BAAQMD buys time to give added clout to California Environmental Quality Act.

The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) means different things to different people. Some folks representing Big Business do not want strict Environmental Laws to limit Big Development. Advocates that favor the CEQA resolution, policy making, and amendments - seek first to use the laws and changes to address pollution and related matters - and attain a standard that has been lacking in many fields - among them Green Gases.

Advocates could favor CEQA in a big way to address health issues and fine tune Quality of Life issues on many levels. Big Developers could join the team and contribute to the good of all living beings. No more could greed and money triumph over health and clean living.

The time has come where clean air is a at a premium. What has happened it that some folks have taken things for granted - polluted areas, continue to pollute and feel that it is fine to build homes in the middle of Chernobyl. Well, this is plain - wrong.

The many speakers pro and con represented the various fields of society and one thing that I noticed was that though some outreach was done - further focus group discussions with City Planners, Community Based Organized, many others that are in the dark - need some enlightenment on the topic at hand.

The Staff of the BAAQMD have been working on these issues for the last five years - and have made some headway.

What is critical at this point is that the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) create tools and more show how these tools can to used to monitor, record, and implement policies linked to pollution and related fields. Immediately, the BAAQMD staff will do some quality outreach and the sooner the results come in - the sooner can the CEQA policies be brought before the BAAQMD Directors - for a vote and quick implementation.

This will not be easy but this one discussion and meeting on January 6, 2010 - with all the Directors present - which rarely happens permits the Regions Represented to have their Representatives take the message home to their Regions - and create models to address quality outreach, meaningful dialog, and what is of importance reduction in gas emissions and all sorts of related pollution - that adversely impact Quality of Life.

Further as things stand today CEQA fails to address Cumulative Pollution. We know that this is wrong but now for the first time - we can fine tune the tools and incorporate Cumulative Pollution as one of many tools to reduce pollution so that human being and other life can breathe easier. More, facilities and other types of development first review the CEQA standards before anything Development happens. More so with powerful plants, cement plants, asphalt plants, and other plants that emit dangerous particulates.

Some how we must incorporate the Precautionary Principle but Big Developers do not favor such an ordinance and related laws. We have a choice either build and live in an environment that is polluted that will be harmful to all life - including human life. Or, set tools to address pollution, focus on Quality of Life issues - and build homes, recreational facilities, related facilities to further Quality of Life issues in the short and long run.

Of course until now - the Bay Area Air Quality Management District has stuck to certain boundaries and now has decided to venture outside the box. Address earlier than later CEQA and related issues. This has already been done by the Air Resource Board on their side - and so this gives the BAAQMD a golden opportunity - to follow, complement and come out with a still better - plan. They say as California goes - so does the Nation.

In my opinion in this matter of CEQA policy making - the BAAQMD staff and Jack Broadbent have done some excellent work. Now, we need to embrace all the Regions that the BAAQMD Directors hail from - do the outreach, collect the opinions, and see how we can garner a quality product.

As one speaker put it to the delight of everyone - create a recipe and share it with all.

April, 2010 - is round the corner considering the magnitude of the implications a fine-tuned CEQA Resolution, Sound Policy Making Linked to CEQA, the several amendments linked to pollution issues - that should be made with the best empirical data and current base-lines linked to Climate Change and related issues - can take us all to a better place. With the exception of two - all the other BAAQMD Directors voted in favor to continuing the CEQA policy making to the month of April.

Once these CEQA policies are in place - hopefully Big Business will learn to live with them. Today, some Big Developers are using greed and money and give a damn about Green Gases, pollution, especially Cumulative Pollution and so on. These factors adversely impact most folks that live in areas that are poor and many poor folks - have no clue about their rights.

Kudos to the many Advocates who fight for Environmental Issues - and especially those that sacrificed hundreds of man hours - defending those adverse impacted by very serious pollution issues - and contributed to the relevant changes linked to CEQA.

Most of the information and feed back can be carried on by accessing the Bay Area Air Quality Management District website: http://www.baaqmd.gov

Tel: 415.749.5130
Fax: 415.928.8560


http://www.flickr.com/photos/franciscodacosta/sets/72157623030599719/show/


Francisco Da Costa
Director
Environmental Justice Advocacy

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