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Superior Court judge has halted work on a massive 213-acre warehouse project in Bloomington, citing environmental concerns. Judge Donald Alvarez ordered Howard Industrial Partners to stop construction after finding fault with the county's environmental impact report. The project, approved in late 2022, would have required the demolition of over 100 homes and an elementary school.

    The judge ruled that the county failed to properly analyze renewable energy options, noise, and air emissions from the project, which could harm public health. He ordered the county to rewrite the report to comply with California's Environmental Quality Act before construction can resume.

    Howard Industrial plans to appeal parts of the ruling, but the company's vice president, Mike Tunney, said the required revisions would be minor and quickly addressed. The project was expected to add three warehouses to the Inland Empire, a region known for its logistics industry and poor air quality.

    Critics argue that warehouse development has worsened air pollution and noise in the area, while also contributing to low-paying jobs and displacement of residents. A bill to regulate warehouse development, Assembly Bill 98, is pending California Governor Gavin Newsom's signature, which would require buffers between big warehouses and residential neighborhoods.