eliminating lead hazards in san diego...deceit and denial: the deadly politics of industrial...

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Toxinformer Toxinformer Environmental Health Coaltion 1717 Kettner Blvd., Suite 100 San Diego, CA 92101-2532 =@@HAIIIAHLE?AHAGKAIJA@ Non-profit Org. US Postage Paid Permit Number 2340 San Diego, CA Environmental Health Coalition Volume 22, Issue 1 January, 2003 Eliminating Lead Hazards in San Diego

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Page 1: Eliminating Lead Hazards in San Diego...Deceit and Denial: The Deadly Politics of Industrial Pollution. Co-authored by David Rosner, the book details the successful attempts by the

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Eliminating Lead Hazards in San Diego

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STAY INFORMED! BECOME A MEMBER OF EHC TODAY!Yes, I want to become a member of EHC. I am enclosing my tax-deductible

membership contribution of:

❏ $15 Students and Seniors ❏ $100 Super Supporter

❏ $25 Individual ❏ $250 Toxic Avenger

❏ $40 Booster ❏ $___ Other

Mail to: EHC, 1717 Kettner Blvd., Suite 100, San Diego, CA 92101

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Page 3: Eliminating Lead Hazards in San Diego...Deceit and Denial: The Deadly Politics of Industrial Pollution. Co-authored by David Rosner, the book details the successful attempts by the

/����������"�&����"�;99C +����CCampaign to Eliminate Childhood Lead Poisoning

Bertha Villa knows more about the dangers of windowsills than most people in Sherman Heights. It’s not the win-dows, she says, but the flaking layers of paint that cover themthat cause her concern.

“My neighbors and Inever knew about leadpoisoning,” says Villa, amother of three. “I alwaysfelt my children were safehere at home. You neverthink something as simpleas paint on a windowcould be something thatcould harm your childrenfor the rest of their lives.”

Villa and her childrenare among the manyfamilies at risk for leadpoisoning in high-risk SanDiego communities.Childhood lead poisoningis the number one envi-ronmental health threat tochildren younger than 6. Itcan result in reduced IQ,learning disabilities,behavioral problems,hyperactivity and increased aggression.

An extensive study conducted by Environmental HealthCoalition documented the need for lead hazard control in manycommunities. Based on the sampling results, EHC estimatesthat more than 68,000 homes in the County of San Diego havelead hazards and qualify as low-income households using theHUD definition.

Now, a coalition of partners is taking the needed first stepstowards ending this problem.

In October, the U.S. Department of Housing and UrbanDevelopment (HUD) awarded the San Diego Housing Com-mission a $1.9 million grant to reduce hazards in homes wherechildren younger than 6 years-old reside. The HousingCommission applied for the funds under HUD’s Lead-BasedPaint Hazard Control grant program with EHC and theMetropolitan Area Advisory Committee (MAAC Project) ascore partners. The City of San Diego, through the offices ofMayor Dick Murphy and District 8 Councilmember RalphInzunza, allocated $100,000 of Community DevelopmentBlock Grant funds as part of the local matching funds.

“This is about keeping children safe,” said HousingCommission CEO Elizabeth Morris. “We are proud to partnerwith EHC and the MAAC Project in this important effort.

The funds will be used in the City of San Diego neighbor-hoods of Barrio Logan, Grant Hill, Logan Heights, Memorial,

Shelltown, Sherman Heights, Southcrest and Stockton. Projectpartners selected these neighborhoods because of the largenumber of housing units built before 1978, high poverty rates,

a large number of childrenunder age six, and poorlymaintained rental units – acombination of factors thatplaces the communities athigh risk for childhoodlead poisoning. Deteriorating house-hold paint is the primarysource of lead exposure inchildren. Paint manufac-tured before 1950 con-tained up to 50 percentlead, and household paintcontinued to containsubstantial levels of leaduntil 1978. California’shousing stock is the thirdoldest in the nation andlow-income neighborhoodsand neighborhoods ofcolor tend to have poorlymaintained rental units. Villa credits EHC’sCampaign to Eliminate

Childhood Lead Poisoning with teaching her about the hiddenhazards around her home. “We learned so much from (CeCLPOrganizer) Luz Palomino about the dangers of lead and thisprogram to protect children’s health. It’s also great to see theCity taking action. I hope the government will continue tobring programs like this to our communities.”

