A proposed 34-acre development on March Air Reserve Base that would significantly expand civilian flight operations is meeting opposition from area residents concerned about rising levels of noise and pollution, while one of the firms backing the venture argues it’s compatible with the base’s purposes.
The Meridian Gateway Aviation Center Project has been in the planning stages for four years, but its ramifications became the center of controversy with the release in May of a draft environmental impact report that profiled all aspects of the project.
“We believe the impacts will be negative,” Catherine Fischer of Murrieta told City News Service. “We want to keep this area nice. But the Inland Empire already has some of the worst air pollution in the country. The sky is supposed to be blue, not dark brown. With Gateway, we’ll have not only more airplanes emitting pollution, but all the diesel trucks. It’s so damaging to our health, especially our children’s.”…