Los Angeles Times - 07.09.2019

B4 LATIMES.COM

How would it affect renters,
landlords and the housing
market?
Earlier this year, the
Terner Center examined 10
communities in different
areas of the state — San
Francisco, Oakland, Fresno,
Los Angeles, Long Beach,
West Sacramento, San
Rafael, Stockton, Chula
Vista and Vallejo — and
found that a majority of re-
cent rent increases would be
allowed under the cap.
But some areas had ma-
jor surges in rents. In Boyle
Heights, apartments with-
out rent controls saw rents
increase from a median of
$1,200 a month to $1,700 be-
tween 2016 and 2017. Such
hikes would no longer be al-
lowed under the legislation.
“This really is an anti-
gouging cap and that is its
effect,” said Elizabeth Knee-
bone, the Terner Center’s re-
search director. “It would
not affect the majority of
rent increases.”
Still, the bill could have
consequences beyond ex-
tending protections for rent-
ers.
Brian Asquith, an econo-
mist with the Michigan-
based Upjohn Institute, said
landlords who might have
held rents for existing ten-
ants at below-market rates
with the knowledge they
could increase them at any
time might decide to hike
rents every year.
“If you talk to people on
the ground, there’s almost
universal consensus this oc-
curs,” said Asquith, who has
studied California’s rent
regulations.
Asquith also pointed to
research that says restric-
tions on rent hikes
encourage owners to con-
vert their apartments into
condominiums, which re-
moves properties from rent-
al stock. He expects that
could happen in wealthy
suburban communities that
don’t have rent restrictions.
“I think the people who
are going to be hurt are up-
wardly mobile, striving fam-
ilies who are middle-income
or lower-income in Irvine,
who can’t afford to buy a
house but where renting
might be in their reach,” he
said.
Housing production in
California is slowing, exacer-
bating the state’s shortage
of available homes. The Cali-
fornia Assn. of Realtors, an
influential organization op-
posed to the bill, has argued
that the rent cap would fur-
ther stifle production by dis-
couraging apartment own-
ers from building.
But the California Build-
ing Industry Assn., which
represents home builders,
said in a letter to Chiu this
week that the bill’s exclusion
of apartments built within
the last 15 years made the or-
ganization “optimistic that
this approach will not create
an impediment to new con-
struction.”

How does the bill compare
with other efforts around
the U.S.?
If the Legislature passes
AB 1482, California would
become the third state to ap-
prove a significant expan-
sion of limits on rent hikes
this year. Oregon lawmakers
passed a statewide rent cap
of 7% plus inflation, while
New York state legislators
beefed up existing rent re-
strictions in New York City

and also allowed other cities

to stabilize rents.

California’s plan would

be stricter than Oregon’s, al-

though the rent cap here

would expire in a decade

while Oregon’s is perma-

nent. Elements of New

York’s rules, including limi-

tations on the ability of land-

lords to increase rents when

tenants move out, are

stronger than AB 1482.

The Los Angeles-based

AIDS Healthcare Founda-

tion is collecting signatures

for a rent control initiative

that would appear on the

November 2020 statewide

ballot. That measure is more

stringent than AB 1482 and

would limit the ability of

landlords to raise rents

when a new tenant moves in.

Unlike the statewide rent

cap, if the initiative were to

pass, the resulting rent con-

trol rules would apply only in

cities and counties that ap-

proved them.

What are the bill’s chances

of becoming law?

AB 1482 has taken a long

and strange path through

the Legislature. Last fall,

California voters decisively

rejected an initiative that

would have allowed for the

expansion of local rent con-

trol policies across the state.

Newsom opposed the initia-

tive and upon taking office

called on lawmakers to pass

alternative renter protec-

tion measures.

Chiu introduced AB 1482

at the behest of pro-tenant

groups, but weakened it in

the face of opposition from

landlords, Realtors and oth-

ers. It squeaked through the

Assembly in May.

Early last month, New-

som decided to get more in-

volved. He told reporters

that he wanted a tighter cap

than what was then in the

bill.

“I was surprised,” Chiu

said. “Pleasantly surprised.”

The governor’s advisors

then began deeper negotia-

tions. Fearing the bill might

pass without its input, the

California Apartment Assn.,

which represents landlords,

decided to work toward a

deal, said Deb Carlton, the

association’s senior vice

president. The organization

secured changes, including

loosening proposed anti-

eviction rules, and no longer

opposes the bill.

But the new version of AB

1482 includes a stricter rent

cap for a longer time frame

than what the Realtors had

previously agreed to. Less

than two hours after New-

som announced the rent cap

deal, the Realtors an-

nounced their renewed op-

position.

