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Residents urge City Council to review APCD representation after vote to pause indirect source rule
Summary
Residents and advocates told the National City Council they feel underrepresented at the regional Air Pollution Control District after a 5–4 APCD vote paused work on an indirect source rule for warehouse truck emissions; speakers urged the council to seek better local representation and more immediate protections such as air filters and monitoring.
Residents pressed the National City City Council on June 2 to review the city’s representation at the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District after a narrowly decided May 14 board vote paused drafting an indirect source rule for warehouse truck emissions.
"When a solution exists and the community has spoken, our representatives have a responsibility to act in support of this and us," said Cynthia Fuller Quinones, a National City resident, describing health impacts from diesel pollution including COPD and chronic asthma and saying public testimony at the APCD meeting favored moving forward. Quinones attributed the tie‑breaking fifth vote to Council Member Bush and said a 5–4 decision halted progress.
Ted Gottschalk, a longtime community speaker, said the council had made promises that were not kept and urged specific steps: send a letter thanking Supervisor Paloma Aguirre for supporting South Bay communities and ask her to seek replacement of the APCD board member who he said voted against advancing the rule.
Council Member Bush responded during the regional boards and committee reports, saying the APCD staff had recommended a pause after four years of study because staff concluded the indirect source rule would produce limited emission reductions, posed legal risk and would be costly to implement. Bush told the council that APCD staff recommended incentives and short‑term actions — including those in the existing PAIR program and expanded air filter distribution — while acknowledging the community’s need for faster relief.
"It was a difficult decision and tough for all of us," Bush said, adding staff analysis projected modest public‑health gains from the ISR as written and warning about legal vulnerability. He said he remains open to revisiting the approach and suggested bringing APCD staff to a future council meeting for further discussion.
Several speakers told the council the pause had real consequences for National City neighborhoods, and asked the council to press regional authorities for a more protective approach. The council did not take a formal vote on APCD representation during the meeting; Bush said he would support continued discussion and immediate actions focused on air filters and monitoring while leaving the longer rulemaking question open.
Next steps: Councilmembers suggested follow‑up briefings and possible invitations to APCD staff or supervisors to present their analysis in the council chamber.
