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Large Southern California Polluters Will Have To Start Paying Steep Fees For Emissions Under New Rule
An aerial view shows Marathon Petroleum Corp's Los Angeles Refinery in Carson, California. It's the state's largest producer of gasoline.
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David McNew
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Getty Images North America
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Topline:
The South Coast Air Quality Management District on Friday passed a regulation that will put large polluters like refineries on the hook for steep fees if they fail to meet federal ozone standards. The fees could generate tens of millions of dollars a year.
Why it matters: Large stationary polluters have avoided paying the fees they'd normally be charged practically every year when the region fails to meet federal ozone standards — the result of the SCAQMD failing to hold them to account under the Clean Air Act. In response to a lawsuit, they’re changing their approach. The hope is that this could incentivize those businesses to clean up their emissions, which often affect poorer areas of the region.
Why now: Last year, a lawsuit was filed against the SCAQMD to get them to hold polluters to account. A settlement was reached in February.
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What's next: Air regulators can start collecting the fees in 2026.
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