Power plants make our neighborhoods sick. Simple as that. They emit dangerous toxic pollution into our air making it hard for us to breathe, and making our families, our communities and our planet sick. 

SIGN THIS PETITION TO TELL CALIFORNIA'S ENERGY REGULATORS WE DON'T WANT PIO PICO.

SIGN THIS LETTER TO ASK SOUTH BAY ELECTED OFFICIALS TO TAKE A STAND AGAINST DIRTY AIR IN OUR COMMUNITIES.

Now, a new power plant is being proposed in San Diego by SDG&E. If approved, the new plant, titled Pio Pico, will operate in Otay Mesa -- a 2/3 Latino area already burdened with toxic waste and ranked in the top 20 percent of most polluted zip codes in the state. The location is only 1.3 miles from Tijuana - home to one million people.

The chemicals produced from Pio Pico, known as "particulate matter" are directly linked to respiratory illnesses, such as asthma. Over time, residents may experience school absences, lost work days, hospital admissions, asthma diagnoses and in some severe cases, even death.

The monetary harm will also be substantial, as Pio Pico will cost SDG&E customers $1.6 billion. And that is a fact.

Irreversable damage will be done to our communities. The amount of poisonous air from Pio Pico is equal to the annual emissions of 129,584 gasoline-powered cars or nearly 70 million gallons of gasoline. San Diegans will face costly bills, asthma hospitalizations and increased environmental impacts of climate change such as forest fires, sea level rise, drought and heat waves. (Read more about the causes and effects of climate change here.)

And once it's built, it's not coming down for a long, long time -- if at all. Pio Pico's contract is 25 years, meaning it will continue to physically harm and pollute the already dumped on neighboring communities for a quarter of a decade.

Is this how you see your future? 

If not, sign this petition to oppose Pio Pico and make your voice heard for healthy neighborhoods and breathable air now and for generations to come and read more about Pio Pico and your community. There is a better way.

You may have seen them-- the petitioners outside of every grocery store in San Diego collecting signatures to oppose the Barrio Logan Community Plan, which City Council already approved in both September and October.

Well San Diego, you have been lied to. Lied to about a neighborhood not far from where you live that has suffered from toxic pollution, chronic asthma and environmental injustices for nearly thirty years. It finally has a chance to become healthy and toxic-free by separating local homes from industries, but the polluters are multi-billion-dollar industries that don't care about our communities.

I recorded this video at the Ralph's in Mission Valley and this video to expose how far from the truth these signature gatherers really are.

Here is the truth about the Barrio Logan community plan: It was drafted through a five-year, City-led planning process. It designates a heavy industrial zone away from homes and schools to create a clear separation of industrial and residential zones, along with a buffer zone that incorporates office buildings and parking structures to make Barrio Logan a safe place to live and play.

Do you think community members would draft a plan that eliminates jobs that they need, or that City Council would approve it, twice? These are blatant lies to scare you.

While industry supporter Chris Wahl regards this as an "isolated incident," our social media followers have had their own encounters.

"Same "isolated" incident at the Albertsons on University in North Park. The signature gatherer did not appreciate it when I loudly protested his claim of a 46,000 maritime job loss."

"Same "isolated" incident at Home Depot on Balboa and Genesee. My wife got into an arguement with the women there, who was incredibily rude! She went inside and complained to the store manager. These people are getting paid for these signatures and the folks who are simply out shopping don't have a clue. WHAT A SHAME!"

"Chris Wahl of the Protect our Jobs Coalition, which I interpret as a front for Port of SD Ship Repair and others in the industry has way more signatures than he needed--because the hired signature gatherers were simply asking people "sign here to save jobs." The real issue, toxins and their effects on Barrio Logan kids, never surfaced."

"Last Saturday I spoke with one of the petition folks. He said that the plan will result in building 500 homes in land currently used for industrial purposes. I asked to see a map of the area and he told me if the issue goes for a vote then I will see the map. When I pressed him to see the map he told me to leave."

"I got the same story from a signature gatherer outside Trader Joe's in Mission Valley a week ago Wednesday. It took a while for me to figure out that the petition was to rescind the City Council's decision and was backed by business, not the community. I told him I would not sign."

