In a move to protect public health and reduce climate pollution, the Culver City Council unanimously passed a resolution at the May 11, 2026 meeting in support of amending rules 1146 and 1146.1 to promote the adoption of zero-emissions industrial boilers in the Los Angeles region.
“Culver City is proud to be the first city in Los Angeles County to pass a resolution supporting updates to Rules 1146 and 1146.1. We did this because we believe clean air, economic opportunity, and innovation go hand in hand,” says Culver City Councilmember Yasmine-Imani McMorrin. “Industrial boiler pollution has too often been overlooked, even as it contributes to smog and respiratory illness across the South Coast region. By backing proven zero-emissions technologies, we can modernize manufacturing, create good local jobs, and reduce harmful pollution in our communities.”
These updates would build on the momentum of SCAQMD’s landmark zero emissions Rule 1146.2, which was recently upheld by federal court and is projected to cut smog-forming pollution equivalent to eliminating half of all car-related NOx emissions in the region.
More than 1,800 industrial boilers across Southern California continue to rely on methane gas to produce everything from cardboard to medicine and ramen noodles. Zero-emissions alternatives are already commercially available and can meet the needs of these facilities while reducing energy use by up to 32%. By upgrading California’s fossil fuel industrial boilers with clean manufacturing technologies, the state could avoid 3,220 premature deaths and nearly 2 million asthma attacks and reap $47.5 billion in health benefits by 2050.
“Culver City is showing what real leadership looks like—standing up for clean air, good jobs, and healthier communities,” said Mandeera Wijetunga, Campaign Organizing Strategist at Sierra Club California. “Industrial boilers are a major but often overlooked source of pollution in our region, and communities living closest to these facilities pay the highest price. With proven zero-emissions solutions already in use, there is no justification for continuing to lock in decades of harmful pollution. Updating Rules 1146 and 1146.1 is a practical, commonsense step to protect public health while strengthening Southern California’s economy as we move forward.”
Rommel Mendoza
Graphic – cutaway of industrial boiler
