National City fuel station meeting postponed due to concerns raised by California Coastal Commission
NATIONAL CITY, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — A controversial fuel transfer station was set to go before the National City planning commission, but in the final hour before the meeting Monday night, the item was pulled from the agenda.
'We already have pollution that is too high level, so whatever things they've approved in the past, they've already exceeded the limit,' Bradley Bang said.
National City residents packed the commission meeting ready to rally against a proposed fuel transfer facility, but their efforts were cut short.
City staff addressed a last minute, lengthy letter from the coastal commission which included a request to postpone the hearing based on concerns surrounding sea level rise, wetland resources and environmental justice.
Local business owner Luisa McCarthy also brought forward letters from the California Air Resources Board she believes were also not disclosed.
'Where it stipulates in bold about how the project will further expose residents to elevated levels of pollution,' McCarthy said.
Federal documents on Buona Forchetta ICE raid released
The project is planned near Cleveland Avenue and 19th Street at the BNSF rail station.
If eventually approved by city council, the facility would run 24/7 with about 70 trucks coming through daily to pick up renewable fuels like diesel and ethanol from trains and then make nearby deliveries.
'It is within half a mile of Kimball Elementary school. It's within less than that of residence and McKinley Apartments that live right there. Residents and an elementary school that have some of the highest rates of asthma throughout San Diego County,' said Jose Franco Garcia, Executive Director for the Environmental Health Coalition.
Meantime, members of the Laborers San Diego Local 89 are in support of the fuel station. They have an agreement to work on construction if the project goes through.
USD Clean fuels issued a statement saying in part, it is 'confident this project will be beneficial for National City, the greater San Diego area, and California. By bringing clean fuels to an existing railroad site, our project will create a more efficient and sustainable infrastructure in National City and the surrounding region.'
The planning commission's next meeting is scheduled for July 21, which is likely the earliest the project will be back on the agenda for full consideration.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
6 minutes ago
- CBS News
South Florida teen fears for family's future as proposed rule threatens asylum seekers' work permits
A South Florida teenager is voicing concern for his family's future as reports circulate that a possible Trump administration regulation could strip work permits from many asylum seekers. The regulation could affect Venezuelans like his father, who fled political turmoil for a better life in the United States. "He came here to fight for us" Sebastian Latuche, 15, a ninth grader at a South Florida high school, says the potential change is weighing heavily on his family. "It just hurts me seeing him like this, worrying him too much. He came here to fight for us, to give us a better life," Sebastian told CBS News Miami. His father, Javier Latuche, has lived in the U.S. for 11 years after leaving Venezuela, where his business was confiscated by the Maduro regime. Now a small business owner running a real estate agency, Javier said he's deeply unsettled by reports of looming restrictions on work permits for asylum seekers. "I am scared of having my work permit revoked," he said, despite having applied for both Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and asylum. "I haven't been able to sleep, I could not work today, I feel extremely vulnerable," added the father of two, including an eight-year-old U.S. citizen. Sebastian echoed the fear gripping his household. "I'm worried because of the situation. Me, my dad and my mom, where we don't have papers yet." Community leaders warn of mental toll on families Venezuelan and immigrant rights activists gathered Wednesday at the Arepazo, a popular Venezuelan meeting spot in the City of Doral, to voice concerns about the potential policy's emotional toll, particularly on children. "The emotional toll, fear, and legal uncertainty are severely affecting the mental health of thousands of migrant children," said human rights activist Juan Correa Villalonga. Venezuelan activist Helen Villalonga pleaded for compassion. "What did we do to you Donald Trump to deserve this? Many of my people believed in you, trusted you to change Venezuela, not destroy our families." Two officials from the Department of Homeland Security told CBS News that the Trump administration is considering a regulation that would prevent most asylum seekers from obtaining work permits. Though no public announcement has been made, anxiety is spreading throughout immigrant communities. "Who can live in this city or anywhere in the U.S. without a work permit?" said José Antonio Colina of the Venezuelan Political Persecuted Exiles group. In a statement to CBS News, DHS declined to confirm the reports, stating it does not comment on the "deliberate process or possible decision making." However, the department added: "Over the previous years, the Biden administration eviscerated the integrity of America's asylum system. The department is exploring all possible options to protect our national security and increase program integrity." A teen's hope for stability For Sebastian, the immigration debate is not about politics. It's about family. "Now it's just getting a little harder than my parents imagined it to be. They came here for me and my brother."
CBS News
9 minutes ago
- CBS News
The Radiant Table arrives in San Francisco for immersive dinner experience
At One Market Plaza, just across from the Ferry Building, The Radiant Table just opened for a six-week run, offering a new kind of dining experience. "When a guest comes in, they're sort of transported into this alternate realm where they're meeting their favorite chefs, but they're also experiencing their food in a way that they've never been able to do before," said Minkoff. Sam Minkoff is founder of SE Productions. He and his wife went to work quickly, building tables, setting up projectors, and transforming a co-working space cafe on the first floor, in just one week, into a colorful, immersive culinary experience. "The visuals on the table are meant to really complement the chef's meal, and the chefs design their meals around the visuals and vice versa. So, there's a major storytelling component there that allows those guests to kind of dive even deeper into the story of why that dish was created by that particular chef," said Minkoff. Michael Seiler, the founder of Collective Impact, a strategy firm, isn't leasing prime commercial real estate to just any business. He's looking for visionaries, artists, and entrepreneurs who can offer a different kind of product. "In downtown, you still see a lot of empty retail and so if you can empower those arts, culture and community leaders to activate the empty retail space, you immediately give them what they need to flourish, to grow, to get more people together, to grow opportunities for community and commerce, and that's what building owners want," said Seiler. In exchange for prime retail space that would normally cost tens of thousands a month, Minkoff and his team are showing how empty spaces can be used to attract permanent tenants. Once treasured pieces of downtown property worth hundreds of millions have sold for a fraction of what they were worth pre pandemic. "What they want is community in their space and vibrancy. They want their buildings to be alive. They want people to be enjoying it. They want people to be purchasing and buying. They want people to enjoy being back in person," said Seiler. It's experiences like this, art galleries with wine and clay making classes, and expos during SF Climate Week for example, that Seiler sees as a way to create a hub for community and commerce. "The narrative isn't out yet that San Francisco is back. It's vibrant. There are communities churning out their next version of what San Francisco will be," said Seiler. It's bringing people to the table, connecting them with the community, and hoping others will want to come back to a thriving downtown. Each dinner at The Radiant Table features a new chef including some Michelin Star winners. After its debut in San Francisco ends in June, the Radiant Table will head to Bellevue Washington next.
CNN
12 minutes ago
- CNN
Trump Amid Weak Jobs Report: 'Too Late' Powell Must Lower Rates - Erin Burnett OutFront - Podcast on CNN Audio
Trump Amid Weak Jobs Report: 'Too Late' Powell Must Lower Rates Erin Burnett OutFront 48 mins Trump takes on the Federal Reserve president for bad jobs numbers. Plus, Trump announces to the world that Putin is about to attack Ukraine as revenge for an air assault. Also, a Chinese couple is charged with trying to smuggle a dangerous biological pathogen into the United States, capable of decimating crops and poisoning humans.