"I heard the same lies from signature gatherers at three different grocery stores. All three talked about the community plan causing the loss of thousands of jobs. This was two weeks ago at Sprouts on Third Street in Chula Vista, last week at Sprouts on Rosecrans, and yesterday at Whole Foods in Hillcrest."

EHC continues to support our communities and stand up to the massive polluting industries trying to silence them.

You can help by commenting on our Facebook with your petitioner experiences and spreading the truth about the Barrio Logan community plan to everyone you know. Don't sign any more petitions!

Thank you.

Diane Takvorian
Executive Director

Today the UT San Diego reports that the Barrio Logan community plan referendum will turn in 52,000 signatures to the city by November 1.  

But these signatures were recruited with proposterous lies.

Signature petitioners outside of popular grocery stores in San Diego have been using outrageous and fabricated lies to collect signatures to repeal the Barrio Logan community plan-- which City Council democratically voted to pass TWICE -- once on September 17 and again on October 15. 

I recently came across one of these petitioners myself in Mission Valley, to which industry spokesperson Chris Wahl quickly wrote off as an "isolated incident". 

So I am sharing this video that I captured of two scattered individuals bringing up some of the most blatant lies I've heard to this day.

The TRUTH is, it's not isolated. Not one bit.

I've had coworkers, friends, neighbors and social media followers tell me these "isolated incidents" have happened to them as well. Today we received a private message on our Facebook:

"Diane Takvorian, I saw the UT article this a.m. Yours was NOT an isolated incident, and Wahl is a bold-faced liar. Last week I was at that Ralph's, was pitched to "help save 60,000 jobs"; asked the young man who he represented; he did not know. When I told him there was another side to the issue, the health of kids breathing that toxic air, a man who was signing up stopped, said he had to think about it....Had a negative experience leaving by the other door. Just wanted you to know--and you are right; when voters know the truth."

Other comments recieved via Facebook read,

"Just walked past a person collecting signatures for the referendum on the Barrio Logan community plan...I wonder how residents of North Park, Liberty Station or OB (as examples) would feel about voters anywhere else in the city making decisions about development projects or zoning laws in their neighborhood..."

"Where's my Don't Tread On Me flag? At $1.75 per signature, once again Democracy is for sale."

"I ran into two of them today, one in MV and the other in North Park. They are shameless about the lies claiming that the Navy base is going to be closed and condos put up instead."

We've even heard it in-person.

Mia Bolton, resident of Ocean Beach, recently told us she heard the same lies coming from a signature gatherer outside of Trader Joe's in Mission Valley. The man "blatantly had no idea what he was talking about," says Bolton. "He kept saying the Barrio Logan community plan was going to kick out small businesses and replace them with hotels and condos, resulting in the loss of good jobs. Now I know for a fact this is a bold-faced lie, but does everyone else leaving Trader Joe's?"

Do you think City Council would pass a plan, TWICE, that is said to eliminate 46,000 jobs?

Or that the hard-working residents of Barrio Logan would come together for over five years to develop a plan that threw away nearly half a million jobs-- many of their own?

The answer is no.

The TRUTH has been, and remains to be that zero jobs will be lost because of this plan. 

Voice of San Diego said it best -- "That nine-block area isn't home to 46,000 jobs. It's not even home to the 14,000 jobs that take place at the Port. It is, however, home to a handful of small businesses that work hand-in-hand with the shipyard (and those existing companies will be able to stay open, but their expansion options will be limited). So what's all this talk of 46,000 jobs if we're really talking about whether new businesses can open in a few block area?"

The fact that the comprimised health of an underserved community is being decided by lying petition gatherers paid per signature is not democracy. It is an enormous sham, and they're busted. And it definitely, absolutely, one hundred percent is NOT an isolated incident. 

-- Diane Takvorian, executive director

We all have questions about climate change, especially regarding what's happening here in San Diego. Well you asked, and we deliver. Below we chat with EHC Policy Advocate Kayla Race on what causes climate change in San Diego, the implications it will have on our lives and what we can do to keep it from getting worse.

What are global warming and climate change? 

What causes global warming and climate change?

How will San Diegans be affected? 

Will some communities be impacted more than others? 

What is San Diego doing about climate change?

Can we do anything to reduce our risk? 

How can I help?

What are global warming and climate change?

