SMOG AGENCY COMBS STORES FOR BAD SPRAY.

Byline: Paul Hefner Daily News Sacramento Bureau

They've cracked another big case at the California Air Resources Board, where it's supermarkets 0, hair spray police 1.

The air pollution watchdog recently reached a settlement with Gelson's and Mayfair markets in Encino, North Hollywood, Tarzana, Hollywood and Century City for selling improperly labeled and illegal hair spray.

Hair spray?

Although it is not nearly the No. 1 source of air pollution, California's crackdown on hair products illustrates the state's dogged effort to clean the skies. This week, a scientific panel reported that diesel fumes pose a high cancer risk in Los Angeles and urged the ARB to set new rules.

By placing an 80 percent limit on smog-causing compounds in hair spray, the state has cut daily pollution by seven tons, according to the watchdog agency.

``It's less than 1 percent (of emissions), but it's still a significant number,'' insisted board spokesman Richard Varenchik.

State officials said they can't meet federal clean air standards by focusing on big polluters alone so the board devotes part of its $117 million budget to inspecting retail outlets for products that violate state regulations.

Inspectors monitor sales of a wide variety of goods, including car wax, carpet cleaners and spot removers, Varenchik said.

``They don't only concentrate on hair spray,'' he said.

The settlement stems from a 1994 investigation during which board inspectors were on routine patrol down the aisles at Gelson's when they first spotted the contraband: hair spray, can after can of it.

Some of the stuff wasn't properly labeled. Some didn't meet state pollution standards. In all, inspectors seized more than 200 cans.

And we're not just talking Paul Mitchell Freeze & Shine. There was Lamaur Starche Spritz, Bugatti Beaded Hair Gel, and Joico ICE Mist Superhold - the kind of thing the air board's inspection team takes seriously.

``They're husky guys in blue coveralls. They're enforcement people,'' said Varenchik. ``They don't wear bouffant hairdos.''

Word of the agency's supermarket sleuthing didn't exactly impress at least one state lawmaker.

``I for one sleep sounder knowing the cosmetics police are on the job, protecting us from that dangerous scourge of the planet - hair spray,'' said Assemblyman Tom McClintock, R-Granada Hills, a frequent critic of government run amok. ``It sounds like we've got a bureaucracy spending much too much time watching Captain Planet cartoons.''

Executives for the Arden Group, parent company for the markets, said the products came directly from suppliers. The company had no idea hair spray they were selling exceeded state limits of smog-causing organic compounds.

``We were unaware of any violations until it was brought to our attention by the California Air Resources Board,'' said a company statement issued by Vice President Ernest Klingler. ``The incidents occurred in 1994 and 1995 and we immediately discontinued selling the products.''

While admitting no wrongdoing, Arden agreed to pay a $20,000 penalty to the board.

This isn't the first time a routine inspection has discovered something wrong in the hair-care aisle.

``There was a drug store in Ventura where we found the exact same thing,'' Varenchik said.