New Directions for Environmental Justice Policy and Advocacy in the Central Valley

An interactive panel featuring:
The Honorable Dean Florez, California State Senate, District 16
Enrique Manzanilla, Director, US EPA Region 9, Communities and Ecosystems Division
Debbie Davis, Legislative Analyst, Environmental Justice Coalition for Water
Rey Leon, Senior Policy Analyst, Latino Issues Forum

Tuesday, March 13, 2007  |  3 - 6 pm

242 Asmundson Hall
University of California, Davis

Communities depend on clean water for drinking, bathing and fishing. Debbie Davis is part of a coalition trying to help low-income communities and those of color protect and restore their water. “Thirsty for justice,” the Environmental Justice Coalition for Water is creating a better model for equitable policymaking on state and local water boards. State Senator Florez represents the interests of this constituency as he haggles with his Latino colleague, Los Angeles Mayor Tony Villaraigosa and author of the Green LA Climate Action Plan. LA legally dumps truckloads of human waste in Kern County each day, creating unknown impacts on local groundwater. His struggle pits urban interests against rural, with urban interest capturing “per capita” funding for environmental management at the expenses of rural communities that become polluted with exported urban wastes. This panel discusses environmental inequities in water, soil and air, and the policies at California’s Environmental Protection Agency that makes science a higher priority than people. The three pillars of environmental justice, the precautionary principle, public participation, and community health impacts have engaged environmental justice activism in Kettleman City, Avenal, Arvin, Delano, Lamont, Orange Cove and other Latino communities in the Central Valley.

Video of the event (2 hrs, 17 minutes):
Play in QuickTime, Play in Windows Media Player, Play in Real Player