US communities fight back against encroaching warehouses of e-commerce

During the pandemic, warehouse construction boomed.

The 'Indirect Source Rules' are gaining renewed interest

Local pollution can be addressed by ISRs

By Carey L. Biron

She said that since the pandemic everyone has started to order more, referring the boom in online retail. "We started seeing more trucks arrive and these warehouses start to rise."

Jenkins stated that there are now half a dozen e-commerce stores in the densely-populated neighborhoods of Red Hook, including across the street from schools and parks.

"These warehouses were built without consultation with residents" "They just appeared overnight", said Jenkins, the communications manager of Red Hook Initiative, an?local?nonprofit.

Amazon's spokesperson revealed that the company is working on a plan to introduce 100,000 electric delivery vehicles over a period of time. In 2024, they will begin testing a brand new model of ebikes in Brooklyn.

FedEx and UPS, two major transport companies, did not respond when asked for comments.

Other cities are also seeing similar trends as the companies delivering goods that people increasingly purchase online move their hubs nearer to or in the middle of populated areas.

This has led officials in New York City and State, as well as many other states, look at an obscure regulatory mechanism called an "indirect-source rule" to address residents' concerns, especially about pollution.

Sam Becker, project manager at Environmental Defense Fund, a research group and advocacy group, said that such rules or ISRs have only been used in a few cases, but they are a powerful way to address very localized “pollution hotspots”.

This is especially important as President Donald Trump's government weakens environmental regulations to combat pollution in low-income communities and reduces clean vehicle standards.

Becker explained that the system allows for local air pollution reductions to be achieved by facilities like warehouses which generate large volumes of traffic.

CALIFORNIA ROOTS

A report by the Environmental Defense Fund last year found that revenue from ecommerce in the United States has roughly doubled over the past half-decade.

It was estimated that in a sample of 10 states, 15?million residents now live within half a mile of a large storage facility, and minority communities bear the brunt for public health risks such as increased air pollution.

The report revealed that in New York, new ecommerce warehouses are responsible for around 260,000 diesel trucks trips per day.

Local policymakers are unable to address the growing concerns of residents.

The law does not provide many ways to deal with pollution that is indirectly related, such as the delivery trucks.

Ports, rail hubs and airports have all been the subject of similar concerns.

In Los Angeles, an ISR aimed at reducing?air pollution by 15% was launched in 2021.

Now, it is the basis of new or revised regulations in New York, New Jersey and other states, including California, Illinois, New York, and others.

Brennon Mendez is an environmental law fellow and professor at UCLA School of Law. He says that ISRs have been available for a while, but are still underutilized in many air districts throughout California.

He said that regulators were fighting air pollution with "one hand tied behind theirback" because of what he called the "pollution-magnets", like long lines for large trucks parked at ports.

He said that many people were looking at what they could do on a state and local basis to promote environmental causes, despite the federal government’s anti-environment agenda.

"So, it's very important to convey that the current state of law is on the side ISRs."

California truckers are pushing back against the new rules. They warn of high costs for compliance and point out that warehouses have already reduced emissions.

In November, the regulators approved a deal with two major Californian cities for them to develop plans of zero-emission infrastructure in their facilities.

These rules also guide new investments in cleaner cars.

Sam Wilson, senior analyst at the Union of Concerned Scientists, stated that between 2021 and 2023, the warehouses affected by the new rule will see their use of solar power grow from 3 gigawatts to 85 gigawatts.

He said that as the Trump administration ends its electric vehicle programs, ISRs are a great way to continue decarbonizing the nation's transportation network. The country is still heavily reliant on trucks.

"It is the seed that is planted which can influence wider electricification."

NEW YORK'S NEXT WAVE

New York, inspired by communities like Red Hook, is now leading the way in possible ISR expansions. Proposals are being discussed both at city and state levels.

In an email, Marcela Mitaynes of the New York State Assembly said that "the Trump Administration made it a top priority to cut key environmental protections with a special eye on weakening?standards for vehicles emissions".

She wrote: "These standards are weakening at a time we see an explosion in the number of last-mile storage facilities in New York City, putting the health and safety of all New Yorkers in danger."

She said that nearly two-fifths of New York City residents live within half a mile of a warehouse. A disproportionately large number of them are low-income and Black or Hispanic.

Mitaynes sponsors the Clean Deliveries Act of the state, which requires warehouse operators to reduce associated air pollution.

Local warehouse zoning laws date back to the 1960s when policymakers were more concerned with bakeries and a few trucks that came each day. Kevin Garcia, senior transportation planner at NYC Environmental Justice Alliance (a nonprofit), said this.

This meant that developers could build new ecommerce warehouses without many reviews during the pandemic.

Garcia stated that "communities were only just beginning to notice these new warehouses."

Mitaynes, Garcia and others began a campaign in October to increase public support for the Clean Deliveries Act.

(source: Reuters)