Comment Log Display

Dear CARB Board - we are appreciative of the recommendation
resulting from the community-air district nomination that we have
submitted for the Northend of the Imperial County. As we have made
strides in the implementation of AB617 in the Calexico-Heber-El
Centro Corridor, we have always looked to have the Northend of
Imperial be a part of the program, primarily because of the
exposure that these communities of color face to emissions that
have an adverse effect on public health. As the Environmental
Justice organization working with the Imperial County Air Pollution
Control District, we have made innovative efforts to be inclusive
of the community and the community steering committee to lead this
program implementation, and want to bring that to the Northend who
is exposed to agriculture, industry, and the Salton Sea. From our
community research work, we have found that the greater exposure is
making the quality of life of these Northend communities less than
in other communities, as you have been presented these communities
are also in some of the worst marks in CalEnviroscreen and the
Healthy Places Index. At this moment it is also appropriate to
enhance the community message that you will hear and have heard on
how the competitive process of community nominations is not based
on environmental justice principles, but instead on scarcity. We in
the environmental justice communities would love to work with CARB
to advocate that this program can work in the most affected
communities for air quality issues and that to do this work the
resources have to be made available. As also a member of the
Blueprint 2.0 writer's group, we are fully aware of the issues that
the program has and have outlined tracks to solutions that should
be considered moving forward in the implementation of the program,
with appropriate cultural training for staff, resources, and
community participation guidelines for air districts in
implementation with community steering committees.

Again, to reiterate, we are supportive of the staff recommendation
to bring the Northend of Imperial County into the AB617 program. As
these communities also become a center of attention due to the
lithium rush in what is dubbed "Lithium Valley", we now have an
opportunity to work on preemptive actions before the developments
for lithium extraction and manufacturing take place, instead of
being in the same reactionary phase we environmental justice
advocates are often in. We now see the Imperial Corridor and the
Eastern Coachella Valley as AB617 communities that can leverage
lessons, community leadership, and work to improve the air quality
in the Salton Sea Air Basin.