Position on Air Quality

State or National:

State

Position in Brief:

Support measures to establish air quality standards that will protect the public health and welfare, and the development of effective enforcement and implementation procedures at each level of government to attain these standards.

Details:

  1. The state agency in California responsible for air pollution control should be strengthened and sufficiently funded to: a. set air quality standards that may be stricter than national standards; b. establish and regulate uniform policies and guidelines for administering air pollution control at all jurisdictional levels of government in the state; c. support lower levels of government in the enforcement of laws and regulations needed to achieve air quality standards; d. sponsor a program of educating and instructing the public in aspects of air pollution that can be ameliorated by citizens’ activities and participation.
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  2. The cost of converting industry from polluting to non-polluting practices should be borne primarily by industry with the help of such incentives as: –End vertical–
    1. low-interest government loans;
    2. government grants for research;
    3. favorable depreciation allowance on capital investment in control equipment.

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  3. Air pollution control should be administered by air basin.
  4. A well developed mass transit system designed to reduce automobile traffic should be established in all metropolitan areas of the state.
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  5. The Highway User’s Fund should be used for transportation-related services such as smog control and transit.

Position History:

Adopted 1971; Updated 1973; Readopted at last convention