Dr. Tim Hawkins, professor of geography and Earth science, is leading a research team at Shippensburg University who are set to examine the environmental impact of warehouse development throughout the Cumberland Valley– particularly focusing on air quality. The project is funded by a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the South Mountain Partnership and will support the research of warehouse expansion, traffic patterns and air pollution trends in Cumberland and Franklin counties.
The study will develop a timeline of warehouse development in the region, including the number, size and establishment dates of certain facilities. Also, the research team will analyze traffic counts on major highways and investigate how seasonal weather patterns affect air quality. Hawkins and his team hypothesize that the increase in warehouse construction has contributed to the risk in truck traffic – potentially leading to worsened air quality in an area that already struggles with air pollution challenges.
“Our hypothesis is that warehouses increase traffic, particularly truck traffic, and that has potentially degraded the air quality,” Hawkins said. “The Cumberland Valley already has relatively poor air quality, so additional warehouses could be problematic.”
One major component of the research is student involvement. Grace Coffman, a student at Ship, played a crucial part in developing the grant proposal and is working alongside Hawkins to lead the study. The research team will meet weekly to discuss findings and new research methods.
“Grace did most of the heavy lifting developing the grant proposal,” Hawkins said. “She will also do most of the analysis.”
Satellite imagery and aerial photographs will track warehouse expansion, while traffic data from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) will look at vehicle trends. Air quality data will also be collected from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) monitors and PurpleAir sensors, which will allow researchers to connect pollution levels with traffic and the growth of warehouses over time.
The findings from the study may help shape local policies and raise public awareness about the impact that rapid warehouse development has on the environment. Hawkins highlighted that at the very least, the study will provide a better understanding of the factors affecting the air quality throughout the Cumberland Valley.
“At a minimum, we’ll have a better understanding of the air quality in the region and the factors that impact it, including weather, season and geography,” he said. “Depending on how things go, we may find that warehousing also plays a role in air quality. This information may allow county and municipal officials to be better informed regarding the impacts of warehouses on the local area.”
The study is part of a bigger effort at Ship to examine warehouse growth throughout the region. The Center for Land Use & Sustainability (CLUS) recently received a $6,253 grant from the Kittatinny Ridge Conservation Lancascape mini-grant program for a related project, StoryMap Detailing Warehouse Development in South Central Pennsylvania’s Cumberland Valley. This initiative will feature interviews and trend analyses to provide an overview of the growth of warehouses across the region. The final product, created using ArcGIS StoryMap, will be available on the CLUS website.
“This project is a great companion to Grace’s and Tim’s research,” said Holly Smith, director of the CLUS. “It will offer a visual and narrative exploration of how warehouse development has evolved in this region.”
In addition to these research initiatives, Ship is organizing a public forum titled Warehouse Development – Impacts on People and Landscapes as a part of Worldwide Climate Justice and Education Week. Projected to take place in early April, the event will bring together representatives from various organizations to discuss the social, economic and environmental impact of rapid warehouse growth.
Ship students, faculty and staff are organizing the event, which will include a panel discussion featuring speakers from different sectors of the warehouse industry, along with tablings from various agencies and organizations. The CLUS has secured funding for the event through an SU Human Understanding Grant.
“This event is still in the early planning phase, but we hope to bring together diverse perspectives on the impacts of warehouse development,” Smith said.
Researchers are optimistic that their findings will provide valuable results for policymakers, business leaders and residents concerned about the long-term effect of rapid warehouse growth.
