Airport South Industrial Project: The position of ECOS, July 31, 2024

On July 31, 2024, ECOS submitted a letter to Sacramento-area Elected Officials, Executive and Planning Staff regarding our position on the proposed Airport South Industrial Project for the parcel south of I-5 in Natomas Basin.

Below is an excerpt.

This project would require annexation of farmland into the City and construction of all infrastructure. It will cause great harm to the integrity of the Natomas Basin Habitat Conservation Plan, existing preserves, wildlife, and to the Natomas community and school children. It should not be approved.

Click here to read the letter in full.

Review by experts of the Airport South Industrial Project

Sierra Club, Friends of the Swainson’s Hawk and ECOS submitted expert opinions to the City of Sacramento and LAFCo on the draft Environmental Impact Report for the Airport South Industrial Project. The legal opinions are those of Patrick Soluri, Soluri Meserve, a Law Corporation, expert comments on transportation issues prepared by Daniel Smith (Exhibit 1) and expert comments on biological resource issues prepared by Shawn Smallwood, PhD (Exhibit 2).

Click here to view the letter in full.

ECOS Letter to LAFCo re Airport South Industrial Project, Jun 10, 2024

On June 10, 2024, ECOS submitted a letter to Sacramento Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) regarding the proposed Airport South Industrial Project. Below is an excerpt.

Thank you for the opportunity to share our concerns with you about the proposal for the Airport South Industrial Project (ASIP). We will submit our comments on the Draft EIR for ASIP soon, but at this time we would like to state our opposition to the ASIP, the proposed related expansion of the City’s Sphere of Influence and annexation.

Click here to read the letter in full.

Community Air Monitoring Programs – Coordination Discussion 6/13

In-person: Valley Vision, 3400 3rd Avenue, Sacramento (snacks/drinks!)
or Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83350840698?pwd=ikvVdNIbfvLdB229bbdWEXSyN33ebQ.1
Meeting ID: 833 5084 0698; Passcode: 142040

Three air monitoring programs are underway in the Sacramento area, focused on underserved communities. They are intended to inform residents about their likely sources of unhealthy air, and help come up with viable solutions.

We will hear from those involved with these studies:

Valley Vision: Sacramento Neighborhoods Activating on Air Quality
Focus: Old North Sacramento/Norwood and Oak Park/Fruitridge
Sacramento Metro Air Quality Management District (SMAQMD): Community Air Monitoring Plan
Focus: South Sacramento, Florin/Route 99
Breathe California-Sacramento Region & CSUS: Sacramento County Vehicle Emission Project
Focus: Health impacts of near-roadway pollution

Also, SMAQMD Transportation & Climate Division Director Jaime Lemus will discuss federal funding for:

Community Pollution Reduction Grants for the seven-county Sacramento region
(funded by the Inflation Reduction Act through US EPA)
A Climate Resilient Capital Region – involving SACOG, SMAQMD, SMUD, SAFCA, SacRT, PCWA (Placer County Water Agency), RWA (Regional Water Authority)
– a multi-benefit approach to resiliency through coordinated action and collective investment

Updates:

Caltrans’ plan to add lanes to I-80 in Yolo County
Status of Climate Action Plans, & Sacramento County’s Climate Emergency Mobilization Task Force
ECOS’ work with SacRT to highlight the benefits of public transit
Others …

Click here to view the agenda.

CA Air Resources Board 2022 Scoping Plan Update

The 2022 Scoping Plan Update assesses progress toward the statutory 2030 target, while laying out a path to achieving carbon neutrality no later than 2045. The 2022 Scoping Plan Update focuses on outcomes needed to achieve carbon neutrality by assessing paths for clean technology, energy deployment, natural and working lands, and others, and is designed to meet the State’s long-term climate objectives and support a range of economic, environmental, energy security, environmental justice, and public health priorities.

Click here to learn more.

Sacramento among California cities with filthiest air in the US, new study says. What to know

By Brianna Taylor | April 22, 2022 | The Sacramento Bee

Sacramento has some of the filthiest air, according to a new air quality study. The American Lung Association’s “State of the Air 2022” is based on the data of air quality throughout the United States, obtained from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality System. The study focuses on the years 2018 to 2020. According to the 155-page air quality report, the area ranked No. 7 out “25 Cites Most Polluted by Daily Particulate Matter.” The 11 other state cities ranked include: Fresno, No. 1, Bakersfield, No. 2, San Jose, No. 4, Redding, No. 5, Chico, No. 6, Los Angeles, No. 8, Visalia, No. 9, San Diego, No. 13, Salinas, No. 14 and San Luis Obispo, No. 22.

We suggest you also read a letter to The Sacramento Bee written by 2021 Environmentalist of the Year Anne Stausbol, written in response to this article.

Kudos to The Bee for bringing attention to Sacramento’s ranking, once again, as one of the country’s regions with the worst air pollution. The American Lung Association report also shows that we rank ninth worst for ozone pollution. Both particulate and ozone pollution have serious health impacts, especially for vulnerable populations. The report tells us the first thing local governments must do is adopt a climate action plan that supports walking, biking, transit and zero-emission-vehicle infrastructure, with supportive building and parking policies. The Mayors’ Commission on Climate Change made this exact recommendation to the City Council in June 2020. Yet almost two years later, the city has not produced its climate action plan. How can our leaders allow Sacramento to remain on this list year after year? The city must act now to address this public health crisis by enacting a plan that embraces and funds our recommendations.
– Anne Stausboll, Sacramento

A deep dive on the health impacts of air pollution

This blog takes a deep dive into the vast array of impacts that air pollution has on human health, exploring how poor air quality affects nearly every area of the human body — from head to toe. Research shows that air pollution is a major environmental risk factor for a slew of diseases, from Alzheimer’s disease to lung cancer to osteoporosis, and can significantly lower lifespan and quality of life. Air pollution accounts for extensive damages to public health, as well as vast economic losses due to healthcare costs and lost school and workdays. While air pollution exposure can impact everyone, its damage is not distributed equally. Children, elderly individuals, those with pre-existing conditions, and those living in low socioeconomic neighborhoods or environmental justice communities bear a disproportionate burden of its impacts — emphasizing the need to protect vulnerable populations by taking better care of our air quality.

Click here to view the article.