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

EHC has created this page to share community information and resources about the unfolding COVID-19 crisis. The situation is changing  every day, and we will continue to add new information and resources as they become available. Please be safe and check back regularly for updates.

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Black Lives Matter.

Environmental Health Coalition stands in solidarity with the righteous protests against the killing of Black Americans by law enforcement. We are deeply saddened by the death of George Floyd and outraged that yet another person has lost their life because of the color of their skin.

The death of George Floyd is being mourned and protested this week while we also remember Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and so many more whose names we will never know.

Black men and boys in America are 2.5 times more likely than white men and boys to die at the hands of police. Latinos, Native Americans, and Black women and girls are also at higher risk.

People of color have been patient – awaiting action from our leaders. Enough! It is time for action. EHC endorses this proposal by San Diegans for Justice to establish an independent, community-led Commission on Police Practices to investigate cases of police misconduct and bring much-needed accountability to SDPD.

These overt acts of racism – the killing of unarmed black men by police must be met with swift action. Prosecution and punishment will send a strong message that police brutality will not be tolerated.

Covert acts of racism must stopped as well.

#ICantBreathe is a particularly poignant plea that was ignored as George Floyd begged for his life and continues to be ignored for communities of color across the country where air pollution is unacceptably high. Racial segregation and environmental racism result in shorter life expectancies in communities of color than in white communities. Exposure to toxic pollution is a form of slow violence and slow death.

Amid the current pandemic, we are painfully aware that people of color bear a disproportionate burden of COVID-19 deaths. A recent Harvard study shows that a community with a very small increase of particulate pollution has an 8% increase in their COVID death rate. The percentage of black children suffering from asthma is nearly double that of whites and the death rate is 10 times higher.

Environmental racism and police brutality are a dangerous combination. If police don’t end Black lives, the pollution in their environment and communities will. Both are completely preventable.

EHC stands with all communities and in support of the Week of Action in Defense of Black Lives.

Image credit: Beverly Yuen Thompson via Flickr.

Posters on Gentrification and Resistance

On April 26, EHC and City Heights CDC co-hosted an exhibition of posters on gentrification and resistance. Produced across the world over the last 60 years, the posters are powerful visual testaments to the ongoing resistance against gentrification, displacement, and homelessness. The Spanish caption on one poster translates, “Every human being deserves a decent home.” The right to live, work, and play in a safe, healthy and equitable community is a central tenet of EHC’s work in City Heights and across the region, #HealthyHoods #HereToStay

Check out the posters!

Select pictures from the April 26 event:

Reclaim! Remain! Rebuild! was funded by The California Endowment, California Arts Council, City of Los Angeles, Department of Cultural Affairs, with additional support from the Getty Grant Program, and the Los Angeles County Arts Commissio

The American Planning Association (APA) selected EHC’s Policy Director, Carolina Martinez to receive their 2019 National Planning Excellence Award for Advancing Diversity & Social Change. The award is a testament to Carolina’s commitment and the resolve of community members such as Lorena Chavez and Adriana Mecina to advance the Paradise Creek housing development project in National City.

From educating community members to identifying funding and partnership opportunities, Carolina worked alongside of the resi-dents to ensure a community-driven process that resulted in Paradise Creek, a 201-unit, affordable housing complex on a remediated brownfield site. #healthyhoods

Environmental Health Coalition worked closely with the non-profit affordable housing organization, Community Housing Works, to bring fiscal resources, housing expertise and community priorities together to make the project possible.

Read the full press release

Carolina received the award at the annual APA conference on April 15, 2019 in San Francisco:

Wendy Shabay, AICP, 2019 Awards Jury Chair is in the photo together with Carlton Eley.

Photos courtesy of APA, photo by The Photo Group.

AB 423 Approved by Assembly Committee.

It is unacceptable that some San Diego communities face a human cancer risk of 300 per million because of air pollution. Last week we asked you to demand clean air for all San Diegans by reforming the governing board of the San Diego Air Pollution Control District (APCD).

Thank you for taking action, your voices were heard in Sacramento.

AB 423, an EHC sponsored bill by Assemblymember Todd Gloria, has passed the first step of the legislative process in the California State Assembly. If passed into law, the legislation ensures that San Diego will have an APCD board with diverse representation from every city to address the most urgent air pollution needs.

Elected officials across San Diego County are stepping up to support AB 423. Read letters of support from:

• Georgette Gomez – President, San Diego City Council
• Olga Diaz – Councilmember, Escondido City

Testifying in support of the bill in Sacramento yesterday, National City Mayor Alejandra Sotelo-Solis said:

“We need your help to enable National City and all of the 18 cities in San Diego County to participate in improving air quality. We want a seat at the table. Our perspectives and insights into local air pollution sources are unique and valuable.”

We need a massive shift in the way we fight air pollution in San Diego and it is critical that legislators continue to hear your voices as we urge them to pass AB 423 into law. If you have not signed our petition yet, please take action now and Demand Clean Air For All San Diegans.

