San Joaquin Valley's bad air will cause their air district a $29 million fine for exceeding federal ozone limits - and they plan to ask motorists to pay the bill, if the board supports the new registration fee.
The air district notes that motorists are responsible for 80% of the ozone problem. The fine itself will remain within the 8-county district and could be used to pay for mitigations like trading in older cars for less polluting ones.
"Faced with a fine of at least $29 million for exceeding federal ozone limits, the San Joaquin Valley's air quality regulators are proposing an annual surcharge of $10 to $24 on registration fees for the region's 2.7 million cars and trucks beginning next year."
The fee is enabled by 2008 legislation that requires a vote of the governing board only, unlike vehicle registration fees that the electorate will decide on Nov. 2. [See Prop. 21 would aid state parks by tacking $18 to car fees and county vehicle registration fees up to $10 enabled by SB 83 last year.]
From Bakersfield Californian: Drive a car? You may pay more for our bad air: "Rather than assessing the valley's largest stationary polluters, such as oil refineries, power plants and agricultural-production facilities, Air District officials are proposing to add approximately $10 to $12 to vehicle registrations in the valley."
"This is a fair thing to do in our view, since 80 percent of our smog comes from mobile sources," said Seyed Sadredin, Air District director."
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