GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. WE ARE
GOING TO BEGIN THE SELECT
COMMITTEE HEARING FOR THE SOCIAL
DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH. GOOD
MORNING TO OUR PANELISTS ARE
COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND MY
COLLEAGUES THAT ARE HERE AND
THOSE THAT MAY COME LATER TODAY
I AM ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S DR AKILA
WEBER, REPRESENTING THE 79TH
ASSEMBLY DISTRICT, OF WHICH YOU
ARE ALL IN CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW.
I WANT TO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
JOINING US AS WE CONVENE THE
SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE SOCIAL
DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH TO
SPECIFICALLY FOCUS ON
ENVIRONMENTAL, HEALTH AND URBAN
COMMUNITIES. IF YOU HOUSEKEEPING
ITEMS BEFORE WE PROCEED. THIS
HEARING IS BEING LIVE STREAMED
ON THE ASSEMBLY MAIN WEBSITE. WE
WILL BE ALLOWING FOR PUBLIC
COMMENT AND PERSON THERE WILL BE
NO REMOTE PUBLIC COMMENT FOR
THIS HEARING. IN ORDER TO
FACILITATE THE GOAL OF HEARING
AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE FROM THE
PUBLIC WITHIN THE LIMITS OF OUR
TIME, WE WILL NOT PERMIT CONDUCT
THAT DISRUPTS, DISTURBS OR
OTHERWISE IMPEDES THE ORDERLY
CONDUCT OF THE LEGISLATIVE
PROCEEDINGS. WE WILL NOT ACCEPT
DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR OR BEHAVIOR
THAT INCITES OR THREATENS
VIOLENCE. OR EVEN IN VEILED
THREATS. NOW. DURING TODAY'S
HEARINGS, WE WILL DISCUSS A
CRITICAL AND VERY TIMELY ISSUE.
HOW ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS HAVE
NEGATIVELY AFFECTED THE HEALTH
OF OUR COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT
THE STATE. SPECIFICALLY
AFFECTING LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES
OF COLOR AND URBAN REGIONS AT
DISPROPORTIONATE RATES. FROM AIR
AND WATER POLLUTION TO HAZARDOUS
WASTE SITES. THESE HAZARDS NOT
ONLY JEOPARDIZED THE PHYSICAL
HEALTH OF OUR RESIDENTS, BUT
ALSO EXACERBATE EXISTING SOCIAL
AND ECONOMIC DISPARITIES.
DECADES OF RACIST AND
DISCRIMINATORY POLICIES AT ALL
LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT HAVE PLACED
CERTAIN COMMUNITIES AND SPACES
WHERE THEY WOULD BE EXPOSED TO
MOST TOXINS OR RISK FOR
ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS. FOR
EXAMPLE. AMERICANS AGING HIGHWAY
SYSTEM HAS SERVED AS AN ONGOING
MONUMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL
RACISM. IN 1956, THE FEDERAL AID
HIGHWAY ACT PAVED THE WAY FOR
THE NATION'S INTERSTATE SYSTEM.
THESE PROJECTS WERE BUILT
THROUGH AREAS WHERE
CONCENTRATIONS OF BLACK FAMILIES
LIVED. WHICH WE NOW KNOW OVER
TIME HAS LED TO AN INCREASED
RISK OF ASTHMA AND RESPIRATORY
ILLNESSES AND THESE VERY SAME
COMMUNITIES. IN THE 19 EIGHTIES,
NATIONAL ATTENTION WAS FOCUSED
ON A SMALL COMMUNITY HERE IN
CALIFORNIA CALLED KETTLEMAN
CITY. WHICH AT THE TIME HOSTED
THE LARGEST TOXIC WASTE DUMP
WEST OF ALABAMA. IN 1988, THIS
SMALL COMMUNITY AND KETTLEMAN
CITY ALMOST ENTIRELY. LATINO
FARM WORKERS FACED THE PROSPECT
OF THE CREATION OF ANOTHER MAJOR
TOXIC WASTE INCINERATOR IN THEIR
AREA. THE PUBLIC HEARINGS WERE
NOT DESIGNED TO ALLOW THE
RESIDENTS TO UNDERSTAND NOR
TRULY PARTICIPATE AS THE
MATERIAL WAS ONLY IN ENGLISH AND
NO TRANSLATION SERVICES WERE
PROVIDED DURING THE HEARINGS.
THE PLANS TO BUILD THAT SECOND
INCINERATOR WAS EVENTUALLY
DROPPED, BUT ONLY AFTER A RULING
BY A JUDGE AND A SUBSEQUENT
LAWSUIT THAT FOUND THAT
KETTLEMAN RESIDENTS WERE
EFFECTIVELY PRECLUDED FROM
MEANINGFUL INVOLVEMENT IN THE
CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
ACT REVIEW PROCESS. WE HAVE SEEN
TIME OVERTIME AGAIN, HOW
EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN VOICES AND
PLANNING AND DECISION MAKING
PROCESSES. HOWEVER WE KNOW THAT
WHEN ALL VOICES ARE HEARD, AND
UPLIFTED CHANGE IS POSSIBLE AND
EVERYONE BENEFITS. THIS HEARING
TODAY SERVES AS A PLATFORM TO
UPLIFT COMMUNITY VOICES REVIEW
THE HISTORY OF SOME OF THESE
ENVIRONMENTAL AND JUSTICES AND
BEGIN PLANNING ON HOW WE CAN DO
BETTER FOR ALL CALIFORNIANS IN
THE FUTURE. IN 1999 GOVERNOR
DAVIS SIGNED SB 115 MAKING
CALIFORNIA THE FIRST STATE IN
THE NATION TO CODIFY THE
DEFINITION OF ENVIRONMENTAL
JUSTICE. SB 115 TO FIND
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AS THE
FAIR TREATMENT OF PEOPLE OF ALL
RACES, CULTURES AND INCOME WITH
RESPECT TO THE DEVELOPMENT,
ADOPTION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF
ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS, REGULATIONS
AND POLICIES. IT ALSO
ESTABLISHED THE OFFICE OF
PLANNING AND RESEARCH AS THE
COORDINATING AGENCY. FOR THE
STATE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
PROGRAMS. SINCE THAT TIME, WE
HAVE MADE STRIDES TO REDUCE THE
EXPOSURE THAT ALL CALIFORNIANS
INTERACT ON A DAILY AND
CONSISTENT BASIS. BUT THERE IS
STILL SO MUCH PROGRESS THAT
NEEDS TO BE MADE. WE STILL HAVE
CHILDREN THAT ARE DRINKING AND
USING WATER WITH TRACES OF LEAD
AND PEE FAST. WE ARE STILL
SEEING TOXIC RUNOFF COMING FROM
MANUFACTURING SITES AND OTHER
SOURCES THAT POLLUTE OUR OCEANS,
RIVERS AND LAKES, THE WATER
CONTAMINATING OUR PUBLIC WATER
ACCESS POINTS HAVE BEEN LINKED
TO CANCER AND REPRODUCTIVE HARM.
FURTHER WE STILL SEE IN CERTAIN
COMMUNITIES THAT THEY ARE NOT
INCLUDED IN THE CITY'S
REDESIGNING PLANS TO INCLUDE
TREES AND OTHER OPEN SPACES,
DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE KNOW
THAT GREEN OPEN SPACES ARE
LINKED TO POSITIVE MENTAL AND
PHYSICAL WELLNESS, DECREASING
STRESS AND ANXIETY. CONVERSELY
THE LACK OF TREES IN THESE
COMMUNITIES, AMONG OTHER THINGS
CREATES THESE HEAT DESSERTS OR
HEAT ISLANDS. WHICH HAS LED TO
HIGHER RATES OF HEALTH ISSUES,
SUCH AS HEAT STROKES AND HEAT
RELATED ADVERSE PREGNANCY.
CONSEQUENCES FOR BLACK WOMEN,
INCLUDING PREMATURE BIRTH AND
STILL BURST. THESE THINGS WERE
DISCUSSED IN THE RECENT REPORT
RELEASED BY THE CALIFORNIA
REPARATIONS TASK FORCE. AND
EQUALLY AS IMPORTANT. AS WE WORK
TO REPAIR THE ENVIRONMENTAL
INJUSTICES OF OUR PAST. WE MUST
ENSURE THAT ALL COMMUNITIES ARE
RESILIENT TO THE CLIMATE CRISIS
OF THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE.
THE RAIN THAT WE HAVE SEEN OVER
THIS LAST WEEK WAS ONE OF THE
WETTEST STATES THIS REGION HAS
EXPERIENCED AND NEARLY 100 YEARS
WHICH WE CAN ATTRIBUTE TO GLOBAL
WARMING, CLIMATE CHANGE AND SEA
LEVEL RISE. BUT WE CANNOT IGNORE
THAT THE FLOODING DEVASTATED
CERTAIN PARTS OF SAN DIEGO
COUNTY AND NOT OTHERS. IN MY OWN
DISTRICT AND AREAS PREDOMINANTLY
OCCUPIED BY BLACK AND BROWN
RESIDENTS. THEY HAD HOMES AND
VEHICLES UNDERWATER. PEOPLE HAD
TO BE RESCUED BY CANOES. HOMES
AND PROPERTIES WERE DESTROYED.
RESIDENTS WERE EXPOSED TO MOLD
AND OTHER HAZARDS FROM THE
FLOODWATERS. THE CITY AND THE
COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO. BOTH HAD TO
DECLARE A STATE OF EMERGENCY.
THE STORM LAST MONDAY WAS UNLIKE
ANY THAT WE HAVE EVER HAD IN OUR
LIFETIME. BUT IT WAS EXACERBATED
IN PLACES LIKE SOUTHEAST SAN
DIEGO AND SPRING VALLEY AS A
RESULT OF A LACK OF PLANNING. A
LACK OF FOCUS ON THESE
COMMUNITIES AND OVERDUE
INVESTMENT STRUCTURES. LAST
YEAR, THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO
STORMWATER DEPARTMENT SHARE THAT
THERE ARE MORE THAN 1000 KNOWN
PIPE FAILURES THAT HAD YET TO BE
ADDRESSED. SO WE MUST DO BETTER.
BECAUSE I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT
EVEN THOUGH WE WERE THE FIRST IN
THE NATION TO CODIFY THE
DEFINITION OF ENVIRONMENTAL
JUSTICE IN 1999 25 YEARS LATER
MY DISTRICT. AND OTHERS
THROUGHOUT THIS STATE, DO NOT
FEEL THAT WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED
POLICIES THAT ARE FAIR AND
EQUITABLE. SO I'M LOOKING
FORWARD TO THIS HEARING. AND I
WANT TO THANK IN ADVANCE. ALL OF
OUR PANELISTS, THOSE WHO ARE
HERE PHYSICALLY AND THOSE WHO
WILL BE JOINING US. ONLINE. AND
I WANT TO THANK THOSE WHO HAVE
COME TO WATCH AND WHO WILL BE
WATCHING THIS STREAMING. I WANT
TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PRESENCE OF A
FEW ELECTIVES WE HAVE IN THE
AUDIENCE. WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER
JACK SHOE FROM THE CITY OF LA
MESA, WHO HAS BEEN AN
ENVIRONMENTAL CHAMPION FOR MANY,
MANY, MANY, MANY YEARS. WE ALSO
HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE
OFFICE OF SUPERVISOR, COUNTY
SUPERVISOR JOEL ANDERSON. WE
ALSO HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM
THE OFFICE OF SENATOR PADILLA'S
OFFICE. THE OFFICE OF MAYOR TODD
GLORIA AND THE OFFICE OF
ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S MARIE WALDRON.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE
AND THANK MY COLLEAGUE IN THE
ASSEMBLY ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S TASHA
BOERNER FOR JOINING US TODAY,
AND I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE HER A
FEW MINUTES FOR OPENING REMARKS
AS WELL. YES. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THANK YOU. EVERYBODY FOR BRAVING
THE RAIN AND COMING OUT HERE, UM
MY NAME IS TASHA BURNER I
REPRESENT MOST OF THE COAST AND
SAN DIEGO FROM CARLSBAD DOWN TO
CORONADO, INCLUDING DOWNTOWN SAN
DIEGO. BUT I ALSO HAVE THE WATER
OFF OF IMPERIAL BEACH AND I WANT
TO THANK DR WEBBER. YOU KNOW,
IT'S WONDERFUL HAVING A
PHYSICIAN AND SUCH A TALENTED
PHYSICIAN IN THE ASSEMBLY.
WHENEVER WE WORK ON THINGS SHE
COMES. I USED TO SIT ON HEALTH
COMMITTEE AND SHE WOULD SHE
WOULD ALWAYS WITH EVERY BILL GO
THROUGH WITH SUCH AND A NUANCE
AND IN IN DEPTH UNDERSTANDING OF
WHAT IT IS TO BE HEALTHY AND
CALIFORNIA AND WHAT IT IS THAT
WE CAN IMPROVE, AND I WANT TO
ECHO ALL YOUR STATEMENTS YOU
MADE ABOUT SOCIAL INJUSTICES. MY
DISTRICT FLOODED, BUT WE'RE NOT
SEEING THE IMPACTS THAT WE SEE
IN SOUTHEAST SAN DIEGO. AND WE
HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT THAT
IS. UM AND WHEN WE LOOK AT THE
AGENDA, I WANT TO THANK YOU AND
YOUR ENTIRE STAFF. IT'S PUTTING.
IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT TO PUT ON
US THAT COMMITTEE HEARING,
ESPECIALLY IN THE DISTRICT. SO I
WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR NOT
ONLY BEING HERE BUT FOR ALL THE
STAFF WHO MADE THIS HAPPEN. AND
WHILE I'M PROUD TO REPRESENT
SUCH A BEAUTIFUL COASTAL
DISTRICT I'VE SEEN FIRSTHAND IN
MY DISTRICT HOW ENVIRONMENTAL
ISSUES HAVE NEGATIVELY IMPACTED
THE HEALTH AND WELL BEING OF SAN
DIEGANS WASTEWATER FROM
TIJUANA'S FAULTY SEWER
FACILITIES POURING OUT THROUGH
THE TIJUANA RIVER INTO THE
PACIFIC OCEAN, INCLUDING THE
WATER THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT,
ESPECIALLY IN SILVER STRAND
STATE BEACH IN CORONADO BEACH,
AS WELL AS SIMPLY A MEMBER.
ALVAREZ'S DISTRICT, MOSTLY
MOSTLY DIRECT DIRECTLY IMPACTING
IMPERIAL BEACH. THE WASTEWATER
COMING FROM TIJUANA HAS BEEN A
PROBLEM FOR DECADES, AND IT'S
GROWING TO BE BOTH AN
ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM AND A
PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERN. RESEARCH
FROM SCRIPTS INSTITUTION OF
OCEANOGRAPHY AT U. C SAN DIEGO
HAS SHOWN THAT THE BREAKERS FROM
THE WAVES OFTEN IMPERIAL BEACH
CAN CREATE A SPRAY FROM THE
POLLUTED WATER. THAT PEOPLE CAN
BREATHE MILES INLAND. LOCAL
ECONOMIES, ESPECIALLY ON THE
COAST ARE DRIVEN LARGELY BY
TOURISM, AND THEY'RE SUFFERING
BECAUSE PEOPLE DO NOT WANT TO
VISIT A COASTAL CITY WHERE WHOSE
BEACHES ARE CLOSED DUE TO HIGH
LEVELS OF BACTERIA AND
POLLUTANTS ON TOP OF THE IMPACT
OF RESIDENTS AND TOURISTS NOT
BEING ABLE TO ENJOY OUR COAST,
BEAUTIFUL BEACHES, OUR
MILITARY'S LARGE PRESENCE IN
SOUTH BAY AND WE HAVE NAVY SEALS
CONDUCTING TRAINING EXERCISES
DAILY IN THIS CONTAMINATED
WATER. SOMETHING MUST BE DONE TO
PROTECT OUR COMMUNITIES. WE HAVE
URGED GOVERNOR NEWSOM. PRESIDENT
BIDEN SPOKE WITH COMMA VICE
PRESIDENT HARRIS LAST WEEK
SPECIFICALLY ON THIS ISSUE TWO
SISTER CITIES TO ASSIST OUR
CITIES ON THIS ISSUE AND WILL
CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR
ADDITIONAL FUNDING AND POLLUTION
CONTROL EFFORT. EVERY
CALIFORNIAN DESERVES CLEAN AIR
AND WATER. I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE
WORK BEING DONE BY
ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S WEBER AND THE
SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE SOCIAL
DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH,
PARTICULARLY THEIR WORK ON
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF HEALTH.
I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING HOW
THIS COMMITTEE THE ASSEMBLY AND
GROUPS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY
CONTINUE TO ADDRESS THE SERIOUS
MATTERS. SO THANK YOU FOR ALL
FOR BEING HERE. I LOOK FORWARD
TO DISCUSSIONS. THANK YOU. THANK
YOU. ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S BOERNER.
TODAY WE WILL FOCUS ON THREE
CORE TOPICS. CLEAN WATER. CLEAN
AIR. AND GREEN OPEN SPACES. AND
WE WILL FINISH OFF WITH THE
PANEL THAT WILL SPEAK TO HOW
RESEARCH AND DATA DRIVEN TOOLS
CAN INFORM POLICIES THAT WE PASS
IN THE FUTURE. ONCE AGAIN. I
LOOK FORWARD TO THE DISCUSSION,
AND I THINK ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S
BORN OR DICK GAVE A GREAT
OPENING AND A REASON WHY OUR
FIRST PANEL TODAY IS ON THE
CLEAN WATER, AND SO WE WILL BE
JOINED BY COREY BELL, WHO IS A
SENIOR ATTORNEY AT THE NATURAL
RESOURCES, DEFENSE COUNCIL.
WHELAN MADISON, CO FOUNDER OF
FOUR WALLS INTERNATIONAL, AND
SAM BROWN, TREASURER FOR THE V,
A HAS COUNCIL TRIBAL COUNCIL.
AFTER EACH PANEL. WE WILL HAVE,
UM, THE ABILITY TO ASK QUESTIONS
BEFORE THE NEXT PANELS COMES ON.
AND SO NOW I WILL TURN IT OVER
TO COREY BELL. WHO IS JOINING US
REMOTELY. HI THERE. ARE YOU ABLE
TO HEAR ME? ALL RIGHT? WE CAN
HEAR YOU. GREAT. GOOD MORNING
CHAIR WEBER AND COMMITTEE
MEMBERS. MY NAME IS COREY BELL.
I'M AN ATTORNEY WITH THE NATURAL
RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL TODAY.
I'M GOING TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT
CLEAN WATER IN HOMES, SCHOOLS
AND DAYCARES WITH A PARTICULAR
FOCUS ON LEAD. FIRST I'LL GIVE
SOME BACKGROUND ON HOW LEAD GETS
INTO OUR DRINKING WATER, AND
THEN I'LL GIVE YOU ALL AN
OVERVIEW OF ITS HEALTH EFFECTS.
THEN I'LL TURN TO LEAD IN
CALIFORNIA'S DRINKING WATER.
WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT IT, AND THEN
I'LL WRAP UP WITH A DISCUSSION
OF SOME BARRIERS AND SOLUTIONS.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. IN GENERAL
LEAD ISN'T NATURALLY FOUND IN
DRINKING WATER. IT'S NOT PRESENT
WHEN THE WATER LEAVES THE
DRINKING WATER TREATMENT PLANT.
IT'S PICKED UP FROM THE PIPES
AND THE PLUMBING THAT THE WATER
PASSES THROUGH FROM THE PLANT UP
TO YOUR TAP. LEAD IS USED FOR
PLUMBING BECAUSE IT'S VERY
FLEXIBLE AND SO IT CAN BE BENT
AND SHAPED EASILY. THIS IS VERY
HANDY FOR PIPES AND THINGS LIKE
FAUCETS. ON THIS SIDE. I JUST
WANT TO POINT OUT THAT YOU CAN
SEE ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.
THERE'S PRETTY CONSISTENTLY LEAD
FOUND IN DRINKING WATER SYSTEMS,
AND IT'S CONCENTRATED IN URBAN
AREAS. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO
HERE'S A DIAGRAM OF HOW THE
WATER SYSTEM WORKS. HOW WATER
GETS INTO OUR HOMES OR TO OUR
APARTMENT. THAT BIG BLUE CIRCLE.
THAT'S THE WATER MAIN RUNNING
DOWN THE MIDDLE OF YOUR STREET.
AND THEN THERE'S A SMALLER PIPE
THAT'S CALLED A SERVICE LINE
THAT CONNECTS YOUR HOME TO THE
WATER. MAIN. IN MOST PLACES.
LEAD PLUMBING COMES IN THE FORM
OF A LEAD SERVICE LINES THAT
ENTIRE PIPE MIGHT BE LED. OR
THERE MIGHT BE A LEAD CONNECTOR.
THIS IS SOMETIMES TWO SOMETIMES
CALLED A VERY CUTE NAME LIKE A
GOOSE NECK OR A PIGTAIL. IT'S
NOT VERY CUTE, THOUGH. UM AND
CALIFORNIA THAT'S MOSTLY WHAT
IT'S MOSTLY THESE LEAD
CONNECTORS. THOSE CAN RANGE
ANYWHERE FROM 18 INCHES UP TO 10
FT OR MORE. BIGGER BUILDINGS
LIKE SCHOOLS, THEY'RE NOT LIKELY
TO HAVE A LEAD SERVICE LINE WITH
THE PLUMBING THAT'S ACTUALLY IN
THE SCHOOL CAN HAVE LEAD IN IT.
SMALLER DAYCARE CENTERS COULD
HAVE A LEAD SERVICE LINE OR A
LEAD CONNECTOR. THE OTHER THING
THAT'S PROBLEMATIC WITH SCHOOLS
AND DAYCARES IS THAT THOSE
PLACES GO LONG PERIODS OF TIME
WITHOUT ACTIVITY. THINK ABOUT
THE WEEKENDS. EVENINGS HOLIDAY
BREAKS, THE LONGER THAT WATER
SITS IN A PIPE OR A FAUCET THAT
HAS LED AS MOST OF THEM DO THE
MORE LEAD THAT IT WILL COLLECT.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. TURNING NOW
TO THE HEALTH EFFECTS. THE
AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS.
WHO THE CDC THEY ALL AGREE THAT
THERE IS NO SAFE LEVEL OF LEAD
EXPOSURE. AND WHEN I GIVE YOU
THIS BACKGROUND, I WANT YOU TO
KEEP IN MIND THAT EPAS CURRENT
LIMIT FOR LEAD IN DRINKING WATER
IS 15 PARTS PER MILLION. FOR
CHILDREN LEAD EXPOSURE, EVEN AT
VERY LOW LEVELS CAN RESULT IN
LIFELONG IMPACTS LIKE MEMORY AND
ATTENTION PROBLEMS. LOWER I Q
REDUCED READING AND MATH SKILLS
AND THESE ARE ALL REASONS WHY
THE ÁP ALSO RECOMMENDS THAT
WATER AND SCHOOLS DOES NOT
EXCEED ONE PART PAVILION VERY
DIFFERENT FROM THE EPA'S
CURRENT, UM 15. FOR ADULTS.
RECENT STUDY FOUND THAT THE
EFFECTS OF LEAD ARE SIX TIMES
GREATER THAN ORIGINALLY THOUGHT,
IN LARGE PART BECAUSE OF THEIR
IT'S LINKED TO CARDIOVASCULAR
DISEASES LIKE HEART DISEASE AND
STROKE. AS FOR THE SOCIAL
FACTORS THAT OVERLAY ALL OF THIS
LOW INCOME CHILDREN AND CHILDREN
OF COLOR ARE THE MOST
SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE EFFECTS OF
INCREASED LEAD EXPOSURE. THAT'S
BECAUSE THESE CHILDREN ARE MORE
LIKELY TO LIVE IN A HOME WITH A
LEAD SERVICE LINE OR LEAD PAINT.
AND BEING A PERSON OF COLOR AND
LOW INCOME ARE BOTH IDENTIFIED
TIME AND TIME AGAIN AS RISK
FACTORS FOR ELEVATED BLOOD BLOOD
LEVELS. THE SAME
SUSCEPTIBILITIES ARE TRUE WITH
ADULTS TO THE RISK OF HEART
DISEASE IS ESPECIALLY HIGH IN
POPULATIONS OF COLOR IN LARGE
PART DUE TO THIS GREATER LEAD
EXPOSURE. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
TURNING OUT TO CALIFORNIA. I'M
GOING TO FOCUS SPECIFICALLY ON
LATIN SCHOOLS AND CHILDCARE
CENTERS JUST BECAUSE OF TIME
HERE, UM, CALIFORNIA HAS A LAW
REQUIRING WHAT I THINK OF AS
INFREQUENT TESTING IN DAYCARES.
IT'S JUST ONCE EVERY FIVE YEARS
AND FOR SCHOOLS, THERE WAS A ONE
TIME TESTING REQUIREMENT AND
THAT THAT HAS WRAPPED UP BY NOW.
THE RESULTS OF THE DAYCARE
TESTING ARE COMPLETELY ALARMING.
ONE QUARTER OF THE FACILITIES
THAT TESTED FOUND IN ACCIDENTS
OF FIVE PARTS PER BILLION. THAT
WAS THE LIMIT SET IN THAT LAW.
THE HIGHEST RESULT WAS ACTUALLY
IN SAN DIEGO, AND IT WAS 11,300
PARTS PER BILLION. IT JUST
COMPLETELY BREAKS MY HEART TO
KNOW THAT INFANTS OR HAVING
FORMULA NEED FOR THEM AT THIS
CENTER. THE SCHOOL TESTING DATA
IS ALSO VERY ALARMING. MORE THAN
HALF OF SCHOOLS HAD LEAD IN
THEIR WATER AT ONE OR MORE TAPS
AND OVER 2000 WATER FOUNTAINS
TESTED POSITIVE FOR LEAD. NEXT
SLIDE, PLEASE. SO TO TALK
BRIEFLY NOW ABOUT THE BARRIERS
AND SOLUTIONS. I THINK THAT THE
BIGGEST HURDLE TO CLEAN DRINKING
WATER FOR KIDS IN THESE
FACILITIES IS THAT NO ONE WANTS
TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. WATER
SYSTEMS AND STATE AGENCIES HAVE
BEEN FIGHTING LEGISLATION ACROSS
THE UNITED STATES, INCLUDING IN
CALIFORNIA, SAYING FOR YEARS
THAT EPA WILL REQUIRE TESTING
THE STATES DON'T NEED TO DO
ANYTHING. AND THIS WOULD BE DONE
THROUGH A FEDERAL RULEMAKING BUT
FEDERAL 11 COPPER RULE. WELL
THAT DRAFT ROLLS OUT. I AM
WORKING ON COMMENTS RIGHT NOW.
