Comment Log Display

Please see the attached proposal and introductory letters to Chair
Mary King and others.

Text of open comment speech (as of 1:40 PM):

Good afternoon Chair Nichols and members of the Board, it's been so
long since we've seen each other in person that it warms my heart
to be able to speak with you today, but unfortunately my message is
a grave one.

My name is Jason Meggs, I'm speaking today on a matter of deep
concern to the internal health of CARB and thus to our mission, as
a veteran of CARB. 
 
CARB has been a focus of my career for more than a decade, and
climate change mitigation for all my career and indeed most of my
life. 

In Research Division I was a leader on multiple initiatives to
reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants, particularly
fluorinated gases, as well as urging that the agency act on the
proven potential for electric bicycles to greatly reduce on-road
emissions.

Here in California we openly find it abhorrent that presidential
administrations have placed gag orders on the U.S. EPA and other
federal agencies, forbidding staff to even mention climate change
for example. 

However, CARB cannot hold its head high here as we have an
all-too-similar problem within the agency. Staff are held in
silence on too many critical issues. 

There is currently no provision for staff to report problems within
the agency to a trusted third party to facilitate internal
resolution. The only recourse should the command chain fail is to
seek support from outside agencies which is slow, ineffective, and
contrary to public claims, poor at protecting the complainant. It
can also feel like betrayal to we who are deeply committed to the
agency's mission.

Likewise there is no provision for staff to seek conflict
resolution within the agency. 

CARB needs a guaranteed opportunity for mediation and conflict
resolution so that staff who care about the quality and effect of
our work can feel protected and respected rather than silenced and
scared.

Lastly it has become very clear that CARB and indeed all
environmental agencies need to incorporate into their hiring
process, guarantees that staff within the agency have a track
record of support for the agency's mission and for protecting
public health and the environment.

I have provided draft policies to this effect to Chair Nichols,
Executive Officer Richard Corey and Administrative Services
Division Chief Edna Murphy along with a host of relevant recipients
but not yet the full ARB Board.

The importance of these internal reforms cannot be understated. I
can testify in depth from personal experience, as I'm sure a vast
share of CARB staff can as well, that the suppression of healthy
communication and resolution of internal problems hurts our mission
in major ways which ultimately have measurable emissions impacts.
In that sense these proposals may be some of the most important
overall climate change and air quality actions we can undertake.

I am calling this initiative the Staff Protection Act, you may also
call it The Meggs Initiative. I hope to work with you soon to
develop and implement these critically needed measures.

I honestly believe accepting this initiative would greatly optimise
and enhance the goals of the agency and the people of California.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to
working with you on realizing this important initiative.