HELP SPREAD THE WORD ON SOCIAL MEDIA

More AB 423 Resources

EHC Letter of Support
AB 423 Official Fact Sheet

At Environmental Health Coalition (EHC), we fight for environmental and social justice with the help of our community volunteers. One of the many ways you can get involved in our work is through our internship program, which introduces students to the inner workings of our environmental justice nonprofit.

Similar to other small nonprofit organizations, our departments have one staff member in charge of juggling many moving parts at once. For example, in Fund Development, Individual Giving is responsible for donor relations and events, and it is very important to have an updated database, an eye for detail, and timely responses to manage and maintain donor relations. That’s where our fund development interns come in – helping EHC to better meet our fundraising goals by splitting up tasks in a more efficient manner.

In 2018, Hannah MacDougall helped manage our summer fundraising efforts, encouraging people to commit to monthly donations to EHC, which took organizational skills and constant communication. Thanks to her positive attitude, persistence and dedication, EHC has secured an additional $6,800 in pledges for the fiscal year in monthly gifts – providing our grassroots teams with the time, funds and dependability to bring justice to the lives of hundreds of families in our region. Thank you, Hannah!

(EHC team and Fund Development Intern Hannah MacDougall, pictured front right.)

We caught up with Fund Development Intern Hannah to learn more about her experiences as an intern at EHC.

How did you get involved at EHC?

In college, I took an environmental justice (EJ) class; before then, I had never heard of this concept. I was double majoring in environmental studies and political science. I had chosen those two majors so I could hopefully work where the two subjects intersect. EJ was the perfect fit! After I realized that EJ may have been the path I was searching for, I began to do more research in San Diego and EHC stood out.

What have you learned from this internship?

I have learned so much about data management and databases, as well as City Heights, Barrio Logan, and National City as EJ communities. Some of the biggest insights I learned during my internship were by listening to others talk about EJ events or issues in the community that I was not aware of – and probably wouldn’t be if it wasn’t for EHC.

What would you advise others looking to get involved in EJ?

Get involved at EHC. It is a great place for an internship. Everyone here is welcoming, and it is the best place to get your foot in the door and explore what the fight for EJ looks like in San Diego’s communities.

If you or someone you know is looking for similar internship opportunities, contact Individual Giving Director Giuliana Schroeder at Esta dirección de correo electrónico está siendo protegida contra los robots de spam. Necesita tener JavaScript habilitado para poder verlo..

We are pleased to welcome Bari Samad and Laura Benavidez to the EHC team.

Bari joins EHC with more than 15 years of communications experience in the nonprofit sector. As our communications director, he will leverage digital tools for impactful storytelling, advocacy, and community organizing. In the past, he has collaborated with former Vice President Al Gore's Alliance for Climate Protection campaign to organize Green Jobs Now, an online-to-offline national day of action that resulted in more than 600 community events in more than 40 states. 

Laura joins EHC as the organization’s first City Heights organizer, bringing nearly two decades of community organizing experience to the team. In her new role, Laura will empower environmental justice community members to find their voice and advocate for clean air, transportation justice and more. In 2016, Assembly Speaker Emeritus Toni Atkins recognize Laura as an "Emerging Female Leader." She hopes to assist the communities EHC serves through resource sharing, leadership development and mentorship. 

Learn more about our team members here. 

As we reflect back on 2018 and Environmental Health Coalition’s (EHC) accomplishments, we are reminded of your generosity. With your continued support, we promoted public health and fostered environmental justice in the communities that need it most.

As a result of your support, we achieved the following wins in 2018:

• Affordable Housing for National City Residents - EHC led efforts to add 92 additional apartment units to the Paradise Creek complex along with remediation of contamination.
  
  
• Civic Engagement Impact - EHC leaders educated more than 20,000 residents on the importance of voting to build the community’s voice. Together with our state and local allies, we protected funds for education and maintained revenue for transit and road repairs. In San Diego, we expanded democracy and protected our kids from lead in drinking water.
  
  
• Climate Action Plan Assessment – EHC released an in-depth environmental justice assessment of the City of San Diego’s Climate Action Plan implementation since 2015. Our report highlights the need for more efficient and affordable mass transit options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and demands the City to increase direct investment in environmental justice communities. View our report coverage: San Diego Union-Tribune and KPBS.
  
  
• Children’s Comic Book – EHC launched the “Comic Alamar,” a digital and print booklet that tells the story of Tijuana’s Alamar River and its importance for regional sustainability.
  
  
• Local Truck Ordinance – EHC successfully advocated for a resolution to redirect heavy-duty truck traffic away from homes, schools, and senior centers in Barrio Logan.
  
  
• Community Hero - I was honored to be recognized by KPBS and the National Conflict Resolution Center as a Community Hero for environmental justice and sustainability.

EHC’s success and recognition would not be possible without our Board of Directors, staff, community leaders and generous donors. Thank you for believing that we are the right organization to make a difference in our community.