Making ProgressEHC has been a leader in lead poisoning prevention in San

Diego County since the early 1990s, providing communityeducation about lead hazards throughout our target communi-ties. In the fall of 2000, EHC trained 18 Promotoras, membersof the community, to inspect homes in Sherman Heights andNational City for evidence of lead contamination, creating theinspection teams that now work in target communities toidentify lead hazards

EHC community teams inspected 40 homes and apart-ments built before 1950 and assessed the condition of interiorand exterior paint, sampled soil around the homes, and tookdust samples on window sills and floors. Seventy-seven percentof the homes were found to have at least one lead hazardexceeding federal standards. Young children were found to beliving in 83 percent of the homes that need lead hazard control.

EHC partners with SDHC, MAAC Projectfor lead hazard control in at-risk communities

Please see LEAD, Page 4

CeCLP Organizer Luz Palomino, left, and Promotora Maria Radilla prepare leadhazard information for distribution during one of the campaign’s community events.

Page 4: Eliminating Lead Hazards in San Diego...Deceit and Denial: The Deadly Politics of Industrial Pollution. Co-authored by David Rosner, the book details the successful attempts by the

/����������"�&����"�;99C+����D Campaign to Eliminate Childhood Lead Poisoning

Raul Reyes, a resident and property owner in ShermanHeights, agreed to the inspections conducted by EHC’sPromotoras and was surprised at the hidden dangers foundlurking on the windows and doors of the aging home. Likecountless other San Diego residents, Reyes was unaware of theharmful link between paint in pre-1950s homes and childhoodlead poisoning.

In September, 2002, with funds from the City of SanDiego, workers from the MAAC Project trained in lead hazardcontrol practices began work on five Sherman Heights homesidentified by EHC’s community inspection teams as needinglead hazard control. Villa’s residence on the 200 block of 21st

Street in Sherman Heights was among the first to receiveattention.

“These are dangers we never knew of,” Reyes said.“Knowing about the problem is one thing, but many of us havelimited resources for the work it takes to control this. I’mthankful that City leaders are working to find the funding tomake our community a safe place for children to live.”

Councilmember Inzunza, who allocated substantial start-up funds for the project, praised the work of EHC and itspartners and pledged to continue the fight to eradicate child-hood lead poisoning in San Diego.

“Thanks to the work of EHC and other partners in thisproject, including San Diego Housing Commission, MAACProject, Campesinos Unidos, Inc. and the communityPromotoras, we now recognize the extent of the problemfacing many of the low-income and children of color in SanDiego,” Inzunza said. “I will continue to work with communitymembers and City officials to put an end to this prevalent butentirely preventable problem.

The Lead Industry Association (LIA) for decadesknew that its product posed serious health risks tochildren. But according to author Dr. GeraldMarkowitz, industry executives never let the facts standin the way of a good marketing plan, even when that

plan centered on convincing thepublic to use its deadly productto paint everything from wallsto furniture to children’s toys. Environmental HealthCoalition members and guestsbraved the stormy San Diegoweather on Nov. 8, 2002 for alecture by Markowitz and adiscussion of his new book,Deceit and Denial: The DeadlyPolitics of Industrial Pollution.Co-authored by David Rosner,

the book details the successful attempts by the chemi-cal and lead industries to deceive Americans about thedangers that their deadly products present to workers,the public, and consumers. Through industry docu-ments obtained by exhaustive research, the authorsuncover a cruel and cynical disregard for human healthby executives who knew full-well the plague they wereunleashing on unsuspecting painters, children andfamilies.

Lead industry officials maintain that they commit-ted no acts of ill will against the public, Markowitzsaid, despite their burying of documented cases of leadpoisoning – many resulting in death – that date back tothe early 1900s. It was not until the 1978 ConsumerProduct Safety Commission ban on lead paint in 1978that the industry was forced to change its practices.

Journalist Bill Moyers says, “Deceit and Deniallays bare the truth about how every one of us inAmerica is imperiled when powerful corporationsforsake their responsibility to the public health.”

Copies of Deceit and Denial are available from EHCfor $34.95. Call (619) 235-0281 or visit our Web site,

www.environmentalhealth.orgMarkowitz and Rosner are donating a portion

of all sales proceeds to benefit EHC.

