Not a priority. That’s what Mono County Supervisors said about withdrawal from the Great Basin Air Pollution Control District, an idea that could have put Inyo and Mono on their own with air quality protection.

Mono Supervisors Vikki Bauer and Hap Hazard had raised the issue of Mono’s own district best serving the county. In a report to the APCD board, Director Ted Schade had pointed to some of the consequences – the inability to collect money from Los Angeles, the need to consider the Town of Mammoth Lakes’ rights in the whole picture and concerns over dust pollution at Mono Lake.

At a meeting of the APCD Board Friday, Supervisor Byng Hunt, who sits on the APCD board, called the withdrawal of Mono from the district “no priority.” Supervisor Hazard said it was “tabled for now if and until the staff looks at it.”

Supervisor Bauer sat in the audience but made no comment. Other officials on the APCD board offered no further remarks.

While that issued seemed to fizzle, another one concluded. The Board okayed the latest implementation plan and environmental document on more clean-up at the Owens Dry Lake. This plan will mean the clean-up of 13 more square miles. LADWP will have spent $125 million more by 2010.

Some differences over habitat on the dry lake bed had come up, but those issues will continue between the Department of Fish and Game and LADWP.

 

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