EHC is celebrating the passage of AB 2276 (Reyes, Salas, C. Garcia) a law that will address California’s poor track record of ensuring that our children most at risk of lead poisoning are screened and tested for lead.

About AB 2276

• AB 2276 requires Medi-Cal managed care plans to identify enrolled children who have not received the required lead tests and remind the child’s healthcare provider and parents about the missed tests.
• AB 2276 also codifies additional risk factors that the Department of Public Health must consider when developing screening requirements doctors use to determine if a child not enrolled in Medi-Cal should be tested for lead.

Low-income, people of color communities are at higher risk due to the older housing stock, substandard housing conditions, and malnourished children. Lack of nourishment makes it easier for children to absorb lead faster. With stay-at-home orders, most of our children are at home 24/7, making it even more urgent to ensure that homes are lead-safe. Most children do not show any symptoms. Unfortunately, lead can silently poison your child.

Childhood lead poisoning is the #1 environmental health threat impacting children under the age of six by causing brain damage, learning disabilities, hyperactivity, and aggressive behavior. Lead also damages the immune system – a health impact that is of huge concern during this COVID-19 pandemic.

The good news is that childhood lead poisoning is completely preventable! Parents, please be vigilant. Take steps to make your home lead safe and be sure to schedule a blood lead test for your children and grandkids this week.

More Information:

• Tips on how to make your home lead-safe
• Printable coloring activity

Since its launch in July 2019, the Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing (SOMAH) program has become the nation’s largest investment in clean energy serving low-income and disadvantaged communities. Some 380 projects have applied for funding and are moving through the pipeline to construction.

EHC was a co-sponsor and leading advocate for the legislation that created California’s Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing (SOMAH) program and is now deeply engaged in ensuring the program provides maximum community benefit.

We celebrate the completion of a successful first year and look back at the accomplishments of SOMAH and EHC. Once constructed, these 380 active applications equate to 82 megawatts of new solar energy on affordable housing properties in California, representing 27% of the program’s total goal to install 300 MW of solar by 2030.

26% of the applications are located in disadvantaged communities defined by CalEnviroScreen scores (or DACs), benefiting those who are most impacted by toxic pollution and a lack of economic opportunity. Once constructed, the SOMAH projects will benefit Californians for decades by:

• Providing savings for nearly 32,000 tenant units
• Directing 90% of the savings to tenants
• Creating over 700 job training opportunities

The SOMAH program is about partnerships and a community-based approach. EHC is one of five community-based organizations (CBOs) in California that works directly with the program administrator to help communicate benefits to tenants, job seekers and the community we live in.

This year, EHC conducted a series of six virtual mini-workshops with Community Action Teams in National City, Barrio Logan and City Heights, which introduced the SOMAH program, how solar energy works, clean energy jobs, and how to reduce energy use at home. We also conducted direct outreach to developers and owners of affordable housing in environmental justice (EJ) communities to ensure our communities are informed about the program and retain its benefits.

None of this is happening in a vacuum. EHC’s work with SOMAH continued as the world around us changed. Our communities saw the highest rates of coronavirus cases and a devastating spike in unemployment. Residents have experienced housing and power insecurity made worse by planned power outages, heatwaves, and fires. The benefits of clean power are needed NOW.

As frontline communities face a greater burden of energy cost and are disproportionately impacted by economic, environmental and racial injustice, expanding access to renewable energy technology and job training will tackle multiple issues at once. Investing in solar for affordable housing through programs like SOMAH will help Californians generate local, clean power while providing much-needed savings to families and creating economic opportunities for individuals.

If you rent an apartment, you could save on your electric bills if your landlord participates in the Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing (SOMAH) program. Learn more about how SOMAH can help your landlord convert your building to low-cost solar energy: calsomah.org/tenants

Tell Port of San Diego to STOP DIESEL DEATHS

The Mitsubishi Cement Corporation (MCC) is proposing to build a mega cement warehouse on the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal in Barrio Logan. If approved by the San Diego Board of Port Commissioners, the MCC warehouse is estimated to increase monthly diesel truck trips by at least 50% adding 2,000 trips and up to as many as 8,700 trips in future years!

Please take action today and tell the Port to protect public health by requiring MCC to use clean electric trucks that reduce diesel air pollution.

Barrio Logan is already at the top 5% for Diesel Particulate Matter (PM), a pollutant that can cause serious health problems such as lung cancer and asthma.

Barrio Logan and National City also have disproportionately high rates of COVID-19 infections – a disease made worse by poor air quality. Our communities don’t need industry and the Port of San Diego to add fuel to the fire, exposing residents to even further risks of health complications.

The Port must reject the MCC mega cement warehouse proposal unless the company complies with a clean electric trucks requirement and other measures that protect portside communities from continued exposures to chronic air pollution.

#stopdieseldeaths

Please sign our petition today!

Environmental Health Coalition's statement on California State Auditor report on the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District.

Environmental Health Coalition appreciates the leadership of Assembly member Gloria to request this investigation and thanks the Auditor’s office for its comprehensive research. Read full press release from Assembly member Gloria.

This report validates the experiences of residents who live in the communities most impacted by poor air quality.  Their voices have not been heard as complaints languish for months, monies have not been spent appropriately to reduce pollution and San Diego’s air quality is worsening.  EHC looks forward to working with the new Air Pollution Control Board to rectify these problems.

We are dismayed by the corporate subsidies of nearly $4 million that have been provided to industrial polluters.  The permit program should be a ‘full cost recovery’ system with permit holders paying for the total cost of regulating them.  We are concerned that permit fees have been kept low to accommodate demands from industry.  The public’s vehicle registration funds were used to subsidize these companies. Those funds should have been used for programs to reduce air pollution throughout the region and particularly in those communities that are most impacted.

Lack of public participation has been an ongoing and decades long concern.  APCD has improved its community involvement with the Community Air Protection Program but the lack of authentic participation in the advisory board and at APCD board meetings is stunningly poor.  Most board decisions are on consent with only 3 public commenters in 3 years.  The APCD website is not user-friendly and lack transparency.  These are issues that are required to be managed by the passage of AB 423 that creates a new board structure and requirements for improvement.