New book details deceptive practicesof the chemical and lead industries

Gerald Markowitz

EHC Promotora Imelda Perez, left, conducts sampling to test for lead in soilsurrounding one of EHC’s project homes. EHC’s Promotoras are certifiedlead sampling technicians and are also trained in the identification of otherhousehold hazards like mold, pests, and carbon monoxide.

LEAD, continued from Page 3

For more information about pending lawsuits against the lead paint

industry visit the Alliance to End Childhood Lead Poisoning

Web site, www. aeclp.org

Page 5: Eliminating Lead Hazards in San Diego...Deceit and Denial: The Deadly Politics of Industrial Pollution. Co-authored by David Rosner, the book details the successful attempts by the

/����������"�&����"�;99C +����?Campaign to Eliminate Childhood Lead Poisoning

The work of the EHC, SDHC, and MAAC Project partner-ship that was formed to complete this pilot project led to thesuccessful proposal to HUD, and funds are now available tocomplete lead hazard control work on over 100 additionalhomes. The HUD grant funds also will allow EHC to increasethe number of children being tested for elevated blood-leadlevels in the target communities.

New Year, New CampaignThe recent increased efforts in EHC’s work to prevent

childhood lead poisoning prompted the creation of the Cam-paign to Eliminate Childhood Lead Poisoning. The newcampaign demonstrates EHC’s commitment to working withcommunity residents, housing advocates, health officials, andgovernment agencies to eliminate the sources of lead exposurein San Diego County. The Campaign staff includes DirectorLeticia Ayala, and Community Organizer Luz Palomino.

“Seeing the positive changes we’ve helped bring aboutthrough our lead work is a sign that change is possible. Itmotivates us to continue to advocate on behalf of the childrenin San Diego,” Ayala said. “The work ahead of us this year ischallenging, but we’ve come a long way. The families arecounting on us and we’re not going to let them down.”

The new year finds EHC’s inspection teams hard at workin the CeCLP target neighborhoods, with a goal of recruitingfamilies to participate in EHC’s Healthy Homes project.Thanks to funding from the Community Environmental Health

Resource Center, EHCsPromotoras now are certifiedlead sampling technicians andare also trained in the identifi-cation of other householdhazards like mold, pests, andcarbon monoxide. The teamswill be able to inspect 200homes in San Diego andNational City, some of whichwill be referred for leadhazard control.

Also this year, the CeCLPteam will continue its workwith the Cities of San Diegoand National City to helpthem improve and expandprograms to identify leadhazards in housing and holdthe owners responsible.

National City has trained itscode enforcement personnelto identify potential leadhazards as part of a proactivecampaign to evaluate thecondition of all housing in theCity. Code enforcement staffnow cite lead-based paint,order repairs using lead-safework practices and conduct

follow-up visits to ensure that repairs have been done in atimely manner. They also are providing free paint to commu-nity residents. EHC will continue to inspect homes in NationalCity and work with City officials for the creation of a compre-hensive lead ordinance.

In April 2002, the San Diego City Council approved theLead Safe Neighborhoods Program and changed city law toallow the city attorney to prosecute landlords who fail toremove lead-based paint hazards from their properties after achild living there has been found to have elevated blood-leadlevels. At the same time, the City created a Lead PoisoningPrevention Citizens Advisory Task Force. This year, EHC isworking with City officials to create a comprehensive leadpoisoning prevention program that includes code enforcement.

“One of the most challenging things about our work wassimply getting public officials, housing and health agencies toacknowledge the threat lead poses to children’s health,” Ayalasaid. “Now we have to work to ensure that those most at riskare protected and that adequate resources are brought tofamilies in need.”

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The San Diego City Council recognized members of the City’s Lead Poisoning Prevention Citizens Advisory TaskForce during National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week in October 2002. Pictured from left to right: Brad Barnum,Director of Government Relations, Association of General Contractors; Alan Johanns, Asbestos and Lead ProgramManager, City of San Diego Department of Environmental Services; Luz Palomino, CeCLP Organizer; ChrisGonaver, Director, City of San Diego Department of Environmental Services; Robin Layton, Executive Director,Education Enrichment Systems, Inc.; Donna Frye, Councilmember, City of San Diego District 6; Leticia Ayala,CeCLP Director; San Diego Mayor Dick Murphy; and Ralph Inzunza, Councilmember, City of San Diego District 8.Inzunza and Frye are co-chairs of the Task Force.

