Mayor Robertson will be one of 34 newly appointed members and be the only California Mayor on the committee. The group's goal is to provide advice and recommendations to the EPA in developing stronger partnerships with local governments.
Mayor Robertson told me, "I'm looking forward to the opportunity to be on this committee and look forward to innovative solutions to some of the impacts that we have."
Mayor Robertson has been serving as Mayor of Rialto since 2012. Rialto has been at the forefront of greener technology, with an example being around the city's wastewater treatment plant, which includes the development of a microgrid that uses solar, bio-gas, and battery storage to generate electricity for the community.
With growing concerns over the environmental impact caused by the increased number of warehouses in the Inland Empire, I asked Mayor Robertson for her input. She told me, "You have to look at it, regardless of whether you have warehouses here or warehouses in Los Angeles; it's a necessary part of our community and of our commerce."
She added that we need logistics and warehouses and need to plan for them wisely and zone areas appropriately. Saying, "One of the things we do is make sure it [warehouses] are not in close proximity to residential or schools, but also having easy access in and out onto the freeway." Mayor Robertson will soon start joining the meetings with the committee and serve on it till December 2022.
