Last week, I heard some upsetting news: a new, polluting, expensive and entirely unnecessary power plant might be built near my community. The California Public Utilities Commission - the state agency that's supposed to ensure that our energy companies like San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) prioritize clean energy - made a proposal to approve SDG&E's polluting fossil fuel power plant called Pio Pico in Otay Mesa— just a few miles away from my house.

I'm already concerned about the current high levels of air pollution—some of the worst in the state— and the health problems that pollution brings to my community. If approved, Pio Pico would add even more pollution— the same amount as 170,000 cars- each year for 25 years. That could have a negative impact on the health of our children and make climate change worse. My grandchildren already have asthma and I don't want them exposed to even more pollution from a new dirty power plant.

In addition to the pollution damage to my community, SDG&E wants to raise our energy bills to pay $1.6 Billion for this dirty energy. My neighbors have made it clear that they want a clean energy source and are willing to pay a little more for clean energy in their neighborhoods. But they certainly don't want more dirty energy and more pollution. Latino voters from all over Southern California have said the same thing- we want clean energy now.

What really angers me is that this power plant is entirely unnecessary. We have enough energy from renewable resources, efficiency, energy storage and other clean sources now and in the future to cost-effectively and reliable meet our energy needs. Which is exactly why I don't understand how the state regulators can allow SDG&E to dump this polluting power plant in South Bay. We already have several power plants and transmission lines and terrible air quality, now this?

Join me in saying NO to another polluting power plant and demanding that government agencies and officials protect the health of our communities! Join me in taking action:

• Sign this petition to tell our state's energy regulators you don't want the polluting Pio Pico power plant in San Diego!
• Sign this letter to elected officials who represent the South Bay area to ask them to take a stand!

Thank you.

Last month, under the leadership of Ann Moore, the San Diego Unified Port District took a big step towards addressing climate change and pollution in San Diego when the Board of Port Commissioners unanimously adopted a Climate Action Plan.

The plan is so significant because it charts a course of action to lower the Port's greenhouse gas emissions-- the pollution responsible for causing climate change -- and sets an example for the rest of San Diego. Climate change and pollution from the Port both have huge health impacts on the region, especially neighboring low-income communities of color. With its location along the waterfront, as a center and facilitator of global goods shipping and a home to a mix of heavy, polluting industries as well as waterfront tourism businesses, the Port stands as a cause of climate change as well as a future victim.

Specifically, the Port's climate plan sets targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2035 and identifies strategies that may be used to reduce emissions from the Port and the 600 bayfront businesses to which the Port is a landlord. Some such strategies include:

• Making new and existing buildings more efficient
• Generating renewable energy along the bayfront
• Increasing use of clean vehicles, vessels and machinery

Next steps for the Port's climate plan will be identifying which specific emissions reductions strategies the Port will prioritize for implementing in 2014. Meanwhile, we'll continue urging the Port to take meaningful actions to ensure community health is at the forefront of Port decisions and the necessary actions are taken to achieve climate stability in San Diego. 

We've worked diligently over the past three years to ensure that the Port, landlord for many of the largest polluters in the region, secures adoption of a plan, and we applaud the Board of Port Commissioners for unanimously supporting it. Now, we can't wait to see this vision for San Diego's sustainable future put into action.

Power plants make our neighborhoods sick. Simple as that. They emit dangerous toxic pollution into our air making it hard for us to breathe, and making our families, our communities and our planet sick. 

SIGN THIS PETITION TO TELL CALIFORNIA'S ENERGY REGULATORS WE DON'T WANT PIO PICO.

SIGN THIS LETTER TO ASK SOUTH BAY ELECTED OFFICIALS TO TAKE A STAND AGAINST DIRTY AIR IN OUR COMMUNITIES.

Now, a new power plant is being proposed in San Diego by SDG&E. If approved, the new plant, titled Pio Pico, will operate in Otay Mesa -- a 2/3 Latino area already burdened with toxic waste and ranked in the top 20 percent of most polluted zip codes in the state. The location is only 1.3 miles from Tijuana - home to one million people.

The chemicals produced from Pio Pico, known as "particulate matter" are directly linked to respiratory illnesses, such as asthma. Over time, residents may experience school absences, lost work days, hospital admissions, asthma diagnoses and in some severe cases, even death.

The monetary harm will also be substantial, as Pio Pico will cost SDG&E customers $1.6 billion. And that is a fact.

Irreversable damage will be done to our communities. The amount of poisonous air from Pio Pico is equal to the annual emissions of 129,584 gasoline-powered cars or nearly 70 million gallons of gasoline. San Diegans will face costly bills, asthma hospitalizations and increased environmental impacts of climate change such as forest fires, sea level rise, drought and heat waves. (Read more about the causes and effects of climate change here.)

And once it's built, it's not coming down for a long, long time -- if at all. Pio Pico's contract is 25 years, meaning it will continue to physically harm and pollute the already dumped on neighboring communities for a quarter of a decade.

