The California Senate and Assembly, with the support of the California Environmental Justice Alliance (CEJA), have passed several bills directed at the disproportionate effects of pollution, climate change and generally poor environmental conditions on minority and low income communities. The goal of these measures is to promote environmental justice through statewide legislative reforms.
CEJA is a grassroots organization that uses local resources to improve the environmental health of the communities it represents. CEJA has advocated for the inclusion of historically marginalized minority and low income communities in initiatives combatting global issues, such as climate change. For example, CEJA helped promote changes to introduce clean air and renewable resource initiatives into low-income Asian immigrant communities, which are severely impacted by fossil fuel pollution.
These far-reaching measures address several key areas of environmental concern, including toxin exposure for residents living in close proximity to unsafe facilities, lack of resources for geographic areas suffering from environmental abuses and limited access to solar energy programs. Some of the most significant reforms are summarized below:
- AB 1288 requires the California Air Resources Board to improve its response to concerns about pollution and clean air by engaging representatives to deal directly with community leaders.
- AB 1071 mandates policies whereby a percentage of the penalties arising from environmental law violations are invested in initiatives that directly benefit low income and minority communities.
- SB 673 enforces more rigorous criteria for hazardous waste facilities to obtain permits to conduct potentially unsafe activities.
- AB 693 ensures access to environmentally friendly technologies, such as solar power, and provides financial assistance for multifamily affordable housing communities seeking to implement these green measures.
- SB 350 sets a goal to increase renewable energy to 50% by 2030 in the state, and enhance energy efficiency in buildings.
Contact Shane Coons at 949-333-0900 or visit his website at www.ShaneCoonsLaw.com to find out more about his practice.