A flood of suspicious comments may have helped kill two clean air rules in Southern California. The South Coast Air Quality Management District board voted 7-5 to reject Rules 1111 and 1121. The decision came after a six-hour meeting with a packed auditorium and hundreds watching online.
The rules would’ve gradually pushed manufacturers toward selling more zero-emission water heaters and furnaces. Sales targets were set to start at 30% zero-emission products in 2027 and climb to 90% by 2036. No gas appliances would’ve been banned, and no one would’ve been forced to switch. Manufacturers who sold natural gas units would’ve paid fees between $50 and $500 per unit. Those fees could support programs aiding low-income households buying cleaner appliances.
The agency received over 30,000 written comments before the vote. More than 20,000 of those comments opposed the rules. Advocates are now demanding answers about whether those comments were real. Advocates are calling for an investigation. Evidence points to an AI-powered platform that may have generated a large portion of the opposition.
SoCalGas and building industry groups ran a coordinated campaign against the rules. An astroturf group called the “Cost of Living Council” spread claims that the rules were gas bans. That wasn’t true, but the messaging worked. Local officials got involved. The Trump administration’s Department of Justice even threatened a lawsuit. Earthjustice representatives argued the proposed rules aligned with federal Clean Air Act requirements to reduce pollution in the region. The rules were developed over two years with more than eight public working group meetings and over 100 stakeholder outreach sessions.
All six representatives from Orange County and the Inland Empire voted no. A western Los Angeles County representative also voted no. Representatives from the state Senate, state Assembly, LA City, and eastern LA County voted yes. OC Supervisor Janet Nguyen cited concerns about costs for people on fixed incomes.
The rejected rules were projected to prevent thousands of premature deaths and deliver billions in health benefits. The region is the smoggiest in the country. Environmental groups said the board caved to industry pressure. The Coalition for Clean Air warned that communities of color would suffer the most. Studies show that similar clean energy transitions in other states have shown that renewable energy initiatives can create tens of thousands of jobs while delivering significant healthcare savings.
The board sent the rules back to committee. A new vote won’t happen until next year at the earliest.
References
- https://legal-planet.org/2025/06/09/why-did-socal-air-regulators-reject-clean-air-rules/
- https://earthjustice.org/press/2025/southern-california-air-regulators-reject-healthy-air-standards-caving-to-industry-misinformation-campaign
- https://calmatters.org/environment/2025/06/gas-water-heaters-furnaces-phaseout-la-basin-aqmd-rules/
- https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2026-02-17/ai-powered-campaign-may-have-killed-key-vote-on-air-quality
- https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/heat-pumps/did-fake-comments-sink-socal-clean-heat-rules
- https://www.sej.org/headlines/did-fake-comments-sink-socal-clean-heat-rules-advocates-want-answers
- https://www.kpbs.org/news/environment/2026/03/16/california-bets-on-an-obscure-tool-to-replace-clean-air-authority-trump-revoked
