| A longtime Southern California
resident, Barry R. Wallerstein holds a doctorate in environmental science
and engineering from the University of California at Los Angeles - School of
Public Health, and M.S. and B.S. degrees in biological science from the
University of Southern California. He has two decades of experience in urban
planning and environmental studies, with an emphasis in air pollution
control and public policy development. He has been AQMD's Executive Officer
for ten years, having served the agency in increasingly responsible
positions since 1984. Previously in his career, Barry held positions as an
Environmental Control Administrator at Northrop and as a member of rule
development staff at the California Air Resources Board.
As executive officer, he serves as chief of staff to implement
environmental protection policies as approved by the agency's 12-member
Governing Board, working proactively with state and federal regulatory
officials, local governments, regulated businesses, and community
stakeholders. In recent years, he has executed innovative programs to:
- achieve concurrent reduction of greenhouse gases, criteria pollutants,
and air toxics for simultaneous progress toward public health & climate
protection goals;
- strengthen public-private investment in clean fuels and renewable
energy technologies;
- address specific community and neighborhood environmental justice
issues, including the evolving area of cumulative impacts;
- identify and reduce air toxics exposure (especially diesel
particulate); and
- integrate voluntary cleanup incentives into regulatory structures.
During Barry's tenure, he has overseen the development and continuing
implementation of the first local-district air toxics control plan in the
United States, an outgrowth of the agency's Multiple Air Toxics Exposure
Studies (MATES-II and III). Findings from these studies point to diesel
engine exhaust as the primary contributor to community cancer risk from air
toxics in Southern California - - especially in neighborhoods adjoining
heavy diesel activity such as ports, freeways, and rail yards. As a result,
Barry has also led implementation of AQMD's historic Clean Fleet Vehicle
rules, which are achieving international recognition as a strategic model to
accelerate the transition to clean-fueled fleets based on advanced
technologies.
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