential development into rural areas not well protected from fire. But the greatest non-homegrown share comes from interstate and trans-state freeway traffic, including commercial long-haul truckers.
What can we do about this misapplied fine, short of revolution? Start charging others for the benefit of leaving their soot on our doorstep as they pass through.
I have a few unrealistic (and possibly illegal) fantasy solutions.
* Set up toll booths at both ends of the valley, not only along Highway 99 and Interstate 5, but at every major east-west crossing route. Five bucks for every car not registered in one of the eight San Joaquin Valley counties, plus another $10 for every additional axle. Sure, vehicular traffic in the valley's four or five metro areas contributes to the ever-present smog blanket, but we're also the primary thoroughfare for north-south traffic, including a huge percentage of commercial conveyance. We deserve some compensation. What are they gonna do, try to avoid the toll by driving around us?
* Sue neighboring counties that allow development to intrude on land that goes up in flames every 20 years. Start with San Bernardino County, where residential kindling explodes in billion-dollar bonfires with predictable regularity. They burn, we brush the ashes off our Chevy Silverados.
* Help us cut a deal on low-emission cars and trucks. The federal government wants to encourage consumers to consider alternative-fuel vehicles. Fine. Make the San Joaquin Valley the ultimate laboratory. Offer some significant subsidies toward the purchase of electric or hybrid cars for those who can prove residency in the San Joaquin Valley.
The Air District is powerless to regulate vehicle use in the valley, but the feds might have some influence. Let's put the onus on them -- and the car manufacturers. Let's turn this into Hybrid Valley, and in the process answer once and for all the question of whether a concentrated, large-scale rollout of alt-fuel vehicles actually cleans the air or just shifts the burden to electric-generation plants. The feds will have to develop a sound battery-disposal program, too, which they'll have to do anyway.
OK, everyone -- start holding your breath.
I don't mean to imply that we citizens of the valley are doing everything we possibly can to clean our air. We can do better, starting with a thousand small things. (No. 1 on my personal list: gas-powered leaf blowers.)
But directing a $29 million fine at a valley saddled with so many natural environmental challenges is like spanking a child for being red-headed. I've never minded paying taxes and fees that were just and fair, or that paid for a clearly defined benefit, but this isn't any of those things. It's just wrong.
rprice@bakersfield.com
