California Environmental Justice Coalition
Strengthening Solidarity for Environmental Justice!
CEJC will be continuing its series of Regional Conferences throughout the state bringing together CEJC organizations, allies, supporters, and community members to discuss Environmental Justice issues in the local region, network, organize, and plan solutions to our common problems. Please join us!
As a state-wide coalition, CEJC understands the importance of solidarity in the Environmental Justice movement. In order to strengthen our solidarity, CEJC will be hosting a series of regional conferences to explore the common issues and solutions that may exist in their particular area. Members are also welcome to present these issues and potential solutions at an all-CEJC conference in the state’s capital this summer!
Como parte de una colaicion estatal, CEJC entiende la importancia de la solidaridad en la lucha de la Justicia del Medio Ambiente. Para fortalecer nuestra solidaridad, CEJC tendra una serie de conferencias regionales para explorar nuestras preucupaciones comunes, y soluciones que pueden existir en areas particulares. En adicion, miembros estan invitados a presentar sus preocupaciones y soluciones en la Conferencia de todo CEJC en la Capital este verano.
Discussion and workshop topics will include: Air Quality, Civil Rights, Climate Change, Cumulative Impacts of Pollution, Fracking and Fossil Fuels, Implications of the Trump Administration, Legislative Advocacy, Social Media, Water Quality and Access, Youth Outreach, and more!
Temas y discusion incluyeran: Calidad del Aire, Derechos Civiles, Cambio de Clima, Impactos cumulativos de Contaminacion, Fractura Hidraulca y fosil combustible, Implicaciones de la adminitracion de Trump, Abogacia Legeslativa, Medio Social, Calidad y accesso del agua, Divulgacion de la Joventud, y mas!
In the past year, the oil industry spent 36 million in lobbying alone in California. This oil money in our political system has allowed the big time polluters to continue legally poisoning our communities and the worsening of the climate crisis. That’s why we are calling on Governor Jerry Brown and our California Legislators to stop taking dirty money from the oil industry. And on May 20th, we will be coming together in Sacramento for the “Oil Money Out, People Power In” March & Rally to demand that our elected leaders stand with the people and prioritize public health over industry profits. To get oil money out, we need to everyone to be involved.
Here are the event details:
WHAT: Oil Money Out Rally and March
DATE: Saturday May 20
TIME: 12 Noon to 3pm
WHERE: Governor’s Mansion at 16th St & H St
We need your help reaching out to your network, sharing on social media, mobilizing folks to attend the Oil Money Out Rally and March in Sacramento, and getting your organization signed on as a co-sponsor of the Oil Money Out Campaign. Please use the links below to help us spread the word and build our movement!
Once you’ve been able to spread to word about the March & Rally, please add your name to the petition to tell Governor Jerry Brown & California Legislators to stop taking dirty money from the oil industry: http://bit.ly/OilMoneyOutPetition
For more information about the Oil Money Out campaign, please visit: www.OilMoneyOut.com Thank you for all that you do!
From Press Release: Diverse California & Arizona Communities Most Affected by Trump’s Pro-Polluter Policies Unite to Hold Earth Day Action at EPA Region 9 Headquarters
San Francisco, CA – Already suffering from pollution and injustice, and alarmed by the Trump Administration’s attacks on environmental protection, health and justice, residents and grassroots groups from urban, rural and Indigenous communities most harmed and at risk from pollution united in a march and rally Friday, April 21st in front of USEPA Region IX in San Francisco. Bay Area residents from Bayview Hunters Point, Richmond, Oakland, San Leandro and Livermore were joined by Mohave Elders of the Colorado River Indian Tribes, Gila River Indian Community members, youth from East Los Angeles, people from farmworker communities in the San Joaquin and Imperial Valleys for today’s protest, communities impacted by fracking and refineries, and many others.
The rally was followed by a march to the Federal Building where the community members most at risk from Trump’s extremist pro-polluter policies. We are demanding:
Trump’s appointing of anti-environmental officials to his Cabinet and environmental agency posts, his dismantling of important regulations that protect public health and the environment, and also his proposed budget cuts would devastate environmental protections for all Americans but especially for the low-income people of color who bear the disproportionate burdens of polluting industries, toxic contamination sites, fossil fuel, climate change, and environmental racism.
On the morning of April 21st , 100 community and environmental justice advocates addressed dozens of USEPA and CalEPA officials and staff about their concerns and demands for health and justice.
