Wednesday, April 28, 2004

The Smog of War The best advice for Southern Californians remains Bill Clinton's: Don't inhale. WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court ruled today that Southern California's Air Quality Management District may have gone too far in imposing its own antismog rules for city buses, airport shuttles and other vehicles. Justices, on a 8-1 vote, sided with oil companies and diesel engine manufacturers who claimed that local pollution rules conflict with national standards. The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the tougher local rules, but the decision was voided by the high court. The Supreme Court sent the case back to California to consider the issues. The rules apply to Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside and Orange counties, which together have the nation's worst air-quality problem. The restrictions were imposed in 2000 and apply to fleets of vehicles such as buses, waste haulers and others. Copyright 2004 Los Angeles Times 12:15:12 PM