Non-attainment technically means that the area did not meet the ever-tightening air quality standards imposed by Washington.

By any practical measure however, what it really means is that the local air fascists get to play god, at their own whim. Anyone not kissin' their butt gets an expensive citation, as in fireplace tickets anytime a weather system is approaching; also, some industries get shut down or prevented from starting up in the first place; or have serious added requirements to stay in operation. Seems most plants just close down, then outsource to somewhere offshore; Net worldwide improvement to the environment - LESS THAN ZERO!

As I have repeatedly seen the all over California in the last 40 years; after most of the rail customers have been run off by local governments, then they run off the freight railroads too!

Otherwise, some places just pay them their extortion (oops - I mean carbon fee, or other pollution fee), then they'll usually get left alone - for a while. In today's world of political extremism gone mainstream, it's all just another cost of doing business anyway.

Trouble is, it all trickles down to the final customer - the middle class on down. In the final analysis, you and I actually do all the paying, and it's our jobs that get lost. That's what it really means!

OPB

PS.
Ya, I know - I'm getting more and more cynical every day! But the more I find out about how these environmental laws are actually used, the harder and harder it gets, to stay positive!