Find a Partner
Pacific Institute

654 13th Street
Oakland, California 94612

http://www.pacinst.org

Contact Person: Swati Prakash

Phone: 510-251-1600

Fax: 510-251-2203

Counties Served: Alameda | Contra Costa | San Francisco

Organization Type: Environmental

Program Activities: Advocacy, Outreach/Education, Policy Development

Age Groups Served: under 5, 5-12, 13-18, 19-64, 65 and older

Race/Ethnicity Served: African American/Black, Asian/Pacific Islander, American Indian, Hispanic/Latino, White, Focus on communities of color

We are working on goals related to implementation of the Strategic Plan...
  • Implement, monitor, and evaluate the Strategic Plan for Asthma in California at the local and state levels.
We are working on goals related to outdoor environments...
  • Support policies and community plans that improve conditions for people with asthma.
  • Ensure public awareness, participation and transparency in policy decisions and improve communication between Air Quality Management Districts and communities they serve.
  • Target the elimination of disproportionate exposure to outdoor air pollution among specific groups or communities.
The goal of the Pacific Institute’s Freight Transport justice project is to reduce local and regional diesel pollution and related respiratory effects from freight transportation (aka “goods movement”) in California, through community capacity building and advocacy. The Pacific Institute has a long history of building community capacity to win changes in environmental, land use, and health policy that have resulted in significant reductions in outdoor air pollution in vulnerable communities like West Oakland. The first objective of this project is to build the capacity of community leaders locally (West Oakland), regionally (Bay Area) and in California to influence policy decisions and local land use practices related to freight transportation.

Specifically, we are working on the following the activities related to goal 5:
5.1. Support policies and community plans that improve conditions for people with asthma.
  • 5.1.1. Use Public Health Impact Assessments (PHIA) in community general plans, and ensure that asthma is included in the PHIAs, and in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) process.
  • 5.1.2. Assist with development and improvement of asthma indicators in PHIAs and in the CEQA process.
  • 5.1.3. Support transportation and land use plans and develop model policies that reduce car use and increase use of public transportation, bicycles and walking
  • 5.1.4. Develop partnerships with groups and agencies that promote pollution reducing transportation plans and encourage partnerships that support and influence use of resources to expand bicyclingwalking options for activities of daily life.
5.2. Ensure public awareness, participation and transparency in public policy decisions and improve communication between Air Quality Management Districts (AQMDs) and the communities that they serve.
  • 5.2.1. Cultivate leadership in pollution-affected communities by identifying and partnering with current asthma champions and working with environmental justice advocates and with existing coalitions to increase awareness of potential policy decisions and encourage participation at all levels of decision making.
  • 5.2.5. Support efforts to develop funding for adequate air monitoring station capability in all AQMDs that includes population areas impacted by asthma disparities.
5.3. Target the elimination of disproportionate exposure to outdoor air pollution among specific groups or communities
  • 5.3.1. Systematically identify communities that are disproportionately affected by air pollution from nearby sources such as industry, airports, mobile sources, and agricultural lands.
  • 5.3.2. Develop coordinated strategies in identified communities that address disproportionate exposure through participatory research and interventions that raise awareness, support community coalitions, and build policy efforts focused on eliminating the disparities.
  • 5.3.3. Request regulatory agencies to consider the impacts of cumulative environmental exposures in policy setting.
5.4. Reduce air pollution from sources such as “goods movement” industries, stationary industries, and transportation.
  • 5.4.1. Identify and report on environmental, social and health costs related to the “goods movement” industry.
  • 5.4.2. Support policy that reduces the pollution from ships, trains, trucks, yard equipment at ports, rail yards, distribution centers, and heavily trafficked freeways and roads.
  • 5.4.3. Support and strengthen air quality improvement plans at the ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland, and other ports using a range of enforcement mechanisms such as economic assessments, fees, and penalties
  • 5.4.4. Partner with appropriate agencies to ensure identification of polluting industries and compliance with environmental laws.
  • 5.4.5. Support policy that reduces industrial pollution from major stationary sources of air pollution.     
  • 5.4.6. Support the CARB on establishment and enforcement of diesel regulations, such as policies to reduce bus, truck, ship and train idling.
  • 5.4.7. Encourage the development of efficient and lower pollution impact truck and public transit routes.

Date added: 2009-09-18 15:39:09    Hits: 40
Powered by Sigsiu.NET RSS Feeds