A California Superior Court Judge ruled last week that San Bernardino County must redo an environmental study for a controversial warehouse project in Bloomington.
In his 100-page ruling, Judge Donald Alvarez found that the County’s environmental impact report for the 213-acre Bloomington Business Park Specific Plan had flaws that violated the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). CEQA sets standards for development projects that could cause significant environmental harm.
Alvarez raised concerns about the project's potential greenhouse gas emissions, air quality and noise impacts, while noting that the developer, Howard Industrial Partners, failed to provide reasonable alternatives to the plan.
“Given the nature of the CEQA violations, the court orders the County to set aside certification of [environmental impact report] and related approvals,” reads Alvarez’s decision.
The ruling stops construction activity by Howard Industrial Partners and the County until a revised report meets CEQA standards.
Candice Youngblood is an attorney with legal nonprofit Earthjustice, who sued on behalf of various local community groups. She says that CEQA is designed to improve projects, not stop them, and hopes the County re-analyzes the project’s potential impacts.
“When communities weigh in, we have a better analysis,” said Youngblood. “So really, the county should ensure that folks have a meaningful opportunity to weigh in.”
Howard Industrial Partners said in an emailed statement that the court only requires minor changes to the report.
“We were pleased by the Court’s findings upholding the EIR’s analysis of traffic impacts, environmental justice, cumulative impacts and language access provisions,” reads the statement from Mike Tunney, the company's vice president of development.
The company also plans to appeal parts of the decision that could affect an ongoing flood control project.
The Bloomington Business Park Specific Plan was approved in 2022 by the County’s Board of Supervisors, despite significant opposition from residents and environmental justice groups. Howard Industrial Partners planned to construct 2 million square feet of warehouse space by demolishing over 100 homes, which was estimated to add more than 1,000 truck trips daily to the area.
Some residents have already been displaced by the project, triggering discrimination and housing lawsuits against the County.
Joaquin Castillejos, an organizing coordinator at the Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice, acknowledges that the ruling doesn’t erase the pain for residents who lost their homes. However, he views Judge Alvarez's decision as a turning point for Bloomington.
“The organizations involved are ready to continue fighting for the environment and the health of the community,” he said. “So many homes have already been destroyed, and our community has been significantly impacted.”
A spokesperson for San Bernardino County declined to comment due to pending litigation.