Legal News

Smog regulators say power shortages possible in wake of judge's pollution ruling

By Richard Binder

A recent court ruling on air pollution could harm the Southern California economy and prevent new power plants from being built, perhaps even setting the region up for power shortages next summer, the region's smog agency says.

The ruling, the South Coast Air Quality Management District says, could affect as many as 1,000 businesses a year in the Los Angeles air basin ? perhaps hundreds in Orange County, including a "peaker" plant proposed by the city of Anaheim. The district filed an appeal of the ruling last week.

On Nov. 3, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Ann I. Jones ordered the air district to stop issuing air pollution credits to businesses; the credits allow them to increase their emissions.  Without such credits, or similar offsets for future pollution increases, the district says it cannot legally issue permits for the new power plants and other businesses under the federal Clean Air Act. And while in theory those businesses could purchase credits on the open market, a spokesman says prices are so high that they would be beyond the means of many.

Read the full story here.

Full post as published by Legal Pad | LA on December 08, 2008 (boomark / email).