Policy

June 3, 2026

Controversial Bloomington Warehouse Projects goes before the San Bernardino Court over Discriminatory Housing Claims

SAN BERNARDINO, CA — Community advocates and residents will gather at the San Bernardino Justice Center as the controversial Bloomington Business Park warehouse project returns to court over claims that the development violates fair housing and civil rights protections. The press conference will take place on Friday, June 5, 2026 from 9:00 to 9:45 AM on the courthouse steps of the Superior Court of California, County of San Bernardino, located at 247 W. Third Street in San Bernardino.

Speaking at the event will be Tania Gonzalez of The People’s Collective for Environmental Justice, along with former Bloomington residents Felipe Ortiz and Fatima Ortiz, and current resident Xochitl Pedraza. A speaker will also present findings from the recent Region in Crisis report, which documents the widespread impacts of warehouse expansion across the Inland Empire.

The June 5 hearing marks a significant moment in the ongoing fight over the Bloomington Business Park project, one of the most contentious warehouse developments in the region. The lawsuit argues that approving a project that would demolish more than 100 homes in a predominantly Latino, working‑class community while increasing pollution and displacement raises serious civil rights and housing justice concerns. The court has already ruled that San Bernardino County violated the California Environmental Quality Act and ordered the County to redo its environmental review. Advocates are now asking the court to determine whether the County also failed to meet its legal obligation to affirmatively further fair housing, a decision that could set an important precedent for how local governments balance economic development with fair housing and environmental justice protections.

At the center of the case is whether communities like Bloomington can be protected from projects that eliminate affordable housing, deepen segregation, and concentrate environmental harms in neighborhoods that have long borne the burdens of industrial development. The situation reflects a broader regional crisis. Across the Inland Empire, warehouse expansion continues to replace housing, increase truck traffic, and intensify pollution in low‑income communities of color, even as the region faces a severe housing shortage and growing public health concerns. As outlined in the Region in Crisis report, Bloomington is not an isolated example but part of a larger pattern of industrial growth that prioritizes warehousing over housing, health, and community well‑being.

November 6, 2025

Protect Our Communities from Port Pollution

Join us at AQMD to demand accountability from the Ports of LA & LB and protect our region from freight-related emissions.

Even miles from the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, our communities bear the burden of their pollution. One-third of all containers arriving at the Ports travel through our neighborhoods by train. The rest? They’re hauled in by trucks heading to warehouses built dangerously close to our homes, schools, and parks.

The Ports grew because our region built the infrastructure to support them. Now they want to double in size, without a clear plan to address the toxic emissions that expansion will bring.

📣 This Friday at 9 AM, join us at AQMD to stand with neighboring communities and demand clean air, environmental justice, and real accountability from Port polluters. Our voices matter. Let’s make them heard.

To get involved locally at the ports, reach out to our friends at East Yard Communities for EJ.

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AQMD Monthly meeting of the Governing Board.

11/07/2025 AT 9:00 AM

In-Person at: Dr. William A. Burke Auditorium
South Coast AQMD Headquarters
21865 Copley Drive, Diamond Bar

Or Remotely via Zoom Webinar Link: https://aqmd.zoomgov.com/j/1600528849
Zoom Webinar ID: 160 052 8849
Monthly meeting of the Governing Board.

October 14, 2025

SB 34 Veto Preserves Local Power to Protect Clean Air

SAN BERNARDINO, CA – Environmental justice organizations across California raised concerns about Senate Bill 34 and its potential to limit the authority of local air districts to regulate pollution from freight hubs, ports, and warehouses. Today, we share an important update: SB 34 has been vetoed.

This decision helps preserve the ability of agencies like the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) to enforce community-driven Indirect Source Rules (ISRs), which have led to cleaner air and healthier neighborhoods across our region.

“The veto of SB 34 helps preserve the authority of our local air district to regulate the goods movement industry,” said Andrea Viduarre, Policy Analyst and Advocate, People’s Collective for Environmental Justice (PC4EJ). “In a time when communities are increasingly concerned about air quality and environmental health, it’s vital that local agencies retain the ability to protect public health. We’re grateful to the many residents and organizations who raised their voices on this issue. We hope this moment encourages AQMD to continue exercising its regulatory power in service of clean air. We will also continue to highlight concerns that electrification should not lead to increased automation at the expense of port workers.”

PC4EJ remains committed to educating communities about the policies that shape our environment and health. We encourage residents to stay informed, attend public meetings, and continue advocating for clean air solutions that reflect local needs.

Clean air isn’t a luxury. It’s a necessity.

For more background on SB 34 and its implications, read our original post: When Cleaner Air Gets Blocked, Communities Pay the Price.