Page 6: Eliminating Lead Hazards in San Diego...Deceit and Denial: The Deadly Politics of Industrial Pollution. Co-authored by David Rosner, the book details the successful attempts by the

/����������"�&����"�;99C+����> Border Environmental Justice Campaign

Colectivo ChilpancingoPro Justicia Ambiental andEHC’s Border EnvironmentalJustice Campaign (BEJC)marked another importantmilestone in December 2002as more than a dozen mem-bers of the EHC affiliateoffice in Tijuana completedthe first SALTA Chilpancingo,a training designed to furtherstrengthen the community’swork for social and environ-mental justice in the SanDiego/ Tijuana border region.

SALTA (SaludAmbiental, Latinas TomandoAcción or EnvironmentalHealth, Latinas TakingAction) is EHC’s uniqueleadership development andenvironmental health andjustice training. EHC has usedthis model for trainingcommunity promotoras forseven years and has adapted itfor various groups in the U.S. and Mexico. The SALTA modelhas been presented at many national and international meetingsand conferences.

BEJC Director Amelia Simpson called SALTAChilpancingo an important step in EHC’s support of theColectivo. The training follows on the formal inauguration ofthe Colectivo in June 2002.

“The SALTA training is aimed at advancing theColectivo’s goal to build a safe and healthy community bylending EHC’s expertise to local activists,” Simpson said. “Thetraining empowers the Colectivo through knowledge andexperience, while at the same time helping EHC support theColectivo through data collection integrated into the training.

Lourdes Luján, a promotora and participant in the SALTAChilpancingo, stressed the importance of the training forbuilding knowledge of health and environmental impacts inColonia Chilpancingo. “SALTA Chilpancingo also has helpedus build solidarity as a group,” Luján said. “Our last SALTAsession ended in the decision to call a meeting of the Colectivomembers, and to elect a rotating governing committee fororganizing and guiding our social justice projects.”

A Constant StruggleColonia Chilpancingo, home to almost 10,000 residents, is

plagued by a number of problems perpetuated by the NorthAmerican Free Trade Agreement and the maquiladora industry.The Colectivo continues to fight for justice through numerousactivities, including the cleanup of Metales y Derivados, anabandoned lead smelter contaminated with more than 7,000

metric tons of toxic waste that stands just 150 yards from theColonia.

Many of the problems encountered in the Colonia stemfrom a lack of infrastructure. Numerous streets are unpaved,and many families are not hooked up to water and sewagesystems. These problems exacerbate the already formidablehealth risks posed by toxics from Metales and other nearbymaquiladoras. SALTA participants discussed these issues, andlearned about dangers from common items in the neighbor-hood like cooking pots and candies that may contain lead.

SALTA strengthens community organizing in Colonia Chilpancingo

Yesenia Palomares, left, and Lourdes Luján, promotoras with Colectivo Chilpancingo Pro Justicia Ambiental,participate in a globalization exercise with BEJC Organizer Magdalena Cerda. During the exercise, participantslooked at labels on their clothing that indicated where the garment was made, then marked that location on a map ofthe world to show the widespread impact of globalization in the garment industry.

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~ Luz María Chávez Pérez, SALTA Graduate

Page 7: Eliminating Lead Hazards in San Diego...Deceit and Denial: The Deadly Politics of Industrial Pollution. Co-authored by David Rosner, the book details the successful attempts by the

/����������"�&����"�;99C +����7Border Environmental Justice CampaignBEJC Organizer Magdalena Cerda said the unique

challenges faced by Colonia residents necessitated the creation

of a training that deals with the specifics of life in the Colonia.

