March 25, 2025
City Council Meeting
Written Public Comments
General Public
Comments
Jennifer Connally
From: Janice Brownfield <
Sent: Monday, March 24, 2025 5:03 PM
To: City Council Public Comment
Subject: Public Comment Non-Agenda Item
Even before a big rig truck terminal, soon expected to open with 176 truck trips a day, was approved by the City Council, Orange was identified as part of a Consistently Nominated Community by the California Air Resources Board for having "higher rates of asthma-related emergency room visits than the state average." Big rig trucks primarily emit carbon dioxide, and also methane and nitrous oxide, and unless they are electric, with zero emissions, will pollute the air, including that of residents of Valencia Garden Apartments, affordable housing previously approved by the City across from the terminal on West Struck Avenue. As measured by CARB, the air pollution from diesel truck emissions increases asthma attacks, upper- and lower-respiratory disorders, acute bronchitis, lost workdays and deaths. Studies of electric trucks show the potential to measurably reduce those harmful health effects.
The truck terminal approved two years ago is now being advertised by Prologis Orange Industrial Center for lease and includes 84 delivery dock doors, 188 parking stalls for truck trailers, 52,000 square feet of warehouse space, 5 ,400 square feet of maintenance building, and 5,000 square feet of office space. After its less thorough Mitigated Negative Declaration of the terminal's projected impact on the environment raised air quality, noise and traffic concerns, Prologis satisfied the council with plans for a large landscaped park and more trees.
Even with such improvements, it is difficult to imagine residents and workers near and far not suffering from the truck terminal's activities. However, as pointed out in an air quality feedback project being conducted by Cool OC in partnership with CARB and Aclima, areas (such as a truck terminal) which could seem to be major sources of air pollution may not be, while mobile air monitoring may show less-suspecting areas to be more harmful. Orange is one of the project' s four target cities, along with Buena Park, Fullerton and Anaheim, identified as priority communities due to persistent air quality concerns. The other such community listed in Orange County is Santa Ana. Long before the project began, Buena Park and Fullerton took action to help create a healthier environment by joining the Orange County Power Authority.