The president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors wants to set a temporary ban on Amazon delivery facilities — and other package delivery centers — within the city so that San Francisco can study the environmental and economic effects of already existing locations.
New legislation introduced today by Board President Shamann Walton would set an 18-month moratorium on Amazon and other delivery facilities with the introduction of interim zoning controls, "allowing for further investigations on the facilities’ impacts on both the community and environment," according to a press release. Amazon warehouses and delivery facilities are often located in communities with majority-minority populations, as well as lower-income neighborhoods, and some environmental groups and researchers have found the facilities can bring noise, light and environmental pollution to those neighborhoods, according to an investigation from Consumer Reports.
Walton introduced the bill at the urging of a number of union groups, including the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. The Teamsters voted to make organizing around Amazon delivery and fulfillment a national priority last year and are advocating for a number of bills that would give cities and states more control over the company.
The San Francisco mayor's office signed a memorandum of understanding with Amazon over the potential development of a new facility in the city last year; though the MOU was intended to be kept secret, the existence of the document was first reported by the San Francisco Standard in February 2022.
In addition to the Teamsters, community groups like the San Francisco Southeast Alliance have been organizing against the proposed SF project and other California-based facilities and demanding that Amazon commit to more change for the communities where it wants to build new delivery facilities.
Amazon and Walton did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Climate TRACE's data show emissions at the facility-level.Image: Climate TRACE