Environment.Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. is at a crossroads in its effort to clean up the region's air - still considered the dirtiest of any major metro area This article is about the music production team. For the article about population centers, see metropolitan area. Metro Area are a Brooklyn-based dance music production team composed of Morgan Geist and Darshan Jesrani. in the nation. The South Coast Air Quality Management District The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), formed in 1976, is the air pollution agency responsible mainly for regulating stationary sources of air pollution for most of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside County, and all of Orange county. , which works with local companies to bring them into compliance with federal standards, has come under fire in recent weeks from some of the agency's board members over a perceived lack of leadership. Most air quality watchers agree that the AQMD AQMD Air Quality Management District AQMD Action Quake Map Depot has softened its previous hard-line approach to fighting smog, in response to concerns that overly stringent guidelines could force many companies out of business. Still, most environmental and business groups remain generally supportive of the agency's most recent efforts, which are overseen by AQMD Executive Officer James Lents James Lent (1782 - February 22, 1833) was a U.S. Representative from New York. Born in Newtown, Long Island (now a part of the Borough of Queens), New York, Lent engaged in mercantile pursuits in New York City. . Under Lents' leadership, the AQMD has earned praise for implementing innovative programs that use market-like incentives to bring companies in compliance with federal clean air regulations. The agency's efforts have helped reduce the number of Stage One smog alerts - days on which smog levels are considered hazardous to public health - to seven in 1996 from 79 in 1986. But despite the general praise for Lents and the AQMD, the agency's 12-member board earlier this month voted 6-6 on whether to renew Lents' contract for three more years. The split vote, which many observers called political rather than substantive in nature, means Lents' contract will expire at the end of July and the board will have to find a new executive officer after that. Some environmentalists have said the move to oust oust tr.v. oust·ed, oust·ing, ousts 1. To eject from a position or place; force out: "the American Revolution, which ousted the English" Virginia S. Eifert. Lents will further soften the AQMD's smog-fighting efforts, though board members who voted not to renew Lents' contract pointed out that L.A. companies will still be required to comply with federal air pollution guidelines regardless of who heads the agency. Still, several industry watchers said the agency will likely suffer at least a short-term period of disarray dis·ar·ray n. 1. A state of disorder; confusion. 2. Disorderly dress. tr.v. dis·ar·rayed, dis·ar·ray·ing, dis·ar·rays 1. To throw into confusion; upset. 2. To undress. following Lents' departure. Meanwhile, L.A. beaches have reached some of their cleanest levels in recent history, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. environmental group Heal the Bay Heal the Bay is a U.S. environmental advocacy non-profit organization based in Santa Monica, California. Heal the Bay is dedicated to protecting California's Santa Monica Bay, a region of the Pacific coast encompassed by Malibu's Point Dume on the north and the Palos Verdes . The water quality at 54 out of 61 L.A.-area beaches received "A" or "B" ratings between April 1996 and May 1997, Heal the Bay reported last month - the second-best showing in the survey's seven-year history. Environmentalists attributed this year's cleaner waters to recent efforts to divert storm drain storm drain n. 1. A storm sewer. 2. A catch basin. water into sewage treatment Sewage treatment Unit processes used to separate, modify, remove, and destroy objectionable, hazardous, and pathogenic substances carried by wastewater in solution or suspension in order to render the water fit and safe for intended uses. systems. A dryer-than-usual winter this year, which results in less runoff Runoff The procedure of printing the end-of-day prices for every stock on an exchange onto ticker tape. Notes: If the "tape is late" then it can take a long time to print off all the closing prices. into the ocean, also contributed to the good showing. Beach Report Card Graded by bacterial pollution levels in the surf zone Location Grade Abalone Cove Shoreline Park A+ Cabrillo Beach - Ocean Side A+ Hermosa Beach at 26th St. A+ Leo Carrillo Beach A+ Malibu Point A+ Manhattan Beach at 40th St. A+ Mother's Beach, Marina del Rey C Pulga Canyon A+ Redondo Beach Pier A+ Royal Palms State Beach A+ Santa Monica Beach at Ashland Ave. C Santa Monica Beach at Pico/Kenter F Santa Monica Canyon D Santa Monica Municipal Pier F Surfrider Beach F Topanga Point A Venice Beach at Brooks Ave. A+ Venice Fishing Pier A+ Source: Heal the Bay, Beach Report Card, April 1997 [TABULAR tab·u·lar adj. 1. Having a plane surface; flat. 2. Organized as a table or list. 3. Calculated by means of a table. tabular resembling a table. DATA OMITTED] Smog Alerts Year Stage 1 Stage 2 1985 83 7 1986 79 1 1987 66 0 1988 77 0 1989 54 0 1990 41 0 1991 47 0 1992 41 0 1993 24 0 1994 23 0 1995 14 0 1996 7 0 Stage 1 alerts occur when ozone levels equal or exceed 0.2 parts per million parts of air Stage 2 alert occur when ozone equals or exceeds 0.35 ppm of air. Source: South Coast Air Quality Management District L.A.'s Water Consumers In acre-feet. One acre-foot equals 325,829 gallons of water. Single Family Homes 214,400 Multi-Family Homes 185,700 Commercial & 147,800 Governmental Industrial 25,000 Unaccounted 41,600 Total 614,500 Source: Los Angeles Department of Water and Power [TABULAR DATA OMITTED] |
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