‘Studying Us to Death': Money, Racial Woes Tarnish Air Law (1)

A landmark law in California to reduce air pollution in disadvantaged areas isn’t meeting deadlines and has been hampered by dwindling funding and community distrust, advocates and air regulators say.

Some community advocates also cite a legacy of systemic racism with the first-in-the-nation legislation, which then-Gov. Jerry Brown signed in 2017 as part of an overall package to extend his cap-and-trade program. That program limits emissions, and requires certain polluters to buy credits when going over those thresholds.

AB 617 required the California Air Resources Board to create a community air protection program, with more localized air ...