Is this how you see your future? 

If not, sign this petition to oppose Pio Pico and make your voice heard for healthy neighborhoods and breathable air now and for generations to come and read more about Pio Pico and your community. There is a better way.

We all have questions about climate change, especially regarding what's happening here in San Diego. Well you asked, and we deliver. Below we chat with EHC Policy Advocate Kayla Race on what causes climate change in San Diego, the implications it will have on our lives and what we can do to keep it from getting worse.

What are global warming and climate change? 

What causes global warming and climate change?

How will San Diegans be affected? 

Will some communities be impacted more than others? 

What is San Diego doing about climate change?

Can we do anything to reduce our risk? 

How can I help?

What are global warming and climate change?

Global warming is the recent and ongoing increase in global average temperature, causing climate patterns around the world to change. Global warming represents just one aspect of climate change, which refers to significant changes in climate that occur over several decades or longer. (back to top)

What causes global warming and climate change?

Global warming and climate change are caused mostly by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases—such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and certain synthetic chemicals—in the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases trap heat in our atmosphere and make the planet warmer, hence the term "global warming." 

Over the past 200 years, concentrations of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere have increased significantly and at an alarming rate, mostly due to human activities like burning fossil fuels to produce energy and power cars and trucks, industrial processes, some agricultural practices and deforestation. Although greenhouse gases are naturally occurring, the unnaturally large increase that has occurred over a relatively short period of time in history will result in dangerous impacts to human health, safety and ecosystems. (back to top)

How will San Diegans be affected? 

Although it is difficult to predict the exact impacts of climate change in San Diego, it is clear that the climate to which we are accustomed is no longer a reliable guide for what to expect in the future, and we should prepare for threats to our infrastructure, our safety, our economy, and our health.

In fact, the California Department of Public Health and the American Public Health Association have identified climate change as one of the most serious public health threats facing our nation, warning that the impacts are occurring sooner than expected.

Some impacts San Diegans are likely to see are:

• More frequent, intense, and prolonged heat waves and impair air quality, which puts public health at risk
• Dwindling freshwater supplies and increased water costs
• More frequent and intense wildfires
• More frequent and intense storms
• Potential disruptions in electricity
• Stress on our agricultural industry and resulting rising food prices
• Native plant and animal species emigrating from the region or reduce populations
• Rising sea levels that threaten communities and businesses near our coastline

(More about climate change impacts in the Southwestern U.S.)

Will some communities be impacted more than others? 

Yes. Low-income communities of color such as Barrio Logan, Sherman Heights, City Heights and National City will be hit first and worst by the impacts of climate change. These neighborhoods already suffer the health consequences of the region's pollution and they lack community resources such as healthcare, air conditioning, urban parks and tree canopy and transportation, making it challenging to cope with worsening conditions.

We have actually already seen climate change disproportionately impact disadvantaged communities. During California's heat wave of 2006, 99 percent of the associated deaths occurred in zip codes where more than half of residents were below the poverty line. (back to top)

What is San Diego doing about climate change?

The City of San Diego is in the process of developing a climate action plan for reducing the pollution that causes climate change, and preparing residents, businesses, and our natural resources for the impacts of climate change. The Port of San Diego adopted a Climate Action Plan in 2013 and is working to implement the plan now.

Stay tuned for more updates on the City and Port of San Diego's Climate Plan progress. (back to top)

Can we do anything to reduce our risk?

Yes! Do you want the good news or bad news first?

The bad news is carbon dioxide can stay in the atmosphere for nearly a century, meaning Earth will continue to warm in the coming decades. So the choices we make today--from how we use and produce energy, to how we travel, to the food and goods we purchase-- all affect the amount of greenhouse gases that stay in our atmosphere for years to come.

The good news is, San Diego can reduce its risk if we act now to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and properly prepare for changes that are already underway!

What can I do to help?

We have many solutions within our grasp to reduce pollution and secure a healthier future for our planet.  

• We can install solar panels on our rooftops and in our parking lots to reduce our reliance on dirty energy while creating local jobs at the same time. 
• We can make our buildings more energy and water efficient, build better transit and make neighborhoods more walkable and bikeable, resulting in fewer car emissions. 
• Reduce your daily impact on climate change at home and at work with small changes to daily habits -- like turning off lights and electronics and taking shorter showers.
• Get the News and Alerts to Take Action: Subscribe to our email newsletter for all our upcoming opportunities to attend a public meeting or send a letter to tell City Council and Port Commissioners you want an enforceable plan that will improve our air quality and make our communities more resilient against climate change
• Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to stay in the know with energy news and upcoming advocacy opportunities
• Donate to EHC to help us continue our work promoting climate action solutions
• Reduce energy and water use in your home by following these tips
  • Contact EHC to find out if you qualify for a free home energy audit or other energy efficiency improvement programs
  • Bike, walk or use public transit instead of driving as much as possible
  • Follow more tips here. (back to top)

On Monday, July 15, EHC's Green Energy/Green Jobs staff and community members made the trek to Los Angeles to ask the California Public Utilities Commission and the California Energy Commission for a cleaner energy future.

