The Legislature finds and declares as follows:
(a)
California’s air pollution control programs have been among the most successful efforts in the country to reduce air pollution and to protect public health and the environment.
(b)
It is in the interest of the people of the state, particularly during times of economic difficulty, to enact laws which improve the processes by which businesses comply with environmental and air quality laws, without sacrificing the protection of public health and the environment.
(c)
The purpose of this article is to require districts to review their permit programs and to institute new, efficient procedures which will assist businesses in complying with regional, state, and federal air quality laws in an expedited fashion, without reducing protection of public health and the environment.