‘Putting profit over people’: big gas is waging war on a California clean air rule | California

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On a stormy night in early January, Barbara Ishida, a teacher for the second grade, monitored a glowing Eiton fire in the hills behind her home in Tadina, California. Her mind turned into deadly forest fires in The Hagina, Paradise and I thought, “Let’s go out – now.”

Ishida and her husband were safely evacuated, but the fire destroyed their house. Attribution Ticket I found that climate change, which occurs primarily due to burning fossil fuels, made January fires 35 % more likely.

I believed that the least they could do was rebuild in a way that does not gather in the climate crisis that raised the risk of fire.

“Building again is our only option at this stage, so we will again build an environmentally friendly,” said Ishida.

Its vision is to build a fire -resistant house without gas devices. This approach is supported by the University of California Berkeley Ticket In April, this photovoltaic constructions, which are the best climate -friendly strategy for fire after fires.

But the gas industry is pushing against this idea. The proposed rules that would encourage Ishida and other homeowners to buy ovens and heaters from which nitrogen oxides (nitrogen oxides) – a major pollutant of gas devices – have weakened and delayed through an alliance of groups that include socalgas, the largest benefit for gas in the country.

Socalgas has The date of pressure is severely Against the regulations that hurt the end result. After a fierce opposition campaign, the rules will go to vote on Friday, June 6.

Rules to tighten heater standards

The bases are suggested by the Air Quality Management Zone on the Southern Coast (SCAQMD), which is the agency responsible for improving air quality in Los Angeles and nearby communities, and is one of the most polluted air ponds in the United States.

If passed, the rules are designed to create cleaner air and reduce heating emissions by setting future goals for sales of new emissions and water heaters. The rules will be applied to manufacturers, distributors, sellers and fixtures. They are expected to prevent 2490 early deaths and avoid 10200 asthma.

“Consumers will continue to obtain the option to buy either gas or electric/water heaters when replacing their current units,” explained Nahal Mugarraby, spokesman for the air quality area. “Most importantly, consumers can continue to operate their current units until the consumer chooses to replace it or break the unit.”

Socalgas defended its role in the opposition campaign. “The participation of the stakeholders in Socalgas and awareness efforts on this topic are a regular part of any process of setting rules where we share information that may affect Southern California clients,” said Erika Berardi, a spokeswoman for Socalgas, in an email.

Elizabeth Dobil, Director of Communications, wrote in an e -mail, and wrote in an email, and wrote in an email, and wrote in an email letter written in an email letter written in a email letter written in an email letter written in an email that the business group, a business group, was also part of the opposition campaign, called for a delay in the process of making the rules “to allow more transparency and communication Adequate public to make the residents of Southern California familiar with the great costs associated with these changes, “Elizabeth Dobil, the email, in an email, wrote in an email, in an email.

At the same time that the opposition campaign increased, the groups allied with the gas industry litigate Against SCAQMD, with the aim of undermining its authority to impose such regulations.

The opposition is far away from its kind. February a report By Thinktank ImpaneceMap, which is based in London, fossil fuel companies in the United States, the European Union and Australia are launching parallel campaigns against laws that restrict the use of gas in buildings-which have greatly succeeded in preventing and weakening these laws.

Ishida has signed a speech that supports the proposed SCAQMD bases because she believes that she will encourage Altadena to rebuild in a sustainable way. When I heard about the organizing opposition of the rules, Ishida felt angry.

She said, “They put profits on people.” “It is sad and that it is selfish and not true.”

The opposition campaign leads to weak rules

Although the progressive states such as California lead the transition away from fossil fuels, gas apparatus is still everywhere in California homes and through the western United States.

Buildings represent a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions in California but are under local control, which means that local organizers such as SCAQMD have a major role in reducing emissions.

In 2023, with the awareness of air pollution caused by gas devices, the agency suggested adjustments to two bases to encourage alternatives. The changes in the 1111 and 1121 bases will create a standard of nitrogen oxides on zero emissions of ovens and water heaters.

