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Will blocked emissions credits in Los Angeles cause job loss? Up to 65,000 jobs in Los Angeles and Southern California are at stake due to blocked permits from the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), according to a coalition for Yes on SB 696. Yes on SB 696 Spokesman Scott MacDonald told me a lawsuit from the Natural Resources Defense Council has blocked the issuance of emissions credits from a special SCAQMD credit bank. If the permits are not granted then the coalition behind SB 696 states that up to 1,100 projects in a four county will be on indefinite hold while the issuing of 2,000 more permits are jeopardized. The permits directly affect the construction of fire stations, police stations, hospital power generators, electricity generators and other projects that are essential public services. The permits are needed because of Southern California’s strict air quality rules requiring any business or facility adding new equipment to prove they have reduced, through other activities, the amount of air pollution the new equipment would emit. The SCAQMD kept a special bank of pollution reduction credits from district-monitored facilities that were then issued to these essential projects so they could move forward. Yes on SB 696 quoted Ernie Bacon, Owner of Baker Furnace Company on the fiscal impact on his business: “We usually employ 15-20 people, but have laid off 70%, primarily due to the moratorium which has placed our greenhouse gas reduction and ground water clean-up projects on hold.” Source: Los Angeles Business Examiner |
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