THEY'RE DUE MONDAY, AND I CAN
ASSURE YOU THAT THERE IS NO
REQUIREMENT TO TEST WATER IN
SCHOOLS OR DAYCARES, LET ALONE
CLEAN UP THE WATER IN THOSE
PLACES. AND MEANWHILE, IN THAT
RULE, E P. A SAYS THE STATES
NEED TO DO THE WORK, SO THERE'S
A LOT OF FINGER POINTING GOING
ON. WITH THE GOOD NEWS, THOUGH
THE ONLY GOOD NEWS I THINK WITH
LEAD IN DRINKING WATER IS THAT
IT'S PRETTY EASY TO FIX YOU.
JUST REMOVE THE LEAD PLUMBING OR
YOU INSTALL FILTERS FOR SCHOOLS
AND CHILD CARES THE CHEAPEST AND
MOST HEALTH PROTECTIVE THING TO
DO IS INSTALLED FILTERS. WE CALL
IT A FILTER FIRST PROGRAM. WE
KNOW THAT SCHOOLS AND DAYCARES
HAVE LEAD IN THEIR WATER.
CALIFORNIA'S DATA SHOWS THAT SO
SIMPLY INSTALL THE FILTERS THAT
ARE CERTIFIED TO REMOVE LEAD,
MAINTAIN THEM AND PERIODICALLY
TEST THEM TO MAKE SURE THEY WORK
AND THEN YOU'LL PROTECT KIDS.
AND WE DO KNOW THAT THE FILTERS
WORK, THEY CONSISTENTLY REMOVE
LEAD TO ONE PART PER BILLION OR
LESS. THERE ARE SOME PLACES IN
FACT, SEVERAL PLACES THAT
ALREADY DOING THIS SAN DIEGO USD
IS ONE OF THEM. THEY PASSED A
REQUIREMENT FOR FILTERS IN 2022
OR 2020 SORRY. WE WANT THIS TO
HAPPEN THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA AND
THE NATION AND TO MAKE SURE THAT
INCLUDES CHILDCARE CENTERS AND
CHILDCARE HOMES. BECAUSE THESE
LITTLE KIDS INFANTS ARE THE MOST
VULNERABLE. THIS FILTER FIRST
PROGRAM, IT CAN BE ENACTED
EITHER THROUGH A SCHOOL DISTRICT
LIKE SAN DIEGO DEAD, IT CAN BE
DONE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, LIKE
WASHINGTON, D, C AND
PHILADELPHIA DID OR IT CAN BE
DONE AT THE STATE LEVEL LIKE
MINDED AND SEVERAL STATES ARE
CURRENTLY WORKING ON LOCAL WATER
SYSTEMS CAN STEP IN AND HELP TO
RUN THE PROGRAM AND INSTALL THE
FILTERS. THE OTHER GOOD NEWS IS
THERE IS SOME FEDERAL MONEY
AVAILABLE FOR THIS AND STATE
MONEY TO THERE'S ABOUT $100
MILLION AVAILABLE OVER NEAR
FEDERALLY. ANOTHER RELATIVELY
EASY STUFF THAT I WOULD
RECOMMEND IS THAT CALIFORNIA
WEIGHS IN ON THE 11TH COPPER
ROLL THAT'S OUT FOR COMMENT WITH
EPA RIGHT NOW, AND URGED THE
AGENCY TO REQUIRE FILTERS IN
SCHOOLS AND CHILDCARE CENTERS.
AND WITH THAT I WILL TURN IT
OVER TO THE NEXT PANELIST, AND
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR
TIME IN THE OPPORTUNITY TO
PARTICIPATE. THANK YOU SO MUCH,
COREY. I'M SURE WE'RE GOING TO
HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AT
THE END OF THIS PANEL FOR YOU,
BUT NOW WE WILL TURN IT OVER TO
WHELAN MATTSON, CO FOUNDER OF
FOUR WALLS INTERNATIONAL. HELLO.
GOOD MORNING. TEAM MEMBERS OF
THE CALIFORNIA STATE ASSEMBLY
SELECT COMMITTEE. THANK YOU FOR
HAVING ME HERE TO TALK A LITTLE
BIT ABOUT SOMETHING THAT'S VERY
NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART, THE
TIJUANA RIVER WATERSHED. TODAY I
PRESENT A CRITICAL PERSPECTIVE
ON THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF
HEALTH, EMPHASIZING THE INNER
RELATIONSHIP OF BOTH PUBLIC AND
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH IN OUR
REGION, SOUTH BASED SAN DIEGO
COMMUNITIES ESPECIALLY CENTERED
AROUND WATER QUALITY. I WILL
ALSO FOCUS ON THE IMPERATIVE FOR
BINATIONAL COOPERATION, REGION
AND REGIONAL RESILIENCE, WHICH
IS NEVER AS VISCERAL OR EVIDENT
AS OF RIGHT NOW, IN RESPONSE TO
THIS RECENT DELUSION OF SEASONAL
STORMS AND FLOODS WITNESSED
YESTERDAY RIGHT NOW AND LAST
WEEK. THESE CHALLENGES BROUGHT
BY CLIMATE CHANGE ARE EXPECTED
TO BECOME THE NEW NORMAL WHERE
POSSIBLE, 1050 OR 100 YEAR STORM
EVENTS BECOME REGULAR
OCCURRENCES. IMPACTING ALREADY
INADEQUATE STORMWATER
INFRASTRUCTURE. FOUR WALLS
INTERNATIONAL IS AN ORGANIZATION
DEDICATED TO CROSS BORDER
COLLABORATION AND THE
DEVELOPMENT OF INNOVATIVE
SOLUTIONS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL
CHALLENGES. OVER 15 YEARS WE'VE
TIRELESSLY WORKED TO ADDRESS THE
COMPLEX ISSUES SURROUNDING THE
TIJUANA RIVER WATERSHED.
PROMOTING SUSTAINABILITY AND
CLIMATE ADAPTATION THROUGH
COMMUNITY DRIVEN INITIATIVES. WE
HAVE PRIORITIZED WORKING ACROSS
MULTIPLE SECTORS TO MATCH THE
SCALE OF THE SOLUTION TO THE
SCALE OF THE PROBLEM AND
ADVOCATE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL
JUSTICE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE
BORDER. THE TIJUANA RIVER
WATERSHED IS A UNIQUE LANDSCAPE
CHARACTERIZED BY MULTI
JURISDICTIONAL OVERLAP. SHARED
WATERS AND THE HISTORY SHAPED BY
RAPID GROWTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL
CHANGES. CLIMATE CHANGE HAS
EXACERBATED CHALLENGES LEADING
TO AN INCREASED ENVIRONMENTAL
INJUSTICE AFFECTING PUBLIC
HEALTH. THE WATERSHEDS,
TOPOGRAPHY AND GEOGRAPHY FURTHER
COMPLICATE EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT
WITHIN APPROXIMATELY 70% OF THE
WATERSHED RESIDING IN MEXICO.
ENCOMPASSING THE ENTIRETY OF THE
URBANIZED PORTION OF THE
MUNICIPALITY OF TIJUANA. AND
IT'S 2 MILLION INHABITANTS. THE
IMPACT ON PUBLIC HEALTH CANNOT
BE OVERSTATED. SEWAGE
CONTAMINATION EXACERBATED BY
INADEQUATE STORMWATER
INFRASTRUCTURE HAS LED TO BEACH
CLOSURES, RESPIRATORY ISSUES AS
MENTIONED EARLIER IN THE
AEROSOLIZATION OF PATHOGENS AND
CONTAMINANTS AND OTHER HEALTH
CONCERNS. EXAMPLES INCLUDE
ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE FORMS OF
BACTERIA. SKIN RASHES AND
GASTROINTESTINAL INFECTIONS.
COMMUNITIES WITHIN THE WATERSHED
FACE DISPROPORTIONATE CHALLENGES
, EMPHASIZING THE URGENT NEED
FOR COMPREHENSIVE SOLUTIONS. THE
450,000 RESIDENTS OF THE SOUTH
BAY HAVE WITNESSED OVER 700 DAYS
OF CONSECUTIVE BEACH CLOSURES
AND THE ADDITIONAL 300,000 OF
NORTHERN COASTAL COMMUNITIES
THAT SEE THE CONTAMINATION FLOW
WITH SEASONAL CURRENTS. FEEL IT
AS WELL. IMPACTING REGIONAL
ECONOMIES, NAVY SEAL TRAINING
FACILITIES AS WELL AS THE PUBLIC
ACCESS TO OPEN SPACE AND NATURE.
91 YEARS AGO. SAN DIEGO
COMMUNITIES FACE CONTAMINATION
AND WATER QUALITY ISSUES. AND IN
TWO IN 2024, WE STILL GRAPPLE
WITH THE SAME WATER QUALITY
ISSUES. IN 2015, THE
INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY AND WATER
COMMISSION ENACTED MINUTE 320.
WHICH LAID THE FOUNDATION FOR
BINATIONAL COOPERATION IN
ADDRESSING THE WATER QUALITY
SEDIMENT AND SOLID WASTE ALONG
THE BORDER. BUT THE LACK OF
INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY AND
FUNDING TO SUPPORT THESE EFFORTS
HAS DELAYED PROGRESS. MORE
RECENTLY, THE U. S E P A USMC A
FUNDING AND MINUTE 328
INVESTMENTS HAVE MADE GREAT
PROGRESS OVER THE LAST FEW
YEARS. BUT THE SANYO SEADRILL
WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY
URGENTLY NEEDS REPAIRS ESTIMATED
THAT BETWEEN 609 $100 MILLION
AFTER TROPICAL STORM HILLARY
JUST LIKE JUST THIS WEEK,
GOVERNOR NEWSOM ADVOCATED FOR
CONGRESS TO PASS AN ADDITIONAL
$310 MILLION BILL DIRECTED
TOWARDS THESE UPGRADES. REGIONAL
ATTEMPTS TO ADDRESS THESE CHIPS.
THESE CHALLENGES HAVE SEEN
MULTIPLE LAWSUITS FILED.
DECLARATION OF A STATE OF
EMERGENCY AND MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS SPENT BY LOCAL
GOVERNMENTS ON REACTIONARY
MEASURES. ADAPTATION IS
ESSENTIAL, REQUIRING A
MULTIDIMENSIONAL APPROACH THAT
INCORPORATES THE LATEST
SCIENTIFIC ADVANCEMENTS,
COMMUNITY DRIVEN INITIATIVES AND
A HOLISTIC STRATEGIC APPROACH TO
STEM THE BILLIONS OF GALLONS OF
WASTEWATER FLOWING INTO OUR
OCEANS. MOVING FORWARD, A
COLLABORATIVE EFFORT THAT
PRIORITIZES BINATIONAL
COOPERATION, LEVERAGING THE
SHARED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE
TIJUANA WATERSHED IS NEEDED.
THIS INCLUDES ENHANCED
MONITORING JOINT RESEARCH,
INCLUDING HYDRO FINANCIAL
STUDIES AND COORDINATED
ADAPTATION STRATEGIES.
CALIFORNIA'S LEADERSHIP AND
ADVOCACY FROM MULTIPLE LEVELS,
INCLUDING THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE
OF THE COMMISSION OF
CALIFORNIA'S CALIFORNIA, EPA
BORDER RELATIONS COUNCIL AND THE
REGIONAL WATER QUALITY CONTROL
BOARDS. TIJUANA RIVER VALLEY
RECOVERY TEAM. CAN SERVE AS A
ROBUST FOUNDATION FOR
STRENGTHENING BINATIONAL TIES
AND FOSTERING THE DEVELOPMENT OF
AN AUTHORITY EQUIPPED TO ADDRESS
MULTI JURISDICTIONAL CHALLENGES.
DRAWING INSPIRATION FROM
SUCCESSFUL MODELS LIKE THIS ANNA
ANNA RIVER WATERSHED JOINT
POWERS AUTHORITY, THE SAN
FRANCISCO BAY RESTORATION REST
RESTORATION AUTHORITY AND THE
LOS ANGELES COUNTY SAFE, CLEAN
WATERS PROGRAMS. CALIFORNIA CAN
INNOVATE WAYS FOR LOCAL
MUNICIPALITIES TO TACKLE
SIGNIFICANT STORMWATER FUNDING
SHORTAGES. LEGISLATION SUCH AS A
B 24 03 AND SB 231 CAN BE
FURTHER TO ADVANCE REGIONAL
MEASURES, ENABLING JOINT POWER
AGREEMENTS WITH THE AUTHORITY TO
LEVELS LEVY SPECIAL TAXES
CONSISTENT WITH PROPOSITION TO
18. THIS APPROACH OPENS AVENUES
FOR SECURING FUNDING THROUGH
FEDERAL AND STATE GRANTS,
CREATING PUBLIC PRIVATE
PARTNERSHIPS OR PHILANTHROPIC
AGREEMENTS. AND EXPLORING
INNOVATIVE FINANCE SCHEMES LIKE
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT BONDS OR
SIMILAR PAY FOR SUCCESS
INITIATIVES. THIS AUTHORITY
COULD LEVERAGE INTERAGENCY
TRANSFER AGREEMENTS UNDER THE
OVERSIGHT OF THE STATE TREASURY
TO FACILITATE COLLABORATION AND
RESOURCE ALLOCATION AMONG
ENTITIES LIKE THE POLLUTION
CONTROL, FINANCE AUTHORITY,
STATE NATURAL RESOURCES AND THE
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY.
BY STRATEGICALLY DEPLOYING THESE
MECHANISMS, CALIFORNIA CAN
ESTABLISH A ROBUST FRAMEWORK FOR
ADDRESSING ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE
CHALLENGES AND PROMOTING
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ACROSS
BORDERS. WE MUST ACKNOWLEDGE THE
INTERCONNECTEDNESS OF OUR URBAN
COMMUNITIES TRANSCENDING
POLITICAL BOUNDARIES FOR THE
SAKE OF REGIONAL RESILIENCE. THE
SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH
AND OUR URBAN COMMUNITIES ARE
INEXTRICABLY LINKED. TO THE
HEALTH OF OUR ENVIRONMENT.
BINATIONAL COOPERATION IS NOT
JUST A SUGGESTION, BUT IN
NECESSITY. WE STAND COMMITTED TO
WORK ALONGSIDE OUR PARTNERS AT
THE LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL
LEVEL AND REMAIN READY TO TAKE
DECISIVE ACTION FOR THE SAKE OF
SAN DIEGO COUNTY RESIDENTS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, AND I
WELCOME ANY QUESTIONS AND
FURTHER DISCUSSIONS ON THIS
VITAL ISSUE. THANK YOU SO MUCH,
UM WE WILL NOW TURN OVER TO SAM
BROWN, WHO IS THE TREASURER OF
THE HAS TRAVEL COUNCIL. THANK
YOU. MY NAME IS SAM BROWN. I'VE
HAD THE HONOR OF SERVING ON
TRIBAL COUNCIL FOR 13 YEARS.
THANK YOU, DR WEBBER FOR HOLDING
THIS FORUM. WATER IS THE GOLD.
THE TRUE GOLD OF CALIFORNIA. AND
LIKE THE GOLD RUSH. BACK IN, YOU
KNOW ABOUT 100 AND 50 PLUS YEARS
AGO. WATER HAS BEEN THE AND THE
PURSUIT OF WATER HAS HAD A
NEGATIVE EFFECT, PARTICULARLY TO
MY TRIBE. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU
KNOW THE HISTORY OF VÀ HASSAN
BARONA. BUT IF WE TAKE A LOOK AT
THE MAP HERE WE CAN NEXT. THE
BOARD'S NOT GOING NEXT SLIDE.
OKAY? OKAY, SO. THEY HAS MADE,
YOU KNOW, IS LOCATED ABOUT 30
MILES EAST OF THE COAST OF
CALIFORNIA. ORIGINALLY UH, THEY
ASKED, WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1934.
AND THE REASON WHY WERE
ESTABLISHED IN 1934 IS BECAUSE
WE WERE FORCED OFF OUR LANDS
WHEN THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO USE
EMINENT DOMAIN TO BUY, UM, OUR
VILLAGES THAT WERE LOCATED WHERE
THE EL CAPITAN RESERVOIR
CURRENTLY SITS. THERE WERE TWO
VILLAGES. NGUYEN VILLAGE IS
NAMED LOIS CANAL HOUSE. AND
ANOTHER VILLAGE CALLED EL
CAPITAN. EL CAPITAN IS ACTUALLY
SUBMERGED UNDER THE CURRENT
RESERVOIR. UM IT WAS A
PARTICULARLY HARD MOVE FOR US.
UH ESPECIALLY IN VEGAS. IN 1934.
WE HAD AN EXTREMELY COLD WINTER
ACTUALLY SNOWED QUITE A BIT,
WHICH IS PRETTY RARE. UM I
BELIEVE ABOUT 30 OF OUR
RESIDENTS DIED OF TUBERCULOSIS.
UM SO OUR INTRODUCTION TO WATER
HAS AND AVAILABILITY OF WATER
HAS ALWAYS BEEN A LITTLE BIT
TOUCHY FOR US. UM RECENTLY,
HOWEVER, UM, DUE TO THE
ECONOMICS OF OUR BUSINESSES,
WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO BUILD A
FAIRLY UH WELL, INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE HAVE A PUBLIC WORKS
DEPARTMENT AND WE ALSO HAVE A
CLOSED LOOP. UH SEWER SYSTEM AND
WATER SYSTEM AS WELL WHERE WE
WERE BEFORE IN A SUBJECT. TAKE
JUST LIKE THE REST OF THESE
COUNTY IN MANY HOMES OUT THERE
ARE UNDER SEPTIC TANKS. WE BUILD
THIS INFRASTRUCTURE COSTS ABOUT
$20 MILLION BACK IN THE LATE
NINETIES AND EARLY TWO
THOUSANDS. SO NOW WE TREAT OUR
WATER. SO IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT
THE NEXT SLIDE SO THEY ASKED.
VALLEY SITS IN A NATURAL BOWL.
WE'RE SURROUNDED BY THREE PEAKS.
WE HAVE VARIOUS MOUNTAIN POSER
PEAK. AND TAQUITO PEAK ALL ABOUT
4000 FT. IT CREATES A NATURAL
WATERSHED, SO OUR ISSUE ISN'T SO
MUCH AVAILABILITY TO WATER.
ISSUE IS, HOWEVER, TREATING THAT
WATER UM, WE'RE FAIRLY UM.
COMPLEX IN OUR PUBLIC WORKS AND
WATER DISTRICT. WE HAVE OUR OWN
WATER SYSTEM, LIKE I SAID
MENTIONED EARLIER SERVICES ABOUT
THE 200 RESIDENCES, UH,
INDIVIDUAL HOUSES ON THE
RESERVATIONS. IT SERVICES THE
CASINO. ITS SERVICES ARE OUTLET
CENTER AND IT SERVICES OUR
CAMPGROUND. NOW WE ARE FORTUNATE
BECAUSE WE GET TO TEST THE WATER
ON A REGULAR BASIS. WE HAVE A WE
HAVE ABOUT FIVE WELLS. WE HAVE
ABOUT FIVE HOLDING TANKS. WE
ALSO USE, UM RECLAIMED WATER, IN
FACT, HALF OF THE WATER THAT WE
EXTRACT FROM THE GROUND WE
RECLAIM BACK UM AS. FOR
LANDSCAPING, AND ALSO WE HAVE
HOLDING PONDS THAT HELP IT GO
BACK INTO THE EARTH. UM AND WHAT
WE'VE NOTICED RECENTLY IS SINCE
ABOUT 2000, AS MANY OF YOU HAVE
KNOWN THE WATER HAS NOT BEEN AS
UM, DEPENDABLE AS IT WAS IN THE
PAST. WHILE WE'RE LUCKY IN THAT
BALL, WE'VE NEVER HAD ISSUES
WITH WITH WATER AND RETAINING
WATER FROM WELLS WE KNOW OUR
NEIGHBORS HAVE IN THE EAST
COUNTY. WE'VE SEEN OTHER
RESERVATIONS, HAVING ISSUES
DRAWING WATER FROM THE GROUND.
UM AND WE'VE SEEN OUR NEIGHBORS
OFF THE RESERVATION HAVE THAT
ISSUE TOO, AS WELL. HOWEVER. THE
OTHER ISSUE. BESIDES UH, YOU
KNOW, THE AVAILABILITY OF WATER
IS TESTING THAT WATER. WE HAVE
THE ABILITY ON OUR RESERVATION.
WE TEST MONTHLY SAMPLES. WE TEST
TWICE A MONTH FOR COLIFORM. WE
DO, UH, QUARTERLY URANIUM
SAMPLING. WE'VE JUST STARTED TO
TEST FOR MICROPLASTICS, TOO, AS
WELL. WE'VE PRETTY MUCH FOLLOW
THE FEDERAL GUIDELINES. HOWEVER,
OUR NEIGHBORS UH, THAT SIT
AROUND THE RESERVATION. EVEN
THEY DON'T HAVE THAT ABILITY
CURRENTLY. WE BOUGHT SOME
PROPERTIES OFF THE RESERVATION
AND TESTED THE GROUNDWATER, AND
IT'S NOT UP TO STANDARDS AND
THAT'S AN ISSUE WITH A LOT OF
THE EAST COUNTY RIGHT NOW, FOR
THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE FAMILIAR
WITH ALPINE PADRE WATER DISTRICT
RUNS TO ABOUT WHERE ALBERTSON'S
IS THAT'S ABOUT THREE MILES.
FROM THE RESERVATION SO
EVERYWHERE EAST OF THAT. UH THE
RESIDENTS ARE SERVICED BY WELL,
WATER. AND JUST FROM THE FEW
WELLS THAT WE'VE SAMPLED ON
PROPERTIES WE BOUGHT OFF
RESERVATION IN THE AREA. THEY
HAVE CERTAIN CONTAMINANTS THAT
WOULDN'T PASS FEDERAL GUIDELINES
. AND I IMAGINE THE REST OF THE
EAST COUNTY EAST OF THAT. IS
SIMILAR. SO. THERE WAS A GENERAL
PLAN 2020 THAT CHANGED THE. THE
ZONING FOR THE EAST COUNTY.
ORIGINALLY IT WAS SET UP IN THE
EARLY TWO THOUSANDS. TO EXPAND
AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE COUNTY
. AND SO, BASICALLY WHAT THAT
DID IS THEY REZONE ALPINE
BOULEVARD, WHICH IS A HIGHER
DENSITY RESIDENTIAL AND LIGHT
COMMERCIAL USAGE ALL THE WAY
INTO THE EAST WILLOWS ROAD,
WHICH IS EAST OF THE
RESERVATION. SO WILLOW'S ROAD
BORDERS ON THE RESERVATION, AND,
UM PARTS OF THE TOWN OF ALPINE,
SO SOMEBODY IS IN FEE. SIMPLE
LAND. THE REASON WHY THAT CAN
EXPAND RIGHT NOW IS BECAUSE THE
AVAILABILITY OF WATER IS NOT
THERE. AH! WE HAVE A PRETTY GOOD
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PADRE
WATER DISTRICT. WE ARE IN TALKS
WITH THEM ABOUT EVERY SIX
MONTHS. THE GIVES AN UPDATE. AND
ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT WE BRING
UP QUITE A BIT. IS THE EXPANSION
OF PADRE WATER DISTRICT. UM EAST
I KNOW SOMETIMES IT'S NOT
ECONOMICAL TO EXPAND IT FURTHER
EAST AND THAT BUT WE CAN'T HAVE
GROWTH IN THE EAST COUNTY
WITHOUT THE EXPANSION OF WATER.
AND I KNOW THAT OUR RESIDENTS ON
THE RESERVATION. WE HAVE VERY
SAFE DRINKING WATER, HOWEVER. UH
PEOPLE IN THE EAST COUNTY EAST
OF THERE PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE
THEIR WELLS TESTED. I KNOW
THERE'S SOME SUGGESTIONS OF
INDIVIDUAL HOUSEHOLDS TO HAVE
SOME TYPE OF FILTERING. I MYSELF
HAVE A REVERSE OSMOSIS SYSTEM.
MY HOUSE. IT'S MAINLY FOR SOFT
WATER. BUT IT DOES TAKE THE
CONTAMINATES OUT OF THE WATER.
UM. SO IT IS AN ISSUE FOR PEOPLE
IN THE EAST COUNTY. UM YES, THE
WATER IS THERE FOR A LOT OF US.