The hearing was jointly held on Southern California's energy future following the permanent closure of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS). We were joined by our allies at Sierra Club and Communities for a Better Environment.

The message we heard from our state agencies and utilities was clear-- they want to stick to their old ways of building dirty gas plants, no matter the cost to our health, our environment, our climate, and our future.

We're counting on you to help us continue pushing for a healthier, smarter energy future!

The results are in: Solar matters!

On Thursday, poll results were finalized by the William C. Velasquez Institute (WCVI) to reveal the large majority of Latinos in Southern California support and want to see a shift toward rooftop solar energy in our communities. The findings are very similar to those of a survey done last year, and further support EHC's movement for green, clean energy and illustrate the increasing prioritization of solar panel energy in Latino urban neighborhoods most affected by air pollution and dirty energy.

Some key survey results include:

• 80% believe that our state legislators should make it a high priority to increase the amount of rooftop solar energy in California;
• 70% support the net metering law that allows owners of rooftop solar panels to receive fair credit for the excess energy they generate. Industry analysts credit net metering as the cornerstone policy for continued solar growth
• The core value statement behind the net metering law is even more popular: 74% agree with the statement "if customers are required to buy power from the utility at a certain price, the utility should have to buy excess power created by customers' solar panels at the same price";
• More than half (54%) strongly agreed with the statement "growing the state's solar energy industry will create new jobs in California
• 60% of Latino voters would be less likely to vote for a candidate who opposed policies to support the green economy

Solar rooftop energy will have numerous positive effects on our communities by:

• Decreasing the carbon emissions catalyzing climate change
• Creating more jobs and boosting local economies
• Transitioning neighborhoods away from dirty, toxic air toward clean, breathable air
• Reducing preventable health diseases (such as asthma) directly associated with poor air quality

This survey tells us that Latinos' priorities have become clean energy for both local economy and public health initiatives and solar power will be a major issue in future elections. It is clear our communities are ready for positive environmental changes to happen right in our backyards – or, in this case, right on our rooftops.

For more information on this survey and the results, visit http://causecleanair.org/what-do-latino-voters-in-southern-california-think-about-rooftop-solar/.

Originally published in the UT San Diego, February 8, 2013.

In early February, we watched the implosion of the South Bay Power Plant— just one day after the California Public Utilities Commission heard public comments on two new SDG&E-proposed fossil fuel power plants in San Diego.

We're playing a game of Whack-a-Mole with our regional energy policy at ratepayers' expense. Though the demolition of the South Bay Power Plant is striking, we can't let SDG&E continue to turn a blind eye to the reasons why we don't need that plant anymore.

Reliance on fossil fuels has led to an Orwellian-esque era where each year is becoming the hottest on record and we are suffering through a series of costly and deadly weather events. In San Diego, Scripps Institution of Oceanography warns us to expect hotter and more humid mid-summer heat waves that are worse than many inland areas while freshwater in the Southwest is becoming scarcer and our oceans are rising faster than expected.

So why is SDG&E proposing to build unneeded fossil-fuel power plants using the expensive, dirty and outdated centralized power plant model when we're barely scratching the surface of our clean energy and smart grid potential?

San Diego deserves better than this.

On top of the harmful impacts to public health and our climate from the greenhouse gases, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide that would be emitted by these two power plants, the nearly $1.6 billion dollar price tag of the power plants would be passed on to ratepayers over the next 20 years, according to the California Energy Commission.

Perhaps what's most perplexing about SDG&E's proposal, though, is that the energy from these plants is not even needed, according to both the Administrative Law Judge and the lead California Public Utilities Commissioner for the proceeding. Both have issued proposed decisions denying the plants due to a lack of need.

Even without San Onofre coming back online, SDG&E has ample power reserves to "keep the lights on." On the hottest day of the year last September, SDG&E had approximately 24 percent more energy than was needed. Further, the state agency that manages our energy grid, the California Independent Systems Operator, said the way to address the San Onofre shut down was through fixes to our transmission lines, not construction of new power plants.

Our regional leadership must embrace a strategy that prioritizes building a better future for our children by integrating demand management strategies, conservation, local clean energy generation, and energy storage into a smart modern grid that benefits all communities in San Diego.

In fact, San Diego is on the cutting-edge in this arena already. SDG&E proudly announced smart grid breakthroughs just last week that will allow them to prevent blackouts and integrate renewable resources seamlessly. UCSD has its own nationally recognized microgrid -- an on-site energy generation, distribution, and management network that balances renewable energy, electric vehicles, storage, and demand management. The microgrid is connected to SDG&E's grid but can disconnect and operate independently in "islanded mode" as needed, such as during the SDG&E blackout of September 2011, giving UCSD energy independence and security. Our local military bases are also investing in this new smart grid/microgrid approach to maximize the security and reliability of their energy needs. Naval Base Coronado and the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar are both pursuing these new solutions/grid-independence.

