Critics of the proposed $500-million Southern California International Gateway, which is being touted as “one of the 'greenest' freight yards in the nation," contend it will actually reduce air quality and harm low income, minority residents.
Support for the Southern California International Gateway comes from various stakeholders such as labor unions, businesses, politicians and regional planning agencies, who believe the project will serve as an economic catalyst. Two proponents, "Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway and the Port of Los Angeles say the [153-acre] facility would take enormous numbers of diesel trucks off the road," writes Dan Weikel, "reducing the risk of cancer and respiratory illness for those who live and work along the 710 Freeway."
"Public health experts at USC, environmental advocates and officials at the South Coast Air Quality Management District, however, contend that the project's impact analysis overstates the air quality improvements," reports Weikel. Although the project's draft environmental impact report states that the yard would take 5,500 trucks a day off the 710, thereby reducing emissions, critics argue that future growth will negate any emission reductions. Furthermore, as Andrea Hricko, a professor of preventive medicine at USC, points out, "public health experts have asserted for years that it is inappropriate to build polluting rail yards within 1,000 feet of schools, day care centers, parks and veterans housing."
Lena Kent, a spokeswoman for Burlington Northern, rebuffed these arguments, "Without the Southern California International Gateway, the situation on the 710 will be worse." She acknowledges "[t]here will be considerable health and risk benefits from the project" but claims that "[the critics] are only trying to pull things out of the environmental impact report that make it sound a lot worse than it is."
FULL STORY: Pollution drop from building rail yard near L.A. harbor disputed
A 'Good News' Air Pollution Study for a Change
Too often we report on new studies showing how air pollution worsens public health, often causing premature death. For a change, here's a study showing how efforts to improve air quality in Southern California have boosted public health in children.
Port Logjam Contributing to Dismal L.A. Air Quality
Emissions from container ships idling outside Southern California's ports are adding to pollution that has blanketed the region in a noxious layer of smog.
Zoning and the Global Supply Shortage
Zoning has been blamed for a lot of things in recent years, but a global supply crunch increasing prices and creating shortages of household goods—and potentially ruining the holidays—is a new one.
Coming Soon to Ohio: The Largest Agrivoltaic Farm in the US
The ambitious 6,000-acre project will combine an 800-watt solar farm with crop and livestock production.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
Dallas Surburb Bans New Airbnbs
Plano’s city council banned all new permits for short-term rentals as concerns about their impacts on housing costs grow.
Divvy Introduces E-Bike Charging Docks
New, circular docks let e-bikes charge at stations, eliminating the need for frequent battery swaps.
How Freeway Projects Impact Climate Resilience
In addition to displacement and public health impacts, highway expansions can also make communities less resilient to flooding and other climate-related disasters.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