WE DO GET A LOT OF RAIN. WE GET
MORE IN THESE COUNTY THAN WE DO
ALONG THE COAST. HOWEVER THE
ISSUE IS, OF COURSE THAT WE'VE
SEEN JUST BY SAMPLING THE WATERS
THAT WE BOUGHT. UH PROPERTY THAT
WE BOUGHT OFF THE RESERVATION
THAT MANY OF OUR RESIDENTS IN
THESE COUNTIES SUFFER FROM, UM,
WATER THAT WOULDN'T PASS FEDERAL
STANDARDS, MUCH LESS STATE
STANDARDS. THANK YOU SO MUCH,
UM, SAM, AND BEFORE WE START
WITH QUESTIONS I DID WANT TO
ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE DO HAVE A
REPRESENTATIVE FROM
ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S CHRIS WARD'S
OFFICE AND ALSO THE PRESENCE OF
COUNCIL MEMBER ALLYSON SNOW FROM
THE CITY OF LEMON GROVE. UM YES,
THANK YOU. I MEAN, I THINK WHEN
I LOOK AT ALL THE PRESENTATIONS,
I FOUND OUT NEW INFORMATION. I
DID NOT KNOW THAT ABOUT EAST
COUNTY. WELL, WATER, AND THAT IS
THE PROBLEM. WE SEE THIS UP AND
DOWN THE STATE. WE HAVE THOSE
EVERY YEAR TRYING TO ADDRESS THE
ISSUE OF CLEAN WATER, AND IT
SEEMS IN THE NOT SURE WE FOURTH
OR FIFTH LARGEST ECONOMY. I
THINK WE KEEP SWITCHING BACK AND
FORTH. UM THAT SHOULD NOT BE OUR
PROBLEM. AND SO I THINK THAT IS
A REALLY IMPERATIVE FOR US TO
THINK ABOUT. HOW DO WE ADDRESS
THE ISSUE OF CLEAN WATER? UM BUT
GOING BACK TO THE TIJUANA RIVER
SEWAGE? I WANT TO ASK YOU NAMED
IT. YOU KNOW A NUMBER OF THINGS
THAT WE CAN BE DOING. ONE OF THE
CHALLENGES THAT I FOUND IS AS A
STATE SO MANY SO MANY OF THE
SOLUTIONS NEED TO BE FEDERAL.
AND SO I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH,
OBVIOUSLY, UM, OUR OUR
CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION.
ESPECIALLY SCOTT PETERS AND JUAN
VARGAS AND MIKE LEVIN. SARAH
JACOBS. UM YOU KNOW ON WHAT DO
WE NEED TO DO WITH THE 300
MILLION AND YOU KNOW HOW HOW DO
WE DO THIS? WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?
ARE THE TOP THREE THINGS THAT WE
AS STATE LEGISLATION AS
LEGISLATORS CAN DO TO
IMMEDIATELY IMPACT AND SUPPORT
ALL THE INITIATIVES GOING ON? ON
THE TIJUANA RIVER SEARCH ISSUE.
UH UM I WOULD SAY TOP THREE
WOULD BE ADVOCATE FOR THE
DECLARATION OF A FEDERAL STATE
OF EMERGENCY BECAUSE THAT WOULD
OPEN UP THE DOOR FOR, UH MORE
FEDERAL FUNDING TO BE ABLE TO BE
DIRECTED TOWARDS IT. UM
ESPECIALLY, UH, WITH THE
UPCOMING WATER BOARDS. TÌM DL UM
PUBLIC COMMENTS PERIOD IN
FEBRUARY. 26 AND 28 JUST BRING
THAT THAT STATE DELEGATION TO
THE TABLE AND ADVOCATE FOR THE
TÌM DLS TO BE APPROVED SO THAT
MORE STATE REVOLVING FUND MONEY
MIGHT BE ALLOCATED AS WELL. UM
AND TO REALLY STRENGTHEN THE
REGIONAL AUTHORITY TO BE ABLE TO
DIRECT STATE RESOURCES. SO
WHETHER THAT IS THROUGH THE
BORDER RELATIONS COUNCIL OR THE
COMMISSION OF THE CALIFORNIA'S
FIGURE OUT MECHANISMS AND WAYS
TO WORK BY NATIONALLY SO THAT,
UH, A COMPREHENSIVE SOLUTION CAN
BE CAN EVOLVE OVER THE COURSE OF
THE NEXT FEW YEARS AS MORE AND
MORE RESOURCES ARE GOING TO BE
ALLOCATED. UM AND JUST REALLY
DIRECT THOSE TOWARDS THE NON
POINT SOURCE POLLUTION, YOU
KNOW, ORIGINATING IN MEXICO.
WELL I WANT TO THANK I WANT TO
THANK ALL OF THE PANELISTS. AND
UM SO YOU KNOW, WAYLON WILL JUST
CONTINUE WITH YOU SINCE WE
STARTED WITH YOU, UM. HELP ME
UNDERSTAND? YOU KNOW, WITH GET A
BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THIS, SO
YOU SAID 70% OF THE T. J WEBER.
IT'S ACTUALLY OVER IN MEXICO. IS
THERE ANY, UH, POSSIBILITY.
PHYSICAL POSSIBILITY WHERE WE
COULD ON THE UNITED STATES SIDE
BECAUSE I KNOW IT GETS TRICKY,
AND SOMETIMES THE MORE HANDS IN
THE POT. IT PROLONGS THINGS. AND
IF WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH WITH
THE WITH THIS FOR OVER 90 YEARS,
IT'S YOU KNOW, PEOPLE KEEP
POINTING FINGERS. IS THERE ANY
WAY THAT WE COULD ESTABLISH SOME
KIND OF FILTERING SOME SOMETHING
ON OUR SIDE? SO THAT WHATEVER
KIND OF POLLUTANTS MAY BE COMING
FROM THE OTHER 70% WERE ABLE TO
FILTER OUT BEFORE THEY GET TO
THE UNITED STATES SIDE OR IS
THAT JUST NOT POSSIBLE? WHAT
WE'RE REALLY FOCUSING ON RIGHT
NOW IS HOW WE CAN STRENGTHEN THE
STORM WATER IN MEXICO AS WELL.
BUT WHEN WE'RE DEALING WITH
INADEQUATE FUNDING FOR OUR OWN
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AND LIKE YOU
SAID MORE MORE HANDS IN THE
COOKIE JAR, THE MORE COMPLICATED
THINGS GET AND THE DEFLECTION OF
RESPONSIBILITY CONTINUES. SO
WHAT WE'RE REALLY PROPOSES
REALLY FINDING OUT WAYS TO BRING
IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR. CREATE
INVESTABLE OPPORTUNITIES THAT
ARE BASED OFF SUCCESS. SO IF WE
COULD FIND MECHANISMS OR ALLOW
MECHANISMS TO BE ABLE TO INVEST
INTO MEXICO TO REALLY ADDRESS IT
AT THE SOURCE, I BELIEVE
CALIFORNIA LAND MADE MANAGERS
DOWN THE ROAD OVER THE COURSE OF
THE NEXT 10 TO 30 YEARS WILL SEE
A CONSIDERABLE DROP IN THEIR
REMEDIATION COSTS ANNUALLY. AND
PLUS, WE'LL SEE MORE MORE OPEN
BEACHES WILL SEE LESS
CONTAMINANTS FLOWING IN AND
THESE ALL JUST FOCUS AROUND
GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, NATURE
BASED SOLUTIONS, REFORESTATION
PROJECTS AND REALLY WORKING WITH
THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN MEXICO
TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE URBAN
SPRAWL AND MIGRATION PATTERNS.
BUT IS IT WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE
FOR US TO BUILD SOME KIND OF
FILTER SYSTEM? UH WELL, THAT
THAT'S THAT'S A COMPLICATED
QUESTION, BECAUSE WITH LARGER
EVENTS, PUTTING MORE CAPTURE
SYSTEMS OR MORE REACTIONARY
MEASURES IN CALIFORNIA AS
FILTRATION SYSTEMS WHERE ARE
JUST COUNTERPRODUCTIVE, IT SEEMS
THAT IT WOULD BE MORE EXPENSIVE
LONG TERM TO INVEST IN SOMETHING
LIKE THAT IN CALIFORNIA, RATHER
THAN INVESTING IN MEXICO. RIGHT
NOW. I ONLY ASK THAT BECAUSE
THAT THAT IS CLEARLY THE BEST
OPTION. BUT IT HASN'T BEEN DONE.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD TO
DICTATE. WHAT SOMEONE ELSE CAN
DO. IT'S HARD TO DICTATE WHAT
OTHER STATES WILL DO, RIGHT.
THAT'S WHY WE, IT'S HARD TO
DICTATE WHAT CITIES WILL DO
WITHIN CALIFORNIA, EVEN THOUGH
WE MAY HAVE A CALIFORNIA LAW, UM
, BUT I DO KNOW THAT THIS IS A
SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM FOR OUR
RESIDENTS IN SOUTH BAY. I KNOW
IT IS A SIGNIFICANT HEALTH
PROBLEM FOR THEM AS WELL. I
REMEMBER GOING OUT TO, UM, AREAS
AND IMPERIAL BEACH AND SEEING
THOSE SIGNS LIKE YOU CANNOT GET
IN THE WATER, WHICH IS JUST VERY
ILL. JUST SAY VERY UNFORTUNATE.
SO I WAS JUST WONDERING IF, AS
WE ARE CONTINUING TO WORK, UM
WITH OUR INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS
AND FEDERAL FUNDING
UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU KNOW IN
SACRAMENTO, IT'S HARD TO GET
PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THE
IMPORTANCE OF THINGS THAT ARE
HAPPENING IN OUR DISTRICTS IN
SAN DIEGO, BUT THEN WHEN YOU
LOOK ON A FEDERAL LEVEL, TRYING
TO CONVINCE ALL OF THOSE OTHER
PEOPLE AND OTHER STATES TO
FOCUSING ON WHAT'S COMING,
WHAT'S HAPPENING IN CALIFORNIA?
IT'S ALSO JUST AS CHALLENGING.
WHAT IS IT THAT WE COULD DO? UM
FOR OUR RESIDENTS. AS WE
CONTINUE THESE DISCUSSIONS AND
THESE, UM, EFFORTS. FEDERALLY
AND ALSO INTERNATIONALLY. UM
IT'S COREY BELL STILL ON. YES
PERFECT. OKAY SO, UM, THANK YOU.
SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. I
WAS JUST WONDERING A COUPLE OF
THINGS FIRST. CAN YOU JUST
CLARIFY FOR ME WHAT WE ARE DOING
HERE IN CALIFORNIA? ARE WE
TESTING FOR LEAD IN OUR SCHOOLS
AND IN OUR DAYCARES. YES SO
THERE IS TESTING IN DAYCARES.
RIGHT NOW THERE'S A IT'S A FIVE
YEAR TESTING PROGRAM. UM AND
THERE WAS A ONE OFF TESTING
PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS. SO THAT WAS
DONE. I THINK IT WAS IN 2018,
AND THAT'S ALL WRAPPED UP. THAT
WAS JUST A ONE TIME SITUATION.
SO DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE
TESTING SHOW THAT THERE WAS
SIGNIFICANT LEAD IN OUR SCHOOLS,
WE NO LONGER TEST THAT'S RIGHT.
UM YEAH. YEAH. SO, UM. WHAT
SOURCES OF STATE FUNDING HOW WE
USED IN THE PAST TO ESTABLISH OR
IMPLEMENT THESE FILTERS THAT YOU
WERE DISCUSSING IN IN THE
CURRENT BUDGET, UM, THAT THE
GOVERNOR HAS PROPOSED IN JANUARY
. IS THERE ANY FUNDING FOR THESE
FILTERS OR TO ADDRESS THIS
PROBLEM AT ALL? SPECIFICALLY,
THAT'S A PROBLEM. YEAH SO AT THE
STATE LEVEL, THE FUNDING CAN
COME FROM WHAT'S CALLED DRINKING
WATER SRF. PROGRAM UM IT'S EVERY
STATE HAS ONE. AND UM IT'S MONEY
THAT COMES FROM THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT IS GIVEN TO THE
STATES AND THEN STATES THEN
DECIDE HOW TO DIVVY UP HOW THAT
MONEY IS SPENT. AND THAT'S ONE
WAY THAT A FILTER FIRST PROGRAM
COULD BE TESTED. IN PART, IT'S
SIMILAR TO THE OTHER FEDERAL
FUNDS THAT I THAT I MENTIONED,
UM THERE'S MONEY FROM THE BIDEN
INFRASTRUCTURE FUND. AND THERE'S
ALSO SOMETHING CALLED WATER
INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS FOR
THE NATION ACTIVES AND EPA
PROGRAM AND THAT IS GIVEN
DIRECTLY TO STATES TO DO TESTING
AND REMEDIATION IN SCHOOLS FOR
LEAD. UM AND THERE WAS SO THERE
WAS LAST YEAR BILL MAYBE 249
THAT WAS PASSED. HOWEVER, IT WAS
VETOED FOR MONETARY REASONS. SO
THERE ARE. FEDERAL FUNDS THAT WE
CAN GO AFTER. IN ADDITION TO
PROVIDING FUNDING WITHIN OUR OWN
STATE BUDGET BUT WE HAVE NOT
DONE THAT. THAT'S RIGHT.
ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S CORNER. I JUST
WANTED TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT I
WAS ACTUALLY ELECTED IN 2018 AND
MY OLD DISTRICT. THERE ARE
SEVERAL SCHOOLS THAT WERE
IDENTIFIED AS HAVING LED IT. UM
AND THEIR WATER, WHICH, AS A
MOTHER, JUST SO CONCERNING WELL
AS A HUMAN SO CONCERNING BUT
ESPECIALLY AS ANOTHER, UM, WAS
THERE IT WAS A ONE TIME TESTING.
WAS THERE ANY REQUIREMENT FOR
REMEDIATION AND REPORTING OUT
THAT THE ISSUES HAVE BEEN
REMEDIATED BASED ON THAT
TESTING? SO FOR THE DAYCARE
TESTING, THERE IS A REQUIREMENT
FOR REMEDIATION. UM THAT IS
THAT'S ONGOING. IT'S A LITTLE
BIT SLOW AND FOR THE SCHOOL
BILL, THAT WAS THAT WAS VITO.
MAYBE 249. THERE WAS A
REMEDIATION AND NOTIFICATION AND
REMEDIATION REQUIREMENT FOR THAT
AS WELL. AND FOR BOTH OF THOSE,
THE LIMIT WAS SET AT FIVE PARTS
PER BILLION, AS OPPOSED TO EPA'S
15. BECAUSE I KNOW IPHONE UP
DIRECTLY WITH ALL MY SCHOOL
DISTRICTS WHO HAD LEAD IN THEIR
WATER, AND IMMEDIATELY ALL THE
SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAD ACTION
PLANS AND FILTERS IN PLACE, SO I
KNOW THAT IN MY OLD DISTRICT,
THEY'RE FINE. I'M NOT SURE EVERY
ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S OR SENATOR WENT
THROUGH AND DID THE SAME TYPE OF
THING. UM SO IT WOULD BE
INTERESTING TO JUST REQUIRE THAT
ANY OF THOSE SCHOOLS REPORT OUT
ON HOW THEY RE MEDIATED IT.
RIGHT BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S AN
ASSUMPTION THAT THAT THEY'RE
FINE WITH THE FILTERS. BUT SINCE
THERE WAS NO FOLLOW UP TESTING,
WE'RE NOT COMPLETELY SURE. UM AT
THE TIME THAT THESE TESTS WERE
DONE, WAS THERE ANY
NOTIFICATIONS AND OUT TO THE
FAMILIES AND FORMING THEM OF THE
RESULTS OF THIS OF THE TESTING
AND THE SCHOOLS THAT THEIR
CHILDREN WERE ATTENDING? I
BELIEVE THERE WAS NOTIFICATIONS
SENT OUT TO PARENTS AND
GUARDIANS. AS TO THE TEST
RESULTS. YES. OKAY? UM. WELL
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR
EVERYONE, UM, PRESENTATION
TODAY. UM. I JUST WANTED TO
ACKNOWLEDGE A FEW THINGS THAT,
UM SAM BROWN SAID IN HIS
PRESENTATION. THE FIRST IS THAT
YOU KNOW WATER IS GOLD. UM WE
MUST HAVE CLEAN WATER. YOU
CANNOT HAVE COMMUNITIES. YOU
CANNOT HAVE GOOD HEALTH. IF YOU
DO NOT HAVE CLEAN WATER. AND THE
OTHER THAT I THOUGHT WAS SO VERY
INTERESTING WITH THAT WE CANNOT
EXPAND FURTHER INTO EAST COUNTY
WITHOUT ADDRESSING THE WATER
INFRASTRUCTURE THERE. AND AS
WE'RE DEALING WITH THINGS, UM,
IN TERMS OF THE NEED TO BUILD
MORE HOUSING THE ABILITY TO
BUILD OUT, UM INTO OTHER AREAS
WITHIN SAN DIEGO COUNTY. WE'RE
NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
IF WE DON'T GO INTO THESE AREAS
AND REALLY START TO LOOK AT
THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE AND TEST
THEIR WATER TO MAKE SURE THAT IT
IS SAFE FOR RESIDENTS TO MOVE
OUT THAT WAY, SO I REALLY WANT
TO THANK YOU SAM FOR BRINGING UP
THOSE TWO POINTS, AND WITH THAT
WE WILL MOVE ON TO OUR SECOND
PANEL WHEN I THINK SO MUCH THE
MEMBERS OF OUR FIRST PANEL.
WILL BE MONITORING FROM THE CAR.
BUT BECAUSE ITS RATING I HAVE TO
PICK UP MY KIDS FROM SCHOOL, UM
SO I BELIEVE IN MONITORING FOR
CRISIS. I WANT TO AGAIN THINK
ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S DR WEBBER FOR
PUTTING THIS TOGETHER. IT'S
FASCINATING, AND THERE'S SO MUCH
WORK THAT WE HAVE TO DO. AND I
LOVE THE SELECT COMMITTEE
HEARINGS BECAUSE WE REALLY GET
REAL INPUT. THAT'S REALLY HARD
FOR US OTHERWISE TO GET. SO
THANK YOU, EVERYBODY FOR ALL
YOUR HARD WORK, AND I LOOK
FORWARD TO HEARING AND THE CAR
EVERYTHING ELSE THE PANELISTS
ARE SAYING. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU
. ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S UM BOERNER.
SO WITH OUR NEXT PANEL, WE WILL
BE FOCUSING ON CLEAN AIR. WE
HAVE PAULA FORBES FROM THE SAN
DIEGO COUNTY AIR POLLUTION
CONTROL DISTRICT, BRADY VAN
ENGEL. LYNN POLICY ADVOCATE FROM
THE CALIFORNIA CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE AND THE REDS TO GARCIA
ADVOCATE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL
HEALTH COALITION, AND BEFORE
THEY START, I JUST WANT TO
REALLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT
WE HAVE BUSINESS AT THE TABLE.
UM OFTENTIMES, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE
NOT HERE. THEY'RE NOT INVITED.
AND SO THE FACT THAT THEY ARE
HERE AND WANTING TO PARTICIPATE
IN THIS DISCUSSION IS REALLY
COMMENDABLE. AND I WANT TO THANK
YOU ALL. AND SO WE WILL START.
UM WITH PAULA. THANK YOU VERY
MUCH. THERE WE GO. WE'RE ALL
SET. THANKS SO MUCH, UM THANK
YOU, DR WEBBER FOR HOLDING THIS
THIS PANEL. I REALLY APPRECIATE
THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME. SPEAK
WITH YOU. DOMINGO BE HELL ARE
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OVER OFFICE OF
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE WAS GOING
TO PRESENT TODAY BUT HE WAS NOT
ABLE TO COME BUT IT'S MY
PLEASURE TO BE HERE TO BE ABLE
TO PRESENT TO THIS PANEL. UM IF
WE COULD GO ON TO THE NEXT
SLIDE, PLEASE. I REALLY
APPRECIATED THE COMMENTS OF THE
FORMAL PANEL ABOUT THE
IMPORTANCE OF CLEAN WATER ALSO
WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE
OF CLEAN AIR. UM WELL, FOLKS MAY
HAVE THE ABILITY TO, UM, YOU
KNOW, OCCASIONALLY STAY OUT OF
THE WATER IF THEY KNOW THAT
THERE'S AN IMPACT AT THE BEACH
OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. WE CAN'T
GET AWAY FROM OUR AIR AND SO
HEALTH IMPACTS OF AIR POLLUTION
OR SOMETHING THAT, UM DRIVES US
TO DO THE WORK THAT WE DO AND
YOU CAN SEE HERE. THIS IS JUST A
LIST OF A FEW OF THEM. UM YOU
KNOW, RECENT STUDIES CAME OUT
TODAY LINKING, UM, UH DIESEL
PARTICULATE MATTER AND FIND
PARTICLE POLLUTION TO BREAST
CANCER. SO AS WE LEARN MORE AND
MORE ABOUT THE HEALTH IMPACTS OF
AIR POLLUTION IT MAKES THE WORK
THAT WE DO THAT MUCH MORE
IMPORTANT. IF WE COULD GO ON TO
THE NEXT SLIDE. UM SO WE ARE
PART OF A THREE TIER SYSTEM THAT
REGULATES AIR POLLUTION IN SAN
DIEGO COUNTY, AND SO NO SINGLE
AGENCY HAS THE RESOURCES
NECESSARY TO ENSURE CLEAN AIR
FOR ALL IT REQUIRES PARTNERSHIPS
. AND SO OUR DISTRICT IS PART OF
A COORDINATED THREE TIERED
APPROACH TO REGULATING AIR
POLLUTION. IN ACCORDANCE WITH
THE FEDERAL AND STATE CLEAN AIR
ACTS. THE U. S. C P A PRIMARILY
REGULATES EMISSIONS FROM
INTERSTATE TRAVELING SOURCES
SUCH AS PLANES, TRAINS AND
SHIPS. THE CALIFORNIA AIR
RESOURCES BOARD REGULATES
EMISSIONS FROM IN STATE MOBILE
SOURCES, LIKE ON ROAD AND OFF
ROAD SOURCES. AND ALSO REGULATES
CERTAIN AREA WIDE SOURCES SUCH
AS CONSUMER PRODUCTS AND OTHER
INDIVIDUALLY SMALL SOURCES THAT
ARE PREVALENT THROUGHOUT THE
STATE. CARB ALSO IMPLEMENTS A
GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTION PROGRAM
STATEWIDE AND REGULATES MOBILE
AND OTHER SOURCES OF AIR
POLLUTION IN CALIFORNIA. AT THE
LOCAL LEVEL. THE AIR POLLUTION
CONTROL DISTRICT REGULATES
EMISSIONS FROM STATIONARY
SOURCES THROUGHOUT THE REGION,
SUCH AS FACTORIES, POWER PLANTS,
LANDFILLS, GAS STATIONS IN SOME
AREA WIDE SOURCES SUCH AS PAINTS
AND COATINGS. GO ON TO THE NEXT
SLIDE, PLEASE. SO THIS SLIDE
JUST DEMONSTRATE SOME OF OUR KEY
PROGRAM AREAS. WE HAVE
ENGINEERING AND COMPLIANCE
DIVISIONS TO REGULATE THE
STATIONARY SOURCES THAT I
MENTIONED. WE ENSURE THAT
COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL
TRANSPORTATION AND AGRICULTURAL
BUSINESSES ARE PERMITTED AND
COMPLY WITH AIR POLLUTION
CONTROL LAWS. IN ADDITION TO
THAT, WE OFFER INCENTIVES TO
INCENTIVIZE CLEANER TECHNOLOGY
BY OFFERING GRANT FUNDS THAT
COME FROM STATE AND FEDERAL
SOURCES. WE ALSO MONITOR AND
RECORD AIR QUALITY USING A
NETWORK OF EQUIPMENT STATIONED
AROUND THE COUNTY, AND WE ALERT
THE PUBLIC TO ANY UNHEALTHY
CONDITIONS. AIR SAMPLES ARE ALSO
TESTED IN THE FIELD AND IN OUR
LABS. FIELD STAFF INSPECT. UM
BOTH PERMITTED AND NON PERMITTED
SOURCES OF AIR CONTAMINANTS AND
INVESTIGATE CITIZEN COMPLAINTS
ON AIR QUALITY MATTERS. AND
WE'RE PROUD TO HOLD THE ONLY IN
THE STATE MOBILE SOURCE AND
INSPECTION PROGRAM THROUGH A
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH
CARB WE WORK TO HELP FUTURE
GENERATIONS HAVE CLEAN AIR
THROUGH ALSO THROUGH LONG TERM
REGIONAL PLANS TO REDUCE
UNHEALTHFUL POLLUTION LEVELS AND
DEVELOP THEIR QUALITY RULES TO
ENSURE STATIONARY SOURCES
IMPLEMENT THOSE PLANTS. NEXT
SLIDE, PLEASE. AND SO I JUST
LIKE TO SHARE SOME NEWS WITH YOU
SOME QUICK POINTS THAT ARE
RELEVANT FOR THE ENTIRE REGION
OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY. FIRST IS,
HOW IS THE AIR QUALITY? THAT'S
THE FIRST QUESTION PEOPLE ASK
RIGHT REGIONAL AIR QUALITY IN
GENERAL HAS BEEN PROGRESSING ON
A POSITIVE TREND. SANTIAGO
COUNTY MEETS ALL NATIONAL
AMBIENT AIR QUALITY STANDARDS
EXCEPT FOR OZONE, ALSO KNOWN AS
SMOG. AND ALTHOUGH OZONE LEVELS
ARE LOWER IN THE POPULATED
COASTAL PLAIN, THE ENTIRE REGION
IS CONSIDERED OZONE
NONATTAINMENT BECAUSE SOURCES
THROUGHOUT THE REGION CONTRIBUTE
TO OZONE POLLUTION IN DOWNWIND
ALPINE, WHICH IS WHERE MOST OF
THE VIOLATIONS OF THAT STANDARD
OCCUR. NOW AT THE WE'RE
EXPECTING US C P A TO ANNOUNCE A
NEW STANDARD FOR FINE PARTICLE
MATTER NEXT WEEK. IT'S ENTIRELY
POSSIBLE THE REGION WILL BE, UM,
EVENTUALLY DESIGNATED
NONATTAINMENT FOR THAT STANDARD
IN WHICH CASE WILL BE TAKING
ADDITIONAL ACTION TO PROGRESS
PROGRESS TOWARDS ATTAINMENT OF
THAT STANDARD. NEXT I WANTED TO
HIGHLIGHT ASSEMBLY BILL 423,
WHICH SPLIT OUR DISTRICT OUT
FROM THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO
STRUCTURE. IT INCLUDED
REQUIREMENTS TO INCREASE
TRANSPARENCY AND PUBLIC
ENGAGEMENT. AND SO SINCE MARCH
OF 2021, A NEW 11 MEMBER
GOVERNING BOARD WAS FORMED IN
REPRESENTATION FROM VARIOUS
REGIONS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY
AND INCLUDES THREE PUBLIC MEMBER
SEATS, AND WE ARE THE ONLY
DISTRICT IN CALIFORNIA TO HAVE A
SEAT SPECIFICALLY FOR AND
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
REPRESENTATIVE AND WE'RE VERY
PROUD OF THAT. OUR NEW BOARD HAS
PRIORITIZED EQUITY AND
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE. AND AS
PART OF THAT, WE'VE ALSO
REVAMPED OUR COMPLAINT PROGRAM
TO BRING AN IN HOUSE 24 7
ABILITY TO INVESTIGATE
COMPLAINTS AND RESPOND TO PUBLIC
COMPLAINTS ABOUT AIR QUALITY.
