Earlier this year a coalition of more than 60 environmental, labor, community and academic groups called for a moratorium of up to two years on new warehouse development in Southern California’s Inland Empire, demanding in an open letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom that the governor declare the market’s one billion square foot warehouse sprawl a “public health emergency.”
According to a white paper the groups referenced in their letter, the logistics traffic from Inland Empire’s growing network of more than 4,000 warehouses generates more than 200 million truck trips annually—at a rate of more than 600K per day—spewing more than 15 billion pounds of carbon dioxide, 30 billion pounds of nitrous oxide and 300K pounds of diesel particulate matter annually into the nation’s most polluted air.
While this pushback to warehouse development is most common in California, protests have been springing up in communities across the country as local residents tire of the truck traffic and pollution these facilities tend to attract.
More research has emerged from the Environmental Defense Fund that supports these objections. In particular, locals are wary of the diesel fuel trucks use, which may affect the health of nearby residents and employees, especially those of Color or low wealth, the EDF said in a new report.
Following are four useful questions to help understand what’s needed to make the vital warehouse segment safer and more appealing to all:
How Widespread is the Concern?
More than 15 million people live within a half-mile of a warehouse in 10 states. Those who live in Black, Latino, Asian and American Indian communities as well as areas of low wealth are disproportionately exposed to this pollution.
Another reason for concern is the expectation that whatever is needed should be delivered as fast as possible. Or as Aileen Nowlan, EDF’s U.S. Policy Director, Global Clean Air Initiative, explains, “As corporations taught consumers to expect just-in-time products and delivery, warehouses have moved closer to people’s homes in more communities than ever before, bringing harmful air pollution from trucks with them,” she says, adding, “It’s important to understand who is bearing the brunt of health burdens associated with living close to heavy truck traffic in order to develop and implement smart, targeted policies that protect public health and reduce emissions.”
Where are Burdens Greater?
EDF researchers combined warehouse industry data with a Geospatial information System (GIS) application known as Proximity Mapping, which applies areal apportionment to estimate the characteristics of populations living near specific facilities and pollution sources, using the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 5-Year estimates. Among the findings of the 10 states EDF analyzed were that about 17,600 warehouses are located within 10 states; more than 1 million children under age 5 live within a half-mile of warehouses; warehouse proliferation doesn’t spread the risk evenly. In some states like Illinois, Massachusetts and Colorado, the concentration of Black and Latino residents living near warehouses is nearly double the state average.
What is the Challenge of Air Pollution From Diesel Trucks?
While warehouses contribute to the economy through construction and other employment jobs, the trucks used to deliver goods daily—and often multiple times a day—may bring with them air pollution, whether moving or idling. These pollutants may be linked to health issues such as a risk of developing childhood asthma, heart disease, adverse birth outcomes such as low weight, cognitive decline and strokes.
What Affordable Solutions are Available?
The report cites several potential changes that can help such as increased air quality monitoring to provide a better understanding of air pollution around warehouses and a switch to investments in zero-emission transporting. Another useful change would be a database of current and proposed warehouses to make changes in existing ones and improve locations of future facilities by communities helping to plan better.
Third, zero-emissions options are possible for delivery vans, yard trucks and regional haul trucks. Already, manufacturers are investing billions to expand zero-emissions for long-haul trucking.
Fourth, EPA’s recently proposed tailpipe regulation was designed to ensure that up to half of new urban delivery and freight vehicles sold by 2032 will be zero-emitting vehicles. “Communities deserve to know more about the businesses that operate near their homes and schools, especially if they pose a health threat,” Nowlan says. “Solutions exist today to reduce truck-related air pollution and protect public health.”
Source: “This is Why Some Communities Are Pushing Back Against Warehouse Development“
