NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
Dear Readers: This week, we have focused our coverage on warehouse development in Redlands. As always, our foremost goal in this reporting was to present facts and encourage engagement.
The process of reporting on these developments has led to more questions. For one, how do warehouses pass CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) review with "no significant impact" yet face a slew of local and state regulations aimed at mitigating the pollution from heavy-duty trucks these warehouses attract?
On Wednesday, the American Lung Association ranked San Bernardino County as the worst in the nation for ozone pollution and ranked it 10th highest for annual particle pollution. The report underscores the urgency of addressing environmental concerns and raises the question - what role do distribution warehouses play in the county's poor air quality?
To deepen our understanding of these complex issues, we have contacted local CEQA law and air quality experts to explore these and other questions in future reporting.
As always, your engagement and feedback are instrumental in our continuing efforts to strive for comprehensive and impactful reporting on issues that matter deeply to our community.
Thank you for reading,
Stephanie
HEADLINER
San Bernardino County ranks worst in the nation for ozone pollution
Despite progress since the 90s, the number of unhealthy smog days in San Bernardino County worsens
Exposure to unhealthy air continues to make breathing difficult and put sensitive populations at risk in San Bernardino County.
Once again, San Bernardino County has been labeled worst in the nation for ozone pollution, receiving an F grade across multiple air quality categories, according to the latest findings from the American Lung Association's 2024 "State of the Air" report.
San Bernardino experienced nearly six months of unhealthy smog days, far more than any other county.
Of these unhealthy days, 20% of the days in San Bernardino County were "very unhealthy" days, compared to 8% in Riverside County and 14% in Los Angeles County.
Why it matters: Ozone gas is a powerful lung irritant that reacts with the delicate lining of the small airways, causing inflammation and other damage. Exposure to ozone gas can impact multiple body systems, increasing the risk of premature birth and asthma in children, causing or worsening lung and heart disease, and shortening lives. Children, pregnant people, and the elderly are especially at risk.
Despite hopes for improved air quality during the COVID-19 pandemic due to reduced human activity, the report indicates that poor air quality persisted, impacting millions of people. The report points to increased freight and goods movement and escalating wildfire incidents contributed to sustained pollution levels during this period.
Read more about the high levels of ozone pollution in San Bernardino County and what is being done to curb pollution here.
Stephanie Hastings Miranda
NEWS BRIEF
🏗 Public review and comment for new warehouse: Redevelopment of the former Splash Kingdom Water Park site is underway. Los Angeles developer North Palisade Partners is proposing the construction of a 357,610-square-foot distribution warehouse on the 18-acre site at 1101 California Street, directly off of I-10. Public review and comment on the environmental reports for the project ends April 29 at 5:30pm. Read more about the project and how to submit a comment here.
Stephanie Hastings Miranda
Tennessee warehouse decision pending: The Redlands Planning Commission delayed the vote on whether to approve a conditional use permit for a proposed distribution warehouse in South Redlands on Tuesday evening. After a motion to deny the application was seconded, city staff advised the Commission to hold the vote until the next meeting. This would give staff time to prepare a resolution to deny the project. Read more about what happened at the meeting and what's next for the project here.
Stephanie Hastings Miranda
UPCOMING
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