AND THEN, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE,
WE ALSO ARE THE ONLY DISTRICT IN
THE STATE TO ENFORCE MOBILE
SOURCE REGULATIONS ON BEHALF OF
CARB THROUGH AN MOU NEXT SLIDE,
PLEASE. AND SO ONE OF THE KEY
ISSUES AND KEY TAKE HOME
MESSAGES IS THAT AIR POLLUTION
DOESN'T AFFECT EVERYONE EQUALLY,
AND YOU CAN SEE HERE.
INFORMATION FROM THE STATES, CAL
AND VIRUS GREEN PROGRAM. UM IT'S
ONE OF THE TOOLS THAT WE USE TO
IDENTIFY COMMUNITIES THAT ARE
MORE IMPACTED BY AIR POLLUTION.
AND MORE BURDENED BY OTHER
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS. THIS IS A
SCIENCE BASED MAPPING TOOL THAT
CONSIDERS A NUMBER OF HEALTH,
ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL
VARIABLES THAT YOU CAN SEE ON
THE SCREEN. THE DARKER ORANGE
AREAS ARE MORE IMPACTED THAN THE
LIGHTER ONES. AND SO, FOR
EXAMPLE, THE COMMUNITY OF BARRIO
LOGAN IS IN THE UPPER 90TH
PERCENTILE, WHICH MEANS IT'S
MORE BURDENED BY AIR POLLUTION
THAN OVER 90% OF OTHER
COMMUNITIES IN THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA. UP UNTIL THE LAST
FEW YEARS. THE MAJOR FOCUS FOR
AIR DISTRICT REGULATION AND IN
THE CLEAN AIR ACT, REGULATION OF
AIR POLLUTION WILL FOCUSED ON
REGIONAL AIR QUALITY. IT'S ONLY
IN THE LATE YOU KNOW THE LAST
FEW YEARS THAT WE'VE STARTED TO
REALLY DRILL DOWN ON THESE, UM,
COMMUNITIES THAT ARE
DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED, UM
BY AIR POLLUTION. AND SO IF WE
GO INTO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE
THE COMMUNITY AIR PROTECTION
PROGRAM, WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED
BY A B 617 IN CALIFORNIA IN 2017
STARTED THIS PROCESS OF AIR,
JUST LOCAL AIR DISTRICTS LOOKING
AT LOCAL COMMUNITIES, AND IT
REQUIRES DISTRICTS IN THE STATE
TO PARTNER WITH THE MOST
IMPACTED COMMUNITIES TO DO
COMMUNITY LEVEL AIR MONITORING,
DEVELOP EMISSION REDUCTION
PLANS. AND IMPLEMENT INCENTIVE
PROGRAMS TO DEPLOY THE CLEANEST
TECHNOLOGIES TO REDUCE AIR
POLLUTION. COMMUNITIES ARE
SELECTED AT THE STATE LEVEL AND
HERE IN SAN DIEGO. WE HAVE TWO
COMMUNITIES CURRENTLY
PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM. IF
WE CAN GO INTO THE NEXT SLIDE,
PLEASE. SO WE HAVE PARTNERED
WITH THE COMMUNITIES OF THE
PORTSIDE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
COMMUNITY AND THE INTERNATIONAL
BORDER COMMUNITY THROUGH
COMMUNITY STEERING COMMITTEES,
WHICH INCLUDE COMMUNITY
RESIDENTS, COMMUNITY BASED
ORGANIZATIONS. HEALTH EXPERTS,
ACADEMIA INDUSTRY, LOCAL
JURISDICTIONS AND TRANSPORTATION
PLANNING AGENCIES TO DEVELOP
COMMUNITY AIR MONITORING PLANS
AND COMMUNITY EMISSION REDUCTION
PLANS. THESE GROUPS MEET MONTHLY
TO COORDINATE IMPLEMENTATION OF
THE PLANS SHARE INFORMATION ON
PROGRESS AND ADDRESS CHALLENGES.
UNFORTUNATELY THE GOVERNOR'S
PROPOSED BUDGET CONTAINS
SIGNIFICANT CUTS TO THESE
PROGRAMS STATEWIDE, DESPITE THE
DEMONSTRATED SUCCESS THAT
THEY'VE HAD IN COMMUNITIES
THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA. NEXT
SLIDE, PLEASE. OVER THE PAST
YEAR, THE AIR DISTRICT HAS BEEN
CULTIVATING RELATIONSHIPS WITH
COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS
AND AGENCIES THROUGHOUT THE
REGION. THAT ARE WORKING WITH
COMMUNITIES FACING ENVIRONMENTAL
INJUSTICES. WE STARTED THESE
CONVERSATIONS BY CO DEVELOPING A
VISION REGARDING WHAT A
PARTNERSHIP COULD LOOK LIKE
BETWEEN THE S, D A. P. C D AND
THESE COMMUNITY BASED
ORGANIZATIONS. ALSO WE INCLUDED
COLLABORATION WITH THE
CALIFORNIA AIR RESOURCES BOARD
AND THE COUNTY'S OFFICE OF
SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL
JUSTICE. THIS YEAR. WE PLAN TO
START IMPLEMENTING THE VISION
THAT WE HAVE CO DEVELOPED. NEXT
SLIDE, PLEASE. SAN DIEGO OR
POLLUTION CONTROL. HIS ALREADY
STARTED THE PROCESS OF SEEKING
AND SECURING RESOURCES TO FUND
THE COLLECTIVE VISION DEVELOPED
WITH THE CBOS ON THE PRIOR SLIDE
. WE WERE RECENTLY AWARDED A $1
MILLION GRANT FROM THE U. S
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY.
IT'S A UNIQUE GRANT, WHERE AT
LEAST 30% OF IT WILL BE PASSED
THROUGH. TO FUND THE WORK THAT
THE CBOS ARE DOING IN
CONJUNCTION WITH US. WILL BE
WORKING WITH THESE EIGHT C CBOS
AND AGENCY PARTNERS TO PILOT A
NEW APPROACH TO THE STATES
COMMUNITY AIR PROTECTION
PROGRAM. WILL BE USING POPULAR
EDUCATION AND PARTICIPATORY
PLANNING TO HAVE COMMUNITY
MEMBERS IDENTIFY AIR QUALITY
ISSUES, ENGAGE ADDITIONAL
AGENCIES AND JURISDICTIONS AND
CO DEVELOPED SOLUTIONS TO
ADDRESS THESE ISSUES.
ADDITIONALLY, THIS EFFORT WILL
ALLOW US TO EXPAND OUR
MONITORING NETWORK. THROUGH THE
INSTALLATION OF SENSOR BASED
MONITORS THROUGHOUT COMMUNITIES
REGION WIDE. THE PROGRAM WILL
ALSO INCLUDE THE ESTABLISHMENT
OF A NEW REGIONAL AIR QUALITY
FOCUSED ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
WORKING GROUP CONVENED IN
PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COUNTY OF
SAN DIEGO OFFICE OF
SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL
JUSTICE. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
BEFORE I CONCLUDE MY
PRESENTATION. I'D LIKE TO INVITE
ALL OF YOU TO COLLABORATE WITH
US TODAY IN HELPING US REACH OUR
VISION OF CLEAN AIR FOR ALL BY
HELPING US DEVELOP OUR LONG TERM
STRATEGIC PLAN. WE'RE CURRENTLY
WORKING WITH OUR PARTNER
AGENCIES, STAKEHOLDERS AND
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND
IDENTIFYING AIR QUALITY
PRIORITIES AND STRATEGIES THAT
WILL BE THE FOCUS OF OUR WORK IN
THE UPCOMING YEARS. WE WELCOME
YOUR INPUT THROUGH OUR WEBSITE
OR BY ATTENDING OUR UPCOMING
PUBLIC FORUM ON THURSDAY,
FEBRUARY 8TH AT FIVE PM NEXT
SLIDE, PLEASE. THANK YOU AGAIN
FOR YOUR TIME TODAY. I'M HAPPY
TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE
, OR YOU CAN ALWAYS REACH OUT TO
US. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS IN
THE FUTURE, THE CONTACT
INFORMATION FOR OUR GOVERNMENT
AND PUBLIC RELATIONS COORDINATOR
IS ON THE SCREEN AND I'M HAPPY
TO SHARE MY CARD. IF ANYONE
WANTS TO REACH OUT TO ME LATER,
THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE
WILL NOW TURN TO BRADY VAN
ENGLAND. THAT'S CORRECT, DOCTOR
WEBER. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. GOOD
MORNING, DOCTOR, DR WEBBER AND
THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME TO BE
A PART OF THIS IMPORTANT
DISCUSSION. MY NAME IS BRADY VAN
ENGLAND, AND I'M, A POLICY
ADVOCATE AT THE CALIFORNIA
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CHAMBER IS
THAT BUSINESS ADVOCACY
ORGANIZATION FOR THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA, IN FACT, THE LARGEST
ONE OVER 14,000 MEMBERS RANGING
FROM THE SMALL MOM AND POP
BUSINESSES TO LARGE
MULTINATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
COVERING EVERY CORNER OF THE
STATE, SO CLEARLY NOT A
MONOLITHIC PERSPECTIVE HERE THAT
I'M THAT I'M OFFERING, BUT I DO
THAT I WOULD JUST KIND OF
HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE THINGS
THAT HAVE BEEN DONE BY CAL
CHAMBER MEMBERS, UM, IN THE PAST
COUPLE OF YEARS, MOVING TOWARDS
DECARBONIZATION AND MITIGATION
EFFORTS FOR YOU KNOW THE LOCAL
COMMUNITY LEVEL AS WELL, TOO.
AND THEN PERHAPS TALK MORE ABOUT
SOME THINGS THAT YOU KNOW. NEED
TO BE DONE. UM SO SOME OF THE
INVESTMENTS THAT ARE MEMBERS OF
MAY HAVE BEEN MOVING TOWARDS
TRANSITIONING TOWARDS ZERO
CARBON FUELS SUCH AS BIODIESEL,
INVESTING HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS
OF DOLLARS IN SOLAR AND STORAGE
TO SERVE AS PART OF THE STATE'S
CLEAN ENERGY SOLUTION. UM
SUSTAINABLE AVIATION FUEL,
INVESTING HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS
OF DOLLARS IN SUSTAINABLE
AVIATION FUEL TO HEAD AT 30%
TARGET EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS FOR,
UM, AIRCRAFT EMISSIONS. UM WE
HAVE MEMBERS OF INVESTED. WE
TALKED EARLIER ABOUT NATURAL AND
WORKING LANDS AS WELL. AND WE
HAVE A LOT OF MEMBERS THAT ARE
KEENLY. FOCUSED ON THAT ISSUE
AREA AND HAVE SOUGHT TO SERVE
OVER 250,000 ACRES OF LAND,
WHICH WOULD SEQUESTER
APPROXIMATELY 3.3 MILLION TONS
OF CARBON ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. UM
WE HAVE COLLEGE CHAMBER MEMBERS
THAT ARE COMMITTING BILLIONS OF
DOLLARS TOWARDS EVIE.
INFRASTRUCTURE UM, HUNDREDS OF
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT IS
DIRECTED HERE IN CALIFORNIA.
INVESTING IN LOCAL AIR
POLLUTIONS AS WELL TO, UM WE
HAVE MEMBERS ARE INVESTING IN
TECHNOLOGIES GENERATION
TECHNOLOGIES THAT ARE ON SITE
THAT REDUCED VIRTUALLY REDUCED
ALL KNOCKS, SOCKS AND PARTICULAR
PARTICULATE MATTER, EFFECTIVELY
REMOVING CRITERIA AIR POLLUTANTS
FROM ON SITE GENERATION. SO FROM
A FROM A BROADER PERSPECTIVE,
GIVEN CALA CHAMBERS MEMBERSHIP.
AS I SAID, WE'RE NOT MONOLITHIC
ORGANIZATION. UH, COUCH IMBERT.
TYPICALLY HAS TAKEN A AND ALL OF
THE ABOVE APPROACH. UM, ON OUR
POLICY POSITIONS, UH, FOCUS
TOWARDS OUR CLIMATE OBJECTIVES.
UM WE DON'T THINK YOU CAN LEAVE
REALLY ANY OPTIONS OFF THE
TABLE? UM, UH, GIVEN THAT THERE
ARE SUCH AMBITIOUS TARGETS THAT
WE'RE GONNA NEED TO HIT IN THE
NEAR FUTURE. UM WE RELY ON YOU
KNOW, TECHNOLOGY AGNOSTIC
APPROACH IS TO FORM TO INFORM
OUR POLICY DECISIONS, WHICH
OFTEN ARE YOU KNOW, BASED ON THE
BEST AVAILABLE SILENCE AT THAT
TIME. SO THAT DOES REQUIRE A
LITTLE BIT OF A BALANCE, THOUGH.
UM YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO, YOU
KNOW, ARE WHERE THE BUSINESS
COMMUNITY, SO WE HAVE TO
SAFEGUARD THE ECONOMY AND HAVE
IT HAS TO HAVE A DEMONSTRABLE
IMPACT ON EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS
AS WELL, TOO. UM, YOU KNOW, IT
WAS FOR THIS VERY REASON THAT
COW CHAMBER CAME OUT IN SUPPORT
OF A B 398, WHICH IS YOU RECALL
WAS THE CAP AND TRADE EXTENSION
OFFERED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
UM ONE OF THE MORE APPEALING
THINGS OF THAT THAT THAT BILL
WAS THAT THE MARKET BASED
STRATEGY IN THE MARKET BASED
APPROACH THAT WAS TAKEN. IT'S
PROVEN TO BE EFFECTIVE TIME AND
TIME AGAIN IN BOTH TERMS OF COST
HAND DESIRED OUTCOME, SO IT HITS
BOTH TARGETS FOR US IN RELATION
TO WHAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR. UM
AND THIS HAS BEEN REINFORCED BY
CARBON CARB RECENTLY CAME OUT
WITH SOME BINDINGS THAT SAID
THAT THE OVERALL G H E G
EMISSIONS HAVE REDUCED BY 14. UM
AND IT'S HAD A POSITIVE IMPACT
ON CRITERIA POLLUTANTS AS WELL,
TOO. THE UNIVERSITY OF
CALIFORNIA, SANTA BARBARA,
ISSUED A STUDY NOT TOO LONG AGO
THAT SAID THE CAP AND TRADE
PROGRAM HAS ROOST. AIR POLLUTION
BY ANYWHERE FROM 3 TO 9% AND AIR
POLLUTION. DISPARITIES FROM
INDUSTRIAL FACILITIES NARROWED,
WHERE WITHIN THOSE COMMUNITIES
AS WELL. UM AND FURTHER YOU KNOW
, AUCTION PROCEEDS FROM CAP AND
TRADE ARE OFTEN DIRECTED TOWARDS
LOCAL EMISSIONS REDUCTION
STRATEGIES, SO IT'S PROVEN TO
ACTUALLY SERVE AS A MULTIFACETED
APPROACH TO ADDRESSING BOTH ARE,
YOU KNOW, GHG EMISSIONS AND
CRITERIA AIRPLANES. UM YOU KNOW,
THAT SAID, I'M NOT LOOKING FOR
YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK
CATCHING, BUT WE'RE NOT LOOKING
FOR ACCOLADES. WE'RE NOT TRYING
TO, YOU KNOW, LOOK FOR ANY KIND
OF POSITIVE, UH, NOTES HERE FROM
OUR MEMBERS ARE FOR ON BEHALF OF
OUR MEMBERS. WE YOU KNOW,
THERE'S A LOT MORE THAT NEEDS TO
BE DONE. AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT.
UM IT'S PART OF THE REASON WE
WERE STRONG ADVOCATES ON BEHALF
OF THE GOVERNOR'S INFRASTRUCTURE
PACKAGE LAST YEAR. UM AND WE
ALSO HAVE BEEN STRONG AND WE
CAME OUT AND YOU KNOW IT'S
STRONG SUPPORT OF COUPLE
TRANSMISSION. STREAMLINING BILLS
LAST YEAR. UM PERSONALLY, I AND
I THINK CHAMBER FOR MORE BROADLY
SEES THE SOLUTION UPSTREAM. IN
ORDER TO DE CARBONIZED YOU NEED
TO ACTUALLY ENSURE THAT WE HAVE
A TRANSMISSION SYSTEM THAT CAN
ACCOMMODATE ALL OF THAT
ELECTRIFICATION. AND QUITE
FRANKLY, WE AREN'T THERE YET. WE
HAVE 1/20 CENTURY GRID THAT HAS
AMBITIONS TO OPERATE IN THE 21ST
CENTURY. UM SO, YOU KNOW. THAT
WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO PUSH
ON THAT. AND YOU KNOW, THAT'S AN
AREA WHERE I THINK WE, YOU KNOW,
I THINK MORE WORK NEEDS TO BE
DONE, AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL FIND
SOME SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO
COLLABORATE ON THAT. AND JUST TO
HIGHLIGHT, YOU KNOW, UM SOME OF
THAT THAT THAT CONCERNS THAT ARE
RAISED FROM THERE. UM UM YOU
KNOW, THERE ARE YOU KNOW LAND
USE DECISIONS ALSO THAT SERVES
HIM IMPEACHMENT HERE IN
CALIFORNIA. UM INTO UNDERSCORE
THAT YOU LOOK AT WHAT YOU KNOW.
TEXAS IS NOW THE STATE WITH THE
MOST UTILITY SCALE SOLAR
GENERATION IN THE COUNTRY, NOT
CALIFORNIA. AND THIS ISN'T
BECAUSE TEXAS HAS EMBRACED HIS
SUDDENLY EMBRACED SOLAR
GENERATION. BY ANY MEANS. I
THINK IT'S PROBABLY THE
OPPOSITE. BUT YOU KNOW, BECAUSE
OF SOME OF THE LAND USE
DECISIONS, THEY'RE THERE. THEY
FOUND MORE ACCOMMODATING TO
BUILD IN TEXAS, AND THEY HAVE IN
CALIFORNIA. SO YOU KNOW WE HAVE
THIS COMPETING. WE DO HAVE
COMPETING PRIORITIES AND IF,
WHEREVER IT LANDS IS FINE, BUT,
UM, UH, JUST UNDERSTANDING WHAT?
YOU KNOW THOSE COMPETING
PRIORITIES ARE SO YOU KNOW, WE
CAN MOVE ARE, YOU KNOW? MOVE
MOVE IN THE DIRECTION TO YOU
KNOW TO ALIGN WITH THOSE
PRIORITIES WOULD BE HELPFUL, BUT
IT'S YOU KNOW, THERE IS A LITTLE
BIT OF PUSH AND PULL RIGHT NOW
AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO
MANAGE THAT, UM CAN BE
CHALLENGING. AH SO YOU KNOW, AS
I SAID, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO
BE DONE IN THIS SPACE. UM I YOU
KNOW, I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING
WITH THE LEGISLATURE ON
ADDRESSING SOME OF THESE KEY
ISSUES. UM AND I'M HAPPY TO
ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU
MIGHT HAVE. THANK YOU. WE WILL
NOW TURN TO MARITSA. GARCIA.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. THERE IT IS.
HELLO EVERYONE. MY NAME IS MARIE
TO GARCIA. I'M A POLICY ADVOCATE
WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
COALITION, WORKING MAINLY OUT OF
THE LOGAN HEIGHTS BARRIO LOGAN
COMMUNITY. SO THC IS A
ORGANIZATION THAT HAS BEEN
AROUND FOR OVER 40 YEARS. WE ARE
BY NATIONALLY WORK IN THE SAN
DIEGO AND TIJUANA REGION, AND WE
REALLY STRIVE TO FIGHT FOR
JUSTICE TO COMMUNITIES THAT ARE
HEAVILY IMPACTED BY
ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM. I DO WANT
TO NOTE THAT WE MAINLY WORK WITH
GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS TO
EMPOWER THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO
BE THE ONES THAT VOICE WHAT
NEEDS TO BE CHANGED SO
ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM GETS THROWN
OUT AROUND A LOT, AND I JUST
REALLY SOLIDIFY WHAT WE THINK IT
MEANS AND WHAT WE WORK AGAINST.
UM SO IT'S A DISPROPORTIONATE
IMPACT OF ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS
ON PEOPLE OF COLOR BECAUSE OF
SYSTEMIC RACISM, POLICIES AND
LAWS THAT ARE RESULTED THAT
RESULTED IN PEOPLE OF COLOR IN
OR LOW INCOME PEOPLE BEING
EXPOSED TO GREATER ENVIRONMENTAL
HAZARD, SO I DO I WANT TO
EMPHASIZE THAT IT IS A SYSTEMIC
UM, IT'S A SYSTEMIC THING. AND
SO EACH C DOES IS WE TRY TO
BRING ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE,
WHICH IS THE RIGHT OF ALL PEOPLE
AND COMMUNITIES TO LIVE WORK AND
PLAY IN A CLEAN AND SAFE
ENVIRONMENT. SO THIS IS REALLY
THE MOVEMENT'S RESPONSE TO
ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM. BUT HOW
DID THIS MOVEMENT REALLY COME
ABOUT? IT'S REALLY ROOTED IN THE
CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT OF THE 19
SIXTIES. DURING THIS TIME,
PEOPLE WERE, UM TALKING ABOUT
THE DISINVESTMENT IN THEIR
COMMUNITIES HOW THEY NOTICED
THAT RED LINING AND WHITE FLIGHT
REALLY AFFECTED LIKE DR WEBBER
MENTIONED THERE WAS RACIST
POLICIES PUT INTO EFFECT PRIOR
TO THIS, LIKE THE FEDERAL AID
HIGHWAY ACT IN INDUSTRIAL
ZONING, THEY'RE REALLY ALL ADDED
UP TO THE MAKEUP OF OUR
COMMUNITIES THAT WERE MAINLY
PEOPLE OF COLOR. AND IT WASN'T
UNTIL 1987 WHEN THE UNITED
CHURCH OF CHRIST RELEASED A
REPORT CALLED THE TOXIC WASTE IN
THE UNITED STATES WERE RAISED
WAS SOLIDIFIED AS THE MOST, UM,
SIGNIFICANT FACTOR FOR HEALTH
PACKED IMPACTS. UM. AND IN 1991
THE PEOPLE DURING THE PEOPLE'S
SUMMIT ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
THAT TERM FINALLY BECAME INTO
OUR VERNACULAR, AND DURING THIS
SUMMIT, THERE WAS ALSO THE
PRINCIPLES. THAT THE EJ MOVEMENT
, UM USED TO THIS DAY, THAT'S
WHEN THEY WERE DRAFTED. SO HOW
DOES THIS AFFECT US? IN
CALIFORNIA? UM AS MENTIONED. THE
CALEN VIRUS SCREEN IS SOMETHING
INDICATE A TOOL THAT WE USE A
LOT BECAUSE IT'S REALLY GOOD AND
SHOWING HOW THESE DIFFERENT, UM,
INDICATORS AFFECT OUR
COMMUNITIES. SO OF COURSE, THERE
IS THAT POLLUTION BURDEN THAT IS
SEEN, LIKE THE DIESEL
PARTICULATE MATTER. TRAFFIC UM
LEAD RISK, BUT THEN IT ALSO GOES
DEEPER TO SEE THE BROAD
DEMOGRAPHIC OF THE COMMUNITY.
THE INCOME LEVEL, THE RACE, THE
LINGUISTIC BARRIERS AND EVEN
HEALTH LIKE ASTHMA AND LIFE
EXPECTANCY. AND AS YOU CAN SEE,
HERE, THAT'S THE SAN FERNANDO DE
SAN FERNANDO VALLEY, WHICH IS
REALLY THE FACTORY BACKBONE OF
CALIFORNIA. AND YOU, YOU SEE
VERY ABUNDANTLY THE COLOR
DIFFERENCE AND HOW MUCH
POLLUTION REALLY AFFECTS THEM
BECAUSE OF INDUSTRY WANTED TO DO
A LITTLE DEEPER DIVE INTO SOME
OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT WE HAVE,
UM, SUPPORT OF LONG BEACH AND
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES ON THE
LEFT, UM, A AREA WE HAVE OAKLAND
AND OTHER PORTSIDE COMMUNITIES
IN THE MIDDLE AND THEN LASTLY,
SAN DIEGO AS MENTIONED BY PAULA
RIGHT THERE, THAT RED MARK
THAT'S BARRIO LOGAN, LOGAN
HEIGHTS. THAT'S WHERE I DO MOST
OF MY WORK AND ACTUALLY WHERE
I'M FROM. I'M SECOND GENERATION
LOGAN RESIDENTS. SO ALL OF THESE
THINGS THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT
ARE VERY PERSONAL TO ME BECAUSE
I SEE THESE NEGATIVE EFFECTS IN
MY COMMUNITY DAILY. SO WHY ARE
WE DISPROPORTIONATELY INFECTED
AGAIN? AS CLEARLY SEEN? WE WERE
REDLINED. WE HAVE MIXED ZONING
WERE INDUSTRY IS RIGHT NEXT
DOOR, TWO NEIGHBORS. WE HAVE A
FREEWAY AND THE CORONADO BRIDGE
THAT BISECTED OUR COMMUNITY AND
DISPLACED THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES.