“The impunity enjoyed by the maquiladora industry and

other businesses in and near this Colonia creates conditions of

social injustice that must be addressed on many levels. SALTA

has strengthened the community’s capacity to operate on

different fronts, from advocating for the renegotiation of unfair

trade agreements perpetuated by NAFTA, to pressuring the

Mexican government to defend the community’s right to a

clean and safe environment, to informing the community of

simple, practical ways they can protect health in the home and

in the neighborhood,” Cerda said. “So, in addition to the

healthy household and lead exposure information included in

past SALTAs, we included a new set of interactive presenta-

tions on the maquiladora industry, trade agreements, corporate

globalization, and human rights. The political economy of

environmental degradation is highlighted to address the needs

of a community whose destiny is very closely connected to

trade negotiations and industry decisions.”

Problems and SolutionsThe SALTA Chilpancingo sessions began in October 2002

with sessions that connected local needs to global perspectives.

Experienced EHC staff members participated in the training.

María Moya, lead organizer for EHC’s Toxic-Free Neighbor-

hoods Campaign, discussed toxics in the home. Leticia Ayala

and Luz Palomino of the Campaign to Eliminate Childhood

Lead Poisoning, presented on the health risks of lead and how

to reduce them. Melanie McCutchan and Joy Williams from

the Research and Community Assistance Program lent their

expertise on toxics and economic theory.

The training sessions were rich in exchanges of informa-

tion as participants shared stories from the community.Concerns that surfaced included myriad types of pollution andenvironmental health problems. One participant told ofcontamination problems from open-air pens with hundreds ofmilk cows across an unpaved road a few feet from homes.Another shared the case of a truck that collected rubber tiresfrom people in the Colonia and dumped them a few feet behindhouses in the community, where many of the tires were burned.Still another told of a fire extinguisher painting business thatoperates right next to a residence, spewing paint residue andfumes into the home. The families nearby reported to a SALTAinterviewer that their laundry turns with red with paint whenit’s hung out to dry.

“The information that SALTA participants gathered as partof the training is invaluable for the Colectivo to assess the

needs and priorities of the community,” Cerda said.

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~ Verónica Cruz García

Page 8: Eliminating Lead Hazards in San Diego...Deceit and Denial: The Deadly Politics of Industrial Pollution. Co-authored by David Rosner, the book details the successful attempts by the

/����������"�&����"�;99C+����E Clean Bay Campaign

Some want walking trails while others want open space,but skyscrapers are out of the question.

Chula Vista residents, community members, and environ-mental and labor leaders sent this message loud and clearduring two recent public workshops to discuss proposeddevelopment on the last undeveloped site on San Diego Bay.Supporters of Environmental Health Coalition’s “Don’t PaveParadise” campaign were on hand December 7 and January 11to share their vision of the future of the Mid-Bayfront site withthe Chula Vista City Council. Speaker after speaker told theChula Vista City Council that any project built on the 125-acresite should protect the wildlife habitat, provide ample publicspaces, protect air and water quality, provide quality jobs andreflect the site’s natural beauty.

In April, the City Council granted Pacifica Developmentexclusive rights for two years to purchase the Mid Bayfrontsite and develop plans. The land is adjacent to the mostsensitive wildlife resources on the Bay, including theSweetwater Marsh National Wildlife Refuge. Pacifica pro-posed Bayfront Village, a massive residential development thatwould include 3,400 residential units and six skyscrapers up to24 stories. The project would bring an additional 25,000 dailycar trips on already congested roads, an additional 6,000residents, and would take more than 10 years to complete.

Facing strong community opposition, Pacifica in Octoberagreed to suspend the project and work with EHC and othercommunity members to negotiate a new vision for thebayfront.

“Development on this property is not just any run-of-the-mill decision,” said Laura Hunter, Director of EHC’s CleanBay Campaign. “This project will represent the vision of theresidents of Chula Vista for years to come. We urge the CityCouncil to work to make the Chula Vista Bayfront a legacy wecan be proud of.”

Upon learning of the proposed development, EHC formeda strong coalition with environmental, labor, communityresidents and organizers to oppose Bayfront Village. SinceMay, an EHC Community Action Team has been working oncommunity-based alternatives to the project. Organizers,including a large contingent of youth activists, canvassed theChula Vista community and sought residents’ opinions aboutthe site and what alternative development they would envisionfor the bayfront.

“Our youth volunteers have played a tremendous role ingetting the word out to Chula Vista residents and giving theman opportunity to share their visions for the bayfront,” saidCBC Organizer Nohelia Ramos.