The California Environmental Justice Coalition issued the Call to Action, and sixty-five diverse organizations including community, Indigenous, environmental justice, climate, health and environmental groups joined together in today’s Earth Day Action for Environmental and Climate Justice. Founded in 2015 in the farmworker town of Kettleman City in the San Joaquin Valley, the California Environmental Justice Coalition is community-led is the largest environmental justice coalition in the state.
KQED Report:
CBS/KPIX Report: http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/video/category/spoken-word-kpixtv/3654474-protesters-to-gather-at-san-francisco-epa-branch-over-trump-policies/
KPFA Radio Report: https://soundcloud.com/kpfa-fm-94-1-berkeley/smith-on-climate-justice-march
Photos from Environmental Justice/Community Briefing for USEPA Region IX: https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipP3Qf63x7QaA5tFJAxFopYoRoU5QbPaMTXAevNMCc1aHL015bdSgdyeX_0yvHNjJQ?key=Ry11dFVtUHFkQTFaUDJaRmpJcWoxUG1MY0ZKR3p3
Photos from Rally: http://greenaction.org/?page_id=3291
https://www.facebook.com/CEJCoalition/
As a state-wide coalition, CEJC understands the importance of solidarity in the Environmental Justice movement. In order to strengthen our solidarity, CEJC will be hosting a series of regional conferences to explore the common issues and solutions that may exist in their particular area. Members are also welcome to present these issues and potential solutions at an all-CEJC conference in the state’s capital this summer!
Como parte de una colaicion estatal, CEJC entiende la importancia de la solidaridad en la lucha de la Justicia del Medio Ambiente. Para fortalecer nuestra solidaridad, CEJC tendra una serie de conferencias regionales para explorar nuestras preucupaciones comunes, y soluciones que pueden existir en areas particulares. En adicion, miembros estan invitados a presentar sus preocupaciones y soluciones en la Conferencia de todo CEJC en la Capital este verano.
Por favor de seleccionar un enlace de abajo para REGISTRARSE a cualquier de las conferencias que le gustaria asistir. Mas informacion se le proveera cuando sea disponible.
Discussion and workshop topics will include: Air Quality, Civil Rights, Climate Change, Cumulative Impacts of Pollution, Fracking and Fossil Fuels, Implications of the Trump Administration, Legislative Advocacy, Social Media, Water Quality and Access, Youth Outreach, and more!
Temas y discusion incluyeran: Calidad del Aire, Derechos Civiles, Cambio de Clima, Impactos cumulativos de Contaminacion, Fractura Hidraulca y fosil combustible, Implicaciones de la adminitracion de Trump, Abogacia Legeslativa, Medio Social, Calidad y accesso del agua, Divulgacion de la Joventud, y mas!
To: President Barack Obama
Governor Jack Dalrymple
US Army Corps of Engineers
We the undersigned environmental justice, social justice and indigenous organizations stand in solidarity with the Indigenous People and Native Nations peacefully defending sacred cultural resources, land and water from the Dakota Access crude oil pipeline that would carry fracked oil from the Bakken oil fields.
We fully support the thousands of Indigenous Peoples who are taking action to peacefully block construction of the Dakota Access crude oil pipeline in North Dakota that would run under the Missouri River and destroy sacred cultural resources. Families with children, women and elders of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, other Native Nations and allies are armed with banners, song and prayers and are camped along the Missouri and Cannonball rivers. They remain undaunted in their vigilance to protect and defend the sacredness of water, burial and significant cultural sites, and sensitive wildlife habitat in immediate danger from the pipeline being built by Dakota Access LLC/Energy Transfer Partners.
The Army Corp of Engineers, as the federal regulator, gave US government approval of the proposed 1,172 mile long pipeline to cross the Missouri River and other waterways that threatens the Standing Rock Sioux Tribes’ drinking water and cultural resources. The pipeline will violate treaty law, the Clean Water Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, and the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.
We therefore call on the State of North Dakota and the United States government to cease all harassment and interference with the protest and ceremonies taking place. We call on you to cancel this dangerous and reckless project immediately.
