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My name is Katherine Funes and I am currently a resident of Oakland
living in East Oakland. It has been great seeing the AB617 work
coming out of the West Oakland process, and it is necessary the
AB617 process expand to encompass East Oakland as well. Many of the
sources of air pollution that impact West Oakland communities also
carry over to East Oakland. These similarities along with the
unique set of pollution sources in East Oakland are having and have
been having detrimental effects on the low-income,
Black/Indigenous/People of color, immigrant, and disabled
communities that call East Oakland home. It is especially
imperative that you work to support designating East Oakland an
AB617 community because these communities are also experiencing
COVID-19 rates up to twice the rate of the statewide average.
COVID-19 further exacerbates the onslaught of respiratory illnesses
and complications already heavily present in East Oakland. This
community did not expect to wait this long for AB617 status and it
cannot continue to wait - you must work with the BAAQMD to make
this type of investment in bettering the air in our community
possible.