Rep. Takano Celebrates EPA’s Approval to Crack Down on Warehouse Polluters

RIVERSIDE, CA - The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently approved a rule submitted by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) to cut pollutants associated with goods movement in Southern California.

South Coast AQMD's Warehouse Actions and Investments to Reduce Emissions (WAIRE) requires warehouses in Southern California to offset their emissions through reduction measures, including through the purchase and use of zero-emission vehicles, installation and use of vehicle charging stations, installation and use of onsite solar panels, and more.

Unfortunately, thousands of warehouses in the Inland Empire have skirted these requirements while continuing to spew pollutants and dodge their environmental responsibility to the communities they are in.

The EPA's approval allows for this offset program to be federally enforceable to crack down on noncompliance, improving air quality while allowing the logistics sector to participate in the clean energy transition.

"Solving the climate crisis takes all of us to do our part," said Representative Takano. "Warehouses in the Inland Empire contribute a sizeable part to our poor air quality through goods movement and emissions. Businesses dodging their responsibility to their community should be discouraged in the strongest way possible, this new ruling from the EPA is the first step in ensuring the burden of the clean energy transition and remedying our air quality is shared equitably."

Last year, Rep. Takano sent a letter to EPA Administrator Michael Reagan to urge approval of this rule.