Penny Newman of CCAEJ speaks out on monster warehouse project in Moreno Valley CA

The World Logistics Center proposed for Moreno Valley, California would be the size of 700 football fields – the largest master planned warehouse complex in the United States – and generate more than 14,000 diesel truck trips per day.

The California Air Resource Board has warned of negative air quality and greenhouse gas impacts, and found the environmental analysis to be “legally inadequate.”

Penny Newman, executive director of the Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice (CCAEJ), a member of the Moving Forward Network, wrote an excellent guest editorial yesterday opposing the warehouse and making it clear that CCAEJ and their partners will go to court to protect the community.

PENNY NEWMAN: Moreno Valley has not done its due diligence on warehouse project, The Press-Enterprise

Other issues include almost the enormous amount of money – almost $600,000 –  the developers have spent supporting the elections of certain city council members, huge regional traffic impacts, and who will pay the cost of needed highway and other road improvements.

The city commission will hold three days of public meetings to review the project beginning this Monday, August 17, after which it is expected to vote on the project.

Closely watched, huge Inland Empire warehousing project poised for crucial vote, San Bernardino Sun

I know of no better role model for protecting a community from the negative effects of concentrated warehousing than the Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice.  CCAEJ has been successful in making other warehouse projects safer.  If you are in a community facing similar threats, I highly recommend studying the work of CCAEJ.

For more background:

Moreno Valley warehouse project raising concerns over air quality, San Bernardino Sun

MORENO VALLEY: Pact details warehouse costs, The Press Enterprise

Environmental Impact Report and other documents, City of Moreno Valley

Inland Ports of Southern California – Warehouses, Distribution Centers, Intermodal Facilities
Impacts, Costs and Trends (2012) CCAEJ