Environmental Health Coalition knows from our recent educational efforts within the local communities that small changes to our daily habits can result in drastic reduction in energy use.

With a newly elected Mayor Bob Filner in the City of San Diego and other progressive elected officials who have pledged to pave a new pathway for our energy future, we are excited to build a new energy paradigm as part of San Diego's innovation economy. We look forward to working with our partners in local government, labor, the business community, the military and our educational institutions to create local, family-wage, career-track jobs while reducing our carbon footprint and protecting the health of every San Diego family.

It's time we put a stop to the Whack-A-Mole approach to energy. We must demand more from our energy utility so that it produces big new solutions to the big challenges we face.

Nicole Capretz
Green Energy / Green Jobs Campaign Director for Environmental Health Coalition
City Heights Resident

Low-income communities of color have long been on the front lines of pollution and dirty energy, and now we're set to be hit first and worst by climate change. Lack of financial resources, vulnerability to poor air quality from asthma, lack of access to affordable healthcare and transportation, and minimal urban tree canopy means that our communities will be most vulnerable to impacts of climate change like hotter summer heat waves in San Diego and impaired air quality, more frequent extreme storms, diminishing freshwater and increased water prices, and rapidly rising sea levels.

Communities on the front lines know we must do everything we can to stop climate change and the dirty energy economy that exploits our natural resources, jeopardizes public health and safety, and threatens our climate stability. So why aren't our national and energy leaders on the same page?

Our President and federal government are considering approval of the huge new Keystone XL pipeline that would transport oil from the tar sands of Canada—one of the dirtiest sources of oil—all the way to the Gulf coast. And in San Diego, our local utility SDG&E wants to build two new dirty power plants.

Both sets of projects would come at great cost to public health and our climate.

It's time we stand up and say San Diego and the United States deserve better. We must demand more from our energy utilities and our elected officials to produce big solutions to the big challenges we face.

Thanks to Diane Lesher for the photos.

One recent workday when I had to drive to work instead of taking the bus, I found myself, not surprisingly, stuck in traffic. However, I had some great news to think over as I inched along - EHC's statewide game-changing victory at the PUC. This victory will create more energy efficiency education in more homes and help produce more green jobs for San Diego and California

Just before I turned off the engine of my Prius, I looked at the thermometer – winter is coming and the evenings are getting cooler. But I knew that once I got in the house it would be nice and warm. Nice and warm not from heating the house all day, but from all the energy upgrades we have done over the past two years. We put in new windows, and the white glove guys at ASI tested our house and figured how to make our house energy efficient. We got a new furnace and new heating ducts, and we got new insulation to keep our indoor temperature moderate.

We also got a nice check from SDG&E to help cover our costs. (Thanks to the ratepayers for that! You and I are funding SDG&E's rebate program – the funds don’t come out of their profits or the goodness of their hearts. They are required to spend money to help people reduce energy use).

I walked to the front door thinking about our $37 SDGE bill that I had just opened—all smiles. And there, right in front of the door, was a box. I saw that SDG&E sent it. My first thought was to write "return to sender" on it and send it back, but curiosity got the better of me.

Inside were “eco friendly” gifts and a note thanking us for our energy upgrades. We got a ball cap and a t-shirt with the SDG&E logo and the statement that we are energy efficient. I like to wear hats and T-shirts, but I don’t like to wear black hats or black shirts.

Rule number one in being energy efficient: black clothes absorb heat and make you hotter; light colored clothes reflect heat and make you cooler.

I looked at the tags and found out that the shirt was made in the Dominican Republic.

Rule number two: to reduce fuel consumption, don’t buy clothes shipped long distances to reach you.

But there was more: plastic herb garden containers, a plastic lunch bag, and a plastic water bottle.

Rule number three in being energy efficient, don’t buy things you don’t need as it takes energy to make the product, energy to bring the product to you, and energy to bring the product to the landfill.

Memo to SDG&E:

We don’t want more “stuff.” Stuff creates greenhouse gases. Moving it around creates more. We also don’t want three more fossil fueled power plants in our region. What we DO WANT from SDG&E is for them to move quickly toward a sane energy future, with policies and resources that put local, renewable energy sources ahead of fossil fuels. EHC's victory at the PUC in early November established groundwork for those improvements. No, we didn't suggest that t-shirts be a different color, or that they give out lunch-boxes instead of lunch-bags. We said that low-income families benefit more from one-on-one education vs. radio commercials to help save energy. We said that more middle-income families like mine need access to energy upgrade rebates. We said to expand green job training and get people back to work.