In solidarity for justice,
Asamblea de Gonzales, Roberta Camacho, Treasurer Gonzales, CA
Bay Area Codepink, Jackie Barshak, Representative San Francisco Bay Area, CA
Bay Area Healthy 880 Communities, Wafaa Aborashed, Executive Director San Leandro, CA
California Communities Against Toxics, Jane Williams, Executive Director Rosamond, CA
California Environmental Justice Coalition, Tom Helme, Coordinator Modesto, CA
Canyon Country Rising Tide, Sarah Stock Moab, UT
California Nurses Association, Deborah Burger, RN., President Oakland CA
California Safe Schools, Robina Suwol, Executive Director Los Angeles, CA
Children for a Safe Environment, Teresa Johnson, Director Phoenix, AZ
Citizens Coalition for a Safe Community, Paul Ferrazzi, Executive Director Culver City, CA
Community Science Institute – CSI, Denny Larson, Executive Director Richmond, CA
Comite Civico del Valle, Luis Olmedo, Executive Director Brawley, CA
Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism, Steve Willett, Treasurer Oakland, CA
Community Food & Justice Coalition, Y. Armando Nieto, Executive Director Oakland, CA
Crockett Rodeo United to Defend the Environment/C.R.U.D.E. Crockett, CA
Del Amo Action Committee, Cynthia Babich, Director Torrance, CA
Desert Protection Society, Donna Charpied, Executive Director Desert Center, CA
East Side Coalition Against Exide Toxic Technologies, Doelorez Mejia, Coordinator Boyle Heights, CA
Food Empowerment Project, lauren Ornelas, Founder/Executive Director Cotati, CA
Freedom Socialist Party, Luma Nichol, Bay Area Organizer San Francisco, CA
Grayson Neighborhood Council, John Mataka, President Westley, CA
Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice, Bradley Angel, Executive Director San Francisco, CA
Gila River Alliance for a Clean Environment, Lori Riddle, Director Bapchule, Arizona/Gila River Indian Community
Huntersview Mothers and Fathers Committee for Health and Environmental Justice, Leaotis Martin, Bayview Hunters Point, San Francisco, CA
Idle No More SF Bay, Pennie Opal Plant, Co-founder San Pablo, CA
IVAN Environmental Justice Task Force, Humberto Lugo, Co-Chair CA
La Union Hace La Fuerza, Guadalupe Rosales, Director Eastern Coachella Valley, CA
Maravilla Historical Society, Amanda Perez, Chair East Los Angeles, CA
Mohave Elders Committee, Colorado River Indian Tribes, David Harper, Chairperson Colorado River Indian Tribes, Parker, AZ
National Nurses United, Deborah Burger, RN., President, Silver Springs, MD
OccupySF Environmental Justice Working Group, Ruthie Sakheim, Coordinator San Francisco, CA
Our Roots Multicultural Center, John Hernandez, Director Brawley, CA
Peninsula Democratic Coalition Climate Team, Judy Plaska, Chairperson Mountain View, CA
Rooted in Resilience, Colin Miller, Co-Director Oakland, CA
RootsAction.org, Norman Solomon, Coordinator
Sunflower Alliance, Janet Scoll Johnson & Steve Nadel, Richmond, CA
The Environmental Justice Coalition for Water, Rev. Amanda Ford, Coalition Coordinator, Sacramento, CA
Tri-Valley CAREs (Communities Against a Radioactive Environment), Marylia Kelley, Executive Director, Livermore, CA
Valley Improvement Projects, Bianca G. Lopez, Chairperson, Modesto, CA
West Berkeley Alliance for Clean Air and Safe Jobs, Janice Schroeder, Core member, Berkeley, CA
West County Toxics Coalition, Dr. Henry Clark, Executive Director, Richmond, CA
350 Bay Area, Richard Gray, San Francisco Bay Area, CA
350 San Francisco Coordinating Committee, San Francisco, CA
CEJC and Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice are proud of our work mobilizing support for California Assembly Bill 1787 that was just signed into law by Governor Brown. We appreciate Assemblymember Jimmy Gomez for sponsoring the legislation, and thank all the community and environmental justice organizations that joined in support of the campaign to get the bill passed and signed into law.
AB 1787 requires a local legislative body such as a county or city to provide additional time to members of the public who need a translator to address the legislative body. This is the exact requirement that already exists at the state level. AB 1787 addresses this issue by requiring the legislative body that limits time for public comment to provide at least twice the allotted time to members of the public who need a translator to address legislative bodies.
This bill was inspired by the outrage and challenges to the racially discriminatory permit process used by Kings County in the Kettleman City toxic dump permit process where Spanish speakers were given only half the time to testify as English speakers. At the infamous Kings County hearing, US citizen Ramon Mares who is a monolingual Spanish speaker (and co-founder of both El Pueblo of Kettleman City and Greenaction) was dragged out of the hearing by 8 police officers for the “crime” of demanding equal time to testify as English speakers.
We will continue fighting to end all racial discrimination in federal, state and local environmental decision making (and everywhere). We will now escalate our efforts to stop government agencies from using English-only environmental review documents in communities where there is a large percentage of Spanish speakers.
