CARB Environmental Justice Blog

Program Description The CalEPA EJ Action Grants Program (“Program”) is structured to provide grant funding to a wide variety of projects intended to lift the burden of pollution from those most vulnerable to its effects: 1. supporting community-based organizations and residents to engage in emergency preparedness 2. public health protection, 3. environmental and climate decision-making, and  4. coordinated enforcement efforts affecting their communities. In California, we know that some communities face disproportionate impacts from climate change, particularly California Native American tribes, low-income and rural communities, and communities of color. CalEPA administers this new Program as part of its overall mission to restore, protect and enhance the environment to ensure public health, environmental quality, and economic vitality. For more information, visit our website:  calepa.ca.gov/ejactiongrants Program Timelines Public Comment and Consultation Period: June...

  Register for EPA’s June 15th Webinar on Bilingual Pesticide Labels  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is hosting a public webinar on Thursday, June 15, 2023, from 5:00pm to 7:00pm EST to obtain input from the public on ways to make bilingual pesticide labeling accessible to farmworkers as required by the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act of 2022 (PRIA 5).   The majority of our nation’s two million farmworkers speak Spanish. This effort will advance environmental justice by ensuring those farmworkers have access to important health and safety information on pesticide labels in their native language. During the webinar, EPA will provide a brief overview of the PRIA 5 requirements on bilingual pesticide labeling and milestones. PRIA 5 amended the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, requiring Spanish language translation for key health and safety sections of the end-use pesticide product labels where the translation is available in t...

Listening Session: Upcoming Off-road Rulemakings Off-road New Diesel Engine Tier 5 Rulemaking, Zero Emission Forklift, and Targeted Manufacturer Rule en español Although California has made dramatic progress in improving air quality, disparities in air pollution exposure, susceptibility, and health, still exist, particularly for people of color and low-income communities. 1 , 2 , 3  Off-road vehicles like forklifts, construction equipment, and other off-road diesel equipment can be sig...

 

In a study funded by the California Air Resources Board Community Grants Program, researchers conducted local air quality monitoring that detects coal-specific particulate matter air pollution at a current coal terminal in Richmond and the associated rail lines and holding yard. When comparing particulate emissions from trains in Richmond they documented significantly more PM2.5 pollution from trains containing coal than from empty coal trains, passenger trains, and other freight trains, as NCIO reported late last month . The three scientists who conducted this study  will hold an online (Zoom) meeting with community members to explain their findings and answer our questions. Save the date Wednesday, April 26, from 5:30 to 7PM to meet with Dr. Bart Ostro, Dr. Heather Kuiper, and Dr. Nicholas Spada. After their report and dialogue with us, Oakland and Richmond residents will meet in separate breakout rooms to discuss next steps for our campaigns, including how we can use this new i...

  Public Workshop on Updating the Indoor Air Quality Guidelines for Nitrogen Dioxide  Public Workshop on May 16, 2023 The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is seeking public comment on indoor air guidelines for NO 2 .  We plan to host an approximately 4-hour Zoom workshop on May 16, 2023 to discuss indoor air quality, health issues, and the development of indoor guidelines for NO 2 , which is a respiratory irritant and pollutant of ongoing concern for indoor air quality.  NO 2 is emitted from combustion appliances such as stoves, ranges, water heaters and clothes dryers. CARB last published indoor air quality guidelines in 2005 and since the publication of CARB’s 2005 report, a significant number of studies have added to the evidence linking combustion pollutants indoors to respiratory illness, cardiovascular problems, and especially children’s asthma.  Other national and international agencies have acted since 2005 to adopt guidelines based on this update...