Beyond our recent victory, I'd like SDG&E to get out of the way of progress and let localities form their own nonprofit electric cooperatives that offer choices to residents about what kinds of energy solutions they want.

That would be the perfect gift to thank me for energy conservation.

I live in a condo in La Jolla and see solar installations sprinkled around my neighborhood. That's a good thing.

What would be better? If I looked around and saw solar on every rooftop in La Jolla— including my own— and in every neighborhood. That vision is both possible and feasible.

But despite the fact that costs are going down exponentially every year, new data from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) shows that San Diego County is using less than 3% of the solar potential SDG&E estimates is possible.

What's worse is that on my bike ride down the coast to work, I see less and less solar as I glide through Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, and Downtown. And by the time I get to Barrio Logan and then my office in National City, I don't see any solar.

The NREL data shows that my eyes are not deceiving me and the green divide is very much a real thing. Low-income, highly polluted neighborhoods like Barrio Logan, Sherman Heights, and National City have very little solar compared to wealthier neighborhoods like La Jolla and Rancho Bernardo.  In fact, La Jolla has nearly 4 times as many solar installations and over 2 times the solar kilowatts as Barrio Logan, National City, and Sherman Heights COMBINED. Rancho Bernardo has nearly 7 times as many installations and 2.4 times the kW capacity as Barrio Logan, National City, and Sherman Heights combined.

Don't believe me? See for yourself by exploring The Open PV Project website.

We don't need to let our clean air, climate, health, and economy be threatened any longer by existing or new expensive dirty power plants like the ones recently proposed near University City and Mission Trails—which were supported by our own, purportedly "smart" utility, SDG&E.

There is huge untapped potential in San Diego's low-income neighborhoods, especially on commercial rooftops, and there's even still potential for more solar in La Jolla and Rancho Bernardo. We have the technical potential to meet the County's peak energy demand using just rooftop solar, according to study co-authored by SDG&E.

So what are we waiting for, San Diego? It's time for energy independence.

-Kayla Race

IMAGE CAPTION: A visual display of the solar divide: The region's highest-income areas like La Jolla, Rancho Bernardo, and Scripps Ranch, and the City of Del Mar pop out in dark red, indicating the highest numbers of solar installations per capita. Lower-income neighborhoods in the City of San Diego, like Barrio Logan, Sherman Heights, and City Heights, are left in the dust with light yellow indicating their dismal number of solar installation. Click on the image to get a full-sized image.

Our own Nicole Capretz said it well when she tweeted from the state capitol: "Maria Martinez de @EHCSandiego - "Arriba Barrio Logan!" - we want community 2 speak for themselves & she nailed it. So proud pic.twitter.com/5sufcmbN"

In less than 160 characters, Nicole's tweet sums up an inspiring and educational trip for our staff and community members to Sacramento to rally support for AB 1990. This two-day event filled with meetings with decision makers, educational forums and an energetic rally on the capitol steps also brought together environmental justice advocates from across the state. We formally refer to this group as California Environmental Justice Alliance. And together, we made a statement that all communities deserve clean energy and green jobs. This is what we call Solar for All.

Learn more about this historic statewide bill that is heading to the senate for a vote. And enjoy a few photos from our trip to Sacramento.

Tell Port of San Diego to STOP DIESEL DEATHS

The Mitsubishi Cement Corporation (MCC) is proposing to build a mega cement warehouse on the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal in Barrio Logan. If approved by the San Diego Board of Port Commissioners, the MCC warehouse is estimated to increase monthly diesel truck trips by at least 50% adding 2,000 trips and up to as many as 8,700 trips in future years!

Please take action today and tell the Port to protect public health by requiring MCC to use clean electric trucks that reduce diesel air pollution.

Barrio Logan is already at the top 5% for Diesel Particulate Matter (PM), a pollutant that can cause serious health problems such as lung cancer and asthma.

Barrio Logan and National City also have disproportionately high rates of COVID-19 infections – a disease made worse by poor air quality. Our communities don’t need industry and the Port of San Diego to add fuel to the fire, exposing residents to even further risks of health complications.

The Port must reject the MCC mega cement warehouse proposal unless the company complies with a clean electric trucks requirement and other measures that protect portside communities from continued exposures to chronic air pollution.

#stopdieseldeaths

Please sign our petition today!

On Sunday morning July 12, a 3-alarm fire broke out aboard the Navy ship USS Bonhomme Richard docked at Naval Station San Diego, located between Barrio Logan and National City. Environmental Health Coalition (EHC) expresses our heartfelt thoughts and prayers to the Navy personnel who were injured and our gratitude to the firefighters and emergency personnel who responded to the immediate threat.

Unfortunately, the protection of public health in the neighboring communities was not a high priority for officials. National City residents report being overwhelmed by the odors in the early afternoon and throughout the day. Many said that they had to leave their homes because of the fumes and because they didn’t have air conditioning that would have enabled them to stay inside with the windows closed because of the heat.

