"Last year, Southern California regulators rejected rules that would have phased down gas heaters after an industry-tied campaign generated 20,000+ critical comments."
"Last year, Southern California’s air regulators rejected landmark rules that would have encouraged the switch from polluting gas heaters to electric heat pumps in the smoggiest region in the country. Now, environmental and public health advocates are pressing state and local officials to investigate whether opposition in the run-up to the decision was largely faked.
Members of the regulatory board voted 7–5 against the proposed rules in June, after receiving more than 20,000 public comments opposing them. It was “an unusually high number,” said Rainbow Yeung, spokesperson for the South Coast Air Quality Management District, which regulates the air quality for more than 17 million residents across Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties.
A Los Angeles Times investigation revealed that an advocacy software firm called CiviClick had been hired by a public affairs consultant with industry ties to deliver the large volume of emails — and raised questions about their legitimacy. The deluge “almost certainly” influenced the board’s decision, the L.A. Times reported, adding that most agenda items seen by the agency receive comments numbering in the single digits.
“It is … both shocking and concerning to learn that an agency responsible for regulating the air quality for nearly half of California’s population could have had the integrity of their public process compromised by comments made without people’s consent,” Gracyna Mohabir, clean air and energy regulatory advocate at the nonprofit California Environmental Voters, said during a February press conference with reporters."
Alison F. Takemura reports for Canary Media March 16, 2026.
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