Kettleman City’s struggle continues to spark real changes for justice! Adelante!
For more information:
California Environmental Justice Coalition (CEJC) email <cejcoalition@gmail.com>
Tom Helme, CEJC Coordinator, Valley Improvement Projects, (209) 589-9277
For immediate release, August 19, 2016
Statewide Coalition of More Than 50 Organizations Representing Urban, Rural and Indigenous Communities Demand Accountability and Justice for Vulnerable Populations
SACRAMENTO, CA – Scores of environmental justice and community leaders from 56 organizations will be in Sacramento, California from August 20 through August 22 to educate the California Legislature and State Environmental Agencies about the need to massively reform state laws and practices that favor corporate and government polluters over the health and safety of communities.
While in the capital, members of the California Environmental Justice Coalition (CEJC) will hold a weekend conference to share information, strategies and best practices for winning toxic cleanup, environmental and cultural preservation, community resilience and other shared CEJC goals.
“Environmental justice policy in California is in crisis,” explained CEJC Coordinator Thomas Helme. “We are converging in Sacramento united in our urgent demand for a comprehensive plan to repair the vast disparities in environmental health and justice felt by the most exposed and vulnerable people in our state’s urban, rural, and indigenous communities.”
CEJC member groups will also take special note of recent environmental justice victories, such as the federal civil rights settlement reached with state regulators, and setbacks, including deficient hazardous waste permits issued for facilities up and down the state.
Marylia Kelley, of Tri-Valley CAREs in Livermore, will highlight her group’s challenge of a “shockingly lax permit” issued by the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) for a nuclear weapons lab on EPA’s Superfund list. And, Maricela Mares-Alatorre, with El Pueblo/People for Clean Air & Water of Kettleman City will lead a workshop for CEJC on the historic civil rights settlement reached this month by her group and Greenaction. Mares-Alatorre said, “My goal is to help every community use this victory so that their members can participate in DTSC public processes at a more meaningful and equitable level.”
Culminating the activists’ “2016 Days of Action” will be meetings with many of California’s top lawmakers and key agencies, including CalEPA, DTSC, and the Air Resources Board, on Monday, August 22. “Policy makers and regulators listen to the grassroots leaders on the frontlines of pollution and injustice because no one knows better what is really going on in our communities. CEJC member groups are amazing ‘watchdogs’ with unmatched on-the-ground expertise,” noted Bradley Angel of Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice.
“CEJC brings about systemic change by uncompromisingly following the Principles of environmental Justice; promoting unity and solidarity; using community-based knowledge; and strengthening community leadership,” added Luis Olmedo, of Comite Civico del Valle.
The California Environmental Justice Coalition was founded in November of 2014 in Kettleman City. The “2016 Days of Action” will mark the coalition’s second statewide gathering. Led by people of color and low-income communities, CEJC is a broad, inclusive, grassroots statewide coalition of small and large groups uniting urban, rural and indigenous communities in resistance against environmental racism and injustice, and committed to environmental, social, and economic justice. CEJC welcomes longstanding environmental justice organizations and newcomers alike.
For a list of member groups, see https://cejcoalition.org/cejcmembers/. Additional information, including campaigns, is at cejcoalition.org.
###
MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES: The media are welcome to observe proceedings and interview CEJC community leaders during the CEJCSunday morning conference session, August 21, 2016, at the Capitol Event Center, 1020 11th Street, in Sacramento from 9:45 AM to 11 AM. Media are also invited to attend the CEJC briefing with top environmental agency officials on Monday, August 22, 2016, at the Coastal Hearing Room on the 2nd floor of the Cal/EPA building at 1001 I Street in Sacramento from 11 AM-12:30 PM. Interviews with individual CEJC organizations in advance is encouraged.
The California Environmental Justice Coalition is pleased to announce our statewide environmental justice strategy conference, trainings, and day of action taking place on August 21-22, 2016, in Sacramento, CA. Join grassroots groups from Environmental Justice communities from around California for this statewide strategy conference, trainings, and a day of action for environmental and climate justice.
-Read the invitation HERE!
For more info: Email us: cejcoalition@gmail.com
Call us: (209) 589-9277
-To Register, please either download the form and then submit the completed form by email to CEJCoalition@gmail.com or complete the Survey and press ‘Submit.’ Thank You. (Some limited travel scholarships are available to help with the expenses of grassroots community and environmental justice groups who are CEJC members, or other groups who may qualify, on a first come first serve basis.)
California Environmental Justice Coalition 