Gas stations facing new regulation

More than half of the state's gas stations will miss a Wednesday deadline for scrubbing toxic vapors from their pumps, setting them up for hefty fines or eventually even closure, officials say.
Dana Bartholomew in the Daily News.
An estimated 2,000 of the 3,900 service stations in Southern California have not yet installed next-generation vapor-trapping systems, although they've known for years about the April 1 deadline, according to local air quality regulators.

Realizing the scope of the problem, lawmakers have proposed two bills seeking a delay. Independent gas station owners also want a year's extension, predicting a wave of closures if they're penalized for noncompliance.