The Bay Area's Air Quality District is awaiting the outcome of the building industry's litigation against the country's first regulation of "indirect sources" in California's heavily polluted Central Valley.
Hailed by environmentalists as a great victory, the Central Valley's air district approved an Indirect Source Rule last December. The first of its kind in the nation, the new rule placed fees on new development based on vehicle-trips generated and energy consumed.
"The fee was implemented in March by the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, which regulates eight counties from San Joaquin in the north to Kern in the south. It applies to all new development in the region and currently averages about $618 per residential unit, but will increase to nearly $1,800 per unit when it's fully rolled out in 2008.
"Bay Area regulators are particularly interested in the outcome of a lawsuit filed last week against the San Joaquin air district by the California Building Industry Association."
The group believes the district used a faulty model to establish a connection between new development and air pollution.
"There's no scientific evidence that new cars go with new houses or anything to suggest that you would actually have increased emissions attributable to new homes," said Tim Coyle, the association's chief of governmental affairs.
The fee, to be determined by the air district, "is intended to encourage builders to incorporate energy saving technology and building techniques in their projects or construct higher density developments close to shops and businesses because everything a developer does to cut back on car use and emissions will reduce the amount of fees they have to pay."
"Still, even if the fee passes legal muster after the lawsuit winds its way through the courts, it's not clear that a similar rule would win enough political support to migrate to the Bay Area.
Thanks to Darrell Waller
FULL STORY: Footing the bill to battle air pollution

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie