in late 2020 after community advocates raised concerns about the potential for thousands of new diesel truck trips throughout the surrounding neighborhood.
The seven-member board of commissioners — then led by Mike Zucchet, who also works as the general manager of the San Diego Municipal Employees Association — directed the company and Port staff to draft strict requirements for incorporating electric or other zero-emission trucks into the proposal. Activists said they felt betrayed when the document never surfaced. Then Mitsubishi started blanketing the community with“Mitsubishi disrespected the community by refusing to come forward with any plans to use zero-emission trucks,” said Diane Takvorian, executive director of the Environmental Health Coalition. “They also underestimated the strength, commitment and persistence of residents who pushed back hard, refusing to allow more deadly pollution in our communities.
Such pollution contributes to fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5, which when inhaled exacerbates conditions such as asthma and heart disease. The tiny particles can lodge deep in a person’s lungs, even their bloodstream.