Contact:
Daniel Lopez, Office of Mayor Michael Tubbs, 209-292-3516
Kevin Olp, Cal EPA, 916-324-9682
Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Restore the Delta, 209-479-2053
CAL EPA Environmental Justice Event in Stockton 4/29
Secretary Blumenfeld and Stockton Mayor Tubbs to speak
WHAT:
Planting the Seeds: Stockton’s Environmental Transformation
A celebration of the ongoing partnership between the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA), Stockton’s vibrant community health and social justice organizations, and the City, to work towards achieving environmental justice in Stockton by sharing and disseminating information regarding environmental concerns and challenges, and by investigating and addressing enforcement and compliance issues affecting Stockton residents.
WHO:
Michael Tubbs, Mayor of Stockton
Jared Blumenfeld, Secretary, California Environmental Protection Agency
Yana Garcia, Assistant Secretary of Environmental Justice and Tribal Affairs (CalEPA)
Joaquin Esquivel, Chair of the State Water Resources Control Board
WHERE:
Stockton Memorial Civic Auditorium, 525 North Center Street, Stockton, CA 95202
WHEN:
Mon, April 29, 2019 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM PDT
Event is FREE to the public. Please RSVP here: https://bit.ly/2VUHUkR
“CalEPA’s Environmental Justice Task Force conducts focused initiatives to address pollution in areas of California with some the highest exposure and health burdens. We coordinate inspections to prioritize protecting clean water and clean air where people live, work, and play, and community partnership is critical to our approach. The organizations we’ve worked with in Stockton have informed our staff not only about what the challenges are in the City, but also about where the potential solutions lie, and about what makes Stockton so rich in its history,” said Yana Garcia, CalEPA’s Assistant Secretary for Environmental Justice and Tribal Affairs.
“It is great to welcome Jared Blumenfeld, Secretary of the California EPA, to Stockton,” said Stockton’s Mayor Michael Tubbs. “Through our Rise Stockton initiative, our community is working at the grassroots level to bring awareness to environmental issues that impact community health. This work is urgent as about 90,000 our residents suffer from health issues connected to our environment, for example, Stockton is the 97th percentile for asthma rates. The State of California and the Strategic Growth Council are key partners in this effort to ensure that our air, water and other local resources are routinely improved, and projects are prioritized, for the betterment of our community.”
“We are proud to be one of the local groups working with CalEPA to address Stockton’s toughest environmental justice issues. This event will celebrate community-based efforts to improve quality of life for every Stocktonian,” said Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of Restore the Delta.
“There’s a definite connection between historically redlined communities and the environmental challenges they are facing today. Equitable solutions can only be achieved by recognizing this history, and this is what our presentation at the event describes for the community,” said Dillon Delvo, executive director of Little Manila Rising.
BACKGROUND:
The CalEPA Environmental Justice Task Force conducts geographically-based Initiatives to work closely with local residents and community partners to establish priorities and address community concerns around pollution and blight. In Stockton, twelve agencies conducted more than 100 inspections of businesses with potential pollution impacts near and around neighborhoods to ensure they are following California’s environmental laws. The Initiative also developed partnerships with local leaders and environmental and public health agencies to address issues of concern, including drinking water, illegal dumping, and asthma.
At this event, community based organizations and local agencies will share information and resources to understand and address environmental issues affecting Stockton and the surrounding area. The California Environmental Protection Agency and local environmental justice and community organizations will also highlight the efforts undertaken during the Stockton Environmental Justice Initiative, and will discuss ongoing efforts to work collaboratively with local government and business to address community priorities that include asthma and air pollution, drinking water quality, and proactive solutions to address illegal dumping.
Sponsors of the Event include: California Environmental Protection Agency, Little Manila Rising, San Joaquin Pride Center, Fathers & Families San Joaquin, Faith In The Valley, Third City, and El Concilio, and Restore the Delta.