Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Pollution Fines Irk San Joaquin Valley Drivers

Every person who owns a non-commercial vehicle in the San Joaquin Valley will begin paying a fine for violating federal air quality standards starting in October, said the San Joaquin Valley Pollution Control District. The fine will show up as a $12 pollution assessment on a resident's annual car registration bill. "We will pay this fine every year until we go three straight years without violating tougher federal air quality standards," said Anthony Presto, a spokesman for the pollution control district. The reason for the fine is that the San Joaquin Valley is one of the two worst spots in the entire country for poor air quality, Presto said. He explained that the federal government is now fining the control district $29 million a year until the situation improves. That fine is being passed on to vehicle owners, Preston said, because vehicles are the biggest cause of air quality violations...more

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