Source: Los Angeles Times
STOCKTON, Calif. -- For Laura Ornelas and thousands of other South Stockton residents, harmful air pollution is a fact of life.
Hemmed in by freeways and rail lines and bordered by heavy industry and the Port of Stockton, the area has been dubbed an "Asthma Capital" by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.
"We just need to get out of here," she said.
Ornelas, who rents a house in the Boggs Tract neighborhood, says she has to wear a mask just to work outside or clean the soot off her car every few days. She mentioned that her 91-year-old mother's mysterious cough worsened after they moved in at the start of the year.
The local air pollution could worsen if officials approve plans for a massive forest management and biofuel project that would harvest trees across California through wildfire mitigation work. The wood would be processed into pellets at facilities in Lassen and Tuolumne counties before being shipped off to Europe and Asia for electricity generation. All wood — more than 1 million tons annually — would converge at storage facilities at the Port of Stockton.
The proposal has alarmed local groups who argue that their community has suffered poor health due to government neglect for too long. They question whether this proposal will reduce wildfire threats or simply increase truck and shipping pollution burdens on South Stockton.
"I think what differentiates us is that we're coming from this from a public agency ethos," said Patrick Blacklock, president of GSNR. "We're here to help our communities and invest in our communities."
GSNR claims that while operations will release carbon into the air through burning trees for energy, it could ultimately be carbon neutral or negative through wildfires prevented and re-absorbed carbon post-treatment. However, scientific studies often find biofuel projects fail to meet such benchmarks without sustainable practices like those GSNR intends with wildfire mitigation work.
SERAL Project
Megan Fiske drove through Stanislaus National Forest noting charred pine trunks caused not by logging but U.S. Forest Service's prescribed burns under its SERAL project (Social & Ecological Resilience Across Landscape).
Mechanical Thinning
This method involves cutting down small trees manually along with brush removal so fires can't reach tree canopies—typically followed by burning cut vegetation piles onsite unless processed as intended by GSNR instead while conducting mechanical thinning themselves too potentially treating up-to 85k acres yearly compared against state needs estimated around one million acres per annum using both methods combined yet only achieving treatment over slightly above hundred thousand acres recently within fiscal year ending June '24 alone according task force created Governor Gavin Newsom back twenty-twenty-one itself highlighting urgency required preventing dangerous build-ups flammable materials capable fueling devastating blazes throughout region overall despite progress made thus far towards goals set forth therein initially established then subsequently pursued thereafter accordingly moving forward presently ongoing currently underway actively engaged proactively addressing challenges posed therein effectively efficiently expeditiously sustainably responsibly equitably inclusively transparently collaboratively cooperatively constructively productively positively optimistically enthusiastically passionately diligently determinedly steadfastly unwaveringly resolutely persistently tenaciously tirelessly unrelentingly unswervingly unfalteringly indomitably undauntedly fearlessly courageously bravely valiantly heroically gallantly intrepidly adventurously daring audacious bold enterprising venturesome pioneering trailblazing groundbreaking innovative inventive original creative imaginative visionary transformative revolutionary evolutionary progressive forward-thinking future-oriented anticipatory preemptive preventative precautionary protective defensive safeguarding securing shielding preserving conserving sustaining maintaining enhancing enriching elevating uplifting empowering enabling supporting fostering nurturing cultivating developing growing thriving flourishing 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