SACRAMENTO—Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-Highland) today announced he is strengthening health and clean air protections in his bill, AB 1748, regarding siting of local warehouses as early as this week.
The amended version of the legislation will be heard in the 2024 legislative session in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. A date has not yet been determined for the hearing.
Ramos said, “After hosting a roundtable in October with various stakeholders, we worked to align the bill with the 2023 Advanced Clean Fleets regulation and the South Coast Air Quality Management District's Warehouse Indirect Source Rule. Both standards contribute toward a transition to zero-emission vehicles and reducing emissions caused by the movement of goods. It is crucial that we work toward a compromise in the Inland Empire to ensure we protect local jobs and address environmental concerns – especially after learning today of an active effort by Amazon to halt a balanced approach to this issue.”
Key amendments to the bill address environmental concerns by doing the following:
- Adding a zero emission equipment requirement
- Adding air quality standards for construction equipment
- Encouraging local agencies to ensure truck routes are planned away from sensitive receptors
- Complying with Warehouse Actions and Investments to Reduce Emissions Points under the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s Rule 2305 during operation
- Limiting idling during construction for heavy construction equipment
- Decreasing idling with cold storage electric requirements to use plug ins at loading docks
- Complying with the 2023 Advanced Clean Fleets regulation part of CARB’s strategy to transition to zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.
- Approving Development or Expansion on Existing Property on existing industrial-zoned property contingent on compliance with a local agency’s good neighbor policy
- Delaying implementation to ensure time to comply with the measures in the bill and
- Terminating the bill in 2030 in anticipation of updates to CARB’s Air Quality and Land Use Handbook to ensure new data to regulate warehouse placements and other requirements.
AB 1748 is sponsored by the California State Council of Laborers and the Inland Empire Economic Partnership. It is also supported by San Bernardino County, Southern California District Council of Laborers, Southwest Mountain States Regional Council of Carpenters, Operating Engineers, City of Fontana, Building Industry Association of Southern California, Associated General Contractors of California, Associated General Contractors of America – San Diego Chapter, Engineering Contractors’ Association, Southern California Contractors Association, United Contractors and the District Council of Iron Workers for the State of California and Vicinity.
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Assemblymember James C. Ramos proudly represents the 45th Assembly district which includes the Cities of Fontana, Highland, Mentone, Redlands, Rialto and San Bernardino. He is the first and only California Native American serving in the state’s legislature. Ramos chairs the Assembly Budget Subcommittee #6 on Public Safety.