October 15

Governor Vetoes No-Ner Increase Bill
By Paul Rosenberg and Peter Choung

     On September 30, the last possible day, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed AB-2042, Assemblymember Alan Lowenthal’s measure to cap air pollution produced by the ports of Los Angeles (POLA) and Long Beach. Many believe the decision violated (and all but ruined) the Governor’s ambitious plans for sharp statewide reductions in air pollution.
     The bill would have forced the ports to expand more responsibly, including an agreement with the South Coast Air Quality Management District on an air emissions ceiling.
     Lowenthal expressed disappointment, “I was always hoping the Governor would see the policy implications and importance of supporting AB-2042. Am I surprised? No. The Governor vetoed all of the bills that the State Chamber of Commerce identified as ‘job killers.’ But I believe the bill is a tremendous opportunity to promote greener, better jobs for the entire community.”
     Daniel Hinerfeld, representative of the Natural Resources Defense Council, disagrees with the notion that placing a cap on port pollution would in fact cut jobs and economic growth.
     “I definitely don’t think fighting air pollution is a job killer,” said Hinerfeld. “If anything, it is a job creator. We know that not only is our environment and our economic prosperity absolutely interdependent, California cannot succeed economically in the long run without taking [efficiency measures]. Fighting pollution would produce jobs by creating industries that figure out ways to reduce it. Just like hybrid cars and wind farming, the same principles apply here.”
     The governor’s veto message stated “this bill will not reduce pollution in any way. We need to focus our scarce resources on substantive, prompt action that will make real progress toward our shared air quality goals.” Ordinarily, businesses interests argue the exact opposite—that government should not mandate how to reach environmental goals, but leave that up to the private sector, or at least allow a menu of options.
     The governor’s decision reflected a power imbalance highlighted in “California’s Global Gateways,” a report from the Public Policy Institute of California, co-authored by Jon Haveman, which highlights the hidden costs and physical constraints, which limit current projections of port growth, as well as estimates of their net economic benefit to the state. Haveman gave a presentation based on the report to the POLA board of commissioners on September 29.
     In an earlier interview, Haveman explained, “Those who reap the benefits know exactly who they are and exactly how much they’re benefiting. They’re a powerful lobbying group .... The pollution costs are much more difficult to quantify. They won’t know who they are until they develop respiratory disease and health costs. They’re much more difficult to organize.”
     Tom Politeo, of the Sierra Club’s Harbor Vision Task Force, said, “It is unethical that these shipping ports can take their trash and throw it into the air, damaging our brains, hearts and lungs. We need to reach an ethical balance with the condition of the economy and the right to breathe clean air.”
     The veto makes it very difficult for the governor to uphold his vow to reduce air pollution by 50 percent, for which Southern California is currently paying $10 billion in health costs. Lowenthal has pledged to continue working to reduce port pollution, even suggesting he may reintroduce the bill as is at a later time.
     “It certainly presents an enormous challenge for the governor when he can’t even hold the line against the largest source of pollution in the area,” said Hinerfeld. “The Governor has made a lot of good choices and signed very effective bills to help clean up California’s environment, so this veto comes as a disappointment.”
     If all else fails, Politeo has a suggestion for educating the Governor on our pollution problem. “The governor should move in next to Terminal Island, exercise on the treadmill for hours a day and then see what he thinks about the air.”

Mayor’s Taskforce Gets Down To Business
By Paul Rosenberg, Senior Editor

     Mayor Hahn’s “No Net Increase” Taskforce got off to a good start on October 7, according to community members involved.
     “It went very well,” said Harbor Commissioner Camilla Kocol, who co-chaired the meeting along with fellow commissioner Tom Warren. “We were able to move the agenda exactly as it was planned. We had excellent participation by all the people,” Kocol elaborated. “A lot of preparation had been done, which saved time. I think everybody was on the same page,” she added.
     Kocol also chairs the Port Community Advisory Committee (P-CAC), which was also represented by Dr. John Miller, Richard Havenick, and Noel Park.
     “I thought it was positive,” Park concurred, citing a number of different indicators, beginning with the opening statement by Deputy Mayor Doane Lui.
     “He said that if the port wants to expand it has to figure out a way to do it without air pollution. He said it in now uncertain terms,” Park recalled approvingly.
     “He said that no net increase is a good goal. But it’s not the end. Because our plan is to have a decrease and that’s where we’re going,” Park added.
     “We have about five more meetings planned. Our goal is to have a deliverable draft in late December,” Kocol explained.
     Future meetings are scheduled on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month, from noon to 5 p.m.