Survey supports alternativesDuring the January 11 workshop, Chula Vista residents

and EHC presented survey results to the City Council thatshow Chula Vista residents overwhelmingly support alterna-tives to proposed high-rise development on the Chula VistaMid-Bayfront.

Yes to open spaceNinety-three percent of the 250 Chula Vista residents

surveyed supported restoring the Mid-Bayfront site’s naturalhabitat. Ninety-two percent indicated that nature trails were ahigh priority or acceptable community-space use for the site,and 81 percent indicated that exercise areas were a highpriority or acceptable community-space use.

Additionally, 83 percent of survey respondents indicatedthat they would support a public bond measure or other publicsubsidies to provide partial funding for increased public space.

No to high risesEighty-three percent of Chula Vistans surveyed find high-

rise residential development on the Mid-Bayfront unaccept-able. Seventy-nine percent indicate that mid-rise residentialdevelopment is unacceptable. Residents instead indicated thatan Ecotourism Center (48 percent), restaurants (42 percent) ora Conference/Retreat Center (38 percent) are acceptable usesof development space. Community members preferred usesfocusing on the local public as opposed to visitor serving uses.

Chula Vistans support alternatives to high-rise development on Bayfront site

Alonzo Maciel, left, a student at Chula Vista High School, BEJC OrganizerNohelia Ramos, and Francis Go, a member of the PURE environmental clubat Sweetwater High School, presented the Chula Vista City Council with an“Idea Tree” filled with community ideas for alternatives to proposeddevelopment on the Mid-Bayfront site in Chula Vista.

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Page 9: Eliminating Lead Hazards in San Diego...Deceit and Denial: The Deadly Politics of Industrial Pollution. Co-authored by David Rosner, the book details the successful attempts by the

/����������"�&����"�;99C +����:Toxic-Free Neighborhoods Campaign

After celebrating the closure of Master Plating on Novem-ber 3, 2002, Environmental Health Coalition and Barrio Loganresidents turned their attention to the cleanup of the facility.

The California Air Resources Board (ARB) measuredextremely high levels of chromium 6 last January when MasterPlating was doing initial clean up inside the facility. Thisraised a red flag for residents about the cleanup processrequired by the County’s settlement agreement with MasterPlating. Following a meeting in November with the County ofSan Diego, during which residents voiced concerns about theirpotential exposure to toxics during clean up, EHC advocatedfor the relocation of residents during the cleanup process. Thisresulted in the temporary relocation of 19 individuals at theexpense of the City of San Diego.

The October 2002 shutdown of Master Plating – a metal-plating shop that had been operating within several feet ofhomes on the 2100 block of Newton Avenue since the late1970s – ended a toxic history that included more than 150violations of environmental and health regulations and twoprosecutions of the business owner. In January 2002 EHC andBarrio Logan residents demanded the shutdown of the businessafter the ARB and the San Diego Air Pollution Control Districtdetected high levels of chromium 6 near the plating company.Chromium 6 is a toxic air pollutant that can increase the risk ofcancer even at very low levels.

Workers contracted by Master Plating removed equipment,cleaned and decontaminated the facility, and removed allhazardous waste and materials. During this phase, which endedon December 20, workers and county officials discoveredevidence of soil contamination on the site.

“EPA officials began taking samples of the soil at neigh-boring properties and inside the building in early January. Thesampling revealed levels of chromium, copper, lead and nickelat levels well above hazardous waste limits,” said Paula Forbis,director of EHC’s Toxic-Free Neighborhoods Campaign.

“The EPA’s emergency response team will be handling thenext phase of the cleanup, which will begin in the next fewweeks. EHC will continue to watchdog the clean-up process toensure that the cleanup is conducted in a health-protectivemanner,” she said.

The Barrio Logan Environmental Justice DemonstrationProject, which was created by the U.S. Environmental Protec-tion Agency in partnership with Environmental Health Coali-tion, is a roundtable of local, state and federal agencies, as wellas large and small business, community organizations andresidents. Its mission is topromote environmentaljustice in Barrio Logan byreducing toxic air contami-nants, eliminating unhealthyland use practices, andpromoting children’s healthin the communities ofBarrio Logan and LoganHeights.