HMM AND THIS BECOMES INTO REAL
LIFE. THIS IS A PICTURE OF THE
PORTS. UM WE ARE ONE OF THE FEW
PORTS THAT DON'T ACTUALLY GET TO
HAVE ACCESS TO OUR BAY. WE HAVE
A SMALL LITTLE PARK THAT WE GET
TO SEE THE WATER. WE DON'T
ACTUALLY GET TO GO INTO A
INSTEAD. UM IT ATTRACTS INDUSTRY
AND ATTRACTS OTHER POLLUTERS
LIKE BIG DIESEL TRUCKS THAT
GOING THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
YOU HAVE THE INCOMPATIBLE LAND
USE THAT HAS THESE FACTORIES
LITERALLY IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR
COMMUNITY. IF YOU CAN NOTICE IN
THE BACK THAT IS A HOUSE, UM,
RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET. A AND
ALL OF THAT SMOKE THAT YOU SEE,
IT JUST GOES RIGHT INTO THE AIR.
AND AS YOU KNOW, AIR, THERE'S NO
BARRIERS. SO THESE PEOPLE THESE
ELDERS, LIKE YOU KNOW, ARE THE
ELDERS OF OUR COMMUNITY. OUR
KIDS OUR YOUTH ARE HAVING TO
BREATHE THIS DAILY AND THEY
CAN'T ESCAPE IT. THEY'RE JUST
LIVING IN THE HOME THAT THEY
HAVE. UM AND I REALLY WANT TO
EMPHASIZE THAT AGAIN. COMMUNITY
WAS HERE BEFORE THE INDUSTRY WAS
SO THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT HAD TO
DEAL WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING TO
THEM WITHOUT HAVING A VOICE
REALLY. SO YOU KNOW, PICTURES DO
SAY 1000 WORDS. BUT I DID ALSO
WANT TO PUT INTO CONTEXT OF
NUMBERS. THE MAKEUP OF OUR
COMMUNITY AND BARRIO LOGAN IS
97% PEOPLE OF COLOR AND 35% OF
OUR FAMILIES ARE IN POVERTY.
THEY HAVE TO DEAL WITH ABOUT 100
JUST SHY OF £128 MILLION OF
TOXIC SUBSTANCES YEARLY IN OUR
COMMUNITY. YOU COMPARE THIS TO A
MORE AFFLUENT COMMUNITY IN SAN
DIEGO LA HOYA, WHERE ONLY 14%
ARE PEOPLE OF COLOR AND ONLY 3%
ARE SUFFERING AND POVERTY. £3
MILLION IS WHAT THEY DEAL WITH
ANNUALLY. SO IT REALLY SHOWS IN,
UM THE HEALTH IMPACTS OF OUR
COMMUNITY. WE ARE IN THE 99TH
PERCENTILE OF MOST IMPACTED
COMMUNITIES. 95TH PERCENTILE FOR
CANCEROUS NATIONWIDE. OUR
COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE A 10 YEAR
SHORTER LIFE EXPECTANCY THAN
EVERYONE ELSE, AND WE ARE THREE
TIMES MORE LIKELY TO HAVE ASTHMA
RELATED AND OTHER RESPIRATORY
RELATED ER VISITS THAN THE WHOLE
COUNTY AVERAGE. THESE ARE REAL
LIFE NUMBERS, THEN DON'T ONLY
AFFECT OUR HEALTH, BUT IT ALSO
INFECTS AFFECTS OUR FINANCIALS.
IT AFFECTS OUR EDUCATION. ATION
IT AFFECTS OUR JOB STABILITY
BECAUSE PEOPLE NOT ONLY HAVE TO
CARE FOR THEMSELVES WHEN THEY'RE
SICK. SOMETIMES THEY HAVE TO
CARE FOR THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS
AND MISSED THESE THINGS. YOU
KNOW, AND UNFORTUNATELY WE DO
HAVE A LOT OF BURDENS THAT
HAPPENED TO OUR COMMUNITY. BUT
WE ARE A RESILIENT PEOPLE AS
MENTIONED. I AM A LOGAN
RESIDENTS. SO I KNOW HOW STRONG
WE FIGHT AND I'M VERY FORTUNATE
THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
COALITION WORKS IN THIS TYPE OF
COMMUNITY AND THEY REALLY
EMPOWER RESIDENTS TO GIVE THEM
THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THEIR
CONCERNS TO DEVELOP SOLUTIONS TO
THESE PROBLEMS. I FEEL LIKE I'M
A TRUE TESTAMENT TO THAT A
COUPLE OF YEARS AGO IS WHAT I
FOUND ENVIRONMENTAL COALITION AS
A COMMUNITY MEMBER, JUST TRYING
TO FIND OUT NOW WHY THESE THINGS
WERE HAPPENING AND WHAT CAN BE
CHANGED? AND HERE I AM A COUPLE
OF YEARS LATER BEING ABLE TO BE
AS A POLICY ADVOCATE IN FRONT OF
ALL OF Y'ALL TO REALLY GIVE THE
TRUE TESTAMENT TO WHAT'S GOING
ON IN THEIR COMMUNITIES, SO I AM
SUPER HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO SHARE
SOME OF THE WINDS THAT WE'VE
BEEN ABLE TO SEE IN THE PAST
COUPLE OF YEARS IN 2021, THE
CITY FINALLY ADOPTED NEW ZONING
THAT SEPARATED INDUSTRY AND
RESIDENTS AND LAST YEAR THE
COASTAL COMMISSION FINAL OF ALL
OF IT WAS APPROVED. SO I'M
EXCITED TO SEE THESE, UM, BUFFER
ZONE BE IMPLEMENTED. AND REALLY
HAVE SOME KIND OF RELIEF TO OUR
COMMUNITY MEMBERS. BUT THE FIGHT
ISN'T OVER BECAUSE WE DO NOW
NEED TO ADVOCATE TO BE ABLE TO
HAVE IMPLEMENT WAYS. WHERE THE
UM THE INDUSTRY THAT IS IN THAT
BUFFER ZONE HAVE A WAY TO GET
OUT IN A IN A NOT ONLY A SAFE
MANNER FOR THE COMMUNITY, BUT
ALSO FOR THEIR BUSINESSES. I
MENTIONED THAT THERE'S A LOT OF
TRUCKS THAT COME IN BECAUSE OF
PORTAL. OTHER INDUSTRY JUST, YOU
KNOW, GOING BACK AND FORTH TO
DISPERSE THROUGHOUT SAN DIEGO
AND PRIOR TO THIS TRUCK, RIGHT
ADOPTION THAT HAPPENED IN 2018.
THEY WERE ALLOWED TO GO ONTO ALL
RESIDENTIAL STREETS. SO YOU HAD
KIDS OUT ON THE STREET TRYING TO
PLAY WITH THESE BIG HEAVY
TRUCKS. JUST COMING ZOOMING
DOWN. UM IT WAS A HUGE WIN FOR
US, AND NOW WE REALLY ARE
WORKING TO FIND MORE FUNDING TO,
UM BUILD INFRASTRUCTURE TO
DISSUADE THESE TRUCKS FROM VERY
AND OFF OF THE ROUTE. WE
COMMUNITY. IT MAKES IT VERY
ABUNDANT AND CLEAR THAT WE DON'T
NEED MORE POLICING. TO BE ABLE
TO ENFORCE THESE RULES. WE NEED
TO FIND MORE DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS
TO REALLY INVEST IN OUR
COMMUNITY. THE POOR WAS IN THE
PROCESS OF CREATING A MARINE
CLEAN AIR STRATEGY AND, UM SORRY
, MARITIME CLEANER STRATEGY AND
COMMUNITY FOUGHT HARD TO ENSURE
THAT THERE WAS, UM, GOALS THAT
INCLUDED ELECTRIFYING NOT ONLY
THE TRUCKS BUT ALSO ALL OF THE
EQUIPMENT IN THE PORTS OF BY
2030, WHICH IS FIVE YEARS
QUICKER THAN UM, THE STATE GOAL.
SO YOU KNOW, THAT WAS A HUGE
ONE, AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE
TO MONITOR ENSURE THAT MAKE SURE
THAT IMPLEMENTATION IS THERE.
AND LASTLY, I WANTED TO TOUCH
UPON THE TRANSFORMATIVE CLIMATE
COMMUNITIES GRANT. THIS IS A
WONDERFUL GRANT THAT WE WERE
AWARDED THIS PAST DECEMBER. UM
IT WAS A REALLY BIG BATTLE TO
ENSURE THAT WE HAD EVERYTHING
YOU KNOW, ON TIME FOR THE GRANT.
WE HAD SO MANY DIFFERENT
PARTNERS AND GRASSROOTS
ORGANIZATIONS WORKING HARD TO BE
ABLE TO BRING THESE PROJECTS AND
I'M VERY EXCITED TO SEE THIS
MONEY, COMMENTS AND FUND THE
PART THESE PROJECTS TO ACTIVELY
COMBAT THIS OVERWHELMING
POLLUTION. WE'RE GOING TO BE
PLENTY MORE TREES, ELECTRIFYING
BUSSES. UM WE CREATED A
COMMUNITY LAND TRUST TO BE ABLE
TO STOP GENTRIFICATION AND THIS
IS GOING TO FINALLY BE ABLE TO
FUND SOME LAND ACQUISITION. UM I
DO WANT TO NOTE, THOUGH, THAT
THE FUNDING FOR THIS GRANT HAS
BEEN REDUCED SIGNIFICANTLY OVER
THE ROUNDS, AND UNFORTUNATELY,
IT IS NOT GUARANTEED TO COME
NEXT YEAR, SO I REALLY URGE FOR
ALL OF US IN THIS ROOM TO
ADVOCATE FOR THE FUNDING OF THIS
PROGRAM THAT CAN BE BRING MUCH
NEEDED RESOURCES TO FULLY
DESERVING COMMUNITIES. UM THANK
YOU SO MUCH FOR GIVING ME THIS
CHANCE TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK UPON
THIS MATTER AND AGAIN, AREAS
SUPER IMPORTANT. UM AS PAULA
MENTIONED, WE CAN'T ESCAPE IT.
WE CAN'T GO AWAY AND JUST STOP
SWIMMING FOR A WHILE. WE HAVE TO
BREATHE THIS AIR, SO IT'S VERY
IMPORTANT THAT WE FIGHT TO MAKE
IT CLEANER FOR ALL OF OUR
COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND ALL OF SAN
DIEGO AND ALL OF CALIFORNIA.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU.
WELL I REALLY WANT TO THANK ALL
THE PANELISTS. I HAD QUESTIONS
FOR EACH OF YOU, BUT I'M BEING
NUDGED BECAUSE RUNNING A LITTLE
BIT BEHIND SCHEDULE, BUT I DID
WANT TO HIGHLIGHT. UM YOU KNOW
WHAT MARAT SAID. GARCIA WAS
SAYING, BECAUSE IT IS SO VERY
IMPORTANT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING
ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE,
RECOGNIZING THAT IN
ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE AS WELL
THAT IT IS A SYSTEMIC ISSUE. AND
THAT THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT
JUST HAPPENED AS SHE STATED
COMMUNITIES WHERE THERE AND THEN
THERE WERE POLICIES AND LAWS AND
PROCEDURES THAT WERE PUT IN
PLACE TO SPECIFICALLY PLACE
THESE VARIOUS COMMUNITIES AT
RISK. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHO'S
LIVING IN THOSE COMMUNITIES,
WHETHER IT'S HERE IN SAN DIEGO
COUNTY WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
BARRIO LOGAN OR TALKING ABOUT
OTHER AREAS WITHIN THE STATE,
LIKE CARSON, UM, IN THE LOS
ANGELES AREA. IT'S VERY CLEAR
THAT THESE INDUSTRIES AND THESE
POLLUTANTS ARE IN AREAS WHERE
YOU HAVE PREDOMINANTLY MINORITY
COMMUNITIES, UM, AND ALSO LOWER
SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS COMMUNITIES
AND WE ALSO IN THE AUDIENCE HAVE
A LOT OF OUR HEALTH SYSTEMS
HERE. AND SO I EVEN THOUGH THEY
ARE OFTEN TIMES NOT PHYSICALLY
IN THE COMMUNITY, AND I TALK
ABOUT THAT A LOT, YOU KNOW, YOU
MENTIONED THE HOROYA ALL OF OUR
MAJOR HOSPITAL SYSTEMS ARE
LOCATED UP THERE, BUT WE NEED TO
MAKE SURE IN ORDER TO HAVE A
HEALTHY REGION THAT WE DO HAVE A
PRESENCE IN THESE COMMUNITIES AS
WELL. AND SO YOU KNOW, I
STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT THE
HEALTH SYSTEMS THAT ARE HERE IF
YOU DON'T HAVE RELATIONSHIPS AND
PROGRAMS WITHIN THESE
COMMUNITIES, SINCE WE ALREADY
KNOW THAT THEY ARE HIGH RISK FOR
CERTAIN HEALTH ISSUES TO DEVELOP
THOSE RELATIONSHIPS AND THOSE
PROGRAMS TO GO IN AND DO EARLIER
SCREENINGS EARLIER INTERVENTIONS
SO THAT WE'RE NOT CONTINUING TO
SEE THE HARMFUL HEALTH IMPACTS
OF THESE THINGS AS WE'RE WORKING
ON IMPROVING THE AIR QUALITY AND
THE WATER QUALITY, THERE ARE
OTHER THINGS THAT HEALTH SYSTEMS
CAN DO IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THESE
DIFFERENT COMMUNITY
ORGANIZATIONS AND THE RESIDENTS
THAT LIVE IN THOSE COMMUNITIES
TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE HEALTHY
GOING FORWARD. SO WHEN YOU
REALLY THINK OUR PANEL AND WE
WILL NOW MOVE TO OUR THIRD PANEL
, WHICH IS GOING TO FOCUS ON
GREEN OPEN SPACES.
WE HAVE SAMEERA ROW WHO WHO IS
THE ASSISTANT DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF
THE SAN DIEGO CITY PLANNING
DEPARTMENT. SHE WILL BE JOINING
US REMOTELY, AND WE HAVE ROMAN
PARTIDA LOPEZ, THE SENIOR LEGAL
COUNSEL FOR GREENLINING
INSTITUTE, AND WE WILL START
WITH SAMEERA. GOOD MORNING,
EVERYONE. CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME?
GOOD MORNING. WE CAN THANK YOU.
I'M SAMEERA, ASSISTANT DEPUTY
DIRECTOR WITH THE CITY PLANNING
DEPARTMENT. AND I'M VERY EXCITED
TO BE PART OF THIS PANEL. I
WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE AN
OVERVIEW OF THE CITY OF SAN
DIEGO IS EQUITY FORWARD
INITIATED THIS MORNING. THIS
UMBRELLA INITIATIVE COMPRISES OF
THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
ELEMENT. THE CHILEANS CREEK
MASTER PLAN THE CITYWIDE TRAILS
MASTER PLAN. DEVELOPING THE PART
NEEDS INDEX GATHERING INPUT AND
INFRASTRUCTURE PRIORITIES,
STREAMLINING THE PROCESS TO WORK
WITH COMMUNITY BASED
ORGANIZATIONS TO HELP PROVIDE
PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE THAT THE
COMMUNITY NEEDS AND INCLUSIVE
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT GUIDE TO
MEANINGFULLY ENGAGED WITH
COMMUNITY MEMBERS, ESPECIALLY
THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN UNDER
REPRESENTED FOR DECADES. AND MY
MENTAL JUSTICE. NEXT TIME,
PLEASE. AND WHY WOULD YOU
JUSTICE CALLS FOR FAIR
DISTRIBUTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL
BENEFITS AND BURDENS AMONG
DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES AND
SHARING THAT NO GROUP IS
DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY
ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS OR
DEPRIVED OF ENVIRONMENTAL
BENEFITS? THE JANUARY 22ND
STORMS IN SAN DIEGO FOR THE
EXIST CELEBRATED EXISTING
DISPARITIES DISPROPORTIONATELY
IMPACTING ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
COMMUNITIES. THE ENVIRONMENTAL
JUSTICE ELEMENT BECOMES EVEN
MORE CRITICAL IN ADDRESSING AND
RECTIFYING THESE IMBALANCES. THE
STORM SERVED AS A STARK REMINDER
OF THE URGENT NEED CROWDED EYES,
EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT AND
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
INITIATIVES TO ENSURE THAT ALL
COMMUNITIES REGARDLESS OF THEIR
DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS ARE
RESILIENT IN THE FACE OF
ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES. NEXT
SLIDE. BUT THERE'S INITIATIVE.
WE HAVE BEEN COLLABORATING WITH
VARIOUS COMMUNITY BASED
ORGANIZATIONS TO ENSURE
MEANINGFUL AND INCLUSIVE
ENGAGEMENT ON THIS INITIATIVE WE
HAVE HOSTED OVER 40 IN PERSON
ENGAGEMENT EVENTS OVER THE LAST
SEVERAL MONTHS, AND WHERE HIS
LOCATION IT'S WITHIN THE CITY OF
SAN DIEGO, GATHER INPUT ON THESE
IMPORTANT POLICIES AND GOALS.
NEXT SLIDE. THE NEXT INITIATIVE.
PART OF EQUITY FORWARD IS A
CURIOUS CREEK WATERSHED REGIONAL
PARK MASTER PLAN THIS INITIATIVE
WAS IDENTIFIED AS AN
IMPLEMENTATION ACTION OF THE
PARKS FOR ALL OF US INITIATIVE,
WHICH WAS ADOPTED BY CITY OF SAN
DIEGO'S CITY COUNCIL IN AUGUST
OF 2021. NEXT SLIDE. WE'RE
TRYING TO BE EMBARKING ON THIS.
INITIATIVE ALONGSIDE WITH
ENVIRONMENT AND JUSTICE ELEMENT.
RECOGNIZING THE INHERENT IN
CONNECT INTERCONNECTEDNESS OF
THESE TWO VITAL INITIATIVES, AND
I WANT TO JUSTICE ELEMENTARY
PRESENTS A POWERFUL POLICY
ENDEAVOR AND THROUGH THE
DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHOICES CREEK
MASTER PLAN. WE HAVE A UNIQUE
OPPORTUNITY TO PILOT THE
IDENTIFIED POLICIES WITHIN THE
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ELEMENT.
THIS INTEGRATED APPROACH WILL
PAVE THE WAY FOR A MORE
EQUITABLE AND SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
FOR OUR COMMUNITY. NEXT SIDE.
YOU'VE BEEN WORKING WITH VARIOUS
CBOS TO MAP THE EXISTING
CONDITIONS WITHIN THE WATERSHED,
GATHER INPUT FROM PEOPLE ALL AGE
GROUPS AND ABILITIES TO HELP THE
GUIDE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS
VERY CRITICAL CHOICE CREEK
MASTER PLAN. NEXT SLIDE.
THAT CONTRIBUTES SIGNIFICANTLY
TO THE GROWTH AND WELL BEING OF
OUR CITY. WE UNDERSTAND THE
COMPLEXITY INVOLVED IN THE
PROCESS OF CREATING SUCH
PROJECTS, AND WE ARE COMMITTED
TO COLLABORATING CLOSELY WITH
ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY BASED
ORGANIZATIONS, COMMUNITY LEADERS
AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO
IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES FOR
STREAMLINING AND PROCESS
IMPROVEMENT. PARTNERS FOR
PROGRESS. IS AN INITIATIVE WHERE
THE CITY STAFF CAN JOIN HANDS IN
ORDER TO FOSTER AN ENVIRONMENT
THAT INDONESIA'S INNOVATION AND
EFFICIENCY AND EMPOWERING OUR
COMMUNITY LEADERS AND
STAKEHOLDERS TO BRING THEIR
VISIONARY PROJECTS TO FRUITION.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. WE CANT
RELAX A STREAMLINED PROCESS FOR
IMPLEMENTING QUICK AND
COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS, WHICH IS
A MISSED OPPORTUNITY, LEADING TO
A LOSS OF FUNDING SOURCES AND
OVER THE YEARS RESULTED IN A
LACK OF TRUST IN LOCAL
GOVERNMENTS. AS FAR AS IS
INITIATED. WE ARE WORKING WITH
VARIOUS COMMUNITY LEADERS AND
COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO
BRAINSTORM IDEAS AND
OPPORTUNITIES WHERE STREAMLINING
PROCESS TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE
QUICK BUILD PROJECTS AND A
STREAMLINED PROCESS. NEXT SLIDE,
PLEASE. WITH A STREAMLINED
PROCESS FOR QUICK BED, HIGH
IMPACT PROJECTS. WE ARE AWARE
THAT WE WILL BE OPENING DOORS TO
MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR
TRANSFORMING UNDER YOUR PLACE
YOUR LIFE SPACES TO PUBLIC
SPACES OF EXCITEMENT AND
ENJOYMENT FOR OUR COMMUNITIES.
CURRENTLY MEETING WITH COMMUNITY
LEADERS TO LEARN FROM THEIR
EXPERIENCES MAP THEIR JOURNEYS
AND IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES FOR
IMPROVEMENT. AS NEXT STEPS. WE
WILL CONTINUE TO MEET WITH
VARIOUS COMMUNITY LEADERS AND
PREPARE OUR DRAFT PROCESS
IMPROVEMENT PROPOSALS AND SHARE
WITH THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER IN
PORTS AND FOR THE STREAMLINE AND
IMPROVE IT BEFORE IT CAN BE
FORMALLY ADOPTED. NEXT SLIDE,
PLEASE. CAN WE GO? ONE MORE
STATE? THE NEXT INITIATIVE IS
PART OF EQUITY FORWARD IS THE
INFRASTRUCTURE PRIORITIZATION.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING VERY CLOSELY
WITH VARIOUS COMMUNITIES AND
ALSO HOST A CITY RIGHT SURVEY.
THIS IS GOING TO BE AN ANNUAL
EXERCISE WHERE WE, UH AND THE
SURVEY IS OPEN ALL 365 DAYS A
YEAR TO GATHER INPUT FROM
COMMUNITY MEMBERS BUT THEN
HELPED PUT TOGETHER THE FIVE
YEAR OUTLOOK FOR THE CAPITAL
IMPROVEMENTS PROJECTS AND ALSO
GUIDE THE BUDGET PROCESS FOR THE
CITY OF SAN DIEGO. EACH YEAR WE
HEARD FROM OVER 1200 COMMUNITY
MEMBERS THIS YEAR. WE ALSO
CONDUCT DID VARIOUS IN PERSON
ENGAGEMENT EVENTS WITHIN THE
SOUTHEASTERN COMMUNITY, AND
WE'RE GETTING READY TO HOST A
SERIES OF WORKSHOPS IN LINDA
WEST TO AND CITY HEIGHTS OVER
THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS TO
GATHER IMPORT THROUGH VARIOUS,
UH, ENGAGEMENT TACTICS IN PERSON
AS WELL AS WORK TRIP TO THEN,
UM, CONTINUE TO UPDATE AND GUIDE
ARE FIVE YEARS OUTLOOK AS WELL
AS THE BUDGET PROCESS NEXT TIME.
HERE'S A QUICK LITTLE GRAPHIC ON
HOW THE INFRASTRUCTURE
PRIORITIZATION PROCESS WORKS. SO
WE WILL HOST VARIOUS ENGAGEMENT
EVENTS AND YOU KNOW WHAT SERVICE
TO GATHER INPUT FROM COMMUNITY
MEMBERS. THE INPUT THAT WE
RECEIVED FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS
IS THEN CATEGORIZED BASED ON
ASSET TYPES OF PARKS, STREETS
AND OTHER DIFFERENT OTHER ASSETS
AND THEN SHARED WITH WHERE IS
ACID DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE CITY
. THE ASSET OWNING DEPARTMENTS
AND REVIEW THE FEEDBACK. AND
THEN INCORPORATE THAT INTO THEIR
FIVE YEAR PLANS, WHICH THEY THEN
SHARED WITH OUR ENGINEERING AND
CAPITAL PROJECTS TO PUT TOGETHER
THE FIVE YEAR OUTLOOK AND ONCE
THE FIVE YEAR OUTLOOK IS
PUBLISHED, UH, WE ARE NOW THE
FIVE OUTLOOK CPR CLOAK WAS
RECENTLY PUBLISHED FOR CITY OF
SAN DIEGO. WE ARE NOW IN THE
CITY PLANNING DEPARTMENT WORKING
ON PUTTING TOGETHER A SUMMARY
REPORT. UM SUMMARIZING WHAT WE
HEARD FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND
WHAT PROJECT IDEAS WERE
INCORPORATED INTO THE FIVE YEAR
OUTLOOK. WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE
THAT REPORT READY TO SHARE WITH
COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN THE NEXT
FEW MONTHS. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
WE CAN GO ONE MORE SIDE. UM THE
NEXT INITIATIVE, PART OF EQUITY
FORWARD IS A CITY WIDE TRAILS.
MASTER PLAN CITYWIDE TRAILS.
MASTER PLAN WAS ALSO AN
IMPLEMENTATION ITEMS IDENTIFIED
AS PART OF THE CITY'S PARKS FOR
ALL, UM, INITIATIVE THAT WAS
ADOPTED BY CITY COUNCIL IN
AUGUST OF 2021. WE RECENTLY
RECEIVED GRANT FUNDS AND WE WILL
BE KICKING OFF THIS PROJECT. IN
THE NEXT MONTH, AND WE ARE
GETTING READY TO WALK ALL THE
CHAIRS. WE WILL BE WORKING WITH
VARIOUS COMMUNITY BASED
ORGANIZATIONS ON THIS INITIATIVE
TO HEAR FROM THEM, UM, ABOUT THE
EXISTING GAPS IN THE CITY'S
TRAIL SYSTEM OPPORTUNITIES TO
MAKE SURE THAT OUR TRAIL SYSTEM
IS ACCESSIBLE AND ENJOYABLE TO
PEOPLE OF ALL AGE GROUPS AND
ABILITIES. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
THE NEXT INITIATIVE IS A PARKS
NEEDS INDEX AS MENTIONED.
