8112-1 - Findings.

The Ventura County Board of Supervisors, by adopting the Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP) as defined in this Article, has made, and hereby reaffirms, the following findings:

a.

There is a direct relationship between the quality of the County's air and the health, safety and welfare of the County's residents; and

b.

The quality of the County's air has deteriorated to the point where it currently fails to meet state and federal ambient air quality standards designed to protect health, safety and welfare; and

(Am. Ord. 3919—12/19/89)

c.

Failure to meet such state and federal standards in the County results in aggravation of the illness of persons suffering from asthma or chronic lung disease, an increase in the work of breathing for many healthy persons, impairment of the performance of persons engaged in strenuous activities, significant health care costs attributable to air quality related health problems, and air pollution damage to crops amounting to millions of dollars annually; and

d.

There is a direct measurable relationship between population growth and emissions which contribute to the deterioration of air quality in the County; and

e.

The AQMP has identified all reasonably available control measures for the control of emissions in the Ojai Valley (as defined in this Article) and has established the maximum rate of population growth, as measured by the rate of increase in the number of dwelling units, that can be accommodated in the Ojai Valley, assuming the implementation of all such reasonably available control measures, without precluding ultimate compliance within such area with the state and federal ambient air quality standards; and

f.

Regulation of population growth in the Ojai Valley, as measured by the increase in the number of dwelling units, in accordance with the AQMP, in addition to the implementation of all other reasonably available control measures for the control of emissions, is necessary in order to preserve a reasonable chance of ultimate compliance with federal ambient air quality standards and to protect adequately the public health, safety and welfare; and

g.

Such regulation pursuant to this Article may have the effect of limiting housing opportunities in the Ojai Valley, but that risk is outweighed by the above-described adverse impacts upon the public health, safety and welfare which would result if there were no such regulation.