On March 18th about a dozen members of CEJC met with the newly appointed Secretary for Environmental Protection, Jared Blumenfeld, and other CalEPA staff.

CEJC members representing the Central California Environmental Justice Network, Comite Civico del Valle, Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice, Environmental Justice Coalition for Water, El Pueblo Para El Agua Y Aire Limpio de Kettleman City, Bayview Hunters Point Mothers and Fathers Committee, Californians Against Fracking and Dangerous Drilling, Rootskeeper, Fresh Air Vallejo, Valley Improvement Projects, and the Food Empowerment Project met with Secretary Blumenfeld at the California Environmental Protection Agency building in Sacramento to discuss a wide range of issues effecting EJ communities throughout the state such as air quality, toxic waste, oil and gas fence-line communities, pesticides, and Superfund Sites.
According to the CalEPA website: Jared Blumenfeld was appointed California Secretary for Environmental Protection by Governor Gavin Newsom in January 2019. As Secretary, Jared oversees the state’s efforts to fight climate change, protect air and water quality, regulate pesticides and toxic substances, achieve the state’s recycling and waste reduction goals, and advance environmental justice. As a member of the Governor’s cabinet, he advises the Governor on environmental policy…From 2009 to 2016, he served under former President Barack Obama as Regional Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the Pacific Southwest, a region that includes California, Nevada, Arizona, Hawaii, the Pacific Islands and 148 tribal nations.
CEJC hopes Secretary Blumenfeld will prioritize the public health of our state’s disadvantaged communities in his new position and continue to meet with EJ organizations and in EJ communities.

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