U.S. Senator kamala harris Weighs in on Eastgate
October 9, 2019 — As SB Airport Communities wait for the Federal Aviation Administration to come to a decision on the future of Eastgate, U.S. Senator Kamala Harris has sent a letter to the agency requesting a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the project:
“While I understand the desire for expanded logistics operations in this area and the need for economic development and jobs in the community, it is vital that the environmental, community, and worker concerns surrounding this project be given serious consideration. A full EIS will give all stakeholders the ability to identify and address these serious concerns.”
A message from the SB AIRPORT COMMUNITIES coalition (8/12/19):
Thank you for participating in San Bernardino Airport Communities events and for your concern about the proposed Eastgate project at SBD INTERNATIONAL Airport.
Last week was busy with both a press conference and a public hearing!
The community press conference in front of Curtis Middle School on Monday got excellent coverage on ABC, CBS, Univision, and Telemundo:
ABC: https://youtu.be/coYv79370tk
CBS: https://youtu.be/YLjSJo_FIAs
Telemundo: https://youtu.be/yZOn94FRjvk
Univision: https://youtu.be/fZ7qisi90CQ
At the public hearing on August 8th, an estimated 300 community members and residents also voiced their concerns to the FAA and the SB Airport Authority about the proposed Eastgate Air Cargo Logistics Center.
There was a fantastic turnout from the San Bernardino community. 239 people signed in at the SB Communities table. Participants enjoyed over 300 donated In-N-Out burgers our “tailgate” event anchored by the large Teamster union truck.
It is significant to note that during the 2018 state of California (CEQA) environmental process for the proposed Eastgate project there was also a public hearing on October 26, 2018, and SBIAA claims that the community raised no concerns.
The outreach to the community by the FAA and the SBIAA continued to be minimal for the 2019 public hearing and It was particularly disappointing that there were also numerous problems with public access during the hearing.
88 speakers signed up, but not all were able to speak. When signing up, speakers were told they wouldn’t be able to speak until 11:00 and midnight (based on every speaker using all three minutes) so many were discouraged from signing up. Some who signed up had to leave, hence only approximately 65 spoke out of the 88 who signed up.
The vast majority of people who were able to speak (approximately 50 out of 65) voiced concerns about the project (environment and jobs). The Laborers construction union (LiUNA), the Chamber of Commerce, and some former elected officials and high-level airport staff spoke in support of the project.
Despite being told we could enter at 5:30, LiUNA and others were allowed in the chambers at about 5:15 to fill up seats and sign up to speak ahead of others who were waiting.
No translation was provided except to be entered into the official record. This meant that Spanish speakers were not able to receive the instructions for the hearing and were not able to hear the testimonies were given by English speakers. There was only one speaker who spoke in a language other than English. English speakers were not able to hear what he said.
The video set up for the overflow rooms was not operational. The sound was transmitted, but no video, which made the hearing hard to follow from the overflow rooms.
Read post-hearing coverage here:
91.9 KVCR: Groups Demand 'Community Benefits Agreement' for Air Cargo Project - https://www.kvcrnews.org/post/groups-demand-community-benefits-agreement-air-cargo-project#stream/
ABC 7: San Bernardino Airport expanding to include new logistics center - https://abc7.com/realestate/san-bernardino-airport-expanding-to-include-new-logistics-center/5455813/
San Bernardino Sun: Debate rages over Eastgate logistics center bound for San Bernardino airport - https://www.sbsun.com/2019/08/09/debate-rages-over-eastgates-logistics-center-bound-for-san-bernardino-airport/
Excélsior California:Discutirán sobre centro logístico en la antigua Base Aérea de Norton - https://www.excelsiorcalifornia.com/2019/08/07/discutiran-sobre-centro-logistico-en-la-antigua-base-aerea-de-norton/
