Mark Ellefson, owner of Prodigy Plumbing, prepares a new water heater as he replaces a water heater at a residence in Long Beach, CA. Saturday August 2, 2014. (Thomas R. Cordova/Press-Telegram ...

Under the AQMD’s guidance, manufacturers would have been required to pay a $100 fee for each NOx-emitting furnace sold, and $50 for each NOx-emitting water heater, according to the staff report.