EnviroVoters on Assemblymember Bains’ Attack on Clean Air

SACRAMENTO, CA — Today, California Environmental Voters (EnviroVoters) released the following statement in response to Assemblymember Bains criticizing California Air Resources Board (CARB) Chair Randolph over the agency’s rulemaking process, accusing it of failing to consider consumer costs in its clean air standards.

Statement from Melissa Romero, Policy Advocacy Director, California Environmental Voters:

“Let’s be clear: CARB’s mandate is to clean up our air, not to defend oil company profits. At a time when our federal government is openly retaliating against California — slashing infrastructure funding, selling off public lands, and illegally dismantling our state’s authority to set clean air standards — Assemblymember Bains’ attack on the most important air quality regulator in the world is irresponsible.

Families are feeling the impacts of climate disasters, from high energy bills to insurance premiums, and that’s exactly why we need strong clean air protections. The Assemblymember’s district has some of the worst air quality in the nation, so if she’s serious about affordability, we urge her to offer solutions for the medical costs, housing costs, and community costs that come from an unregulated industry that pollutes our air.

We cannot afford to continue entrenching communities near refineries and massive transportation corridors by committing the state to disaster-creating fossil fuels. Rolling back regulations on polluters won’t lower everyday costs, instead it’ll create more pollution, more unnatural disasters driving up insurance rates, health care costs, and higher long-term energy bills for our communities.”

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