The South Coast Air Quality Management District moved a step closer in regulating pollution stemming from trucks by focusing on a different sector of the cargo movement supply chain: warehouses.

On May 4, in a 7 to 6 vote, the SCAQMD approved one of five staff recommendations including a proposal to develop rules that would make warehouses responsible for trucking emissions. If passed, warehouse owners would be responsible for ensuring that the fleet of cargo trucks heading their way are cleaner than standards set by the state.

“No new rule was adopted today, today’s action did not have a force of regulation,” Sam Atwood, spokesman for SCAQMD said. “Today’s vote gave the staff approval to keep working on this.”

Atwood said the next steps for the SCAQMD was to come up with an analysis of possible pollution reduction, assess the potential for cargo to be diverted out of the region, the impact on jobs if the diversion were to occur and to commission an economic impact study.

For more on the new rules, see “Air Quality Board Orders New Rules to Reduce Emissions”

Manufacturing and trade reporter Shwanika Narayan can be reached at [email protected] or 323-556-8351. Follow her on Twitter @shwanika.