Global warming is the recent and ongoing increase in global average temperature, causing climate patterns around the world to change. Global warming represents just one aspect of climate change, which refers to significant changes in climate that occur over several decades or longer. (back to top)

What causes global warming and climate change?

Global warming and climate change are caused mostly by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases—such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and certain synthetic chemicals—in the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases trap heat in our atmosphere and make the planet warmer, hence the term "global warming." 

Over the past 200 years, concentrations of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere have increased significantly and at an alarming rate, mostly due to human activities like burning fossil fuels to produce energy and power cars and trucks, industrial processes, some agricultural practices and deforestation. Although greenhouse gases are naturally occurring, the unnaturally large increase that has occurred over a relatively short period of time in history will result in dangerous impacts to human health, safety and ecosystems. (back to top)

How will San Diegans be affected? 

Although it is difficult to predict the exact impacts of climate change in San Diego, it is clear that the climate to which we are accustomed is no longer a reliable guide for what to expect in the future, and we should prepare for threats to our infrastructure, our safety, our economy, and our health.

In fact, the California Department of Public Health and the American Public Health Association have identified climate change as one of the most serious public health threats facing our nation, warning that the impacts are occurring sooner than expected.

Some impacts San Diegans are likely to see are:

• More frequent, intense, and prolonged heat waves and impair air quality, which puts public health at risk
• Dwindling freshwater supplies and increased water costs
• More frequent and intense wildfires
• More frequent and intense storms
• Potential disruptions in electricity
• Stress on our agricultural industry and resulting rising food prices
• Native plant and animal species emigrating from the region or reduce populations
• Rising sea levels that threaten communities and businesses near our coastline

(More about climate change impacts in the Southwestern U.S.)

Will some communities be impacted more than others? 

Yes. Low-income communities of color such as Barrio Logan, Sherman Heights, City Heights and National City will be hit first and worst by the impacts of climate change. These neighborhoods already suffer the health consequences of the region's pollution and they lack community resources such as healthcare, air conditioning, urban parks and tree canopy and transportation, making it challenging to cope with worsening conditions.

We have actually already seen climate change disproportionately impact disadvantaged communities. During California's heat wave of 2006, 99 percent of the associated deaths occurred in zip codes where more than half of residents were below the poverty line. (back to top)

What is San Diego doing about climate change?

The City of San Diego is in the process of developing a climate action plan for reducing the pollution that causes climate change, and preparing residents, businesses, and our natural resources for the impacts of climate change. The Port of San Diego adopted a Climate Action Plan in 2013 and is working to implement the plan now.

Stay tuned for more updates on the City and Port of San Diego's Climate Plan progress. (back to top)

Can we do anything to reduce our risk?

Yes! Do you want the good news or bad news first?

The bad news is carbon dioxide can stay in the atmosphere for nearly a century, meaning Earth will continue to warm in the coming decades. So the choices we make today--from how we use and produce energy, to how we travel, to the food and goods we purchase-- all affect the amount of greenhouse gases that stay in our atmosphere for years to come.

The good news is, San Diego can reduce its risk if we act now to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and properly prepare for changes that are already underway!

What can I do to help?

We have many solutions within our grasp to reduce pollution and secure a healthier future for our planet.  

• We can install solar panels on our rooftops and in our parking lots to reduce our reliance on dirty energy while creating local jobs at the same time. 
• We can make our buildings more energy and water efficient, build better transit and make neighborhoods more walkable and bikeable, resulting in fewer car emissions. 
• Reduce your daily impact on climate change at home and at work with small changes to daily habits -- like turning off lights and electronics and taking shorter showers.
• Get the News and Alerts to Take Action: Subscribe to our email newsletter for all our upcoming opportunities to attend a public meeting or send a letter to tell City Council and Port Commissioners you want an enforceable plan that will improve our air quality and make our communities more resilient against climate change
• Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to stay in the know with energy news and upcoming advocacy opportunities
• Donate to EHC to help us continue our work promoting climate action solutions
• Reduce energy and water use in your home by following these tips
  • Contact EHC to find out if you qualify for a free home energy audit or other energy efficiency improvement programs
  • Bike, walk or use public transit instead of driving as much as possible
  • Follow more tips here. (back to top)