FLOREZ EYES NOVEL FEE ON VALLEY RESIDENTS TO REDUCE AIR POLLUTION

Sen. Dean Florez (D-Shafter), who has authored crackdowns on the agriculture and building industries to mitigate air pollution in the San Joaquin Valley, is now considering a novel plan to charge residents a fee to offset pollution caused mostly by vehicle travel. Florez is convinced that residents in the highly polluted valley must bear some of the burden of improving air quality, rather than forcing developers and industrial stationary sources to fully carry the load. Such a plan is considered...