As was originally written, the new rules affected more than 10 million residential and commercial ovens that work with gas and residential water heaters. The bases will not affect gas stoves, which is a flash point in similar organizational efforts.

As written in October 2024, the proposed rules required all the installed ovens and water heaters to become zero emissions by 2026 for new residential and commercial buildings. In front of the current buildings and mobile homes for another year to comply.

But in recent months, SCAQMD employees have reduced the proposed rules. The current version now requires manufacturers to meet emissions sales targets for residential buildings, starting from 30 % in 2027-28 and an increase to 90 % by 2036. The rule no longer requires that all new ovens and water heaters be zero by a specific date.

The original rules were reduced by nitrogen oxide emissions by 10 tons per day, which would have been the largest base package that reduces the emissions approved for more than three decades by SCAQMD. The revised rules will achieve a decrease of 6 tons per day of nitrogen oxide emissions.

Kim Europe, director of the Sierra Club Conservation Program, said that the re -settlement of the date of compliance will allow the manufacturers to continue building the gas -working equipment for years to come. The rules were described as “very weak”.

Socalgas encouraged officials to oppose the rules

In late 2024, an opposition campaign was established, prompting the SCAQMD Council to retract a scheduled hearing and a six -month final vote, to Tuesday, June 6.

Socalgas and the groups that are in line with the company helped delay the process of making rules by encouraging public employees to oppose the rules, according to the records they obtained energy And the Institute of Politics and its participation with the limelight.

Before a large meeting at SCAQMD on December 20, Socalgas staff sent “urgent” requests to public officials, including the mayor of Modon in the southern coast region, and asked them to send messages, accuracy of the certificate and estimate the decisions of opposition to the rules.

They claimed their emails – misleading – that the rules will prohibit the sale and installation of all gas furnaces and water heaters.

Some of the messages received by SCAQMD were formulated by public officials by a BizFed advisor. Several city governments have copied the consultant’s speech on their head. A word with a word was sent to SCAQMD by the Orange Government Province Council, Lake Forest and Loma Linda.

The response to the rules was overwhelming, as more than 12,500 comments were born. But the employees have reported that many of the messages that oppose the rules contain wrong information, including that the rules will impose that home owners turn into electrical appliances.

“The Board of Directors delayed voting and adjusted the rules to give more time to address concerns about” cost, technology and consumer choice. “

“Although the base has been modified, as usual during the process of making the rules,” she added, “current nitrogen oxides discounts are important.”

Mogharabi indicated that this summer, the agency launches Goero Discount program This will save more than $ 21 million to help residents and small companies install zero emissions heating devices.

The lawsuit defies the organizer

On January 10, 2025, when the huge huges were burned unprecedented in Los Angeles – the destruction of thousands of homes and the killing of 30 people – SCAQMD officials held a general meeting to consider the proposed bases 1111 and 1121.

The meeting was sad. Officials began recognizing the fires of the forests and smoke that demands the city, and offered condolences to a member of the board of directors who lost his home for fire. Minutes later, pressure groups including the Socalgas actor requested to delay or retreat the rules, noting the lawsuit that challenges the SCAQMD authority to put such rules.

“We believe it would be wise for the council to postpone the status of these rules until these cases are resolved by the courts,” said Jesse Davis, a member of the pressure groups in Socalgas.

In December, an alliance of groups, including home builders, restaurant owners and unions, The lawsuit filed Against SCAQMD, it seeks to cancel a relevant base that undertakes large gas and waterproof furnaces in commercial and industrial facilities. This rule differs from the proposed rules, which pertain to the smaller residential and commercial ovens and water heaters.

“Legal theories are trying to pay will undermine (the agency) to protect its residents,” said Adrian Martinez, a lawyer at Earthjustice, an environmental non -profit that interferes in the case. “They are trying to strip local entities such as SCAQMD of the ability to clean pollution.”

With the last season of wild fires on the horizon, Ihida thinks about the future of Los Angeles if climate change continues to worsen. “We will not be the only society that burns,” Ihida said. “We will not be the last if we continue this extension.”

lamp It is notThe news room that is achieved in strong interests that disrupt climate work.