Politics & Government
Air Quality Management District Considers Ousting Long-Time Executive Officer
The news has environmentalists concerned the smog regulator is becoming more friendly to businesses.
The board that governs air-quality regulations is expected Friday to consider ousting its long-time executive officer, raising concerns by some that the board may be leaning toward pollution-control policies more friendly to businesses.
Barry Wallerstein has been the South Coast Air Quality Management District's executive officer since 1997. He has been with the agency since 1984.
According to an agenda for the AQMD board's 9 a.m. meeting, the 13- member panel will meet in closed session to discuss "public employee performance evaluation/discipline/dismissal/release/resignation" as it pertains to the executive officer. There is a closed-session item for the possible appointment of an acting executive officer.
The board is then scheduled to meet in open session to discuss compensation or severance for a public employee.
The Los Angeles Times reported that the possible replacement of Wallerstein follows a change in board membership, which now has a Republican majority hoping to make pollution-control measures more business friendly.
Highland Mayor Larry McCallon, a Republican who sits on the board, told The Times the panel has to address the problems businesses face due to often- costly pollution regulations.
"I believe that having jobs are just as important for a person's health, for a family's health, as having clean air," McCallon told The Times. But McCallon downplayed the significance of the board having a Republican majority, noting that a recent vote to reject proposed pollution-control measures crossed party lines.
But environmentalists went on alert when news of Wallerstein's possible ouster broke. The Coalition for Clean Air issued a statement saying its leadership is "greatly concerned about the future of air quality in the region and the motives behind such a move."
Under Wallerstein's watch, "days exceeding the 2008 federal ozone standard have dropped by one-third," according to the coalition. "Today, for the first time, new clean air technologies provide us a viable path to meeting air quality standards."
Los Angeles County Supervisors Hilda Solis and Sheila Kuehl issued a joint statement calling for Wallerstein to be retained by the board.
"The agency's website states that it is 'committed to protecting the health of residents, while remaining sensitive to businesses,"' they said. "Today, however, it appears that the SCAQMD board may be moving toward compromising that mission, weighing economic concerns more heavily than the agency's core mission of protecting public health.
"We strongly believe that the health and safety of every resident of Los Angeles County must continue to be front-and-center of the agency's efforts. We do not wish to see a rollback of SCAQMD's safeguards and standards and urge the board to reaffirm its commitment to its core mission."
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--City News Services, photo courtesy of South Coast Air Quality Management District
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