Cumulative Impacts and Environmental Racism

1. Cumulative Impacts and Environmental Racism Bay Area Environmental Health Collaborative (BAEHC) Rosina Roibal, Program Coordinator Antonio Diaz, Steering Committee member and PODER Organizational Director

2. BAEHC Members • Environmental Justice Air Quality Coalition • Immigrant Power for Environmental Health & Justice • Contra Costa Asthma Coalition • Regional Asthma Management and Prevention Initiative • Environmental Law & Justice Clinic • Ditching Dirty Diesel Collaborative • Bayview Hunters Point Health and Environmental Assessment Project • Breathe California

3. BAEHC Campaign BAEHC is a broad collaborative of five environmental health and justice coalitions, representing over 20 organizations working to: • Reduce cumulative air pollution impacts in Bay Area neighborhoods, especially in highly impacted communities • Expand opportunities for meaningful and informed public participation in decision-making that affects public health

4. Some Key Allies… • Bay Area Clean Air Task Force • Pacific Institute • Center for Environmental Health • California Environmental Rights Alliance • Bayview Hunters Point Community Advocates • Breast Cancer Action • Asian Pacific Environmental Network • California Pan-Ethnic Health Network

5. ….some key allies • Global Community Monitor • Science and Environmental Health Network • San Francisco Asthma Task Force • East Palo Alto Asthma Task Force • Greenlining Institute • West Berkeley Alliance for Clean Air and Safe Jobs • Central Valley organizations working on EH&J and AQ • Southern Cal. organizations working on EH&J and AQ • Environmental health organizations and advocates

6. BAEHC’s accomplishments

7. Campaign Launch: Richmond, Feb. 2007

9. Cumulative Impact Resolution • Adopted unanimously by BAAQMD Board in July 2008 • 1st time BAAQMD has acknowledged disproportionate burdens and impacts • 1st time BAAQMD has publicly acknowledged adverse cumulative impacts • Commits to exploring potential regulatory measures to address the problem – i.e., not just voluntary incentives and unenforceable measures, but rules and regulations…

10. PG&E Hunters Point Power plant rally

11. Richmond vs.Chevron expansion

12. Mobile Sources

13. Stationary sources

14. Magnet sources

15. Some air pollution-related illnesses • Asthma • Heart disease, hypertension • Cancers • Premature death • Poor lung function, respiratory disease • Low birthweight, stillbirth • Eye, lung and skin irritation • Neurological & reproductive disorders (air toxics)

16. Social and Health Vulnerability (Tract Level) • Census Tract Level Metrics (2000) • % residents of color (non-White) • % residents below twice national poverty level • Home ownership - % living in rented households • Housing value – median housing value • Educational attainment – % population > age 24 with less than high school education • Age of residents (% <5) • Age of residents (% >60) • Linguistic isolation - % pop. >age 4 in households where no one >age 15 speaks English well • Voter turnout - % votes cast among all registered • Voters in 2000 general election • Birth outcomes – % preterm or SGA infants 1996-2003

17. Bayview Hunters Point • Demographic data (SF data 2005-2007) shows: • Bayview Hunters Point area is nearly 80% non-White • makes up 5% of the SF population • it contains all the biggest industrial facilities • Bay Area Regional Health Inequities (BARHII) Report called "Health Inequities in the Bay Area“ shows: • African Americans in the SFBA have lower life expectancy than any other population • Bayview Hunters Point residents can expect to live on average 14 YEARS LESS than residents in other neighborhoods (e.g, compared to wealthy white residents in Russian Hill)

19. Cumulative regional 1

20. Cumulative regional 2

21. Cumulative regional 3

22. Cumulative regional 4

23. Cumulative regional 5

24. Shift from traditional focus on single source of pollution…US EPA Framework for Cumulative Risk Assessment 2003

25. …to assessing the total impact on a community from all exposures

26. Proposed Policy Protocolsto implement CI Resolution • Pollution Limits & Reductions • Public/Community Participation

27. Pollution Limits & Reduction Protocol to BAAQMD • No new pollution in already overburdened areas, with limited exceptions • Reduce disproportionate impacts to protect community health • Prioritize and protect the most exposed and vulnerable residents from harmful air pollution • Avoid land uses that adversely impact public health • Develop pollution reduction strategy and timeline with input • Regulate magnet/indirect sources (i.e., unregulated sources that attract lots of vehicle pollution)

28. Public Participation Protocols to BAAQMD • Develop community outreach plans with public input • Expanded public notice, comment and hearings for regulatory proceedings • Identify information repositories to effectively notify communities • Ensure that language is easy to understand and unbiased • Develop language assistance plan for Limited English Proficiency residents • Improve website to make information accessible to the public • Access to decision-making and ability to influence outcomes

29. For more information: www.baehc.org Amy Cohen, Campaign Director acohen@ggu.edu (415)442-6656 Rosina Roibal, Program Coordinator rroibal@ggu.edu (415)369-5302 Antonio Diaz, Steering Committee member and PODER Organizational Director adiaz@podersf.org (415)431-4210