Eye on Vallejo

Part 1

V-Town: Vallejo, California, is well known in rap music circles for its prodigal son, Earl T. Stevens, better known by his stage name, E-40; a pioneer of the genre. Its known to children as the place where Six Flags Amusement Park, Blue Rock Springs Park, and The Waterfront are located; for others, it is the place you pass through on your way to San Francisco or Oakland, or even Sacramento. It has often taken a back seat to its eastern and western neighbors; and sits in Solano County. The purpose of this series of articles is to champion the people of the Vallejo; and share the stories of their work around environmental and justice issues.

Demographics

The US Census demographic estimates for Vallejo, created in July, 2019, are as follows:

Ethnicity


White alone, percent	36.6%
Black or African American alone, percent(a)	21.2%
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, percent(a)	0.4%
Asian alone, percent(a)	23.8%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, percent(a)	1.0%
Two or More Races, percent	6.9%
Hispanic or Latino, percent(b)	25.5%
White alone, not Hispanic or Latino, percent	24.2%

Income and Poverty

Median household income (in 2018 dollars), 2014-2018	$66,606
Per capita income in past 12 months (in 2018 dollars), 2014-2018	$29,885
Persons in poverty, percent	14.1%

The California Air Resources Board has been collaborating with community advocates in Vallejo, including All Positives Possible (APP), as well as with Ken Szutu the Vallejo Citizen Air Monitoring Network (VCAMN). Both are assisting their communities with understanding the issues around air quality in Vallejo. Both organizations have also recently been awarded grants to continue their outreach and education in Vallejo. We will feature these projects in future CARB Environmental Justice Blog articles, as part of this series of articles on Vallejo.

Why is Vallejo Being Featured on an EJ Blog?

The air quality in the city of Vallejo and Solano County affects all residents, but especially those in “disadvantaged communities.” The second article in this series will take a deeper dive into some of the environmental and health impacts from pollution facing the people of Vallejo. To provide a snapshot, the American Lung Association releases an annual “State of the Air” report, focusing on ozone and particle pollution. As seen in the picture above, Solano County experiences significant levels of ozone or particulate matter.

Map of Vallejo in CalEnviroScreen

Issues such as disproportionate income, race, asthma, and gentrification can exacerbate conditions for those already suffering from bad air quality. According to the map of "disadvantaged communities" in CalEnviroScreen (a mapping tool that helps identify California communities that are most affected by many sources of pollution, and where people are often especially vulnerable to pollution’s effects) Vallejo has several communities that fit this legislative definition (SB 535). As such, those communities in Vallejo are eligible for focused funding through the California Climate Investments (CCI). The Community Air Grants awarded by CARB are derived from CCI funds and used to support of environmental justice in AB 617; In this sense, Vallejo is an AB 617 community.

Before CCI & AB 617, Vallejo advocates were already engaging with governmental agencies, academia, industry, and other non-profits in advocating for Vallejo’s air quality. A recent example would be their opposition to the Orcem Cement Plant. Many of Vallejo’s advocates came together around this shared cause and ultimately defeated the plan for a cement plant in their community.

Community meetings in Vallejo are always robust, with deep dives into issues the community has faced, and continues to face. These range from concerns about institutional racism, continual threats from the gas & oil industry to the Carquinez and San Pablo shorelines, including blocked access for residents. They also discuss the value and enjoyment the community derives from the shorelines & shore lands, advocacy around legislative agendas, and strategies to address the communities' issues.

This is why Vallejo is being featured on an EJ Blog.

Looking Forward

CARB staff are excited to partner with Vallejo’s Advocates to learn how we can best serve the residents of Vallejo, as we also partner with BAAQMD to improve the air quality in Vallejo.