LAT: California May Temporarily Relax Air Standards

[DeepModem Mom]

California May Temporarily Relax Air Standards
Regulators' plan, rooted in the loss of Gulf Coast petroleum imports, could help deter more gas price hikes. Others doubt proposal's need.
By Tim Reiterman, Times Staff Writer


SAN FRANCISCO -- California air quality regulators want to temporarily relax gasoline pollution standards to help avert possible shortages and more price hikes stemming from the loss of petroleum imports from hurricane-battered Gulf states.

At a hearing today in Sacramento, the California Air Resources Board is scheduled to consider an emergency action reducing the standards normally in place until Oct. 31 in most parts of the state.

Essentially, the action would permit the early sale of so-called winter gasoline and waive the requirement to sell summer gasoline during the remainder of the high-ozone season.

Following Hurricane Katrina — which damaged oil rigs, refineries and other production facilities — the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that it would allow the nationwide distribution of gasoline with a lower evaporative standard than some states, including California, require.

Georgia, Arizona, Nevada and Washington were among states that subsequently moved to relax their standards....


http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-calgas8sep08,0,6374273.story?coll=la-tot-promo&track=morenews

[kahleefornia]

1. ick

smog is so much worse here at the end of summer...we have to wait for the Santa Ana winds to clean things out.

[Union Thug]

2. "temporarily" - Right.

Once they're gone, they're gone for good.

[Sub Atomic]

4. that's what i'm thinking.

[Erika]

3. And the poor urban dwellers will be hit with the most pollution

Asthma is increasing at an alarming rate among the urban areas. This will make it even worse. How very sad that we designate the least amongst us to take the biggest environmental hit.

[babylonsister]

5. Not just CA;; all over. Standards have been relaxed

to alleviate suffering all over-BS. This has to do with gas prices, and global warming is not an issue in fixing this problem. From now on, it's all about Katrina, and efforts made to 'make it better'.

[LeftyMom]

6. Don't we already have soem of the highest athsma rates in the country?

My neighbor's two year just got diagnosed with athsma, he and his older brother both get regular treatments with a nebulizer. Personally, I think it's worth it to pay a bit more for gas so he and however many million people in the state with athsma can breathe easier.

[SnoopDog]

7. Implies they allow more pollution/less pollution during certain seasons...

While the oil companies make more money.

I would think that the less polluting gas is the norm...

[Rose Siding]

8. If it's that much of an emergency,

how about capping profits, long term?

[Journeyman]

9. I'm sure we citizens can "relax our breathing needs". . .

to accommodate the oil industry's pressing needs.