Chapter 1. Findings, Declarations, And Intent of California Health And Safety Code >> Division 26. >> Part 1. >> Chapter 1.

The Legislature finds and declares that the people of the State of California have a primary interest in the quality of the physical environment in which they live, and that this physical environment is being degraded by the waste and refuse of civilization polluting the atmosphere, thereby creating a situation which is detrimental to the health, safety, welfare, and sense of well-being of the people of California.

The Legislature, therefore, declares that this public interest shall be safeguarded by an intensive, coordinated state, regional, and local effort to protect and enhance the ambient air quality of the state. Since air pollution knows no political boundaries, the Legislature declares that a regional approach to the problem should be encouraged whenever possible and, to this end, the state is divided into air basins. The state should provide incentives for such regional strategies, respecting, when necessary, existing political boundaries.

Local and regional authorities have the primary responsibility for control of air pollution from all sources other than vehicular sources. The control of vehicular sources, except as otherwise provided in this division, shall be the responsibility of the State Air Resources Board. Except as otherwise provided in this division, including, but not limited to, Sections 41809, 41810, and 41904, local and regional authorities may establish stricter standards than those set by law or by the state board for nonvehicular sources. However, the state board shall, after holding public hearings as required in this division, undertake control activities in any area wherein it determines that the local or regional authority has failed to meet the responsibilities given to it by this division or by any other provision of law.

The State Air Resources Board is the state agency charged with coordinating efforts to attain and maintain ambient air quality standards, to conduct research into the causes of and solution to air pollution, and to systematically attack the serious problem caused by motor vehicles, which is the major source of air pollution in many areas of the state.

The reenactment of this division by the Legislature during the 1975-76 Regular Session of the Legislature shall have no effect on the existence of any district board, or the terms of any members thereof.

The reenactment of this division by the Legislature during the 1975-76 Regular Session of the Legislature shall have no effect on any order, rule, or regulation of any district or of the state board, unless such order, rule, or regulation, as the case may be, is not consistent with the provisions of this division.