California's farm belt adopts measures to cut air pollution

By GARANCE BURKE Associated Press Writer

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) - Environmentalists say a new plan to clean up the soot-laden air in California's farm belt would fail to adequately regulate agricultural sources of pollution.

Critics of the plan unfurled white prayer flags Wednesday outside the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District's meeting in Fresno to illustrate the premature deaths they say are associated with the valley's polluted air.

California's farm belt has some of the highest levels of airborne dust, smoke and soot in the country.

The district's governing board voted 8-3 in favor of a plan that could keep families from using their fireplaces for up to 35 days each winter and require local employers to make a portion of their workers car pool.

The plan is meant to comply with standards set in 1997 under the federal Clean Air Act. More rigorous standards were adopted in 2006.

Air quality advocates said the plan should have done more to regulate dairies, wineries and diesel pumps on farms, which are among the many sources of air pollution.

"I'm disappointed about these plans we get presented. I know we can do better," said board member Raji Brar, who voted against the plan, along with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's appointee to the board, cardiologist John Telles. "I just really think we get caught up in the politics and who our friends are."

Farmers speaking at the meeting warned that a stricter plan would have risked job losses in the valley, the nation's most productive region for fruits and vegetables.

"When you get rid of employment and you get rid of businesses, then you have very bad health problems," said Manuel Cunha, a citrus grower who heads the Nisei Farmers League, a group of 1,000 area growers.

If the California Air Resources Board sanctions the plan, it will head to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for final approval.

But the district likely will have to approach the issue again soon, since the EPA plans to address the valley's compliance with the 2006 standards later this year.

"We want to go beyond this," said Seyed Sadredin, the air district's executive director. "In our view, we've put in this rule everything we could think of."

---

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - The state Senate has unanimously passed a bill that aims to preserve historic barns across Connecticut.

The proposal makes certain barn rehabilitation projects eligible for the same business tax credits given to people fixing up historic commercial or industrial properties.

The barn must be listed on the National or State Register of Historic Places or be in a historic district to be eligible.

State Sen. Gary LeBeau says Connecticut is losing many of its old barns to decay and ruin. There were 25,000 in 1920. Today, there's only about 5,000. LeBeau says the structures are part of the state's history and should be part of its future as well.

The bill next moves to the House.