Sierra Club wins legal victory for clean air in Moreno Valley
Sierra Club, Department of Interior and Community Leaders Gather to Discuss proposed Chuckwalla National Monument
Clean Transportation for All News - Cleaning up Rail Emissions
Plug Into These June Events!
Sierra Club wins legal victory for clean air in Moreno Valley
The City’s flawed environmental study must be redone, court rules
Moreno Valley, Calif. — A Riverside County Superior Court judge sided with Sierra Club and the California Attorney General’s Office on Monday by ruling that the City of Moreno Valley violated environmental law when it approved its “MoVal 2040” General Plan. Members of the Moreno Valley Group of the Sierra Club provided written comments as well as attended public virtual hearings during the height of COVID. It was with those comments that our attorneys were able to point out several problems with what the City approved.
The plan called for significant growth in industrial, commercial, and residential development through 2040. Because it lacked meaningful mitigation to reduce harmful impacts from that growth - including placing industrial development adjacent to residents’ homes - we looked into the possibility of litigation before final approval.
Attorney Abby Smith submitted comments to the city council on our behalf and those letters also provided many of the points on which we would later win. When we were ready to file our lawsuit we reached out to attorneys form Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger; they have a strong team and are experienced in such litigation. Their expertise and positive feedback kept us moving forward through almost three years of litigation. The State Attorney General joining our litigation also validated that we were on the right track.
The court found multiple deficiencies in the City's Environmental Impact Report (EIR) regarding the project's effects on air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, energy use and public health impacts on vulnerable residents. The Court also rejected the City’s Climate Action Plan, which can no longer be used to streamline future projects’ greenhouse gas impacts analysis.
“Moreno Valley's residents deserve transparency about the real environmental impacts of the City's growth plans,” said George Hague, Conservation Chair of the Moreno Valley Group of the Sierra Club. "This is a huge win. The City now must go back and conduct a legitimate review of this project's pollution and health hazards before moving forward."
The main deficiencies cited by the court include:
· Failure to properly measure air quality impacts against existing conditions
· Lack of analysis of the project's effects on vulnerable populations like children and seniors
· Insufficient evidence to dismiss the plan's significant increases in greenhouse gas emissions
· Inadequate mitigation measures to address environmental harm
· Failure to properly analyze and mitigate the project’s wasteful energy use
The Sierra Club originally filed suit in July 2021, alleging the City rushed to approve the MoVal 2040 plan and its environmental review without adequately addressing public concerns over air pollution, harmful emissions from industrial projects and other environmental impacts to residential neighborhoods like the City’s Edgemont community.
The court ordered the city to set aside all project approvals related to the MoVal 2040 plan until it corrects the deficiencies identified in the ruling.
"We welcome working with the city to get this right," George Hague said. "The goal is a General Plan for Moreno Valley's future that grows the economy while protecting residents' health and natural resources."
Having the support of our Moreno Valley Group as well as our San Gorgonio Chapter shows that by working together, we can make a difference.
Sierra Club, Department of Interior and Community Leaders Gather to Discuss proposed Chuckwalla National Monument
Discussions also focused on efforts to expand Joshua Tree National Park
Sander Kushen, California Press Secretary
JOSHUA TREE, Calif. -- On Saturday, the Sierra Club and local leaders joined United States Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland to discuss the effort to establish the proposed Chuckwalla National Monument and expand Joshua Tree National Park.
The new National Monument would protect about 627,000 acres of the California Desert south of Joshua Tree National Park, reaching west from the Coachella Valley region to the east near the Colorado River. The effort would also expand Joshua Tree National Park to preserve about 17,000 acres of public lands in the eastern portion of the park.
Over 140,000 individual supporters across the country, seven local cities, five Chambers of Commerce and more than 100 local businesses have joined the call for the creation of the Chuckwalla National Monument. Advocates will continue to call on President Biden to use the Antiquities Act to officially designate the Monument by the end of this year.
In response, Moises Cisneros, Sierra Club’s California Deserts Senior Organizer, released the following statement:
“After more than five years of building community and political support for this effort, we are now closer than ever to protecting this culturally and environmentally important part of the California desert. Chuckwalla’s designation would protect fragile ecosystems, honor Tribal and cultural legacies on the land and expand access to nature for Southern California communities. The designation would be a boon for both residents and businesses—helping increase quality of life for nearby communities while also adding recreational opportunities that make local cities more attractive for businesses and investment.
“We thank the US Department of Interior and Secretary Haaland for engaging in this important conversation around protecting California’s deserts for generations to come.”
Clean Transportation for All News - Cleaning up Rail Emissions
As part of the Sierra Club's Clean Transportation Campaign, we are working tirelessly to address the pressing issues of transportation, air quality, and climate crisis in the Southern California region. Our efforts are focused on promoting clean transportation solutions, reducing air pollution, and mitigating the impacts of climate change.
According to the American Lung Association, Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties are among the most port-impacted communities in the country, with high levels of air pollution from cargo ships and trucks. This toxic air pollution has devastating consequences for public health, particularly for vulnerable populations such as children, seniors, and those with pre-existing medical conditions.
We are planning a community-led workshop on the Rail Yard Indirect Source Rule (ISR) Proposed Rule 2306. The proposed rule will impact our community's air quality. The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) Board is scheduled to vote on the ISR August 2, 2024, and it's crucial that we have a strong public input process. We want to make sure that our community members have a voice in the process especially since SCAQMD staff canceled all of the planned in-person meetings.
This community-led workshop will provide more information about the proposed rule and its impact on our local air quality, as well as how we can advocate for a stronger final draft that prioritizes public health and environmental justice. We will take positive actions at this workshop to raise awareness in our communities.
Sign up here for updates on time and date for this workshop.
Summer is almost here and we are kicking it off with our June 4 social event at the San Bernardino County Museum. Keep an eye on our calendar for more events, outings and our Political Training Day on July 20. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for up to date info, and don’t miss these June highlighted events:
Movies, Popcorn and Ice Cream Social
Tuesday 6/4 7:00 PM San Bernardino County Museum
Join us at the Fisk Gallery and patio for our June meeting. Come and hear about what we are working on, how you can get involved, and for a fun evening!
We will have a short meeting, then social time to enjoy outdoors time on the patio, or catch a short movie or two about Mother Earth
RSVP and more info HERE
Trail Talk Series June Episode - "Road Tripping Across America "
Wednesday June 19, 7:00 pm on zoom
Our own Juliann Anderson, Chapter Outings Co-chair, will take us along with her spouse Maggie Hawkins and adorable dog Max from California to Connecticut, through state parks, national parks, national historic parks, and many more iconic spots across the country.
RSVP and more info HERE
Featured Outing: Oak Glen Preserve Hike
Wed, June 5 9:00 Pm at Oak Glen (easy)
Head up to the cool mountains in Oak Glen for this easy 2-3 mile hike in the Oak Glen Preserve, among the ponds, boardwalk and forest.
RSVP and more info HERE
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