There’s lots of talk these days about the death of democracy.

In National City this week, a small but determined group of local residents showed it’s still possible for ordinary people to bring about political change.

On Monday, dozens of residents, community leaders and environmental advocates packed City Hall to plead with city planning commissioners to block a proposed fuel depot that would have brought a steady stream of rail cars and big rig trucks to an industrial neighborhood already burdened by pollution.

Commissioners listened and voted 4-1 to reject the depot.

Representatives of Texas-based USD Clean Fuels argued that their proposal to build a 7.5-acre biofuels transfer station on vacant railroad property near Interstate 5 was an economic win for the city.

They said the proj

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