Center For Community Action And Environmental Justice

Programs: Community empowerment programsour community empowerment program is the cornerstone of all the work we do at ccaej. The empowerment program focuses on leadership development and a base-building approach to bringing the voices of those directly affected into the critical policy debates of our time. Our efforts are not to build community leaders, but to encourage many community residents to share leadership. Some people are strong on research and like the details; others have strong people skills and can motivate others to get involved; others have financial skills; others have persuasive speaking skills. Each is a leader in their own right. Each has the ability to expand their skills and explore new experiences. Our program start with building awareness of the environmental health threats around us, through our salta program - salud ambiental lideres tomando accion - (environmental health, leaders taking action). The salta course helps individuals (primarily latinas) who live in the inland valley learn about environmental health issues in their homes and neighborhoods, get involved in finding solutions, and ultimately, advocate for local and regional policy changes that will improve the health of their families and their communities. Neighborhood assessment teams (a-teams) begin to demystify science and create local experts on the issues around them. The a-teams teach basic science of air pollution and train team members in assessing their community. Cceaj facilitates community action teams in each of our focus communities. These are groups of local residents that come together to take leadership to identify areas of concern, research and develop appropriate solutions and advocate for change. Our organizing academy provides an opportunity to advance the skills and experience of residents through a more in-depth understanding of organizing theory and skills development. A structured 12 week class provides not only in class theory but outside practice. One does not "learn organizing and leadership by studying in a class but by doing. Home work assignments, role plays, practice before venturing out to the real world. Through our various partnerships, participation in coalitions and collaborative, we expand the view of local residents to broader setting and increase their experiences and knowledge by working with other groups and communities on issues of common concern. Ccaej particularly seeks opportunities to partner with organizations focused on other social justice issues. Community's platform for actionour empowerment program provides the foundation for our work. We survey and engage residents in identifying those issues of most concern. We then facilitate a process for conducting research on the issue and identification of solutions that address the root cause of the problem. From this exercise we develop a community action platform. The platform identifies short term, midterm and long term goals. For the goods movement issue our long-term goal is to convert all aspects of the movement of goods and products to a zero emission logistics industry utilizing electric trucks, locomotives and equipment or mag lev and other emerging, clean technologies as well as banning the use of diesel fuel. A midterm goal is strengthening regulations governing diesel emissions from trucks, locomotives, ships and equipment. Recognizing that the health of local residents continues to be damaged by these operations while we seek policy changes, we have outlined mechanisms to reduce exposure to the pollution levels. Their approach of developing policy from the bottom up ensures the policies are relevant to those most directly affected. Multi-agency task forceccaej's program recognizes that to reduce the exposures and create a more healthy community will take a comprehensive approach that utilizes the resources, regulatory oversight and expertise of as many agencies, and civic organizations, as well as the effective leadership of local elected officials. To create a coordinated effort we sought to create a multi agency task force comprised of federal, state, regional and local agencies along with local elected officials and residents. Through this task force we would implement the intervention plan to reduce exposure to the pollution for the bnsf rail yard and other pollution sources. This project seeks to change the piece meal approach to health impacts in heavily polluted communities and instead looks at the community as a whole, utilizing the various services and resources at hand in a coordinated and cooperative manner to build a healthy community. Ccaej's conducted several ej tours of san bernardino and riverside for the agency personnel and officials to demonstrate the issues facing this community. With the support and contacts of staff at the department of toxic substances control we were able to garner commitments to participate from representatives from more than -- agencies at the federal, state, regional and local levels. Task force participants include: u. S. Epa, california air resources board, department of toxic substances control, south coast air quality management district, state attorney general's office, public health department, san bernardino county cupa, loma linda university, county district attorney's office, the delta group researches from uc davis. The task force has been meeting every other month for five years. Task force members are assigned to committees that meet and coordinate activities on specific tasks. Tor example, there is a truck idling committee that is addressing the issue of trucks parking and idling for long periods of time. Carb, county da's office and the city are working together to obtain funding for anti idling signs, training of local law enforcement on idling laws, and training sessions for truckers on the law's requirements. Our success in building the foundation for our program - from raising awareness about the severe pollution; outlining a platform for action through our community action team; forming a multi-agency/ residents task force; and identifying resources to implement the plan have placed ccaej in the position to make significant advances in reducing exposure and pollution levels. Our engagement approach of bringing informed residents to the table with decision makers has resulted in positive partnerships to effectively address the critical issues facing our communities. The past year has proven to be extremely successful. As a result ccaej is in the position to undertake some extremely important projects to provide relief from the pollution for local residents. Ccaej just completed a $1 million grant from carb to install high performance air filtration units at 5 schools and one community center in highly polluted areas providing relief from the heavy burden of pollution for more than 7,000 students. South coast awmd is providing technical assistance. Joined by the california attorney general we have filed a california environmental quality act law suit challenging placing a major diesel sources next to homes utilizing "overriding circumstance". We negotiated a major settlement that will provide air filters for all the homes; a restricted truck route away from homes; reduction of size and purpose of the projects buildings near the homes; adoption of and an environmental justice elements in the city's general plan; vegetative barriers to absorb particulate pollution from the facilities. We partnered with loma linda university in conducting a comprehensive health study with ccaej trained members conducting the surveys and tests of 1500 families living near the bnsf rail yard in san bernardino, a first to look at the impacts of rail yards on health. We screened 750 students at two elementary schools. With the arrowhead medical center we established a weekly mobile clinic to provide free medical care to the neighborhoods;we are working with carb and city staff to purchase and install anti-idling signs and conduct trainings on anti-idling laws for local law enforcement. Working with carb to educate truckers and help them understand the new laws and how to be in compliance. Partnering with community action agency to target heavily polluted neighborhoods for weatherization services that not only increase energy efficiency but reduce pollution. Partnering with ucla in a study funded by aqmd to measure pollution levels and better understand the disease causing mechanism; ccaej is translating the scientific information so that lay persons understand and to help decision makers use the information to inform their decisions;