EHC is deeply concerned and outraged that the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District (APCD) and Health Department were under-prepared to protect public health during a crisis like this. National City Mayor Alejandra Sotelo-Solis’ statement in English and Spanish warning the public and advising them to stay indoors came at 2:30 PM and was the only statement from an official source for hours.

The Navy spokesperson, Rear Admiral Phillip Sobeck’s assertions that the smoke does not contain toxics is preposterous and inaccurate. Smoke inhalation is hazardous to everyone’s health, especially those who have chronic conditions like respiratory illness or heart disease.

EHC calls for the following actions:

• The County should immediately update their guidance on social media to effectively warn the public, and especially those with chronic conditions and provide safety information.
• The County should provide emergency shelter for impacted residents that is cool, smoke-free and COVID-safe
• The APCD should release air monitoring results immediately
• The County should develop an emergency monitoring plan in collaboration with the community to implement as soon as a disaster like this occurs.
• The Navy should release its findings regarding the cause and source of the fire as soon as that information becomes available.

The community deserves to have complete information about the toxins in the fire and how those could harm their health. National City and Barrio Logan are low-income communities of color that already have compromised air quality and are in the top 10% of most polluted neighborhoods in the state. As a result, 3-5 times more children in these communities suffer from asthma and other respiratory illnesses.

Related News Coverage:

• Smoke from burning Navy ship in San Diego triggers health concerns, pollution monitoring (SDUT)
• Combaten incendio en el buque USS Bonhomme Richard por segundo día (Noticiasya)
• Answers on Navy Fire’s Health Impacts Won’t Come Right Away (VOSD)
• Air Quality Concerns Surround USS Bonhomme Richard Fire (KPBS)

Image credit: Port of San Diego Harbor Police via Twitter

Today, the California Air Resources Board chose health!

CARB heard testimony from over 140 people including: residents, advocates, agencies, and industry from up and down California calling for the Advanced Clean Truck Rule to be adopted.

Included below in this post is testimony from EHC in support of this groundbreaking rule as we continue to advance our call for clean air in San Diego!

What was surprising to me personally, is how much others look to our State for leadership, innovation, and guidance in advancing clean vehicle technology and new economies while protecting communities, moving away from fossil fuels causing severe health impacts from structural inequities in communities of color; and reducing greenhouse gasses affecting climate change.

From New York to Washington State support and partnerships continue to grow. We also applaud the AB 617 Portside Steering Committee for providing a statement of support and noting that these measures will assist our local efforts such as trucks serving cargo terminals at the Port of San Diego.

David Flores
Air Quality Campaign Director
Environmental Health Coalition

EHC TESTIMONY AT CARB IN FAVOR OF ACT RULE (06-25-2020)

Good morning, I am David Flores of Environmental Health Coalition.

Like many of the groups and individuals here today, EHC works in EJ communities that rank very high on CalEnviroScreen and suffer the health and safety impacts of disproportionate truck traffic. EHC supports this rule in its current form and we urge adoption.

In addition to the AB 617 Portside communities of Barrio Logan and west National City, the San Diego region also includes the border area, with its heavy burden of truck traffic from both sides of the border.

Aclima air sampling in 2019 found black carbon levels that, at the high end, correspond to a cancer risk level of over 2000 per million in the Otay Mesa area.

More recently Aclima week-to-week average values in the Portside and Border Communities during the COVID Stay at home order form March 20th to April 24th present a reduction in black carbon during the first 5 weeks, however, levels increased the last two weeks back to pre-COVID levels.

This does correspond with our information about diesel sources that impact our communities:

• Port cargo volumes were down only a little, or even up in the case of some imports; the shipyards have continued to operate throughout this period, and there is still truck traffic in the AB 617 Portside community.
• For the Border area in Otay Mesa and San Ysidro: Cross border commercial traffic is considered essential and has been allowed to continue across the border.
• SANDAG statistics for Commercial truck crossings in 2019 through the state’s 3 commercial POEs (Otay Mesa, Tecate & Calexico East) broke a new record last year, processing more than 1.4 million northbound trucks.
• Of that 1.4 Million, approximately 800,000 of those crossings were from the Otay Mesa POE truck crossing. Keep in mind, this does not account for the 2 to 5 hours of idling that these trucks spend cued up at the border waiting to cross.

We are already doing everything we can locally to reduce truck impacts. Working with the City of San Diego, the San Diego Air Pollution Control District, and the Port of San Diego, we are:

• Working with the City to establish and enforce truck routes;
• Working with the Port to educate truck drivers on the new routes;
• Working through AB 617 to incentivize cleaner trucks in our communities and land use strategies to create additional solutions to traffic chokepoints and conflicts; and
• Pursuing an effort of 3 decades to reform the land use plans in these communities to better separate industrial from residential land uses.