PREVIOUSLY THE PARK'S MASTER
PLAN WAS ADOPTED BY CITY COUNCIL
IN AUGUST OF 2021 AND SEVERAL
IMPLEMENTATION ITEMS WERE
IDENTIFIED AND ONE OF THE ITEMS
WAS PARTNERS AND NEXT BART NEEDS
INDEX IS A METRIC THAT IS BEING
CURRENTLY DEVELOPED AND WILL
HELP GUIDE PART IN WESTMINSTER
IN AREAS WITH GREATEST NEEDS AND
GREATEST GROWTH. THIS AH INDEX
IS A METRIC THAT WILL TAKE INTO
CONSIDERATION VARIOUS FACTORS
SUCH AS ACCESS TO RECREATIONAL
OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THE
COMMUNITY. AND VARIOUS HEALTH
FACTORS SUCH AS OBESITY, UM,
LACK OF SAFE PATHS FOR WALKING,
AND SO IT IS GOING TO TAKE INTO
CONSIDERATION THE EXISTING
CONDITIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY,
WHICH CALLS FOR GREATER
RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND
ALSO THE EXISTING PARK
CONDITIONS WITHIN THE
COMMUNITIES TO THEM, UH ENSURE
THAT ARE IN WESTMINSTER ARE IN
THE RIGHT DIRECTION THAT OUR
INVESTMENTS ARE EQUITABLE AND IN
AREAS WITH THE GREATEST NEEDS.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. AND FINALLY,
UM. THE CITY PLANNING DEPARTMENT
IS ALSO WORKING ON AN INCLUSIVE
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT GUIDE, WHICH
WILL GO OVER VARIOUS GOALS AND
POLICIES FOR UM CITY STAFF TO BE
ABLE TO ENGAGE WITH COMMUNITY
MEMBERS IN A MEANINGFUL MANNER
TO MAKE SURE THAT ENGAGEMENT IS
INCLUSIVE AND THAT WE ARE
ENGAGING WITH COMMUNITIES AND
COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT HAVE BEEN
UNDER REPRESENTED FOR DECADES.
EXT LAY. THE ANGLE, UM,
INCLUSIVE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
GUIDE WILL GO OVER POLICIES THAT
WILL SHARE ENGAGEMENT TECHNIQUES
AND ALSO IDEAS OF LOCATIONS FOR
ENGAGEMENT AND ENGAGING IN A WAY
THAT ENGAGEMENT IS INCLUSIVE,
MEANINGFUL, EXCITING AND IN
WHITING TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS OF
ALL AGE GROUPS AND ABILITIES.
NEXT SLIDE. WE CAN GO ONE MORE
SIDE. UM AS PART OF THIS
INITIATIVE, THE TEAM HAS BEEN
WORKING WITH A FOCUS GROUP
GATHERING IMPORT. UM IDENTIFYING
TECHNIQUES AND PUTTING TOGETHER
A GUY THAT WILL THEN BE
IMPLEMENTED ACROSS ALL CITY
DEPARTMENTS FOR ENGAGEMENT ON
ALL FUTURE CITY INITIATIVES.
NEXT SLIDE. THAT BRINGS US TO AN
END TO THE PRESENTATION, AND I
WANT TO SAY THAT AS PART OF THIS
INITIATIVE EQUITY FORWARD, WE
ARE ENGAGING WITH COMMUNITY
MEMBERS IN A COMPREHENSIVE
MANNER ON VARIOUS INITIATIVES.
UH, YOU KNOW, ONE IS A POLICY
INITIATIVE. THE OTHER ONE IS A
MASTER PLANNING INITIATIVE AND
THEN THE INFRASTRUCTURE
PRIORITIZATION INITIATIVE IS
HELPING US GATHER IMPORTANT NOW
TO GUIDE THE BUDGET PROCESS AND
THE FIVE YEAR OUTLOOK IN ORDER
TO BE ABLE TO SEE, UH PROJECTS
GETTING IMPLEMENTED AND FUNDING
IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS. SO THIS
IS A VERY COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH
THAT WE ARE TAKING TO BRING
VARIOUS IN A SHADE OF SCORN, AND
WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEAR FROM THE
PANEL, THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND
ALL COMMUNITY MEMBERS UM, WE
HAVE A WEBPAGE. YOU CAN REACH US
AT WWW DOT SAN DIEGO DOT GOV
EQUITY FORWARD OR ALSO EMAIL US
AT PUBLIC SPACES AT SAN DIEGO
PODCAST. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT
PRESENTATION. WE WILL NOW MOVE
TO ROMAN PARTIDA LOPEZ, SENIOR
LEGAL COUNSEL FOR GREENLINING
INSTITUTE. THANK YOU, MADAM
CHAIR. GOOD MORNING. EVERYONE
REMEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE. I'M
ROMAN PARTY. LOPEZ WITH A
GREENLINING INSTITUTE FOR THOSE
NOT FAMILIAR WITH GREENLINING
RACIAL AND ECONOMIC EQUITY
ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION, FIGHTING
THE LASTING LEGACY OF REDLINING
AND WORKING TOWARDS A FUTURE
WHERE COMMUNITIES OF COLOR CAN
BUILD WEALTH LIVING HEALTHY
PLACES FILLED WITH ECONOMIC
OPPORTUNITY AND ARE READY TO
MEET THE CHALLENGES POSED BY
CLIMATE CHANGE. WE WORK CLOSELY
WITH COMMUNITY COMMUNITIES OF
COLOR TO UNDERSTAND THE RACIST
BARRIERS TO ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY
AND COMBAT THE INJUSTICES THAT
PERSISTS BY DEMANDING
ACCOUNTABILITY FROM THE PUBLIC
AND PRIVATE SECTORS. WE WORK IN
PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY BASED
ORGANIZATIONS TO FASTER CAN'T
CONSENSUS BUILDING THAT PRODUCES
LONG TERM CHANGE AND SUCCESS. WE
FIGHT THE RESTRICTIONS OF
REDLINING BY OPENING
OPPORTUNITIES FOR GREENLINING BY
BUILDING AN ABUNDANT FUTURE THAT
PROACTIVELY BRINGS INVESTMENTS
AND OPPORTUNITIES INTO OUR
COMMUNITIES. TODAY I WILL FOCUS
MY REMARKS ON HOW REDLINING HAS
AND CONTINUES TO IMPACT OUR MOST
VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES AND WAYS
TO INTENTIONALLY IDENTIFY IN
ADVANCE SOLUTIONS THAT PROVIDE
DIRECT AND MEANINGFUL PUBLIC
HEALTH BENEFITS THROUGH GREEN
AND OPEN SPACES. I WILL KNOW
THAT EVEN THOUGH I AM FOCUSING
ON THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE ALL OF
THIS IS IN ALL OF THIS IS
INTERSECTIONAL. WE CAN'T TALK
ABOUT GREEN AND OPEN SPACES
WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT CLEAN AIR
WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT CLEAN
WATER AND OTHERS AND OTHER
ISSUES. FIRST OFF. I DO WANT TO
SET THE STAGE BY UNPACKING,
RIGHT LANDING AND ITS IMPACT ON
OUR COMMUNITIES. WE HAVE HEARD
NOW REDLINING MULTIPLE TIMES
THROUGHOUT THROUGHOUT TODAY, UM
SO I DO WANT TO PROVIDE SOME
MORE CONTEXT INTO IT. REDLINING
IS THE DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICE
THAT CONSISTS THAT CONSISTS OF
THE SYSTEMIC DENIAL OF SERVICES
TO RESIDENTS OF CERTAIN AREAS
BASED ON THEIR RACE AND
ETHNICITY. TO PUT THIS INTO
CONTEXT BETWEEN 1932 AND 1962.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BACKED
$120 BILLION OF LOANS MORE THAN
90% 98% OF THAT WENT TO WHITE
AMERICANS. SO AT THE TIME WHEN
WHITE AMERICANS WERE MESSING IN
INTERGENERATIONAL WEALTH TO
BUILD TO BUY HOMES, START
BUSINESSES AND FIND THEIR
CHILDREN'S EDUCATION. PEOPLE OF
COLOR WERE EFFECTIVELY LOCKED
OUT OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES. RED
LINING WAS CODIFIED SEGREGATION
THAT SHAPED AMERICAN CITIES AND
HAS LED TO THE EXTREME WEALTH
INEQUALITIES THAT WE SEE TODAY.
AND LET'S BE CLEAR EVEN THOUGH
REDLINING WAS TECHNICALLY
OUTLAWED DECADES AGO, IT'S
PRACTICES STILL EXIST TODAY,
JUST IN MORE SUBTLE WAYS. THE
LAST THING IMPACT OF REDLINING
WAS NOT JUST FELT IN THE
ECONOMIC SECTOR, BUT ALSO IN THE
TRANS TRANSPORTATION DECISIONS.
LIKE WHERE DO WE BUILD FROM
FREEWAYS AND THROUGH WHICH
COMMUNITIES AND THE TYPE OF
ACCESS THAT COMMUNITIES HAVE TO
GREEN AND OPEN SPACES? RED
LINING WAS A PRACTICE THAT
IMPACTED THE ENTIRE NATION,
INCLUDING HERE IN SAN DIEGO, AND
IF WE WERE TO COMPARE RED
LANDING MASS OF SAN DIEGO TO
TODAY, THESE RED LINE
COMMUNITIES WOULD OVERLAP WITH
REGIONS REPRESENTED BY DISTRICT
FOUR, DISTRICT EIGHT AND
DISTRICT NINE COMMUNITIES THAT
ARE PRIMARILY LOW INCOME AND
COMMUNITIES OF COLOR. THESE
COMMUNITIES ARE THE ONES THAT
CONTINUE TO BEAR THE BRAND OF
THESE INJUSTICES AND THIS
INVESTMENTS. JUST JUST TAKE A
LOOK AT THE IMPACT OF COVID
RECENTLY AND WHO AND WHERE THAT
HIT HARDEST OR WHERE THE
MAJORITY OF THE DEVASTATION
HAPPENED. DURING THESE LAST
WEEKS, FLOODS REPORTS OF THE
REPORTS HAVE FOUND THAT THE LIFE
EXPECTANCY VARIES BASED ON A
PERSON'S ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE
HERE IN SAN DIEGO, WHICH HAS THE
SECOND LARGEST URBAN PARK SYSTEM
IN THE US UM THE CITY CURRENTLY
UP, WHICH CITY CURRENTLY
OPERATES AND MAINTAINS OVER 400
PARKS. THREE NATIONAL HISTORIC
LANDMARKS MORE THAN 200 MILES OF
TRAILS AND NUMBER 42,000 ACRES
OF OPEN OPEN SPACE AREAS YET
OVER THE LAST DECADE, NEW PARK
DEVELOPMENT HAS CONCENTRATED
CONCENTRATED PRIMARILY IN THE
CITY'S NORTHERN COMMUNITIES.
RESEARCH HAS FOUND THAT
COMMUNITIES THAT ARE BELOW THE I
EIGHT HAVE A LOWER LIFE
EXPECTANCY DUE TO THE HIGHER
EXPOSURE. TO AIR POLLUTION, LACK
OF CLEAN WATER AND INADEQUATE
GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE. WERE
MAPPED OUT. THESE NEGATIVE
HEALTH OUTCOMES ARE PRIMARILY
CONCENTRATED IN PREVIOUSLY
REDLINED COMMUNITIES LIKE
SOUTHERN SAN DIEGO AND CANTEL
CITY HEIGHTS, MESA, SUNNYSIDE
ZERO AMONGST OTHERS. WE KNOW
GREEN AND OPEN SPACES ARE
ESSENTIAL TO HELP SUPPORT OUR
COMMUNITIES. PUBLIC HEALTH YET
OUR COMMUNITIES CONTINUE TO FALL
BEHIND. STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT
ON AVERAGE, LOW INCOME
NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE 15.2 LEST
RECOVER AND ARE 1.5 °F HOTTER
THAN HIGH INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS.
LOWER INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS OFTEN
HAVE LESS ACCESS TO PUBLIC
AMENITIES THAT ALLEVIATE THE
INTENSITY OF CLIMATE CHANGE.
THESE AMENITIES INCLUDE ACCESS
TO PARKS, GREEN SPACE THROUGH
CANOPY COVER RECREATIONAL
FACILITY AND OTHER NATURAL
SPACES. THESE AREAS WITH THE
HIGHEST. THE AREAS WITH THE
HIGHEST IMPACTS ARE ALSO
FREQUENTLY AREAS WHERE
COMMUNITIES OF COLORS ARE
CONCENTRATED. THIS DISPARITY CAN
BE TRACED BACK TO THE LEGACY OF
HOUSING, SEGREGATION AND
NEIGHBORHOOD REDLINING.
THEREFORE WE NEED TO DO BETTER
AT IMPROVING THESE CONDITIONS IN
OUR COMMUNITIES. WE NEED TO BE
MORE INTENTIONAL AND SECURING
FUNDS TO HELP SUPPORT PROGRAMS
AND PROJECTS THAT ADDRESS THESE
CHALLENGES. LOCAL LOCAL
GOVERNMENT AND STATE AGENCIES
ARE TRYING TO TAKE ACTION TO
IDENTIFY AND ADDRESS THESE
INEQUITIES. WE SEE THIS
REFLECTED IN THE COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT MODEL IS THAT THE
CITY JUST PRESENTED ON WE SEE
THIS AND IN THEIR PLANS WHERE WE
HAVE SECTIONS THAT NOW CALL OUT
YEARS OF DISINVESTMENT IN THESE
COMMUNITIES. WE'RE ALSO SEEING
STEPS TO RECTIFY THIS BY
DEVELOPING PROGRAMS THAT ARE
MORE DIRECTLY INVESTING A
PROJECTS THAT HELP ALLEVIATE
SOME OF THESE CONDITIONS. FOR
EXAMPLE, AS A CITY TALKED ABOUT,
UM, WE, UH EARLIER AND IN THEIR
PARKS MASTER PLAN, EQUITY WAS A
CORE COMPONENT OF THEIR OTHER OF
THEIR PLAN UPDATE AND THEY
DEVELOPED THE FUNDING APPROACH
TO ADDRESS SOME OF THESE LONG
STANDING INEQUITIES IN THE CITY
SPARK SYSTEM SUFFERED BY PEOPLE
THAT LIVE IN THE COMMUNITIES OF
CONCERN. YET MORE WORK IS STILL
NEEDED IN ORDER TO SEE THAT
COMING OPERATION. STATE AGENCIES
LIKE CANADA, CALIFORNIA NATURE,
NATURAL RESOURCE AGENCY AND CAL
FIRE HAVE URBAN GREENING AND
FORESTRY PROGRAMS THAT HELP
MITIGATE THE EFFECTS OF EXTREME
HEAT AND PROVIDE ADDITIONAL
BENEFITS THAT HELP DECREASE AIR
AND WATER POLLUTION AND REDUCE
THE CONSUMPTION OF NATURAL
RESOURCES AND ENERGY. THE
STRATEGIC GROWTH COUNCIL
ADMINISTERS ADMINISTERS PROGRAMS
LIKE THE TRANSFORMATIVE CLIMATE
COMMUNITIES AND REGIONAL CLIMATE
CENTER PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT
COMMUNITIES TO ADDRESS THE
SPECIFIC CLIMATE CHANGE AND
PUBLIC HEALTH NEEDS. THESE
PROGRAMS LIKE MY COLLEAGUE AT
PHD MENTIONED PROVIDE
SIGNIFICANT FUNDING TO HELP
TACKLE MANY ISSUES AT ONCE AND
PRESSING ISSUES THAT THE
COMMUNITY HAS LONG BEEN ASKING
FOR. HOWEVER WE NEED STATE AND
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO STEP UP AND
HELP KEEP THESE PROGRAMS GOING
TO PROVIDE THE ADEQUATE
RESOURCES NEEDED TO FUND THESE
PROGRAMS TO FIND THESE FUTURE TO
FUND THESE AND FUTURE PROJECTS.
NOW I AM OPTIMISTIC AND HAVE
HOPE THAT WE CAN CREATE A BETTER
FUTURE FOR OUR COMMUNITIES. BUT
IN ORDER TO DO SO, WE MUST HAVE
WE MUST APPROACH THESE
CHALLENGES HEAD ON. AND WITH
INTENTIONALITY EQUITY IS A
PRACTICE NOT JUST A TALKING
POINT. WE MUST BE INTENTIONAL
ABOUT OPERATIONALIZE NG EQUITY
IN ADVANCING STRATEGIES THAT
WILL DELIVER DIRECT, MEANINGFUL,
DIRECT AND MEANINGFUL BENEFITS
TO OUR MOST VULNERABLE
COMMUNITIES. WE MUST ENSURE WE
WILL HAVE THE WE HAVE THE NEEDED
FUNDING AND RESOURCES TO MAKE
THIS HAPPEN WHEN WE LOOK AT THE
AMOUNT OF STATE FUNDING COMING
TO SAN DIEGO TO HELP ADDRESS
THESE CHALLENGES, IT'S STILL
REMAINS RELATIVELY LOW. WE NEED
TO SECURE MORE OF IT AND IN
ORDER TO DO SO, WE NEED THE
COMMITMENT OF THE LOCAL
GOVERNMENT, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
AND AT THE STATE LEVEL TO
MAINTAIN THE FUNDING FOR THESE
PROGRAMS. WE KNOW IT'S A
CHALLENGING BUDGET YEAR, BUT
BECAUSE OF THIS, AND BECAUSE OF
THE EXISTING CONDITIONS THAT ARE
THAT ARE MOST VULNERABLE
COMMUNITIES CONTINUE TO LIVE. WE
MUST BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT HOW
AND WHERE WE USED THESE LIMITED
RESOURCES. FOR US IN ORDER TO
OPERATIONALIZE EQUITY. WE
ADVOCATE FOR SIX STANDARDS THAT
WILL HELP GUIDE THE PROCESS FOR
A GREEN LINE FUTURE. ONE WE MUST
EMPHASIZE RACE CONSCIOUS
SOLUTIONS, RACE CONSCIOUS
POLICIES LIKE REDLINING AND
URBAN RENEWAL. GOT US TO THIS
POINT AND RAISED NEUTRAL
APPROACHES CAN'T FIX THE
UNDERLYING INEQUITIES.
INVESTMENTS NEED TO TARGET AND
PRIORITIZE THE MOST IMPACTED
COMMUNITIES. WE NEED TO
PRIORITIZE MULTI SECTOR
APPROACHES PROGRAMS, MAYBE
SILOED, BUT AGAIN, OUR PROBLEMS
ARE NOT. WE NEED TO PRIORITIZE
APPROACHES THAT ADDRESS MULTIPLE
ISSUES AND SECTORS AT ONCE. WE
MUST DELIVER INTENTIONAL
BENEFITS BENEFITS CANNOT
TRICKLED DOWN TO COMMUNITIES.
THEY NEED TO GO DIRECTLY TO THE
PEOPLE IN THE MOST IMPACTFUL
WAYS WHILE AVOIDING INCREASING
OR CREATING NEW BURDENS. WE MUST
BUILD COMMUNITY CAPACITY. LONG
TERM DISINVESTMENT AND
DISCRIMINATORY POLICIES CAN
ERODE A COMMUNITY'S CAPACITY FOR
LEADERSHIP, ORGANIZING AND
POLITICAL CAPITAL. ACKNOWLEDGING
THE WAYS THAT STRUCTURAL RACISM
HAS IMPACTED THE COMMUNITY THE
CAPACITY OF COMMUNITIES OF COLOR
TO UNDERTAKE COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT PROJECT IS A KEY
PART. OF IMPROVING INVESTMENT.
WE MUST BE COMMUNITY DRIVEN AT
EVERY STAGE, LIFTING UP
COMMUNITY LED IDEAS AND SHARING
DECISION MAKING POWER IS AN
IMPORTANT ELEMENT OF TRULY
COMMUNITY CENTERED INVESTMENTS,
COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND
ORGANIZATIONS SHOULD BE PART OF
EVERY PHASE OF THE PROJECT OR
POLICY FROM GOAL SETTING TO
ANALYSIS. AND WE NEED TO
ESTABLISH PATH TOWARDS WEALTH
BUILDING. WE NEED COMMUNITY
OWNERSHIP OF ASSETS AND
OPPORTUNITIES TO CONTINUE TO
BUILD WEALTH AND A GREEN LINE
ECONOMY AND A GREEN LINE FUTURE
AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE
SHOULD BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN
WEALTH BUILDING, WHICH WILL
INCLUDE A BROADER SET OF
PATHWAYS BEYOND HOMEOWNERSHIP
WITH LOWER BARRIERS OF ENTRY. WE
ARE IN A CRITICAL MOMENT RIGHT
NOW, AS THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE
CLIMATE CHANGE CONTINUE TO
WORSEN. WE DON'T NEED OUR
COMMUNITIES TO CONTINUE TO BEAR
THE BRUNT OF IT. WE NEED THEM AT
THE FOREFRONT OF OUR OF OUR
INVESTMENTS AND OUR SOLUTIONS.
WE MUST LEARN FROM OUR PAST TO
MAKE THE FUTURE BETTER FOR ALL
AND ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE WHO
HAVE BEEN TRADITIONALLY LEFT
OUT. FAILURE TO DO SO WILL ONLY
CREATE NEW PROBLEMS AND
INJUSTICES, IGNORING THE ROOT
CAUSES OF OUR CURRENT HEALTH AND
ECONOMIC CRISIS IS LEAVE US
VULNERABLE TO THE NEXT TO THE
NEXT CRISIS. OUR VULNERABILITY,
AND ONLY WHEN ALL ALL MEMBERS OF
OUR ECOSYSTEM ARE STRENGTHENED
AND WE RADICALLY MEET THE NEEDS
AND PRIORITIES OF THE MOST
VULNERABLE AMONG US. THANK YOU
FOR YOUR TIME. I WANT TO THANK
BOTH OF OUR PANELIST WITH OUR
THIRD PANEL, STILL VERY MUCH.
AND UM, YOU KNOW, JUST TO
HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE THINGS
THAT WAS JUST STATED BY MR ROMAN
PARTIDA LOPEZ, YOU KNOW FOR
THOSE OF US WHO ARE NATIVE OF
THE SAN DIEGO COUNTY REGION. WE
ARE VERY WELL AWARE OF THE OF
THE SOUTH OF EIGHT VERSUS NORTH
OF EIGHT DISCUSSION, AND, UH,
RESOURCES. UM AND YOU KNOW, I
REALLY WANTED TO HONE IN ON YOUR
COMMENT THAT EQUITY IS A
PRACTICE, NOT JUST A TALKING
POINT. AND ALONG THOSE LINES, I
DO HAVE A QUESTION FOR SAMEERA
ROW. I KNOW WE'RE RUNNING
BEHIND, BUT, UM. IN AUGUST OF
2021. CHOICES CREEK WATERSHED
WAS NOTED AS AN AREA OF CONCERN
THAT IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST
NEGLECTED WATERSHEDS, UM IN OUR
REGION, AND WE KNOW THAT HERE IN
JANUARY OF 2024, THAT WAS THE
WATER, UH, WATER CREEK WATERSHED
THAT OVER FLOODED AND ALL OF
THOSE HOMES AND THOSE AREAS ARE
NOW DESTROYED. SO MY QUESTION IS
, UM, RECOGNIZING THIS. AT LEAST
FOUR YEARS, THREE OR FOUR YEARS
AGO WHAT EFFORTS WERE DONE? ON
THE GROUND TO TRY TO MITIGATE
WHAT HAPPENED, UM LAST WEEK, AND
NOT JUST LIKE TALKING WITH
COMMUNITY. BUT WHAT ACTUALLY DID
THE CITY DUE TO TRY TO PREVENT
WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK SINCE IT
WAS RECOGNIZED A FEW YEARS AGO
AS A PROBLEM AREA THANK YOU SO
MUCH FOR THAT QUESTION. UM I'M
NOT AUTHORIZED TO TALK ANYTHING
BEYOND, UM, THE PRESENTATION
THAT I GAVE AND THE EQUITY
FORWARD PRESENTATION TODAY, BUT
I CAN DEFINITELY, UM GET BACK
AND, UM, PROVIDE RESPONSES OVER
EMAIL. UM, I KNOW THAT THE
JANUARY 22ND STORM WAS 1000
YEARS STORM AND A LOT OF
RESOURCES ARE NOW BEING, UH,
MADE AVAILABLE AS PART OF THE
CITY IS EMERGENCY OPERATIONS
TEAM. AND I CAN DEFINITELY SEND
AN EMAIL. BUT AT THIS POINT I'M
NOT AUTHORIZED TO SPEAK ABOUT
ANYTHING ELSE OTHER THAN THE
TOPIC OF THE PRESENTATION. WELL
I WANT TO THANK BOTH OF OUR
PANELISTS. BOTH SAMEERA AND
ROMAN. AND UM, YOU KNOW, NOT
NECESSARILY WANTING TO PUT YOU
ON THE SPOT OR OR OR HAVE YOU
SPEAK ON SOMETHING THAT YOU ARE
NOT ALLOWED TO SPEAK ON? UM
HOWEVER, I DO WANT TO POINT OUT
NOT JUST IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA
, BUT OFTEN TIMES, UM, WE WILL
DO A LOT OF TALKING. WE WILL DO
A LOT OF INVESTIGATING. WE WILL
DO A LOT OF REPORTING, BUT WE
WON'T NECESSARILY TAKE WHAT WE
KNOW AND PUT IT INTO ACTION TO
IMPROVE THE THINGS THAT WE KNOW
ARE THERE AND SO I THINK,
UNFORTUNATELY, WHAT HAPPENED?
ALONG THE CHOICE CREEK WATERSHED
IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THAT, UM
SO I AM VERY MUCH LOOKING
FORWARD TO, UH AND WE'LL BE
WATCHING WHAT THE CITY IS GOING
TO DO, KNOWING THAT THIS IS A
PROBLEM AREA KNOWING THAT, UM
THERE'S ANOTHER AREAS OF PROBLEM
AREAS WHAT WE WILL DO
PREVENTATIVELY PROACTIVELY, UM,
TO PREVENT. THESE AND OTHER LIKE
MINDED EVENTS FROM OCCURRING IN
THE FUTURE, SINCE WE KNOW THAT
THESE THINGS ARE PROBLEM AREAS,
SO WITH THAT WE WILL TURN TO OUR
VERY LAST PANEL, UM, WHICH DEALS
WITH DATA DRIVEN POLICY TOOLS.
