TULARE, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - A lawsuit has been filed against the City of Tulare following the city's Zoning Ordinance Update, which California Attorney General Rob Bonta says could have serious health implications for communities in the city - including cancer. The lawsuit comes after Tulare's City Council approved the update in December 2024, "which allows cold storage and other facilities to be permitted by-right in both light and heavy industrial zones." Cold-storage facilities, officials say, could increase cancer and other health risks for residents living nearly one mile away. Per officials, the city did not conduct an environmental review, claiming that it is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Attorney General Rob Bonta argues, however, that the new update does violate the CEQA, given that the city failed to account for the health risk assessment requirement in its own General Plan and the impact of these facilities on resident's health, as well as to mitigate all significant environmental impacts of the Update, required by law. “As Attorney General, I have a responsibility to enforce the state’s environmental laws, and I am committed to standing up for communities that too often are overlooked," said Bonta. “Matheny Tract residents deserve environmental protections that prioritize their health and well-being." A copy of the petition can be found here.