Pollution board considers global warming fees
By Denis Cuff/MediaNews Group
Article Launched: 05/19/2008 06:54:33 AM PDT
Environmentalists and regulators say the Bay Area's air pollution district is taking an important first step toward saving the Earth by proposing to charge businesses for global warming gases they emit.
Oil refineries say the agency is threatening to set a bad precedent that could lead to a patchwork of local fees and rules that could disrupt state efforts against global climate change.
Those conflicting views move to center stage Wednesday when the Bay Area's air pollution board considers what is thought to be the nation's first pollution fee aimed expressly at global-warming gases from oil refineries, power plants, factories, gas stations, bakeries and other businesses.
The annual fee - up to $190,000 for a large oil refinery such as Valero in Benicia, $85 for a large bakery, and $1 for a service station - would pay for district efforts to estimate and study sources of global warming gases, and consider ways to reduce them.
The biggest fees would be imposed on the biggest emitters of carbon dioxide, a global warming gas from fossil fuel combustion.
"I think the best place to institute strong policy is at the federal level, but we do not have leadership from the Bush administration on global warming," said John Gioia, a member of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District board. ...
Over 31,000 scientists on the same day announced skepticism of global warming, period, much less man made. Now California's Bay Area Pollution Regulators are considering taxation for polluters using fossil fuels as contributors to global warming, in complete disregard for this new fact. Another way to tax from liberal attitudes and with complete vindication of their emotional beliefs. Consider the source from a mayor, who is openly gay and proud of it. And gays do not affect our economy, just wait until the oil refineries get taxed up to $90,000 a year or more for pollution on top of the taxes already being paid and see what happens to the pump price in your area. Do you think the oil companies are not going to pass this Bay Area tax to the consumer at large? I hope you remember this, the next time someone thinks it is ok for gays to run government. The Bay Area has the highest percentage of gays anywhere in the US. I wonder how many are on the Pollution Control Board? Do you think the Bay Area will use these new tax dollars to fight global warming, or will they be part of the general fund to be used however? Maybe to advance gay rights and enact anti discrimination laws. There are still people out there who do not believe gays have a political agenda, don't you believe it.