The margin for passage is

thin. In May, the weaker ver-

sion of the rent cap cleared

the Assembly by three votes,

with 18 Democrats voting no

or abstaining.

How bill would

limit rent hikes

[Rent control,from B1]

THE STATELegislature

has a week to decide on a

bill to cap rent hikes.

Rich PedroncelliAP

sang “Amazing Grace.” Glen

Fritzler, the owner of Truth

Aquatics, which operated

the Conception, was flanked

by family members of vic-

tims and company employ-

ees as he laid down a carna-

tion and tried unsuccess-

fully to choke back tears. He

was embraced by dozens in

the crowd.

Many who gathered were

from Santa Barbara’s tight-

knit diving community, a

group hit particularly hard

by the tragedy. Attendees

showed strong support for

Truth Aquatics, which has a

respected reputation

among locals, and the sur-

viving crew members. The

crew has told investigators

that they woke up to a fire

that could not be stopped.

Zach Smith, who drove to

the vigil from San Luis

Obispo, said he had been on

the Conception dozens of

times. When he heard about

the fire, he immediately be-

gan looking up his diving

friends on Facebook to see if

they had been on the boat.

He said any criticism that

the captain and crew could

have done more to save the

victims was misguided.

“I’m feeling for them,”

said Smith, 32. “I can’t imag-

ine what it would be like to be

in their shoes.”

Stanley Payne, 79, whose

wife’s sister was on the Con-

ception with several other

relatives, said earlier Friday

that he feels angry that no

passengers were able to es-

cape, but does not blame the

five crew members who

jumped off the boat.

“If I had been in their

place, I don’t think I could

have done anything differ-

ent,” he said.

At the moment, however,

he’s not sure how to cope

with the sense of loss. “It’s so

difficult to accept the fact

they’re really gone,” he said.

Times staff writer Matt

Ormseth contributed to this

report.

A MOURNER PAYS her respects at a memorial made up of scuba tanks, one for each victim, during the vigil

at Chase Palm Park on Friday night. Religious leaders and a county official spoke about the need to heal.

Photographs byLuis SincoLos Angeles Times

Fellow divers hit hard by

the Conception tragedy

MOURNERS EMBRACE at the Santa Barbara vigil Friday. One theme was that

the sea can be a source of comfort, and some showed support for the boat’s owner.

[Vigil,from B1]

A 29-year-old woman
died in a fall from the cables
used to climb Half Dome in
Yosemite National Park, of-
ficials said Friday.
Danielle Burnett, 29, of
Lake Havasu City, Ariz., was
killed Thursday when she
“fell over 500 feet down steep,
rocky terrain, and was de-
ceased when park rangers
arrived on the scene,” ac-
cording to a statement from
the National Park Service.
The incident remains
under investigation.
Picturesque Half Dome
rises almost 5,000 feet above
Yosemite Valley. Two metal

cables allow hikers to climb

the last 400 feet of the forma-

tion without rock-climbing

equipment.

In May 2018, a hiker was

killed when he slipped and

fell from the cables, accord-

ing to the park service. He

was hiking with another

person during a thunder-

storm when the accident oc-

curred.

This is the second fatality

at the park in recent weeks.

On July 31, a Romanian

tourist was killed in a fall

near a waterfall, authorities

said. Lucian Miu, 21, was

scrambling on wet rocks be-

low Bridalveil Fall when he

fell about 20 feet, authorities

said.

Woman dies in

fall from cables

on Half Dome

By Carlos Lozano

or Valero Wilmington refin-

eries.

The nearest homes are

about 1,600 feet from the

Torrance facility, where

community groups have

sought a ban on modified hy-

drofluoric acid after the 2015

explosion alarmed neigh-

bors. Oil companies, other

powerful business interests

and labor unions opposed a

ban.

The air quality panel’s

five Republicans were joined

by three Democrats in vot-

ing for the oil industry pro-

posal, including Los Angeles

City Councilman Joe Bus-

caino, who is Mayor Eric

Garcetti’s appointee to the

panel, and Vanessa Delgado,

a former state senator ap-

pointed by state Senate

Leader Toni Atkins.

“I know we need to phase

it out, but now is not the

time,” air board Chairman

William A. Burke said before

voting for the oil industry’s

plan.

Three Democrats voted

in opposition, including L.A.

County Supervisor Janice

Hahn, who criticized the

plan’s lack of teeth and said

she believed “the only way to

eliminate the risk is to elimi-

nate this deadly chemical.”

“I think it’s a sad excuse

for the agreement that I

thought we were working

towards,” Hahn said.

