San Bernardino council approves on-site crushing option for Oxbow debris over residents' objections

The San Bernardino City Council voted 5-1 to rescind Resolution 2020-265 and approve the city staff-recommended plan allowing on-site crushing and remediation of the concrete rubble at 6920 Palm Avenue, known as the Oxbow site.

The decision follows a staff presentation of a consultant study and three rounds of laboratory testing. Staff and the consultant said on-site crushing (alternative 3 in the consultant report) would generate fewer truck trips through residential neighborhoods, reduce total vehicle miles, and — with prescribed dust controls and AQMD oversight — present the least overall environmental impact of the options analyzed.

The council discussion and public comments showed deep disagreement. Dozens of residents and nearby homeowners described years of illness and nuisance from the pile and asked the council to require removal and off-site disposal rather than crushing on-site. Several speakers said the city previously obtained an abatement warrant and that earlier acts created a public-health risk. “This says that the unlawful conditions … pose a significant risk to the life, health, and safety of the residential community within a thousand feet,” a resident told the council, quoting court filings…