Many thanks to Arup for hosting the February Board Meeting! This summary of Board actions will arm you and your members on the critical issues we covered.
BizFed Board supports keeping Los Angeles Air Force Base and affiliated military and civilian personnel in place
The BizFed Board voted to support keeping Los Angeles Air Force Base in operation. Los Angeles AFB employs 5,879 military, civilian and contractor personnel, and provides indirect employment to an additional 11,776 workers. Los Angeles AFB is the only active-duty base in the Los Angeles area, and offers services to base personnel, retirees, service members from all branches and their families, and the Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) headquartered at the Los Angeles Air Force Base has a nearly $1.7 billion economic impact.
· Click here for BizFed Board Materials
· Click here for more information about Los Angeles AFB
BizFed urges regulators to develop reasonable health risk communication guidelines
The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEAHHA) recently adopted updated health risk assessment guidelines that will change the way health risk from air emissions is estimated for stationary source facilities. If not properly implemented, this has the potential to create the false impression that air quality risks from a variety of businesses are on the rise, when the exact opposite is true.
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BizFed supports Industry Coalition’s alternative methodology for market-based system to reduce emissions
The South Coast Air Quality Management District’s Regional Clean Air Incentives Market (RECLAIM) program threatens to stifle business growth among Los Angeles industries including aerospace, mining, steel production, food and dairy processing, hotels, hospitality and entertainment, power/water/gas utilities, oil and gas production and refining. BizFed supports changes that would further the program’s success in reducing air pollution while leaving room for growing companies to stay in this region.
· Click here for BizFed Board Materials
· Click here for more information on NOx RECLAIM Credit Reduction
BizFed joins coalition working to defeat Measure A in La Habra Heights
Measure A would ban the drilling of all new oil and gas wells as well as hydraulic fracturing and acidization in the City of La Habra Heights. Oil drilling fees bring in 13% of the existing budget in this city of 5,000, and the measure would therefore harm the City budget, local jobs, and efforts for energy independence. Additionally, this is believed to be a “taking” of private property, banned by the U.S. Constitution.
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BizFed supports LA City Charter Amendments 1 & 2 to increase voter turnout by aligning local elections with state and federal
Charter Amendments 1 and 2 would move city and school board elections to June and November in even years and from March and May in odd years to coincide with state and federal elections. This will encourage a larger and more diverse group of voters to engage with local politics, which is vital to the economic growth in Los Angeles. Only 21% of registered voters cast a ballot in the most recent municipal primary and just 23% participated in the runoff. This is a stark contrast to the 51% of registered LA-county voters that turned out for the November 2012 Presidential election.
· Click here for BizFed Board Materials