South Bay residents and

environmentalists were dis-

mayed by the panel’s deci-

sion, saying the oil industry

had extracted an arrange-

ment from air quality offi-

cials that contains no bind-

ing provisions and fails to

protect the public.

Isabel Balboa, who lives

about a mile from the Tor-

rance facility, said the refin-

eries don’t want to switch to

a safer technology “because

they’re selfish, greedy and

don’t care about their com-

munities or our lives.”

“They’d rather see all of

us die than spend their own

money to do what is moral

and correct,” she said, urg-

ing the air board “to do your

job and pass a ban on MHF.

A curtain and a hose aren’t

going to save any of us.”

The air district staff ’s

proposal, developed over

more than two years of meet-

ings and debate, would have

required the refineries meet

a “performance standard”

by demonstrating their safe-

ty measures would keep hy-

droflouric acid levels within

a specific, health-protective

threshold in a major release,

or phase out the chemical if

they could not.

In June, the air board’s

Republican-controlled re-

finery committee moved to

close the door on a

regulation banning the

chemical. Instead, it pro-

posed to allow refineries to

keep using modified hydro-

fluoric acid, with enhanced

safety measures, through a

formal agreement with the

refineries.

The plan approved Fri-

day is considerably weaker.

It goes further in the indus-

try’s favor in ruling out even

an agreement with regula-

tors to reduce risks to

nearby communities.

Steve Goldsmith of the

Torrance Refinery Action

Alliance said air board mem-

bers “caved into the pres-

sure by the oil industry” with

a decision that “leaves South

L.A. County residents ex-

posed to catastrophic dan-

ger.”

“Another government

body needs to step in to pro-

tect the community and do

what the SCAQMD failed to

do,” Goldsmith said.

Business and labor

groups have raised concerns

that phasing out hy-

droflouric acid would

threaten refinery-related

jobs. Dan Hoffman, who

heads the Wilmington

Chamber of Commerce, told

the panel that the refineries’

proposals “offer you that

safety and offer us economic

security at the same time,

while protecting our com-

munities and employees.”

Los Angeles County

health officials, however,

have warned that system

failures, natural disasters or

terrorist attacks at the facili-

ties could lead to a disas-

trous release of hydrofluoric

acid that would overwhelm

hospitals with burn victims.

In a letter Tuesday to the

air district, county health of-

ficer Muntu Davis wrote that

the absence of a regulation

to phase out the chemical

“will continue to jeopardize

the health and safety of

workers and residents.”

A golf ball-sized hole can

release 1,000 gallons of hy-

drofluoric acid in two min-

utes, forming a dense, low-

hanging cloud of vapor that

remains at twice-lethal lev-

els two miles away, field ex-

periments have shown. The

chemical can quickly inflict

severe health damage and

death by burning the skin

and lungs and penetrating

deep tissues and bones.

While hydrofluoric acid is

used at about about 50 of the

nation’s 150 refineries to

make high-octane gasoline,

Valero’s Wilmington refinery

and Torrance Refining Co.,

owned by PBF Energy, are

the only two refineries in

California that use the

chemical.

Southern California com-

munity groups and environ-

mentalists have been urging

the air board to move for-

ward with a rule to phase out

the chemical within four

years. They say the risks of

continued use are too great

and that the board should

require a shift to safer,

widely used alternatives

that do not form a deadly va-

por cloud, such as sulfuric

acid.

Industry has complained

that switching to a safer

technology would cost them

hundreds of millions of dol-

lars and have said it is not a

viable solution.

Paul Davis, western re-

gion president for PBF En-

ergy, said a voluntary ap-

proach will be the fastest

way to install stronger safety

equipment within the next

few years.

The refineries’ promised

safety enhancements in-

clude leak-detection sen-

sors, protective barriers and

systems that spray large

amounts of water to prevent

hydrofluoric acid from

spreading through the air.

Mark Phair, the general

manager of Valero’s Wilm-

ington Refinery, called those

measures “unprecedented

additional layers of protec-

tion.”

A 2015 explosion at the

Torrance refinery sent a 40-

ton piece of equipment just

short of crashing into a mas-

sive tank containing the

chemical. Federal chemical

safety regulators called it a

“serious near miss” that

could have resulted in a “po-

tentially catastrophic re-

lease” killing or injuring

many people nearby.

Regulators have noted

other near misses, including

explosions at a South Phila-

delphia refinery in June and

a 2018 explosion and fire at a

facility in Superior, Wis.

AQMD to accept oil industry’s safety pledge

[AQMD,from B1]