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Region 9 EJ Showcase Community: Los Angeles, CA
Grants & Programs Topics
EJ Showcase Communities by Region
Overview
U.S. EPA Region 9 and the California Environmental Protection Agency’s (CalEPA) Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) are working together to coordinate inspection and enforcement activities in the densely populated communities along the Interstate 710 cargo truck corridor between the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and northward to East Los Angeles.
This effort will build upon the existing targeted inspection and enforcement efforts of Cal EPA's DTSC. This collaborative approach will solicit input from the communities on environmental problems and concerns and work with federal, state, and local agencies to focus inspection and compliance efforts on the most heavily affected, highest-priority areas.
Successes
- Organized an Environmental Justice Roundtable with the Regional Administrator.
- Supported efforts of the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) to focus community driven-enforcement and capacity building in several communities.
- Inspected 70 facilities and issued 26 enforcement actions requiring local facilities to pay $1.815 million in penalties in the Showcase area.
- Produced 30 anti-idling signs for posting in community-identified locations.
- Partnered with communities in the showcase area to support their “Green Zones” effort and provided funds to further support one of the communities in the development of a green zones ordinance.
History
The Los Angeles Environmental Enforcement Collaborative is Region 9's Environmental Justice Showcase Community. The densely populated communities closest to the I-710 freeway in Los Angeles County are severely impacted by pollution from goods movement and industrial activity. One goal of the partnership EPA has formed with state and local agencies is to improve compliance with environmental laws by targeting inspections and enforcement at the state, federal, and local levels to address community concerns.In fiscal year 2010, twenty percent of the Region’s California inspections occurred in the showcase project area. This translates to Regional inspections at more than 70 different facilities, including petroleum and metal plating facilities. The enforcement actions at these facilities will keep over 15,000 pounds of pollution per year out of the local environment and prevent the potential of release of 80,000 gallons of oil into local water sources.
Community leaders developed a comprehensive list of environmental issues and shared it with Regional Administrator Jared Blumenfeld in August 2010. Diesel particulate matter was highlighted as a major concern. In partnership with the California Air Resources Board (ARB), EPA funded the production of anti-idling signs to be placed in communities. Safe schools are a priority to the Los Angeles area community. At the request of local leaders, EPA organized a school siting listening session in Los Angeles to provide an opportunity for community to weigh in on EPA’s National School Siting Policy.
An Environmental Justice State Cooperative agreement was awarded to the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) to focus community driven-enforcement and capacity building in several communities in the showcase area. Through this partnership DTSC has provided a series of trainings in the community of Maywood, CA that can be replicated in other communities in the focus area. Maywood is one of the most densely populated communities in California and is surrounded by highly-industrial cities. Translation was provided at several meetings in Maywood focusing on topics including drinking water and mobile source pollution using the showcase funding.
In 2011 and 2012, Region 9 will work with the Los Angeles Collaborative for Health and Environmental Justice in support of the Clean Up Green Up campaign, an effort focused on three LA area communities-- Boyle Heights, Wilmington and Pacoima.
For more information or to become involved, please contact Zoe Heller (heller.zoe@epa.gov) at 415-972-3074.