Dirty Air From RivCo, SoCal Warehouse Sector Ordered Cut

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Riverside County has 365 warehouse facilities — and that number is expected to grow as e-commerce increases and the warehouse sector expands eastward.

On Friday, the South Coast Air Quality Management District's governing board adopted Rule 2305 — otherwise known as the "Warehouse Indirect Source Rule" — designed to cut smog-forming emissions by 10-15 percent by 2031 from warehouse-related sources like heavy-duty trucks and cargo handling equipment.

“About half of the air pollutants that contribute to smog come from the goods-movement industry, with the largest source being heavy-duty trucks heading to warehouses across Southern California,” said Wayne Nastri, South Coast AQMD’s executive officer. “After many years of development, today’s adoption of the warehouse rule is a major step towards reducing air pollution and protecting the millions of people directly impacted by this type of pollution.”

The rule has been nearly 12 years in the making and begins January 2022, with a phased-in approach over three years. It affects warehouses larger than 100,000 square feet in the South Coast Air Basin — which is a four-county region that covers all or portions of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

Under the rule, warehouse operators can choose to implement smog-cutting measures such as acquiring near-zero emission trucks, installing solar panels and transitioning to other clean technology. Or, the operators can instead elect to pay a fee to the South Coast AQMD that would be used to improve air quality in communities impacted by warehouse-related smog.

Riverside County Supervisor V. Manuel Perez sits on the South Coast AQMD board and voted in favor of the rule.

"This policy cleans up the air our families, neighbors and communities breathe and improves public health of all in Southern California, while looking ahead to address air quality impacts and our continued growth," Perez said in a released statement.

Wildomar Mayor Pro Tem Ben Benoit, who was appointed to board chair, also voted in favor. He and Perez joined seven other board members, all from Los Angeles County, with yes votes.

San Bernardino County Supervisor Janice Rutherford and Highland City Councilman Larry McCallon joined Orange County Supervisor Lisa Bartlett and Yorba Linda City Councilman Carlos Rodriguez with no votes.

A South Coast AQMD staff report found that implementing the rule could cost millions and might negatively impact job growth in the warehouse sector.

But the agency also found that pollutants associated with the warehouse sector account for almost as many nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions as all the refineries, power plants and other stationary sources in the South Coast Air Basin combined.

Perez said an AQMD presentation showed that over 1,000 schools and daycares are located within a half-mile of a warehouse.

"Reductions in NOx are essential to meeting upcoming federal clean air standards. Those living within a half-mile of warehouses are more likely to include communities of color, have health impacts such as higher rates of asthma and heart attacks, and a greater environmental burden," the South Coast AQMD said in a news release following Friday's vote.