Governor Gavin Newsom has put his signature on AB 1465, legislation that will significantly impact industrial air polluters in California, especially refineries. According to a statement released by the organization, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District is celebrating the move, which triples the penalties for air quality violations at Title V sources. This could mean much heftier fines for facilities that fail to adhere to the state's strict air quality regulations.
The penalty structure has been largely unchanged since 2001, and this law is a response to the outdated fines that failed to keep pace with inflation, even after minor adjustments in 2018. "The signing of AB 1465 signals a new era of accountability for polluters and is a decisive step toward safeguarding the air we all breathe," Dr. Philip Fine, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District executive officer, told the press. The new law seeks to provide sufficient deterrents for violating air quality standards, focusing on protecting communities often hit hardest by pollution.
Mariela Ruacho, senior clean air advocacy manager of the American Lung Association, highlighted the health cost of air pollution in communities by stating, "AB 1465 will reduce community air pollution by holding refineries and other major sources of pollution more accountable to protecting public health. This will reduce asthma attacks, heart attacks and stroke to community residents," according to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District news release.
Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, representing a district spanning from Oakland to Richmond and including the City of Berkeley, was the author and staunch advocate for AB 1465. The bill not only holds the promise of cleaner air for her constituents. It comes as part of the broader efforts to respond to catastrophic wildfires and to increase resilience, evidenced by her prior sponsorship of a bill to establish Clean Air Centers across California. Subject to these increased penalties, Title V sources are large facilities that contribute significantly to air pollutants and thus come under intense regulatory scrutiny.
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