HODG is going to DIAMOND BAR! Come join us and EarthJustice
At the Air Quality Management Board Meeting!
Back in 2017 a small group of us schlepped out to Diamond Bar for the Air Quality Management District Board (AQMD) meeting. Sexy, I know, but that advocacy led to, according to EarthJustice: "the largest emission reducing regulation to clean up refineries over the last decade."
Andrew R. (my neighbor, HODG and EarthJustice supporter) reached out asking for our help again. Andrew never reaches out, which means this is a big deal. Which is that there is a meeting of the Air Board on Friday June 7th at 9 AM, once again in Diamond Bar. They will be voting on a massively important rule. It’s even less sexy than last time! It's about large boilers and water heaters. These are major sources of emissions.
Tackling industrial equipment is key to addressing one quarter of our greenhouse gas emissions. The last rule on this stuff is from 1998. Heat pump technology has progressed to the point that we no longer have to burn methane to run this equipment. The rule would cover more than a million pieces of equipment and would take 5.6 tons of lung-searing Nitrogen Oxide out of Southern California's air every day.
The Board will also be voting on a regulation that would put a penalty on some of the biggest stationary sources of pollution, mostly refineries. This would raise over $25 million a year which would go to benefit the communities that are the most impacted by pollution.
What is the ask here? We don't need to testify. We just need to be physically there to show support for clean air. Maybe wear a "Right to Zero" t-shirt that EarthJustice will provide. These meetings have been remote for the last 3 and a half years. Some of the Board members have never had a meeting with ordinary folks present. We just need to show up. We would have a rally at 8:40 AM, there would be breakfast, and we would be in the Auditorium from nine until about noon. There's WiFi, you can bring a laptop and do work or catch up on email or whatever.
So, Andrew and I are asking, 1. Can you join us on June 7th? 2. Can you reach out to your friends – maybe your kids who are home for summer – and have them join? Andrew says this could truly be game-changing. You may not know Andrew but he doesn’t say stuff like that. Ever.
Some folks go to Vegas. Some to Coachella. Others to Palm Springs
HODG is going to DIAMOND BAR
Come join us and EarthJustice
At the Air Quality Management Board Meeting!
No need to testify. Just show up for healthier/cleaner air.
Friday, June 7
8:40am: rally, breakfast
9am - 12pm: meeting
21865 Copley Dr, Diamond Bar, CA 91765
Bring a friend. Bring a computer, you can do work!
We just need the board to SEE us.