BUILDERS' SUIT AGAINST VALLEY AIR FEE TARGETS 'RUNAWAY BUREAUCRACIES'

A lawsuit filed this week by builders against the San Joaquin Valley air district over its rules requiring developers to pay new air pollution mitigation fees is intended to prevent "renegade, runaway" bureaucracies and discourage other districts from copying the rules, a building industry source said. San Joaquin Valley air district officials responded that they were surprised by the lawsuit, given that the rule has already taken effect and that regional developers are cooperatively complying. The San Joaquin Valley air...