ARE. FIRST PANELIST IS DR
ROSHINI. JOB LIQUOR. AND PLEASE
FORGIVE ME. IF I'M SAYING YOUR
LAST NAME INCORRECTLY, SHE WILL
BE JOINING US REMOTELY. SHE IS
THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF
SCIENCE POLICY AND ENGAGEMENT AT
UC SAN FRANCISCO. AND WE HAVE
ALSO EATEN BRUCKMAN, WHO IS THE
CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER FOR
THE COUNTY OF SANDY ANGLE OFFICE
FOR SUSTAINABILITY AND
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, AND WE
WILL START WITH DR REGIME ME.
JOE CLARK KERR. GREAT GOOD
MORNING. THANK YOU. CAN YOU HEAR
ME? WE CAN HEAR YOU. EXCELLENT
THANK YOU. ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S
AKILA WEBER FOR CONVENING THIS
PUBLIC HEARING ON CUMULATIVE
IMPACTS OF TOXIC CHEMICAL
EXPOSURES AND THE SOCIAL
DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH. I'M DR
RUSH ME DIG LAKER TOXICOLOGIST
AND THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF
SCIENCE POLICY AT THE UNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO'S
PROGRAM AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH
AND THE ENVIRONMENT. AND ALSO
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
AT THE UCSF ENVIRONMENTAL
RESEARCH FOR TRANSLATION FOR
HEALTH, KNOWN AS THE EARTH
CENTER AT PRE AND THE EARTH
CENTER. WE CONDUCT RESEARCH TO
UNDERSTAND HOW INDUSTRIAL
CHEMICALS AND ENVIRONMENTAL
POLLUTANTS IMPACT PEOPLE'S
HEALTH. OUR MISSION IS TO CREATE
A HEALTHIER ENVIRONMENT FOR
PEOPLE BY USING SCIENTIFIC
RESEARCH TO ADVANCE HEALTH
POLICIES THAT PROMOTE PROMOTE
HEALTH EQUITY AND IMPROVE PUBLIC
HEALTH. CLEAN AIR, CLEAN WATER
AND CLEAN SPACES. OUR COLLECTIVE
RIGHTS THAT MUST BE PRESERVED
AND MAINTAINED TO ENSURE THE
HEALTH OF COMMUNITIES AND FUTURE
GENERATIONS. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
THE PROBLEM IS THAT TOXIC
CHEMICALS ARE WIDESPREAD IN OUR
AIR, WATER, FOOD HOMES AND
WORKPLACES AND AS A RESULT,
EVERYDAY PEOPLE LIVING IN THE
UNITED STATES ARE EXPOSED TO
DOZENS OF CHEMICALS, TOXIC
CHEMICALS AND OUTDOOR SPACES,
INCLUDING AIR, WATER AND SOIL
CAN STEM FROM ENVIRONMENTAL
RELEASES BY POLLUTING FACILITIES
. CHEMICALS IN OUR INDOOR SPACES
CAN STEM FROM CONTAMINATED
BUILDING MATERIALS AND HOUSEHOLD
AND CONSUMER GOODS, INCLUDING
PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS, TOYS,
TEXTILES AND EVEN FOOD
PACKAGING. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
THEY'RE AROUND. 40,000 CHEMICALS
USED IN COMMERCE IN THE UNITED
STATES AND ABOUT £30,000 OF
CHEMICALS ARE PRODUCED FOR EVERY
PERSON IN THE U. S EACH YEAR,
ALSO EVERY YEAR, HUNDREDS OF
THOUSANDS OF WORKERS MANUFACTURE
BILLIONS OF POUNDS OF TOXIC
CHEMICALS AND THE U. S THE CDC
ESTIMATES THAT 13 MILLION
WORKERS IN THE US ARE
POTENTIALLY EXPOSED TO CHEMICALS
THAT CAN BE ABSORBED THROUGH THE
SKIN ALONE. RESIDENTS OF
COMMUNITIES NEAR FACILITIES THAT
RELEASE THESE CHEMICALS, ALSO
KNOWN AS FENCE LINE, COMMUNITIES
ARE EXPOSED TO MILLIONS OF
POUNDS OF CHEMICAL RELEASES.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. THE PROBLEM
IS THAT MOST CHEMICALS IN
COMMERCE HAVE NOT BEEN TESTED
FOR SAFETY. IN FACT, FOR THE
VAST MAJORITY APART FROM AROUND
350 THAT ARE BIO MONITORED IN
THE U. S MEASUREMENTS OF
CHEMICALS AND HUMANS HAVE NOT
BEEN CONDUCTED. NEXT SLIDE,
PLEASE. AS A RESULT OF THEIR
WIDESPREAD NATURE, TOXIC
CHEMICALS END UP IN PEOPLE,
LARGE SCALE BIO MONITORING
STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT CERTAIN
CATEGORIES OF CHEMICALS
INCLUDING FIFA'S, WHICH IS SHORT
FOR PER AND POLISH FLORAL ALCOA
SUBSTANCES, ALSO KNOWN AS
FOREVER. CHEMICALS HAVE BEEN
DETECTED IN NEARLY ALL PEOPLE
TESTED. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE THE
SAME CHEMICALS HAVE BEEN
DETECTED AT SAFE LEVELS IN THE
DRINKING WATER FOR MORE THAN 200
MILLION PEOPLE LIVING IN THE
UNITED STATES, AS INDICATED BY
THE LIGHT BLUE DOTS IN THIS MAP
PREPARED BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL
WORKING GROUP NEXT SLIDE,
PLEASE. BECAUSE OF THEIR
UBIQUITY AND OUR INDOOR AND
OUTDOOR SPACES AND IN OUR BODIES
, TOXIC CHEMICAL EXPOSURES BEGIN
BEFORE BIRTH AND CONTINUE
THROUGHOUT LIFE ARE STUDIES THAT
UCSF FOUND THAT PREGNANT WOMEN
ARE MORE EXPOSED TO MORE THAN 43
DIFFERENT INDUSTRIAL CHEMICALS,
MANY WITH SERIOUS HEALTH
HAZARDS. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. AND
AS A RESULT TO A DISTURBING
EXTENT, BABIES ARE BORN PRE
POLLUTED WITH CHEMICALS IN THEIR
BODIES ARE RESEARCH HAS ALSO
SHOWN SIGNIFICANT LINKS BETWEEN
PRENATAL EXPOSURES AND ADVERSE
BIRTH OUTCOMES. LOWER I Q AND
CHANGES IN VISUAL MEMORY
FUNCTION AND INFANTS AND
CHILDREN. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. WE
KNOW THAT THESE EXPOSURES TAKE A
MEASURABLE TOLL ON PEOPLE'S
HEALTH AND CAN INCREASE THE RISK
OF CANCER AND FERTILITY, ASTHMA,
NEUROLOGICAL DISEASE,
CARDIOVASCULAR, CARDIOVASCULAR
DISEASE AND MULTIPLE ADVERSE
IMPACTS ON CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND
TIMING MATTERS. EXPOSURE TO
TOXIC CHEMICALS CAN HAVE
SIGNIFICANT AND LIFELONG EFFECTS
, ESPECIALLY IF EXPOSURE OCCURS
DURING SUSCEPTIBLE DEVELOPMENTAL
PERIODS LIKE PREGNANCY AND
INFANCY. FOR EXAMPLE, CHEMICAL
EXPOSURES DURING PREGNANCY CAN
IMPACT THE DEVELOPING FETUS AND
RESULT IN BEHAVIORAL DISORDERS,
CANCER, LEARNING DISABILITIES
AND ASTHMA. IN FACT, THERE IS
NOW SCIENTIFIC CONSENSUS THAT
TOXIC CHEMICALS PLAY A ROLE IN
NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS,
LEARNING DEVELOPMENTAL AND
INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES LIKE
AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER, AND A
D H. D NOW AFFECT ONE IN SIX
CHILDREN IN THE U. S AND
ALARMING NUMBER. EVIDENCE FINDS
THAT THESE OUTCOMES CAN OCCUR
WITH EXTREMELY LOW LEVELS OF
CHEMICAL EXPOSURES DURING CRITIC
KAL DEVELOPMENTAL PERIODS. NEXT
SLIDE, PLEASE. ALTHOUGH HARMFUL
EXPOSURES TOO MANY TOXIC
CHEMICALS IS WIDESPREAD AMONG
THE GENERAL POPULATION, CERTAIN
SUBGROUPS EXPERIENCE
DISPROPORTIONATE EXPOSURES AND
HARMS RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT
CERTAIN SUB POPULATIONS ARE MORE
SUSCEPTIBLE TO HARM FROM THESE
EXPOSURES DUE TO INTRINSIC
FACTORS, SUCH AS PRE EXISTING
DISEASE, LIFE STAGE, SEX OR
GENETIC TRAITS OR EXTRINSIC
FACTORS SUCH AS FOOD, INSECURITY
, POVERTY, RACISM OR ADVERSE
CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES. SIDE. 12,
PLEASE. AS AN EXAMPLE OF A
SUSCEPTIBLE SUB POPULATION ARE
RESIDENTS OF FENCE LINE
COMMUNITIES WHO ARE MORE LIKELY
TO BE PEOPLE OF COLOR. NUMEROUS
STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT
HAZARDOUS WASTE FACILITIES, OIL
AND GAS, WASTEWATER DISPOSAL
WELLS AND OTHER POLLUTING
FACILITIES ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE
LOCATED IN AND AROUND
COMMUNITIES OF COLOR. IN
ADDITION, RESIDENTS OFFENSE LINE
COMMUNITIES ARE LIKELY TO
EXPERIENCE ADDITIONAL SOCIAL
DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH,
INCLUDING INCOME INEQUALITY,
HEALTHCARE AND EQUITY, FOOD
INSECURITY AND DISPROPORTIONATE
BURDENS OF UNDERLYING DISEASE.
WHICH COLLECTIVELY INCREASE
THEIR SUSCEPTIBILITY TO HARM
FROM CHEMICALS RELEASED BY
NEARBY POLLUTING FACILITIES,
MOREOVER, DUE TO DISCRIMINATORY
LAND USE PRACTICES AND EQUITABLE
, CITING PRACTICES AND OTHER
FORMS OF ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM
THAT WERE HIGHLIGHTED TODAY,
PEOPLE OF COLOR AND INDIGENOUS
PEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TO LIVE
IN NEIGHBORHOODS WITH MULTIPLE
POLLUTING FACILITIES CLUSTERED
CLOSE TOGETHER, PUTTING THEM AT
GREATER RISK OF HARM. ONE STUDY
FOUND THAT NEIGHBORHOODS ARE
CLUSTERED. HAZARDOUS WASTE
FACILITIES ARE NEARLY 70% PEOPLE
OF COLOR AS COMPARED TO 51% IN
NEIGHBORHOODS NEAR NON CLUSTERED
FACILITIES, AND THESE STAGGERING
STATISTICS ONLY REFLECT A SMALL
PORTION OF THE TYPES OF
FACILITIES THAT POSE THREATS.
DEFENSE LINE COMMUNITIES NEXT
SLIDE, PLEASE. IT IS CRITICAL
THAT REGULATORY AGENCIES ADDRESS
THE TOTALITY OF THESE CHEMICAL
AND NON CHEMICAL STRESSORS WHEN
REGULATING THE MANUFACTURING USE
AND DISPOSAL OF TOXIC CHEMICALS.
THE COMBINATION OF THESE
STRESSORS CAN BE DESCRIBED AS
CUMULATIVE IMPACTS, WHICH THE U.
S. EPA DEFINES AS THE TOTALITY
OF EXPOSURES TO COMBINATIONS OF
CHEMICAL AND NON CHEMICAL
STRESSORS AND THEIR EFFECTS ON
HEALTH, WELL BEING AND QUALITY
OF LIFE OUTCOMES. CURRENTLY
REGULATORY AGENCIES LIKE THE U.
S. C. P A ARE NOT DOING ENOUGH
TO ADDRESS CUMULATIVE IMPACTS
AND REGULATORY DECISION MAKING.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE TRADITIONAL
APPROACH OF CONDUCTING SINGLE
CHEMICAL RISK EVALUATIONS DOES
NOT FULLY CAPTURE THESE REAL
WORLD CHEMICAL EXPOSURES AND
RISKS, PARTICULARLY FOR
SUSCEPTIBLE SUB POPULATIONS LIKE
FENCE LINE COMMUNITIES. NEXT
SLIDE, PLEASE. THE GOOD NEWS IS
THAT WE HAVE THE SCIENTIFIC
EVIDENCE AND TOOLS THAT WE NEED
TO ADDRESS CUMULATIVE IMPACTS OF
THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVELS IN
2021 PRESIDENT BIDEN SIGNED
EXECUTIVE ORDERS 1395 AND 1408
TO ADVANCE RACIAL EQUITY
INCREASED RESOURCES FOR
UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES AND
ADDRESS THE CLIMATE CRISIS.
EXECUTIVE ORDER. 1408
SPECIFICALLY CALLS ON ALL
FEDERAL AGENCIES TO MAKE
ACHIEVING ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE,
PART OF THEIR MISSIONS BY
DEVELOPING PROGRAMS, POLICIES
AND ACTIVITIES TO ADDRESS THE
DISPROPORTIONATELY HIGH AND
ADVERSE HUMAN HEALTH,
ENVIRONMENTAL AND OTHER
CUMULATIVE IMPACTS ON
DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES AT THE
FEDERAL LEVEL, THE TOXIC
SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT, OR TOSCA
IS A STATUE THAT OFFERS STRONG
PARTICULAR PROTECTIONS FOR
CHILDREN, PREGNANT PEOPLE,
WORKERS AND FENCE LINE COMMUNITY
EVIDENCE AGAINST THE ARMS OF
TOXIC CHEMICALS. THE AMENDED
TASCA SPECIFICALLY INCLUDES
LANGUAGE REQUIRING EPA TO
EVALUATE THE RISK POSED BY TOXIC
CHEMICALS TO POTENTIALLY EXPOSED
OR SUSCEPTIBLE SUB POPULATIONS
AND ISSUE RISK MANAGEMENT RULES
THAT ELIMINATE ANY UNREASONABLE
RISK TO THESE GROUPS TO PROTECT
HUMAN HEALTH. CUMULATIVE RISK
ASSESSMENT, WHICH MPS STATES
ACCOUNTS FOR THE COMBINED RISKS
TO HEALTH OR THE ENVIRONMENT
POSED BY MULTIPLE AGENTS ARE
STRESSORS IS ONE WAY TO
ADEQUATELY CHARACTERIZED RISKS
AND ADDRESS THE HEALTH HARMS OF
REAL WORLD CHEMICAL EXPOSURES.
AT PRE, WE WORKED WITH A NUMBER
OF GOVERNMENT AND NGO PARTNERS
TO DEVELOP AND PROMOTE THE BEST
AVAILABLE SCIENTIFIC METHODS FOR
CUMULATIVE RISK ASSESSMENT, BOTH
FOR EPA AND FOR CALIFORNIA.
FEDERAL AND STATE AGENCIES CAN
ALSO REGULATE CLASSES OR GROUPS
OF CHEMICALS. AS A CASE EXAMPLE,
THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA HAS
PASSED MULTIPLE BILLS THAT
REGULATE FIFA'S CLASS OF OVER
12,000 CHEMICALS. CALIFORNIA
PASSED LEGISLATION THAT LIMITS
THE USE OF FIFA'S IN CERTAIN
CHILDREN'S PRODUCTS, FOOD,
PACKAGING AND COOKWARE, TEXTILES
AND COSMETIC PRODUCTS. THIS IS
CRITICAL BECAUSE THERE IS STRONG
SCIENTIFIC CONSENSUS THAT
PROFESSOR HIGHLY PERSISTENT IN
THE ENVIRONMENT NEXT SLIDE,
PLEASE. MANY ARE ALSO BY
ACCUMULATIVE AND TOXIC, WHICH
CAN INFORM ADDITIONAL CLASS
BASED REGULATIONS FOR THEIR
MANUFACTURING USE AND DISPOSAL.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. HELP PROTECT
ACTIVE ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS
THAT ADDRESS MULTIPLE CHEMICALS
CAN ALSO HAVE SIGNIFICANT HEALTH
AND MONETARY BENEFITS. FOR
EXAMPLE, CALIFORNIA'S BAN ON A
TOXIC CLASS OF FLAME RETARDANTS
CALLED PBD IN 2006 RESULTED IN
40% LOWER LEVELS OF THESE
CHEMICALS AND BREAST MILK OVER
TIME AND MPS RECENT PROPOSED
DRINKING WATER REGULATION FOR
SIX P. FAS WOULD PROVIDE HEALTH
BENEFITS AS HIGH AS $2 BILLION
ANNUALLY. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
AND PEOPLE LIVING IN THE UNITED
STATES WANTS SAFER PRODUCTS AND
A RECENT NATIONWIDE PUBLIC
OPINION SURVEY OVER 90% OF
VOTERS, INCLUDING REPUBLICANS,
DEMOCRATS AND INDEPENDENTS,
AGREED THAT THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT SHOULD REQUIRE
PRODUCTS TO BE PROVEN SAFE
BEFORE COMPANIES ARE ALLOWED TO
PUT THEM ON THE MARKET AND AGREE
THAT IT IS IMPORTANT FOR
COMPANIES TO KEEP HARMFUL
CHEMICALS OUT OF EVERYDAY
PRODUCTS. EVEN IF IT INCREASES
THE COST. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE THE
STATE OF CALIFORNIA IS RIPE WITH
OPPORTUNITY TO ISSUE HEALTH
PROTECTIVE RUBLE MAKINGS THAT
UTILIZE THE BEST AVAILABLE
SCIENCE AND GREATLY REDUCE THE
RISK ASSOCIATED WITH THE
CUMULATIVE IMPACTS OF TOXIC
CHEMICAL EXPOSURES. NEXT SLIDE,
PLEASE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME
AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK
TODAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE
WILL NOW GO TO EDEN BROOKMAN,
CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER FOR
THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO OFFICE
OF SUSTAINABILITY AND
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE. THANK YOU
. GREETINGS, EVERYONE AND MUCH
APPRECIATION TO DR WEBBER FOR
THIS INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE
TODAY. AS CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY
OFFICER FOR THE COUNTY. I LEAD
THE RELATIVELY NEW OFFICE OF
SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL
JUSTICE, OR CJ, WHICH SERVES AS
A CENTRAL POINT OF COORDINATION
FOR ADVANCING EXTERNAL AND
INTERNAL SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS.
ALWAYS CJ. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE IS
A UNIQUELY POSITIONED OFFICE. WE
SERVE THE ENTIRE REGION AND WE
SUPPORT OTHER COUNTY DEPARTMENTS
AND OFFICES AS WE COLLECTIVELY
STRIVE TO ACHIEVE ZERO CARBON
EMISSIONS WHILE SAFEGUARDING THE
HEALTH OF PEOPLE AND NATURAL
SYSTEMS. WE INTENTIONALLY AND
ACTIVELY WORK ALONGSIDE
COMMUNITIES TO STUART
SUSTAINABILITY SOLUTIONS, AND
OUR EFFORTS ARE PARTICULARLY
CENTERED ON COMMUNITIES THAT
HAVE BEEN DISPROPORTIONATELY
IMPACTED BY SYSTEMIC AND
INSTITUTIONAL INEQUITIES AND
ENVIRONMENTAL BURDENS.
INTERNALLY CJ SUPPORTS THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF AN AMBITIOUS
COUNTYWIDE EFFORT TO LEAD BY
EXAMPLE IN OUR PROGRAMS AND
OPERATIONS, AND WE ARE CREATING
DYNAMIC DATA TOOLS TO SUPPORT
THAT WORK, TOO. BUT TODAY I WANT
TO GIVE A SNAPSHOT OF HOW WE'RE
USING DATA TO INFORM OUR
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE REGIONAL
DECARBONIZATION FRAMEWORK. THE
RDF IS AN INITIATIVE FOR
FACILITATING COLLABORATIVE
ACTION THAT MOVES THE ENTIRE SAN
DIEGO REGION TO ZERO CARBON
EMISSIONS BY MID CENTURY IN
BUILDINGS, TRANSPORTATION,
ENERGY SUPPLY, FOOD SYSTEMS AND
LAND USE SECTORS. NEXT SLIDE,
PLEASE. THIS PIE CHART SHOWS THE
DISTRIBUTION OF REGIONAL
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS BY
SECTOR. IT REFLECTS ONE TYPE OF
DATA. THE ANALYTICAL RESULTS OF
OUR TECHNICAL REPORT. WHICH IS A
FOUNDATIONAL SCIENCE BASED
PUBLICATION THAT HELPED
ESTABLISH THE REGIONAL
DECARBONIZATION FRAMEWORK. IT
MAPS OUT THE GREATEST NEED FOR
GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTIONS ON A
MACRO SCALE BY PUBLISHING THIS
INFORMATION, WE ESTABLISHED A
BASELINE AS WELL AS COMMON
GROUND FOR CLIMATE ACTION. AND
YET THE WORK THAT WE NEED TO
PURSUE IN AND WITH COMMUNITY
WILL BE REFLECTIVE OF THEIR
SPECIFIC STRENGTHS AND
PRIORITIES. SO THERE IS A NEED
FOR MORE GRANULAR UNDERSTANDING.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. THIS DATA
AND RESULT IN COMMUNICATIONS
WITH COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVES
IS LEADING TO OPPORTUNITIES FOR
US TO BUILD CAPACITY WITH
COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATION
LIKE THIS SPRING VALLEY SEEDS,
EFFORT, THE SUSTAINABLE
ENVIRONMENT AND ENGAGED
DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES. IT'S
UNDERWAY NOW, THANKS TO A TWO
YEAR PLANNING GRANT FROM THE
CALIFORNIA STRATEGIC GROWTH
COUNCILS TRANSFORMATIVE CLIMATE
COMMUNITY PROGRAM. MARITSA
MENTIONED HOW DIFFICULT IT CAN
BE FOR COMMUNITY BASED
ORGANIZATIONS TO ACCESS FUNDS
THROUGH COMPLEX STATE AND
FEDERAL GRANT PROCESSES. SO WE
ARE PILOTING A PROCESS AS A PASS
THROUGH ADMINISTRATIVE LEAD
PARTNERING WITH FIVE COMMUNITY
BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO ELEVATE
THE COMMUNITY'S SELF IDENTIFIED
PRIORITIES TO INCREASE ECONOMIC
RESILIENCY. REDUCE GREENHOUSE
GAS EMISSIONS AND ADDRESS PUBLIC
AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.
THEY COLLECTIVELY IDENTIFIED
FIVE PLANNING PROJECTS, A
COMMUNITY LAND TRUST FEASIBILITY
STUDY, WHICH IS A STRUCTURE THAT
ALLOWS LAND TO BE HELD IN TRUST
FOR COMMUNITY NEEDS OUTSIDE THE
INFLUENCE OF MARKET PRESSURES.
FIRST AND LAST MILE AUDIT AND
BIKE SAFETY EVENTS. FOOD SYSTEMS
PROGRAMMING, INCLUDING A DESIGN
FOR COMMUNITY BASED KITCHEN,
COMPOSTING FACILITIES AND YOUTH
ENTREPRENEURSHIP FROM
AGRICULTURE TO FOOD SURFACE.
FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH
CENTER ASSESSMENT. AND BUSINESS
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS TO FURTHER
EXPAND ECONOMIC WORKFORCE AND
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES. NEXT
PLEASE. SO THE PIE CHART IS ONE
TYPE OF APPROACH TO DATA AND
HERE'S ANOTHER. WHAT YOU'RE
SEEING HERE IS ONE LAYER OF OUR
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE STORY MAP
VERSION 1.0. THIS LAYER IS THE
OVERALL COUNT. ENVIRONMENT MEANT
HOWLIN VIRUS SCREEN SCORE. AND
SEVERAL PANELISTS HAVE SHOWED IT
EARLIER AS WELL. OUR ORIGINAL
DATA, VISUALIZATION TOOL
AGGREGATES INFORMATION FROM
CALLUM VIRAL SCREEN, THE HEALTHY
PLACES INDEX AND OTHER STATE AND
FEDERAL SOURCES AT THE CENSUS
TRACT LEVEL. THE STORY MAP
CURRENTLY INCLUDES SEVEN
INDICATORS. ASTHMA DIESEL
PARTICULATE MATTER HOUSING LEAD
RISK LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLDS LOW
FOOD ACCESS, LACKING PARK
FACILITIES AND TREE CANOPY NEXT,
PLEASE HERE IS THE OVERLAY FOR
ASTHMA PERCENT HOUSE, FOR
EXAMPLE, ONE WAY THAT ASTHMA
INCIDENTS COALESCES WITH
DECARBONIZATION IS IN OUR
BUILDING SECTOR. FOR EXAMPLE,
STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT THE USE
OF GAS STOVES IN OUR HOME HAS
LINKAGES TO ASTHMA AND OTHER
RESPIRATORY ILLNESS SINCE THEY
INCREASE EXPOSURES TO
FORMALDEHYDE, CARBON MONOXIDE,
BALDOR ORGANIC COMPOUNDS OR DOCS
AND OTHER POLLUTANTS. THIS
EXACERBATES HEALTH CONDITIONS,
PARTICULARLY FOR YOUTH, PEOPLE
WITH PRE EXISTING HEALTH
CONDITIONS AND COMMUNITY OF
COLOR, WHO ARE
DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY
ASTHMA AND RESPIRATORY ILLNESS,
MAKING THEM MORE VULNERABLE TO
GAS APPLIANCE POLLUTANTS. NEXT,
PLEASE. HERE IS ANOTHER OVERLAY
FOR DIESEL PARTICULATE MATTER.