The EJ DemonstrationProject Partners have beenmeeting for two years andworking on various projects.The Partners now havedecided to focus their workfor the coming year on

reducing residents’ exposure to diesel emissions.Activities of the project will include inventorying major

sources of diesel in the neighborhood, identifying resourceswhich can be used to reduce emissions, implementing a pilotdiesel reduction project, resolving problems with truck staging

and idling in the community, andserving as a resource to commu-nity planning efforts regardingtruck routing.

The California Air Re-sources Board estimates thatdiesel particulate matter repre-sents 70 percent of the cancerrisk from air toxics in urbanareas. Sources of diesel in theBarrio Logan/ Logan Heightsarea include diesel trucks, buses,ships, trains, as well as smallerdiesel engines like forklifts andgenerators, which are prevalentthroughout industries in thecommunity.

EHC monitoring cleanup of Master Plating site

Many of the signs used by EHC and the Barrio Logan community duringdemonstrations against Master Plating hung outside the Martinez residenceon Newton Avenue during a celebration of the Master Plating shutdown.

EJ Demo partners target reduction of diesel emissions exposure

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/����������"�&����"�;99C+����69 EHC Short Takes

EHC Welcomes New Staff

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“I’m looking forward to working with ourmembers to make sure that developmentdecisions make our neighborhoods betterplaces to live.”

“I look forward to uniting workers, baysidecommunities and conservationists to cleanup, restore and protect San Diego Bay.”

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/����������"�&����"�;99C +����66Guest Editorial

Submitted ByCITTAC (Information Center for Women and Men Workers)

CITTAC is a non-governmental organization in Tijuanamade up of women and men workers in the maquiladoraindustry. CITTAC is dedicated to defending the rights ofmaquiladora workers in Baja California, Mexico. One ofCITTAC’s programs from the beginning has been to informworkers of their rights by distributing bulletins inside andoutside the workplace. CITTAC has also advised workers whothen represent themselves in complaints against companies. Bythis means, the first case in Tijuana involving sexualharrassment of a maquiladora worker was won. EHC and itsTijuana affiliate, the Colectivo Chilpancingo Pro JusticiaAmbiental, collaborate regularly with CITTAC, one of whosemembers, Jaime Cota, is on the EHC Board of Directors.

The Mexican Constitution has a long history. For manyyears, Mexican men and women understood that the three mostimportant articles in the Constitution are Articles 3, 27 and123. These articles stem from the Mexican Revolution in 1910and were achieved thanks to the great sacrifice of one millionMexicans who died during the revolution. Articles 3, 27 and123 protect the land, education and Mexican labor, respec-tively. We know these articles are not perfect and that theyoften are partially enforced or not enforced at all. Neverthe-less, Articles 3, 27 and 123 express an ideal of justice andrepresent hope in the struggle for better living and workingconditions for the working class.

Since the signing of the North American Free TradeAgreement (NAFTA) in 1994, these three articles have beenassaulted by the Mexican government. The first strike was onArticle 27and farmers lost their right to get land to work. Thiswas a major cause of the Zapatista rebellion. Later Article 3was changed, forcing students to give up their right to freehigher education. Student riots erupted at the Mexican Na-tional University. And now it is Article 123´s turn, the Articlethat regulates employer-worker relations in Mexico.

Article 123 of the Mexican Constitution establishes therights and obligations recognized for men and women workers.Mexican Labor law dictates that the maximum work shift is aneight hour day; that the minimum wage be enough to satisfynormal needs of the head of the family and dependants; thatthe principle of equal work for equal pay be respected, withoutregard to sex or race. Article 123 and its complementary lawsalso establish the obligation of employers for the costsinvolved in labor accidents, as well as the right to unionize andstrike. The law explicitly prohibits labor regulations that goagainst Article 123, although many maquiladora industriesviolate this principle daily.

After the signing of NAFTA, business groups demandedchanges in Article 123 and today, with the support of PresidentVicente Fox´s administration, have drafted an initiative forchanges that is being discussed in Congress.

One of the main items targeted for reform is the workshift. The bosses want to remove the law that enforces the

eight hour workday and replace it with a “flexible” 48 hourweek shift, “in the style of the United States”. The workers losewith this change. They can be required to work 10, 12 or morehours a day without any extra pay. Their work shifts can bechanged. The woman worker no longer can organize her life: itis more difficult to find someone to take care of her childrenwhile at work and she no longer can even dream about trainingor going to school.

