WHO ARE WE?
San Bernardino Airport Communities is a coalition of local residents and community organizations coming together to support healthy economic development in our region. Through our unity, we are fighting to provide community-led solutions to our region’s economic and environmental problems.
In addition to the hundreds of local residents who have joined the cause for a Community Benefits Agreements, SB Airport Communities is made up of the following community organizations:
Inland Congregations United for Change
People’s Collective for Environmental Justice
Sierra Club - My Generation Campaign
Our History
AMAZON AIR HUB - THE EASTGATE PROJECT
We Advocated for the eastgate project to Include a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA)
Sadly, the Inland Valley Development Agency moved forward without any commitments to the communities of San Bernardino and Highland.
In December 2019, San Bernardino International Airport approved a 750,000 sq. ft. air cargo logistics center called Eastgate. Since early 2018, a local coalition of residents organizing under the name “SB Airport Communities” has fought for a community benefits agreement at Eastgate that guarantees good jobs for local residents and mitigation against air and noise pollution that the development will cause.
Amazon Air was announced as the tenant at Eastgate in May 2020. Documents obtained reveal that the Federal Aviation Administration and Amazon were in conversation about a development at SBD Airport as 2018. Despite this, calls from community members demanding transparency about the development’s tenant went unheeded.
In February 2020, SB Airport Communities coalition partner organizations were joined by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra in a lawsuit against Eastgate developer Hillwood, San Bernardino International Airport, and the FAA for their roles in pushing through this new Amazon facility despite the major health risks for residents surrounding it. The case is set to move forward in February 2021.
Amazon’s Eastgate Air Cargo Logistics Center by Hillwood will:
Add 500 additional truck trips to our streets
Add at least 24 additional around the clock flights daily
Add to the worst air quality in the country
Expose children & the elderly to an increased risk of lung diseases and asthma
Create dead-end jobs at another rumored Amazon facility
Residents are fighting for a “Community Benefits Agreement” which includes well-defined and legally-enforceable goals such as:
Soundproofing, air filters and double-paned windows for schools and residents
Living-wage jobs and limits on the number of temp jobs
Less air pollution with zero emissions for trucks and other vehicles
Transit + Infrastructure improvements and indoor/green spaces for youth
Better noise ordinances and limits on truck idling