AND SURPRISINGLY, MOST OF THE
WORST CONCENTRATIONS ARE URBAN
AREAS AND ALONGSIDE FREEWAY
ROUTE. THIS COALESCES WITH THE
CARBON IZATION IN THE
TRANSPORTATION SECTOR. FEDERAL
AGENCIES SUCH AS THE U. S
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SET
STANDARDS FROM MEDIUM AND HEAVY
DUTY VEHICLES TO REDUCE HARMFUL
POLLUTANTS TO HUMAN HEALTH FROM
DIESEL EXHAUST POLLUTANTS
INCLUDE PARTICULATE MATTER AND
NITROGEN OXIDE. ARE LINKED TO
SPECIFIC HEALTH PROBLEMS FOR
HUMANS, INCLUDING ASTHMA CRISIS,
RIGHT BRONCHITIS AND HEART
DISEASE, AMONG OTHERS, AS YOU'VE
HEARD FROM PREVIOUS PANEL
MEMBERS THE DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION ALSO IDENTIFIES
THAT THOSE EXPOSED TO DIESEL
EXHAUST ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE
PEOPLE OF COLOR AND THOSE WITH
LOWER INCOMES. NEXT. THANK YOU.
THE THIRD OVERLAY HERE IS TREE
CANOPY. I'VE HIGHLIGHTED THIS
INDICATOR BECAUSE IT GOES BEYOND
THE ABILITY TO ABSORB OR DRAW
DOWN CARBON AND OTHER POLLUTANTS
. THIS IS ALSO AN EXAMPLE OF HOW
LAND USE AND NATURAL CLIMATE
SOLUTIONS CONTRIBUTE TO OTHER CO
BENEFITS. AS DR WEBBER MENTIONED
EARLIER, LIKE SHADING THAT
LOWERS HEAT ISLAND EFFECT AND
HELPS REDUCE EXTREME HEAT
SCENARIOS, CRIME PREVENTION
THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN.
AND REDUCING STORMWATER RUNOFF
THAT, IN TURN, REDUCES EROSION
AND POLLUTION, AMONG OTHERS. ALL
OF THE INDICATORS ARE
INTERCONNECTED, SO WE NEED TO
EVALUATE THEM AS WAITED
COMPOSITES THAT DEMONSTRATE THE
RELATIONSHIPS AND REINFORCE
COMMUNITY PRIORITIES. NEXT,
PLEASE. THIS BRINGS ME TO SOME
STRENGTHS, OPPORTUNITIES AND
WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE DJ STORY
MAP? LOOKING AGAIN AT SPRING
VALLEY IN ANOTHER WAY. BY CENSUS
TRACT. THE STORY MAP SHOWS THE
CURRENT INDICATORS TOGETHER AS A
LIST, SO WE'RE STARTING TO GET
THERE. BUT THE CURRENT VERSION
OF THE TOOL ALSO UNDERSCORES THE
LIMITS OF USING OFTEN INVISIBLE
BOUNDARIES THAT ARE CENSUS
TRACTS TO REFLECT ISSUES
IMPACTING OUR COMMUNITIES,
ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY AREN'T SELF
SELECTED, OR GROUND TRUTH AT A
MICRO SCALE. NEXT, PLEASE. ON
THE RIGHT HAVE PLACED A
COMPOSITE DATA FOR THE
NEIGHBORING CENSUS TRACT. THIS
AREA IS CONSIDERED TO BE LESS
HEALTHY OVERALL BUT IS NOT
CONSIDERED BY KALLEN BEIRA
SCREEN TO BE AN EJ COMMUNITY,
NOR IS IT DESIGNATED A LIVE WELL
COMMUNITY, THOUGH IT IS
CONSIDERED TO BE LOW INCOME WITH
LOW FOOD ACCESS, A PARK DEFICIT
AND HIGH RATES OF ASTHMA. WE
MUST ENSURE THAT AREAS LIKE THIS
ARE ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDING AND
SUPPORT EVEN WITHOUT A FORMAL
DESIGNATION. WE ARE IN THE EARLY
STAGES OF DEVELOPING THE NEXT
VERSION OF THE STORY MAP WHERE
WE HOPE TO ADDRESS SOME OF THESE
DATA IN CONGRUENCE SEES THAT
COUNTER THE COMMUNITIES LIVED
EXPERIENCES AND SUPERFICIAL
BOUNDARIES OF THE HEALTH AND
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS THAT THEY
ARE EXPOSED TO. THIS NEXT GEN
OVERLAY WILL HELP US TAKE A MORE
COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS AND
PROBLEM SOLVING, AS WELL AS
SHAPE FUTURE PROGRAMS AND
POLICIES. IT WILL ALSO SUPPORT
BETTER CROSS JURISDICTIONAL
EFFORTS TO SECURE FUNDING VIA
STATE AND FEDERAL OPPORTUNITIES.
NEXT, PLEASE. THIS BRINGS US
FULL CIRCLE BACK TO THE COUNTIES
FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
COMMITMENTS THAT YOU SEE HERE
AND ONE OF THE COUNTY'S PRIMARY
SUSTAINABILITY GOALS TO
SAFEGUARD THE HEALTH AND WELL
BEING OF EVERYONE IN THE REGION,
WITH THE FOCUS ON COLLABORATING
WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND
ADVOCATING FOR ENVIRONMENTAL
JUSTICE FOR SYSTEMICALLY
IMPACTED COMMUNITIES. NEXT
SLIDE. THANK YOU. MY CONTACT
INFORMATION IS HERE IF YOU HAVE
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FOLLOWING
THIS EVENT. THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR BOTH OF OUR PANELIST, UM, IN
OUR LAST PANEL, AND KEEPING OUR
TIME AND MIND. I'M GOING TO HOLD
OFF ON MY QUESTIONS AND OPEN IT
UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS, STARTING
WITH COUNCIL MEMBER FROM LA MESA
, JACK SHOE AND IF ANYONE ELSE
WANTS TO MAKE A COMMENT THEY MAY
DO SO AFTER HE FINISHES COUNCIL
MEMBERS SHOOT. THANK YOU, DR
WEBBER. UM THANK YOU FOR HAVING
ME FIRST. I WILL TRY TO BE VERY
BRIEF SINCE WE'VE GONE OVER
TIME. FIRST. I REALLY WANT TO
THANK YOU. CHAIR AND OTHER
MEMBERS OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE
FOR HOLDING THIS SESSION. IT IS
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE
THIS LOCALLY SO THAT MEMBERS OF
THE COMMUNITY CAN PARTICIPATE IN
HERE. THIS IMPORTANT INFORMATION
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
BRINGING UP THE IDEA AND THE
TOPIC OF ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE.
THAT'S SO IMPORTANT LONG AGO
WHEN, UH, WE'RE JUST GETTING
DATA ABOUT LEAD POISONING. I
REMEMBER SOMEONE BRINGING UP THE
INFORMATION THAT LEAD POISONING
OR LEAD IN OUR WATER CORRELATES
WITH A MAP THAT SHOWS JUVENILE
IN QUINCY, A MAP THAT SHOWS POOR
ACADEMIC ATTAINMENT TO ME. WE
KNOW WHAT LED DOES AND WE KNOW
THAT ISSUE IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL
JUSTICE ISSUE. I REALLY LIKED
HIM COME ENVIRONMENTAL MAPS. BUT
THERE'S A PROBLEM. I'VE BEEN
SEEING THE MAPS AND WHERE THE
AREAS ARE RED, YELLOW OVER AND
OVER AND OVER WITH NO GOAL OF
CHANGING THOSE COLORS OF
ADDRESSING THE ISSUE. WE'VE DONE
SOMETHING AKIN TO THAT WITH
REGARDS TO CLIMATE CHANGE, WHICH
GRANTED IS A ENVIRONMENTAL
JUSTICE ISSUE. BUT FOR CLIMATE
CHANGE, WE HAVE SET A GOAL. WE
HAVE A SET OF GOAL OF CARBON
NEUTRALITY OF REDUCING CARBON
EMISSIONS BY A PARTICULAR DATE,
BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE SCIENCE
HAS STATED. WE HAVE NOW SCIENCE
THAT SHOWS THAT POLLUTION IN
THESE COMMUNITIES CAUSES MORE
ASTHMA. MORE DEATH, MORE CANCER.
WHY IS THERE NO MARK. WHY IS
THERE NOTE? UH, GOAL OF REDUCING
IT TO A PHYSICAL LEVEL. WE HAVE
IT IN SOME INSTANCES, BECAUSE
ABC UM 617 HAS GIVEN US A FEW
COMMUNITIES IN WHICH WE HAVE SET
A GOAL OF REDUCTION 80% BY 2030
OR 31, WE NEED BACKUP FOR MUCH
OF THE REST OF THE R REASON ON
THERE, BECAUSE WHEN IT COMES TO
DIESEL PARTICULAR MATTER WHEN IT
COMES TO THESE POLLUTIONS
COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT OUR
REGION ARE AFFECTED. THE MOST
EFFECTIVE COMMUNITIES SHOULD BE,
OF COURSE, WORKED ON FIRST
BECAUSE WE WILL HAVE THE MOST
MATTER GAIN. CARB HAS
EMOTIONALLY PUT OUT A SCOPING
PLAN. THIS IS BECAUSE OF CLIMATE
CHANGE. WE NEED TO REDUCE
VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED PER
CAPITA 25% BY 2030, WHICH MEANS
THAT VNT REDUCTION OF 23 TO 4%
EVERY YEAR STARTING THIS YEAR,
SO EVERY ELECTED OFFICIAL EVERY
PLANNING AGENCY NEEDS TO BE
ASKED. WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO
REDUCE VM T. BUT 3 TO 4% THIS
YEAR. AND I KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER
IS GOING TO BE. WE DON'T EVEN
MEASURE IT, AND WE HAVE NO MEANS
THAT'S FINE. OUR NEXT QUESTION
SHOULD BE. WE'LL GIVE YOU IDEA.
WHAT IS IT GOING TO BE? WHAT'S
YOUR PLAN TWO YEARS FROM NOW TO
REDUCE OF 7. THOSE ARE THE KIND
OF THINGS THAT WE NEED TO PUT
FORWARD AND PARTICULARLY IN THE
COMMUNITIES THAT WE JUST SPOKE
ABOUT. THE COMMUNITY'S REPORT
THE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE MOST
IMPACTED. IF WE CAN'T DO IT FOR
THE WHOLE STATE, LET'S START IN
THE COMMUNITIES THAT NEED THEIR
REDUCTION THE MOST. SO LET'S GO
TO BIO LOGAN. LET'S GO TO THE
AREA RIGHT OUTSIDE HERE, EVERY
PART OF ALCOHOL OAN, WHICH IS
IN THE 85 PERCENTILE, DIESEL
PARTICULAR MATTER AND SAY, WHAT
ARE WE DOING? STUDY OF ALCOHOL
TO REDUCE YOUR USER PARTICULAR
MATTER BY TWO OR 3% THIS YEAR?
OR WE'LL GIVE YOU NEXT YEAR.
WE'LL DO IT BY 7. AIR POLLUTION
CONTROL DISTRICT, WHICH I
ACTUALLY, UM, LUCKY ENOUGH TO
CHAIR THE BOARD. I'M PRIVILEGED
TO SHARE THE BOARD. WE'RE TRYING
TO SET THOSE GOALS. WE NEEDED
THE STATE LAWS TO GIVE US THAT
KIND OF TOOL. WHETHER IT'S
INDIRECT RULE SO WE CAN ACTUALLY
ADDRESS SOME OF THE MOST
IMPACTED COMMUNITIES. UM THAT'S
THE RULES WE NEED AND STATE
MANDATES. WE HAVE SOME STATE
MANDATES. LET'S KEEP THEM
FORWARD. CARVED JUST GAVE US
THIS TARGET OF 25% REDUCTION
THAT IS A SCIENCE BASED NUMBER
TRANSPORTATION AGENCIES. LIKE
CALTRANS NEED TO BE ASKED THESE
QUESTIONS. THE SAME ONES I JUST
MENTIONED AS WELL AS REGIONAL
TRANSPORTATION AGENCIES. RIGHT
NOW. SANDBAG ALONG WITH THE
OTHER METROPOLITAN TRENT PLACE.
TRANSPORTATION AND UCS ARE
DEALING WITH THE OLD 10 YEAR OLD
GOAL OF 9% GREENHOUSE GAS
REDUCTION BY 2035. THAT'S LIKE
USING OLD SCIENCE TO TRY TO
SOLVE A PROBLEM PROBLEM THAT WE
HAVE NOW. I DON'T THINK THAT'S
HOW IT GOT VACCINES QUICKLY TO
SAVE US THE SERVICE FROM THE
WORST EFFECTS OF COVID. WE USE
CURRENT DATA. CURRENT SCIENCE WE
NEED TO DO THE SAME WHEN IT
COMES TO THESE ENVIRONMENTAL
HAZARDS, AND PARTICULARLY WITH
REGARDS TO, UH TO ENVIRONMENTAL
JUSTICE, AND LASTLY, I'M GOING
TO GIVE A RURAL SHORT PLUG.
RECENTLY. I SAW A VIDEO, WHICH
IS AVAILABLE PUBLICLY ON PBS IN
THE TOP TITLE IS WE ARE ALL
PLASTIC PEOPLE. UM AND SO IT'S
ABOUT 57 MINUTES LONG. I SUGGEST
PEOPLE WATCHING THAT BECAUSE WE
HAVE A LOT OF CHALLENGES, AND I
HOPE WE CAN MEET THEM AND I KNOW
WITH YOUR LEADERSHIP WHEN THE
RIGHT TRACK THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER JACK
SHOE. AS I SAID AT THE BEGINNING
WHEN WE INTRODUCED TO YOU HAVE
BEEN IN THIS FIGHT FOR
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES.
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE FOR A VERY
LONG TIME. UM AND APPRECIATE YOU
COMING AND APPRECIATE YOUR
KNOWLEDGE AND MY OFFICE WILL
DEFINITELY BE REACHING OUT TO
YOU BECAUSE YOU YOU KNOW, YOU
HIT IT ON THE NAIL SETTING
GOALS. THAT'S HOW WE CAN STOP
SAYING THE SAME THINGS OVER AND
OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN FOR
GENERATIONS AND GENERATIONS TO
COME. LIKE I SAID BEFORE WE DO A
LOT OF STUDIES. YOU DO A LOT OF
RESEARCH. WE TALK ABOUT WHAT WE
FIND, BUT WE DON'T TALK ABOUT
HOW AND WHEN WE'RE GOING TO FIX
THOSE ISSUES. IF ANYONE ELSE IS
INTERESTED IN MAKING ANY PUBLIC
COMMENT, YOU CAN COME UP TO THE
MIKE NOW. HI THERE. ALISON SNOW
FROM LEMON GROVE CITY COUNCIL. I
REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING
ATTENTION AND HIGHLIGHTING THIS.
THIS LAST WEEK HAS BEEN REALLY
AH, DIFFICULTY IN OUR COMMUNITY
HAVE BEEN I JUST GOT THE LIST OF
PEOPLE WHO ARE IMPACTED BY THE
FLOODS. AND NOBODY HAD
INSURANCE. AND SOME OF THESE
ISSUES WHEN WE KNEW HER PROBLEMS
I LIKE I LIKE THAT THEY
DISCUSSED SALAS CREEK. I'M
DISAPPOINTED THAT THEY DIDN'T
OWN THE PROBLEMS THAT I CAUSED
THERE AS A CITY LEADER. UM IT'S
TIME FOR US TO DO BETTER, AND I
APPRECIATE THAT. ONE OF THE
ISSUES I WANTED TO ADDRESS AND
HIGHLIGHTS. UM WAS THE
DISCUSSION ON EQUITY. UH OUR
COMMUNITY IN PARTICULAR IS ONE
OF THE MOST DIVERSE COMMUNITIES
WE HAVE. I DEFINITELY A DEARTH
OF RESOURCES. EVERYTHING FROM
HEALTH CARE TO CLEAN WATER AND
MAKING SURE OUR WATER IS GOOD
AND HAVING THE TESTING THAT WE
NEED IN THOSE COMMUNITIES AND
THEN MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE
FIXING THESE THINGS. ALL OF THAT
WAS FANTASTIC. BUT EQUITY WAS
ONE OF THE THINGS WHERE I'M
LIKE. I WE HAVE TO DEDICATE
MONEY LIKE AND THAT'S A LOT OF
WHAT THESE PROBLEMS BOIL DOWN TO
IS WHERE WE ALLOCATE OUR MONEY.
OUR MONEY IS OUR PRIORITY. WHERE
WE DEDICATE OUR MONEY IS WHERE
OUR PRIORITIES ARE. AND WE HAVE
TO BE SEEING THAT MONEY IN THESE
COMMUNITIES THAT ARE MOST
IMPACTED. UM I APPRECIATED THE
COUNTY'S PRESENTATION JUST NOW
AND SHOWING LIKE WHAT'S
HAPPENING IN THE SPRING VALLEY
IN PARTICULAR, IN PARTICULAR,
THERE ARE CLOSE NEIGHBORS. AND
SHE, SHE SAID, YOU KNOW, IT'S
IMPORTANT FOR US NOT TO JUST
LOOK AT THIS BY BOUNDARIES, BUT
A LOT OF IT HAS BEEN BOUNDARIES.
UH THE GENTLEMAN SPOKE ON
GREENLINING. AND WE'VE HAD YEARS
OF REDLINING AND THESE
COMMUNITIES. WE HAVE TO BE VERY
CONCERT ID AND WHERE WE PUT
THESE MONIES AND THE PRIORITY
HAS TO BE THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE
BEEN REDLINED. ALL THESE YEARS.
WE HAVE TO PUT THE PRIORITY ON
THESE COMMUNITIES IN PARTICULAR.
I KNOW EVERYBODY'S HURTING. BUT
THESE COMMUNITIES HAVE BEEN
NEGLECTED FAR TOO LONG. AND
THAT'S WHERE WE NEED TO PUT OUR
RESOURCES. SO I REALLY
APPRECIATE YOU COMING DOWN HERE
DOING THIS PRESENTATION. THE
SPEAKERS WERE ABSOLUTELY
PHENOMENAL. I AM GRATEFUL TO
TAKE THIS BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY.
BUT PLEASE KEEP THAT FOCUS ON
MAKING SURE EQUITY IS A TOP
PRIORITY, AND WE MAKE SURE THAT
PRIORITY IS ATTAINED BY PUTTING
MONEY TOWARDS WHERE OUR MOUTH
IS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH
, COUNSELOR WHEN YOU ARE
COMPLETELY CORRECT. ANY OTHER
COMMENTS. HMM. UH FULL
DISCLOSURE. I HAD NO IDEA WHAT I
WAS GETTING MYSELF INTO TODAY AS
I WALKED UP THE LADY AT THE
FRONT GREETING ME. I SAID, WHAT
IS THIS ABOUT? SHE SAID IT HERE
AND I'M LIKE, WHAT IS THAT? SO I
CAME IN, AND I JUST WANT TO READ
SOMETHING I JUST WROTE. MY NAME
IS VALERIE GARDNER, BY THE WAY,
AS A RESIDENT OF SANDY OH COUNTY
AND A RESIDENT OF SPRING VALLEY,
I'M SO GLAD THAT I RECEIVED AN
EMAIL FROM MY SORORITY AND
SHOWED UP TODAY. I FEEL THAT I
HAVE BEEN EDUCATED ABOUT THREE
CRITICAL LIFE LIVING ELEMENTS
THAT ARE NEEDED. AND I WISH ALL
CITIZENS AND THIS DISTRICT HAD
ATTENDED AS THEY TOO WOULD HAVE
BEEN ENLIGHTENED LIKE I HAVE.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. OKAY
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU
SO MUCH FOR THAT COMMENT, AND WE
HAVE ONE MORE PUBLIC COMMENT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PRESENTING
THIS. UM I ALSO KIND OF CAME
LAST MINUTE. BUT UM,
PARTICULARLY THE GUY FROM THE
GREENLINING INSTITUTE AND THE
COUNTY SUSTAINABILITY. THEY ARE.
SO RIGHT ON TOTALLY GOING TO
CONNECT WITH THEM BECAUSE THIS
KIND OF PRESENTATION ABSOLUTELY
NEEDS TO BE GIVEN MORE. AND I
WANTED TO SEE HOW I CAN MAKE
SURE THAT OTHER PEOPLE GET TO
HEAR IT AND SEE IT. OBVIOUSLY WE
NEED OUR LEGISLATORS TO BE AT
THE CORE OF THAT WHICH YOU ARE,
AND I'M VERY GRATEFUL THAT I GOT
REDISTRICTED INTO YOUR AREA. AND
I, BUT I WANT TO SEE OTHER
PEOPLE GET THIS BECAUSE THERE'S
A LOT OF WAYS THAT JUST PEOPLE
IN THE COMMUNITY ON THEIR
ORGANIZATIONS, THEIR CHURCHES,
THEIR WHERE THEY GO SHOPPING.
ALL OF THAT CAN CAN HELP WITH
THIS IMPACT AND TO YOU KNOW, UM
ANNUNCIATED MAKE IT MAKE IT
LOUDER. AMPLIFY IT. THAT'S THE
WORD I WAS LOOKING FOR. THANK
YOU SO MUCH. I'M SO GRATEFUL
THAT I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO
ACTUALLY HEAR IT. THANKS. THANK
YOU SO MUCH, AND FOR EVERYONE'S
KNOWLEDGE, THAT WAS MICHELLE
KRUG. SHE IS VERY ACTIVE WITHIN
THE SAN DIEGO COMMUNITY. UM AND
ALSO VERY ACTIVE WITHIN THE
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AREA. UM
UNTIL BEFORE I CLOSE. I DO JUST
WANT TO, UH TOUCH ON TO THAT
POINT. I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE
WHO CAME TODAY. BUT FOR THOSE
WHO WERE NOT ABLE TO COME AND
HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO WATCH IT
LIVE, THIS IS GOING TO BE ON THE
ASSEMBLY WEBSITE BECAUSE IT'S
ONE OF OUR COMMITTEES. UM SO
THEY CAN ALWAYS FIND IT THERE.
BUT WE WILL ALSO PROVIDE A LINK
ON OUR WEBSITE ON MY ASSEMBLY
WEBSITE SO THAT YOU CAN HAVE
YOUR NEIGHBORS AND MEMBERS OF
YOUR DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS AND
YOUR COMMUNITIES. WATCH IT AND
LEARN. ABOUT THIS BECAUSE
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER. AND SO ONCE
YOU LEARN WHAT'S HAPPENING IN
YOUR COMMUNITY, YOU CAN BECOME
BETTER ADVOCATES FOR YOUR
FAMILIES AND FOR YOUR
COMMUNITIES AND START REALLY
HOLDING. THOSE OF US WHO ARE
ELECTED, WHETHER IT'S AT A
LOCAL, STATE OR FEDERAL LEVEL
OUR FEET TO THE FIRE AND SAY,
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? HOW
ARE YOU GOING TO FOCUS THESE
RESOURCES AND ON MY COMMUNITY
BECAUSE THE LACK OF FOCUS AND
THE LACK OF RESOURCES IS JUST
CONTINUING TO MAKE US SICKER AND
SICKER? UM WHILE OTHER
COMMUNITIES CONTINUE TO THRIVE?
WE HAVE COVERED A BROAD RANGE OF
ENVIRONMENTAL TOPICS TODAY, AND
WE COULD HAVE ACTUALLY SPENT A
WHOLE HEARING ON EACH OF THESE
PANELISTS. UM THEY PROVIDED MUCH
INFORMATION ON UNCOVERING THE
LAYERS UPON LAYERS OF COMPLEXITY
, COMPLEXITY THAT SURROUND THESE
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES. THE
SYSTEMIC INJUSTICES THAT ARE
OFTENTIMES ROOTED IN RACISM AND
CLASSISM. CLIMATE CHANGE HAS
MADE THE WEATHER AND
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS EXTREMELY
UNPREDICTABLE. YES THERE ARE
MANY ASPECTS OF THIS ISSUE THAT
WE CAN CONTROL THAT WE CAN
PREDICT AND WE CAN TRY TO
INFLUENCE EACH PERSON HERE TODAY
AND THOSE WHO ARE WATCHING AND
THOSE THAT WILL BE WATCHING PLAY
A ROLE IN MITIGATING AND MAKING
POSITIVE CHANGES, WHETHER YOU
ARE A MEMBER OF A GRASSROOTS
ORGANIZATION, LOCAL GOVERNMENT
IN THE MEDICAL FIELD OR JUST A
RESIDENT OF THIS GREAT STATE OF
CALIFORNIA, WE ALL PLAY A VITAL
ROLE. AS THE NEW CHAIR OF BUDGET
SUBCOMMITTEE NUMBER ONE ON
HEALTH. I WILL CONSIDER THE
ISSUES HIGHLIGHTED HERE TODAY
AND THEIR CORRELATION WITH SOME
OF OUR EXISTING HEALTH PROGRAMS.
AND EVEN THOUGH AS HAS BEEN
STATED FROM A FEW PEOPLE, THE
STATE IS FACING A BUDGET A
BUDGET DEFICIT. WE MUST
PRIORITIZE THE MOST IMPACTFUL
PROGRAMS AND REALLY CONTINUE TO
FOCUS ON THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT
HAVE BEEN IGNORED. FOR FAR TOO
LONG. I ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU TO
REACH OUT TO MY OFFICE IN
SACRAMENTO OR MY DISTRICT OFFICE
HERE IN LA MESA WITH YOUR
THOUGHTS AND YOUR CONCERNS. IF
YOU ARE NOT MEMBERS OF THE
ASSEMBLY DISTRICT OR
CONSTITUENTS OR RESIDENTS OF THE
ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 79. YOU CAN
STILL REACH OUT TO US, BUT YOU
CAN ALSO REACH OUT TO YOUR LOCAL
ELECTED BECAUSE WE ALL PLAY A
PART AND IMPROVING EVERY
COMMUNITY HERE IN CALIFORNIA. I
MUST THANK THE CITY OF ALCOHOL
FOR ALLOWING US TO USE THEIR
SPACE TODAY AND THANK YOU ALL IN
THE AUDIENCE WHO TOOK TIME OUT
OF YOUR DAY TO ATTEND THIS
HEARING. I ALONG WITH MANY OF MY
OTHER MEMBERS IN THE ASSEMBLY,
SPECIFICALLY, THOSE IN THE SAN
DIEGO DELEGATION ARE COMMITTED
TO CONTINUING TO WORK IN THIS
SPACE, AND I WANT TO THANK YOU
ALL AGAIN. WE ARE ADJOURNED.