"Standing in his front yard in Wilmington, Jose Ulloa can’t get a sentence out without coughing. Heavy-duty trucks, headed to and from the Port of Los Angeles, pass in front of his home all day, their engines roaring and their exhaust spewing into the air.
Ulloa, who was diagnosed with asthma a few years ago, suffers frequent breathing problems and was hospitalized after one attack. The truck traffic is likely a trigger, since health officials say diesel exhaust is known to cause asthma attacks and other respiratory problems, including lung cancer.
The parade of big rigs in his neighborhood started four years ago, after a series of traffic pattern changes altered their route.
Imelda, his wife, sweeps the yard and cleans the home nonstop, but black dust still collects on every surface of their home within hours."
Alejandra Reyes-Velarde reports for CalMatters December 10, 2024.
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