However, local efforts cannot compel a faster industrywide shift to electric trucks and away from fossil fuels. We need action at the state level to require zero-emission trucks in California at the earliest possible. CARB should not invest in false solutions such as polluting natural gas trucks, and these should not be considered under ACT and related rules.

EHC supports this rule in its current form and we urge adoption. We want to thank CARB staff for listening to EJ and clean freight advocates and strengthening this rule.

According to the state’s air quality agency, the California Air Resources Board (CARB), some 70% of cancer risks from breathing polluted air in the state are from diesel. In the San Diego region, 90% of diesel emissions are from mobile sources such as heavy-duty trucks. These vehicles are a major source of toxic diesel particulate matter which is linked to cancer, asthma, heart disease, and many other serious health problems.

EJ communities have more diesel in the air and have higher rates of asthma and other conditions linked to diesel exposure. The Barrio Logan and Logan Heights areas rank in the top 5% statewide on the CalenviroScreen diesel indicator.

We need CARB to act now and act strongly. And we need you to send them a strong message.

CARB will vote on a new Advanced Clean Truck (ACT) at their June 25, 2020 meeting. CARB staff is recommending a strong rule that will result in 15% of heavy-duty trucks on the roads by 2033 be zero-emission. EHC and clean freight activists throughout California support these recommendations.

Please urge CARB to adopt the strong ACT rule proposed by staff. There’s two ways you can do this, both remotely:

1. Join the CARB meeting via a webinar
2. Register and call into the meeting

The meeting starts at 9 a.m. on June 25, 2020, and there will be Spanish translation.

For more information on participating, please contact EHC Air Quality Director, David Flores:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; (619) 587-5557 (mobile).

Image credit: Port of San Diego

Austal USA is proposing to build a major ship repair facility in West National City. If approved by the San Diego Board of Port Commissioners, the new shipyard will add a significant new source of air pollution in National City. National City already ranks in the top 95-97 percentiles for diesel particulate matter (PM) in California.

EHC, along with the Ports Tenants Association, Pasha Automotive Services, San Diego Labor Council, and National City residents are demanding the Port of San Diego reject the Austal shipyard proposal and not create more air pollution in our communities.

PLEASE TAKE ACTION TODAY!

At their May 19 meeting (tomorrow), the San Diego Board of Port Commissioners will review the Austal proposal. Here is what you can do to send them a strong message to reject the proposed shipyard:

• Attend the May 19 Board meeting virtually at 1 p.m. – Join the meeting here
• Email a brief letter with your #nonewshipyard demand today to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Call 619-736-2155 and leave a voicemail message with your demand

Please email and/or call today or before 11 AM on Tuesday May 19, 2020 so the Port Commissioners hear your voice.

The proposed Austal shipyard project would adversely affect the health and well-being of one the most impacted environmental justice communities in the San Diego region – and that’s not all!

Besides worsening air quality in National City, Austal’s operations will use toxic materials and generate hazardous wastes threatening the surrounding communities and San Diego Bay. These include toxic, hazardous, and flammable materials such as lead, zinc, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Please email and/or call the San Diego Board of Port Commissioners today and demand:

1. No more air pollution – NO NEW SHIPYARDS
2. Stay the course of reducing emissions!
3. Implement the air quality strategies promised

#nonewshipyard

Image Source: Wikimedia. Public domain photo by Josiah Poppler

Julie Corrales, a poet, community activist, and mother of 2, lives in a historic home in the Barrio Logan community of San Diego. She settled her family in the cute blue house on a street close to Perkins elementary school, a street on which trucks over 5 tons are banned. Julie was startled to be awakened one night by trucks driving down her street and idling in the alley next to her house. Web cameras installed by EHC show trucks passing her home many times a day.

Barrio Logan and West National City are adjacent to Port cargo terminals, freeways, waterfront industry, and a BNSF railyard. Many businesses within these mixed-use communities generate truck traffic in the form of delivery trucks. All these sources of diesel pollution affect air quality and health in these communities.

Both communities also rank high on the CalEnviroScreen overall and for diesel. Barrio Logan, in fact, ranks in the top 5% statewide on the CalEnviroScreen diesel indicator and the asthma indicator as well.

(Heavy-duty truck parked in front of Perkins Elementary School in Barrio Logan)

EHC and our community leaders are doing everything we can locally to reduce truck impacts:

• Working with the City to establish and enforce truck routes
• Working with the Port to educate truck drivers on the new route
• Working through the Portside communities Clean Air Protection Program (AB 617) to incentivize cleaner trucks in our communities
• Pursuing a decades-long effort to reform the land use plans in these communities to better separate industrial from residential land uses

However, local efforts cannot compel a faster industrywide shift to electric trucks and away from diesel. We need action at the state level to require zero- emission trucks in California at the earliest possible date.

