"Clean Cities" Interviews Supervisor Wilson
Because of his long record of fighting air pollution on the South Coast Air Quality Management District, Supervisor Roy Wilson was interviewed recently by the Western Riverside County Clean Cities Coalition staff. The results of the Q & A were published in the Clean Cities Coalition newsletter recently.
Noting that Supervisor Wilson has served on the AQMD Governing Board since 1987, the publication set out to get his insight on a variety of air quality issues. Here's the complete text of the interview:
Q: During your tenure on the SCAQMD Board, what do you think is its greatest accomplishment
so far?
Supervisor Wilson: Over all, the fact that the air quality has improved while the population
has increased. It's been an ordeal. If we had done nothing, we would have ended up like Mexico
City, where they have been strangling on their own exhaust. While we have improved the air, it's
still dirty air. Figure what would have happened if we would have not put all our regulations in
place, then the population grows, then the problem becomes compounded. There were many times in
Riverside during the 70s when you could not see the mountains.
Q: As a South Coast AQMD Board member, what are the greatest challenges facing the Inland
Empire? What are your ideas to solve these challenges?
Supervisor Wilson: The greatest challenge facing the Inland Empire is the fact that
federally controlled sources of pollution are not getting the full attention of our Federal
Government. Barbara Boxer has a bill in to control sulfur emissions from ships. These vessels that
come into the Long Beach and San Pedro ports are a significant source of pollution. They burn dirty
bunker oil while docking and unloading and it is polluting the air in Long Beach and Los Angeles
and that bad air ends up in the Inland Empire. So ships, trucks, trains, and railroads, can do a
lot to improve their emissions. The Federal Government is not doing much to see that this
happens.
Q: What is AQMD working on, if anything, to reduce emissions from trains, planes and ships?
Supervisor Wilson: We are very limited in what we can do. We are charged with regulating
stationary sources, yet mobile sources are the largest generators of emissions. The ARB is starting
to address some of these issues with their change in leadership. But most of the responsibility
belongs to the federal government
Q: While air quality has improved significantly during the last 20 years, the rate of
improvement has started to level off. What must be done to seek additional emissions reductions?
Supervisor Wilson: Another encouraging thing right now is that the Southern California
Association of Governments (SCAG) is getting serious about air quality and is looking long-range at
electrification of the railroads and dedication of truck lanes on the freeways. Those things will
help significantly.
Q: How can the federal government be persuaded to enact regulations that will improve air quality in Southern California, and the nation? I'm glad you asked that question. The federal government needs start addressing clean air. It needs to take climate change and greenhouse gas reduction seriously. They need to follow the lead of our governor and the State of California.
Q: Many believe that air quality regulations stifle the economy. Others see a robust economy - particularly in the Inland Empire - as benefiting from cleaner air. How do you see the economy/environment relationship? Air quality helps the economy; first of all by making quality of life for the work force better, and secondly by encouraging new businesses and industries to provide new technologies for cleaning the air. You have companies making the best available control technology to clean up other businesses and industries. It actually stimulates technology, as well as providing a better quality of life.
Q: What do you think Riverside County will need to do to respond to AB 32?
Supervisor Wilson: We should all respond to CARB. The California Air Resources Board is
taking the lead in carbon reduction. We all need to start doing our part. I think we should all be
focusing on how to reduce carbon emissions. Government should insist on building only LEEDs
certified government structures. We should be sending messages that we are ready. We should be
demanding the production of plugin hybrids and get ready for the new hydrogen technology. The
technology is there.
Q: The mission of the Clean Cities Coalition program is to advance the nation's economic,
environmental, and energy security by supporting local decisions to make the environmentally
friendly 'Clean Air Choice'. How do you feel the Western Riverside County Clean Cities Coalition's
role will grow in the near future?
Supervisor Wilson: I think Riverside's cities and the Clean Cities Coalition in all have
been very instrumental in building the awareness to be green. They should embrace Ali Sahabi Green
Valley initiative. They should join with utility companies to set goals for reduce energy
consumption. We should be encouraging the installation of solar panels on rooftops, especially on
low income subsidized housing projects.
Q: As an educator, how do we continue to get young people involved and stay motivated in air
quality issues?
Supervisor Wilson: It should start in schools. The Desert Sands Unified School District, for
example, has an environmental program at the Junior High level. They teach environmental issues and
I think all school districts should be teaching this, and that's where it starts. You get kids
talking about energy conservation and how we all can do our part to clean up the environment. We
need to start in schools.
Q: Is there any advice you would like to share with other elected officials that would like
to bring air quality to the front of their communities?
Supervisor Wilson: Continue to take the quality of the air seriously and do everything you
can to ensure that decisions you make are compatible with clean air.
Q: If you were President and could act on three initiatives to improve air quality, what
would you focus on?
Supervisor Wilson: Number one is cleaning up our transportation systems with the very best
control technology possible. We tend to drag our feet. Number two: stop being so oil dependent and
look for more alternative sources. Number three: I would hire Arnold Schwarzenegger as my Secretary
of Energy .
Q: If you could have everyone do one thing what would it be?
Supervisor Wilson: Breathe clean healthy air.