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West Side residents urge council to deny USDG fuel depot over pollution and health risks
Summary
Multiple residents and health advocates told the National City City Council they oppose a proposed USDG diesel fuel transfer station, citing proximity to Kimball Elementary, 24/7 truck traffic, and high local asthma rates; they urged the council to deny permits and consider cumulative air‑quality impacts identified in the city's MND.
Speakers at Monday’s National City council meeting urged elected officials to reject a planned USDG diesel transfer station they said would worsen air pollution near a heavily overburdened West Side neighborhood.
Residents and public‑health advocates said the proposed depot — which speakers said would operate 24 hours a day and route hundreds of diesel trucks through National City — is too close to Kimball Elementary and to neighborhood housing. Bradley Bang, a resident and member of the East County Health coalition, said the depot would be “less than half a mile from Kimball Elementary” and could bring as many as 250 diesel trucks a day, increasing “small particle pollution, which is now considered one of the most dangerous types of pollution to our health.”
The comments came during the public‑comment period and were echoed by environmental‑justice groups and members of AB617, who said the state and county had already raised concerns about the project in the city’s Mitigated Negative Declaration. One speaker who identified herself as a member of the AB617 committee said the depot would be “really harmful to the community in Old Town,” pointing to existing high asthma rates and the proximity of a school and church.
Why it matters: Public commenters framed the issue as cumulative‑impact environmental justice. Several speakers said National City’s West Side already experiences higher rates of asthma, poverty and unemployment, and that adding a high‑volume diesel transfer facility would compound respiratory risks for children and seniors in the area.
What council heard: Several residents described direct impacts on children and schools. Bradley Bang recounted seeing diesel trucks idling near a school and said “if you’ve suffered from asthma, you would never forget the feeling of panic when you can’t catch your breath.” Another caller said many community members decline services despite homelessness support programs and that stricter regulation of traffickers is needed to address related public‑health harms.
City staff context: A community speaker noted that National City’s environmental‑review document (MND) flagged increased exposure risks and said state and county agencies had expressed “significant concerns” about the depot. Council members and staff did not vote on the permit during this meeting; public commenters repeatedly asked the council to deny any permit that would allow round‑the‑clock diesel operations near schools and residences.
Next steps: The council did not take a final vote on any permit at Monday’s meeting. Several speakers urged officials to consider the MND’s cumulative‑impact findings and county and state concerns before a future agenda item on the project. Residents asked the council to pause any permitting process and to prioritize public‑health protection for the West Side.
The public comment portion closed and the council proceeded to its consent calendar and other agenda items; the USDG depot remains a potential future agenda topic pending staff reports and formal permit actions.
