More storm water regs.

Separately, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors last week voted 3 to 2 to impose fees on approximately 3,800 businesses located on unincorporated county land to fund the county's own required program to reduce storm water pollutants.

That program is mandated by the federal government as a condition for the county receiving a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit. The county must inspect industrial facilities within unincorporated territory to ensure that these facilities meet required storm water pollution reduction mandates.

The fees approved last week would raise an estimated $151,000 in the program's first year but would rise to an estimated $490,000 a year after that. The money would be used to compensate the county's Health Officer for additional inspections.

During a public hearing on the fee program, some business owners said they were already paying fees to comply with a similar state program. In response, the county agreed to drop those businesses from its program.

That concession did not appear to be enough to persuade county supervisors Michael Antonovich and Don Knabe--the two most Conservative board members--to go along with the new program.

Staff reporter Howard Fine can be reached by phone at [phone], ext. 227, or by e-mail at [e-mail].