SAN BERNARDINO – (INT) – Environmental issues over expansion of the San Bernardino International Airport took a legal turn Friday.

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced that he has filed a lawsuit against the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the San Bernardino International Airport Authority, and Hillwood Enterprises, L.P. (Hillwood) for their unlawful efforts to greenlight a large airport expansion project with significant environmental impacts on local communities.

The project involves the construction of a 658,500 square-foot air cargo warehouse that could generate an additional 500 truck trips and 26 flights daily at the airport, operating seven days a week.

Becerra argues that the airport is located in an area identified by the California Air Resources Board as disproportionately burdened by air pollution.

“We have a responsibility to ensure that the rights of pollution-burdened communities are respected,” said Attorney General Becerra. “The FAA, the San Bernardino International Airport Authority, and the developer of this proposed project have ignored months of warnings of the significant health risks to residents of this area. We filed this lawsuit because ‘business as usual’ — the kind that hurts low income, disadvantaged communities — is no longer an option.”

Story Date: February 26, 2020