Despite measurable improvements in air quality, some valley communities continue to experience disproportionate effects from exposure to air pollution.
The Kern County farming community of Lamont is believed to be one of those towns, and staffers from the California Air Resources Board came to Lamont Tuesday night to hear from residents about problems they’ve experienced and concerns they may have in their own neighborhoods…
News
This page features excerpts from news about environmental justice advocacy in the San Joaquin Valley and links to their original sources. Use the features on the right to sort by topic, news source, date, key word or author. You may also subscribe to receive the news by e-mail or through an rss reader. Please note that links to original sources may expire over time.
It took longer than it should have, but the city and a group of residents finally arrived at the right place when it comes to a proposed industrial park in southwest Fresno.
Developer Richard Caglia agreed to withdraw his proposed 2.1 million-square-foot project on Central Avenue from city review so a full environmental impact report could be done. When completed, the report will determine how best to ease the air, water and traffic concerns of the people living along Central between Highways 41 and 99. Those neighbors banded together as a group called South Central Neighbors United…
On the heels of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposal to address the statewide public health crisis of unsafe drinking water with a Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund, community members living with the daily impacts of unsafe drinking water and advocates are urging legislators to adopt legislation to make this proposal a reality.
At a joint hearing of the Assembly Committees on Water, Parks and Wildlife, Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials, and Budget Subcommittee #3, advocates and impacted Californians gathered on Feb. 6 to outline why the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund is the only comprehensive and sustainable solution to the statewide crisis of unsafe, unaffordable water…
The California Air Resources Board recently approved the plan to not only reduce air pollution, but also meet federal air quality standards our region just isn’t meeting.
Kern County residents, the air you breathe may be putting your health at risk. And, we’re not alone. The same goes for most of the counties that make part of San Joaquin Valley.
“Our area, unfortunately, faces some challenges that make it difficult to disperse the pollution that is created here locally,” said Heather Heinks, outreach and communications manager for Valley Air District…
Cleaner burgers and electric ATVs are all part of California’s ambitious $5 billion plan to clean up the San Joaquin Valley’s notoriously polluted air. Now the problem is figuring out how to pay for it.
The state has identified only about $1.1 billion in funds for the initiatives, plus another $900 million in local, state, and federal programs…
The lawmaker-turned-lobbyist cycle in Sacramento could reach a breaking point soon.
Assembly Bill 359 would amend the Political Reform Act, which set the waiting period at one year.
“A cooling off period of five years makes sense. Their capital is the perception they have political influence,” Melendez said of lawmakers who became lobbyists. “After five years’ time, their influence wanes significantly.”…
Santa Clarita residents paying the tax would see their water bill increase by $11.40 per year if the proposal is approved. Santa Clarita Valley Water serves 273,000 customers in the area, meaning Santa Clarita would contribute approximately $3.1 million to the drinking water fund every year.
The fee is part of Newsom’s “safe and affordable drinking water fund” designed to raise about $110 million per year…
If you reside east of Powers Avenue, west of Spreckels Park and south of Yosemite Avenue you’re on the short end of the “environmental justice” yardstick.
The residents in the eastern part of the Powers Tract developed in the 1950s and the Curran Grove neighborhood built in 2001 have been labeled by the California Environmental Protection Agency as a “disadvantaged community.”…
A powerhouse of EJ advocates gathered the last weekend of January 2019 in the beautiful mountains of Springville, California to develop a Strategic Plan for the Central California Environmental Justice Network (CCEJN)…
At the start of last week’s California Air Resources Board meeting at the Grand 1401 in downtown Fresno, Alex Sherriffs encouraged his fellow board members to step out onto the 10th floor balcony and take in the majestic view.
Great idea, except for one tiny detail: The snow-capped Sierra Nevadas could barely be seen through the haze and smog — even though it had been only four days since the last storm.
Three hours later, the state air board unanimously approved a plan designed to help the Valley meet four federal health standards for fine particulate matter – called PM2.5s – generated by cars and trucks, industrial equipment, wood burning and dust…