California AG Intervened in Lawsuit to Protect EJ Communities in West Oakland

In August 2022, California Attorney General Rob Bonta intervened in a lawsuit that challenged the Port of Oakland’s approval of the Eagle Rock Aggregates Terminal project. The lawsuit was filed by the West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project, a local environmental justice organization, that alleged that the Port’s approval of the project violated the California Environmental Quality Act. The project would increase pollution resulting from 2.5 million tons of construction material being transported to the port each year, negatively affecting the West Oakland community, which is a predominantly low-income community of color that has long been subjected to disproportionate levels of pollution from nearby Port operations.

In September 2023, AG Bonta announced a settlement with the Port and the developers of the project. As a result of the West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project’s and the AG’s negotiations, the settlement required the Port and the developers to take a number of measures to mitigate the air quality impacts of the project. The settlement also required initiatives that will benefit the community, such as public education about the project’s operations, as well as disbursement of proceeds from a community fund that was created 20 years ago.