Air quality legislation endorsed by the Paramount City Council has become law in California. Assembly Bill (AB) 1132, a bill written by Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia and backed by the Southern California Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), was passed by the State Legislature and signed by Gov. Jerry Brown on August 7.
AB 1132 enables AQMD to take immediate action on air quality issues when an imminent and substantial danger to the public has been identified, rather than requiring a delay for a formal hearing process to take place. The new law is intended to empower SCAQMD to be able to move swiftly when emissions are known to be a problem. The process allows for an expedited hearing process to also balance the immediate actions of the District with due process for the identified emitter.
The Paramount City Council unanimously voted to endorse the legislation on April 18, 2017. It was one of the first cities to take action to support the legislation.
“AQMD can be a strong partner for communities to address air quality with science and facts. AB 1132 now empowers them to take swift action against dangerous polluters while still providing the appropriate due process to ensure cases are fairly considered,” said Paramount Mayor Peggy Lemons. “Paramount is committed to a quality environment for our community and empowering regulatory experts to take actions they deem necessary to protect our community.”
Continued Mayor Lemons, “Both of our local state elected officials – Assemblymember Anthony Rendon and Senator Ricardo Lara – voted in favor of AB 1132 and stood with our City Council. Our representatives have shown a keen interest in environmental quality in Paramount and have consistently communicated with the City to understand and support our efforts.”
To learn more about the legislation, read an analysis, and see who voted for and against the bill, visit the California State Legislature website at: http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180AB1132
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