Manteca has approved seven new gas stations in the past two years, including two that have already been built and are open.

An eighth is now being proposed in conjunction with the commercial project anchored by a 4-story Woodspring Suites Hotel and a car dealership on the southeast corner of Atherton Drive and Airport Way.

If all are built, Manteca will have 40 gas stations.

At the same time Manteca is working on identifying and implementing strategies to implement a state mandate to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The mandate requires Manteca — and other California cities — to cut their greenhouse gas emissions to 40 percent of 1999 levels by 2030.

And then by 2045, cities need to be at zero emission.

As far as Manteca resident Leonard Smith sees it, Manteca by continuing to approve gas stations  is undermining its own climate policies adopted in the new general plan update that reflect the state mandate.

“The city is under attack by the fossil fuels industry,” Smith told the City Council Tuesday during public comments.

Smith said the oil industry is “hiding behind 7-Elevens” in order to get more locations in Manteca.

He noted the Planning Commission on Jan. 7, 2021 rejected approval of the proposed Rotten Robbie’s gas station on the southeast corner of Wawona Street and Airport Way.

The rejection was based on concerns regarding greenhouse gas emissions cited in an extensive analysis of the project by experts retained by the city.

Despite that, Smith said the council decided to approve the Rotten Robbie’s anyway.
Smith added the council always states they can’t tell the private sector what to build.

But in the case of gas stations, Smith pointed other cities are doing just that throughout California.

Petaluma was the first to outlaw new gas pumps. That was in 2021.

So has Rohnert Park, American Canyon, Calistoga, San Anselmo, Fairfax, Yountville, Cotati, Santa Rosa, Novato, Windsor, and Sebastopol.

Los Angeles, and even Angels Camp in the Gold Country, have pending bans with Sacramento proposing to do the same.

Smith called on the city to do the right thing for “the future of children, the future of our grandkids.”

“Stop profits before planet,” Smith told the council.

Most of the cities that have prohibited the building of new gas stations or existing stations from adding more fuel pumps have zeroed in on the high profile 2035 mandate involving new vehicle sales.

Starting in 2035, the sale of any new fossil fuel powered vehicles will be illegal in California

Fossil-fueled vehicles already  on the road will still be legal and can be resold.

The current council has made it clear — at least last year — that they won’t be entertaining such a ban for Manteca such as Los Angeles is considering and the one that is already in place in Petaluma.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com