Posted on 09/14/2007 8:04:48 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
SACRAMENTO -- The skids seemed greased for one of environmentalists' top priorities this year: legislation forcing the construction industry to reduce pollution, which enjoyed strong support among environment-friendly Democrats.
But the measure died suddenly last week when another frequent ally -- labor unions -- weighed in against it.
The bill would have required construction firms bidding for certain public contracts to retrofit pollution-spewing diesel equipment. Unions, which spend millions on Democratic campaigns ... said they feared the regulations would make construction work too costly and result in lost jobs.
The Democrats, who dominate the Legislature, need labor's help on an upcoming ballot measure that could keep some of them in office longer. The unraveling of the diesel proposal highlights unions' influence on the lawmakers, which can trump that of nearly any other group.
"The unions played an extraordinarily large role in stopping this," said Kathryn Phillips, a campaign manager with the nonprofit Environmental Defense. "I don't think industry alone could have done it."
At issue is SB 410, which would have required construction firms bidding for projects funded with public works bond money approved by voters in November to use newer, cleaner-burning machines or outfit their older heavy diesel equipment with devices that capture pollution.
Fumes from the 112,000 tractors, backhoes, excavators and other machines running on emissions technology as much as two decades old are linked to tens of thousands of cases of asthma and 1,100 deaths annually, state studies show.
The equipment is among the state's most noxious machinery and a major source of greenhouse gases. Clean-air groups backing the legislation included Environmental Defense, Sierra Club California, the Natural Resources Defense Council and the American Lung Assn. Backers said the bill would reduce the emission of pollutants by as much as 85%.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Bug...meet windshield...
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