Angels in the Bayous (or Learning from LA)
Texans are pretty proud folks, as we should be. But if someone figures out how to rope a steer better and faster than we can, we usually take notice. Early morning, August 23, I had a chance to meet seasoned environmental cowboy Barry R. Wallerstein. Barry is an executive officer of the California South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) – the independent agency charged with improving air quality in the Los Angeles region. He was chatting with his compadres in the Greater Houston Partnership’s Environmental Posse, er, Committee.

For those of you who don’t know, the South Coast AQMD is the premier air quality agency in the world. I learned this first hand in 1997 when I started Clean Air Lawn Care, an admirable but completely unsuccessful attempt to provide Houston with an environmentally friendly lawn service. Trying to find some facts and figures on air emissions from lawn and garden equipment, I happened upon detailed studies conducted by the South Coast AQMD of two-stroke engines – the kind that are used in most mowers, blowers, and edgers. From these studies I learned that an estimated 5% (!) of US air emissions comes from lawn and garden equipment, and that LA was well on it’s way to banning blowers and regulating two-stroke engine emissions — well ahead of the rest of us.

But I digress, since this column has nothing to do with the height of your grass and everything to do with Los Angeles.

As most of you know, in 1999 Houston had more exceedances of the federal health standard for ground-level ozone (45) than LA (43), earning us the coveted US crown. (I imagine it as an invisible crown, since ozone is invisible). As far as I can see (which isn’t that far in Houston these days – smog is definitely not invisible), this crown trade turned out to be a great deal for both cities. Los Angeles got to celebrate because all the years of hard work were finally paying off. Houston got to celebrate because we finally had to face the fact that our air quality, well, sucks.

This year, the race is back on, but Los Angeles is really going to have to try harder. As of this writing, the city of angels has 34 exceedances to our 37, and our peak ozone reading of 185 parts per billion tops anything LA has yet to loose from the chute. But take heart, Angelenos, the ozone season is still young. A few good inversions and the statistical crown can again be yours.

Well, without stirring you up with all of Barry Wallerstein’s interesting stories, I wanted to share some of his secrets for battling tough ozone problems in the big bad city.

Doctor Wallerstein’s key message is that local programs must take the lead in local air quality issues. Specifically, the South Coast AQMD prepares the local attainment plan, monitors air pollution and issues advisories, regulates stationary sources (issues permits), sponsors research and demonstration programs, and promotes needed measures to control emissions from fleet transportation. The AQMD carries all this out with 761 employees and a $95 million annual budget, funded by emission fees, auto registration fees, and state and federal grants (10%). Here in Houston, all of the tasks mentioned above, with the exception of some of our air monitoring, are handled by state and federal government.

Here are some of Doctor Wallerstein’s “local lessons learned”:

• Clean air and a strong economy are both achievable if cleanup strategies are flexible, feasible, and cost-effective.
• Mandatory “behavior-based” strategies are ineffective (e.g., carpool requirements).
• The quality of the federal-state-local interface is critical.
• Regulatory flexibility and environmental justice are both critical elements of clean business growth.
• Use of best science is a must.
• “Steady center” is best, i.e., a sustained, balanced approach.

And here are the five pieces of the sustained, balanced approach that is now working in Los Angeles:

• Use existing technology whenever feasible.
• Promote technological advances (standards, market-based programs, grants, tax credits, rebates, etc.).
• Direct resources to the greatest benefits (e.g., streamline permitting, record-keeping and monitoring).
• Work together – federal/state/local entities and government/private/public concerns.
• Allow program flexibility.

After Barry Wallerstein finished sharing his secrets, I pondered whether they would really work in Houston, where the mix of pollution sources is so very different from LA’s – to say nothing of the politics. But one thing seems clear. We haven’t really tried to establish a management district for our region, with a clear objective (meet the requirements of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990) and the power to make local decisions. I challenge all of us – citizens, officials, and executives – to learn at least this lesson from Los Angeles and from any others who may have roped a few more invisible steers than we have.

Bayou benders who want to hear more from the angels should plan to attend the South Coast AQMD’s “Public Sectors for Clean Air” conference, 11/29-11/30, Diamond Bar, CA. info: 919-396-3101.

If you’d like a paper copy of Barry Wallerstein’s slides, contact the CEC office.