L.A. Area Chamber Applauds Passage of SB 827 Saving 57,000 Jobs and Jumpstarting the Economy
Chamber-supported SB 827 ends the Moratorium on SCAQMD Permits and Unfreezes more than 3,000 Local Development and Upgrade Projects
October 13, 2009 10:00 am
LOS ANGELES, CA — The Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce today applauded the passage of SB 827 (formerly SB 696), which will unfreeze the moratorium on permits for critical construction projects and equipment at the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD). The bill’s passage will immediately unfreeze more than 3,000 local development and upgrade projects saving 57,000 jobs.
“SB 827 is the single-largest job creation bill passed by the legislature this session,” said Gary Toebben, President & CEO, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce. “The L.A. Area Chamber commends Senator Rod Wright, the entire State Legislature and Governor Schwarzenegger for taking action to save jobs, protect the environment and jumpstart our economy.”
Authored by Senator Roderick Wright, SB 827 will reinstate the emissions credit bank at the SCAQMD, which provides free air permits to essential projects and equipment ranging from hospitals to fire stations to clean technology upgrades for small businesses across our region. An estimated 1,000 halted projects – and the jobs associated with them – will resume immediately across the Southland. Another 3,000 projects previously threaded due to the open market cost of purchasing the permits will also resume as a result of the bill’s passage.
A Champion of SB 827, the L.A. Area Chamber has been working with partners including: the South Coast Air Quality Management District; Southern California Association of Governments; Los Angeles Unified School District; Metropolitan Water District; 63 cities throughout the SCAQMD and Los Angeles County; and many others.
More information on SB 827 is available at www.YesOnSB696.com. More information on the L.A. Area Chamber is available at www.lachamber.com.
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The Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce represents the interests of business in L.A. County. Founded in 1888, the Chamber promotes a prosperous economy and quality of life in the Los Angeles region. For more information, visit www.lachamber.com.