Southern California air quality officials approved a 15-year pollution clean-up plan Friday after adding provisions that would eventually eliminate a pollution-credits marketplace that regulates emissions from oil refineries and other major smokestack polluters.
But the 11-2 vote by the South Coast Air Quality Management District board left intact controversial plans for pollution reduction from the region’s ports and warehouse centers to be achieved through voluntary compliance with industry.
The board majority rejected provisions sought by new member Sheila Kuehl, a Los Angeles County supervisor, that would have required district staff to develop port and warehouse rules that the board could put in place should volunteer efforts fall short.
Kuehl, however, succeeded at adding provisions to the plan that will have the board seek state authority to impose rules requiring public agencies to use near-zero and zero-emission trucks.
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