California air regulators get a pass on smog rules for Los Angeles

The US environmental regulators are proposing to approve a plan that lets the South Coast Air Quality Management District in California off the hook for failing to meet smog standards. This means the district will not face federal penalties for missing air quality targets set in 1997 and 2008.

The Clean Air Act requires regions to meet specific air quality standards. If they fail, the US environmental regulators can impose sanctions, like withholding federal highway funds or requiring stricter permits for new pollution sources. This proposal means that, for now, the Los Angeles area avoids those consequences, even though it still has too much smog.