Jim Lents

While your May 28 editorial, “Air District Must Retain Focus,” accurately identified the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s current struggle (and inability) to bring the Los Angeles basin into alignment with current clean air standards, it seemed to trivialize Jim Lents’ and the AQMD board’s importance in attaining compliance. This could not be more off base.

Now that the board has been rounded out with foes of health advocacy, keeping Lents at the helm could never be more important. Although Lents has not always been ideal from an environmental/health standpoint, I guarantee there is no way the current board will replace Lents with a stronger advocate of the ideas that will be so important to the future of this area’s health.

Remember, not only must the AQMD keep working to reach compliance with current Clean Air Act statutes, but within months Congress will reauthorize the Clean Air Act and L.A.’s ability to breathe free will rest very squarely on the shoulders of the men and women in charge at the AQMD.

MIKE NEWHOUSE

Los Angeles

* Experts agree that mobile sources account for more than half of the air pollution in Southern California. The AQMD has no authority to regulate emissions from such sources. The district’s mandate extends over stationary sources only.

Accordingly it doesn’t matter who the chief administrative officer of the district is. The air here will not be cleansed until the screws are tightened on the exhaust systems of trucks and autos.

LOUIS H. NEVELL

Los Angeles

* My thanks for Councilman Marvin Braude’s eloquent summation of the AQMD’s excellent record in fighting Southland air pollution. (“Tired of the Rules? Fire the Referees,” Commentary, May 23). Too few of us understand or appreciate the job Lents and his staff have done in enforcing the rules to clean up our air. If we let Lents go, we will be putting the entire program and the hard-won gains we have made in jeopardy.

REUBEN ROSLOFF

Pacific Palisades