EPA approves South Coast Air Quality rule to cut So. CA pollution

By SDCN Editor

San Francisco, CA–The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved a rule adopted by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) that protects communities from air pollution generated by warehouse operations, including freight vehicle trips to and from warehouses.

“South Coast’s rule, which we have now made federally enforceable, protects overburdened communities from the harmful effects of indirect sources of air pollution,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “These indirect sources, such as warehouses, ports, and rail yards, all contribute to pollution and therefore must be addressed so our communities can breathe cleaner air.”

“EPA’s approval of our Warehouse Indirect Source Rule ensures that we will continue to make progress on improving air quality in the South Coast air basin,” said South Coast AQMD Executive Officer Wayne Nastri. “This is especially important for communities surrounding warehouses, which more often are impacted by greater environmental burdens as well as higher rates of asthma.”

Pollution from indirect sources – ports, warehouses, railyards, and airports – contributes to poor air quality in the greater Los Angeles region. The South Coast AQMD Warehouse Indirect Source Review (ISR) Rule is part of a larger multi-pronged strategy to reduce emissions associated with indirect sources and improve public health.

The Warehouse ISR Rule 2305, adopted by the air district in 2021, reduces harmful air pollutants – including nitrogen oxides and particulate matter – associated with warehouse operations, such as trips taken by trucks that deliver goods to and from the facilities, yard trucks, and transport refrigeration units.

ISR Rule 2305 creates a point system known as Warehouse Actions and Investments to Reduce Emissions (WAIRE). The rule allows warehouses to earn WAIRE points by completing actions such as investing in zero-emission and near-zero emission technologies, using solar power, installing onsite zero-emission charging or fueling infrastructure, or installing filtration systems in qualified buildings such as schools. Other options to earn WAIRE points include developing a custom WAIRE plan or paying mitigation fees. By 2025, warehouses greater than or equal to 100,000 square feet of indoor floor space in a single building will be subject to the rule.

In addition to this ISR rule from the local air district, EPA’s national-level actions to tighten engine emission standards for new vehicles, including heavy-duty trucks, will improve Southern California’s air quality. These regulatory actions to bring cleaner air are complemented by unprecedented federal funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, which together are making historic investments to move the country towards a zero-emission economy, tackling climate change and creating a more equitable future. In June 2024, EPA awarded AQMD nearly half a billion dollars to cut transportation and goods movement-related climate pollution in southern California.

EPA’s approval of the Warehouse ISR Rule 2305 reflects EPA’s commitment to environmental justice and civil rights — to make progress in historically overburdened and underserved communities, ensuring fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income in developing and implementing environmental laws, regulations, and policies.

View the Final Rule on the Federal Register.