We join clean freight activists throughout California in asking the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to adopt an Advanced Clean Truck (ACT) rule that will result in 15% of heavy-duty trucks on the roads by 2030 being zero emission. The currently proposed rule will result in only 4% Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) trucks on the road by 2030. We need a stronger rule now!

We know a faster shift to ZEV is feasible. A large number of the truck traffic going through and around our portside communities consists of trucks visiting the Port’s cargo terminals. A Port estimate from a year ago is that about 28% of the total Port-related truck trips are 50 miles or less. Another large percentage travels routes of less than 200 miles, to the Los Angeles-Long Beach area or up to the San Bernardino area. Electric trucks that can drive these distances already exist, and are being deployed in demonstration projects today. It is important to make sure they are fully commercialized and available to truck fleets to purchase over the next decade.

Cleaner air, faster, will be good for the entire state of California – and for our ailing planet, in desperate need of reduced greenhouse gas assaults. It will be especially beneficial for Julie Corrales, her children, and other residents of communities most impacted by diesel pollution in California.

We call on CARB to adopt a strong ACT rule.

On December 10, 2018, San Diego City Council unanimously passed a resolution prohibiting heavy-duty commercial truck traffic on Barrio Logan residential streets. The resolution resulted in some new signage installations but there has been little enforcement by the San Diego Police Department (SDPD).

Prohibited truck traffic continues unabated on residential streets in Barrio Logan, putting families and residents in harm’s way. On August 9, 2019, a non-compliant heavy-duty truck traveling on Main Street lost control crashing into power lines and fire hydrants.  The truck burst into flames and came to rest just a few feet from a home with children sleeping inside.

As of October 23, 2019, SDPD has only issued 49 citations to non-complaint trucks this year.  EHC and Barrio Logan residents are discouraged and outraged by the lack of truck route enforcement. EHC representatives and residents voiced their concerns and demands at the October 16, 2019 Barrio Logan Planning Group meeting, and again at the October 23, 2019 Public Safety and Livable Neighborhoods Committee meeting. At both meetings, EHC staff shared recent video footage of non-complaint trucks on residential streets and presented specific enforcement actions the SDPD can take. 

EHC has written a formal letter to San Diego City Councilmember Vivian Moreno asking for three specific actions:

• Provide consistent monitoring
• Educate truckers
• Issue citations

Councilmembers Moreno and Montgomery expressed strong concerns at the Council Committee meeting.  CM Moreno asked SDPD to make monthly reports on citations issued to the planning group and to use the locations and times provided by EHC to develop a monitoring program.

 MEDIA COVERAGE

• San Diego Union Tribune
• NoticiasYa San Diego (Spanish)

 WHAT CAN YOU DO?

• Report Violations
• Sign our Petition

Send signed petitions to Jorge Gonzales:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or contact him at (510) 559-0978 for more information.

On August 9, 2019, a heavy-duty diesel truck crashed in Barrio Logan on a block with homes and businesses.

It burst into flames directly in front of a home!

The truck was not following the approved route (see reverse) in violation of the 2018 resolution passed by the San Diego City Council. Violations of the resolution happen every day putting families and children in harms way. These trucks don’t belong on our streets!

READ OUR PRESS RELEASE

DOWNLOAD OUR PETITION

DOWNLOAD INFORMATIONAL HANDOUT

REPORT A VIOLATION

When you see a prohibited truck violating the law, call the SDPD non-emergency line at (619) 531-2000 and provide the following information:

• Date and time of violation
• Location (cross streets or address)
• License plate number and state
• Company name and other details

For more information contact Jorge at (510) 559-0978 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

UPDATE: Join Jorge this week to take action! Click the link below to learn more.

WHERE:
Por Vida Cafe
2146 Logan Ave
San Diego, CA 92113

In December 2018, San Diego City Council adopted an EHC-supported resolution that directs heavy-duty diesel trucks to use Harbor Drive as the designated truck route to avoid passing through Barrio Logan residential areas and accessing the freeways.

Enforcement is the key to ensuring that heavy-duty trucks do not pollute streets where people live, learn and play.

EHC applauds the City of San Diego for posting new truck route signs on Harbor Drive, as well as signs that identify Barrio Logan streets where trucks are now prohibited. We urge the city to continue implementing the resolution with enhanced police enforcement, community input, and a full audit of older, faded truck signs.

The San Diego Police department welcomes community input and feedback on the new truck signs and route enforcement efforts at their monthly meetings:

Central Division Community Meetings

Captains Advisory Board Meetings
Meetings are held at 6PM every 4th Thurday.

2501 Imperial Avenue
San Diego, CA 92102

Wayfinding signs on Harbor Drive and 32nd Street signaling freeway access outside of the core of Barrio Logan

 Wayfinding signs on Harbor Drive along the truck route. These signs are larger and easily visible by truck operators.

Wayfinding sign on Cesar Chavez and Harbor Drive signaling the truck route for trucks leaving the Port of San Diego.