Article 123 requires salaries to be sufficient to support afamily. This is not enforced and the new labor law does nothingto improve salaries. In fact, since NAFTA began, the true wagefor workers has gone down tremendously. Today, 80 percent ofthe Mexican population lives in poverty and at least halfsurvive in extreme poverty.

Union leaders from the Central Mexican Workers and fromthe Labor Congress have announced that they will accept thechanges proposed by the government and employers, a newbetrayal in the long history of these shady, government-controlled unions. These unions will have more control overthe workers, as the new labor law makes striking or creatingdemocratic unions more difficult.

The changes in the Mexican Labor Law will not gothrough without resistance. Maquiladora workers are organiz-ing on the Mexico-US border to say NO! to the NAFTA LaborLaw.

The indigenous peoples in Chiapas did not give up. Thestudents at the University rebelled. Workers now are gettingready for the fight.

NAFTA leads to assaults on Mexican Labor Laws

On October 7, 2002, EHC participated in a press conference in San Diego toprotest NAFTA’s silencing Mexican workers involved in a labor dispute.Pictured from left to right: Martha Ojeda, Coalition for Justice in theMaquiladoras (CMJ), based in San Antonio, Texas; Connie García, PolicyAdvocate, BEJC; Jamie Cota, Information Center for Men and WomenWorkers, based in Tijuana; and Francisca Jiménez, TFN Organizer.

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� In October 2002, EHC representatives joined more than 1,200 delegates fromgrassroots and community-based environmental justice organizations for theSecond National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit inWashington, D.C. From left to right: Leticia Ayala, Nohelia Ramos, AlbertHuang, Maria Moya, César Luna, Magdalena Cerda, and EHC ExecutiveDirector Diane Takvorian. EHC Board member Michael Martinez alsoattended the Summit.

En octubre de 2002, representantes de EHC se integraron a másde 1, 200 delegados de organizaciones de justicia ambiental debase comunitaria para la Segunda Conferencia Nacional deLiderazgo de Gente de Color en Washington, D.C. De izquierdaa derecha: Leticia Ayala, Nohelia Ramos, Albert Huang, MariaMoya, César Luna, Magdalena Cerda, y la Directora Ejecutivade EHC, Diane Takvorian. Michael Martinez, miembro de laMesa Directiva de EHC, también asistió.

Joy Williams, MPH, Research andCommunity Assistant Director for EHC,gives a presentation on Master Platingduring a November 11, 2002 meeting ofthe American Public Health Association inPhiladelphia, Pa.

Joy Williams, MPH, directora deInvestigación y de Asistencia a laComunidad, da una presentación sobreMaster Plating durante una reunión de laAsociación Americana de Salud Públicaen Philadelphia, Pa.

César Luna, former director ofEHC’s Border Environmental JusticeCampaign, speaks about environ-mental justice issues in the U.S./Mexico border region during theSummit.

Cesar Luna, antiguo director de laCampaña Fronteriza para laJusticia Ambiental de EHC, hablasobre asuntos de justicia ambientalen la región fronteriza de SanDiego/ Tijuana durante laconferencia.

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Hundreds of Barrio Loganresidents, EHC members, friends,and government officials turnedout for a community block partyon November 3, 2002 tocelebrate the shutdown of MasterPlating.

Cientos de residentes de BarrioLogan, miembros de EHC,amistades y funcionariosgubernamentales asistieron a lafiesta del 3 de noviembre de 2002para celebrar la clausura deMaster Plating.

EHC Board member MichaelMartinez thanks the crowd for theirsupport in the fight for a cleaner,healthier community.

Michael Martinez, miembro de laMesa Directiva de EHC, agradece ala multitud por su apoyo en la luchade una comunidad más sana y limpia.

Paula Forbis, left, director of EHC’s Toxic-Free Neighborhoods Campaign, honors SanDiego County Supervisor Greg Cox for theCounty’s efforts in the Master Platingshutdown.

Paula Forbis, izquierda, directora de laCampaña Barrios Libres de Tóxicos de EHC,dio honor al Supervisor del Condado de SanDiego, Greg Cox por sus esfuerzos en laclausura de Master Plating.