This December, Professors Robin Morris Collin and William Collin, two long-time OPAL Environmental Justice Oregon supporters, received EPA’s 2010 Achievement Award in recognition of the Oregon Environmental Justice Task Force (EJTF) at the White House. OPAL has been a leading member of the EJTF, and currently Co-Director Jon Ostar serves as Vice-Chair. EPA Press Release below.
EPA Award to Oregon EJTF (note picture of OPAL Bus Riders Unite!)
December 15th, 2010
EPA Announces 2010 Achievements in Environmental Justice
Partnerships address local environmental justice concerns and help improve health in disadvantaged communities
WASHINGTON – Today, EPA recognized five partnerships for their contributions to advancing environmental justice in communities. The goal of the agency’s National Achievements in Environmental Justice Awards is to encourage communities to form partnerships, work together to solve problems, identify and take actions that directly benefit the
community residents, and document successful activities that can be used in other communities to address significant environmental justice concerns.
“The recipients of this year’s environmental justice awards have developed projects that empower communities to participate in environmental decision-making and serve as models for other communities working to address environmental justice concerns,” said Lisa Garcia, senior advisor to the administrator and associate assistant
administrator for environmental justice. “These partnerships help advance efforts to make our communities healthier and economically and environmentally sustainable.”
- ENLACE Caño Martín Peña Project, San Juan, PR (1 pg, 515K) for establishing and implementing a land use and comprehensive development plan that works to improve social, economic, and environmental conditions for eight communities in the Caño Martín Peña Special Planning District. Partners include:
- Corporación del Proyecto ENLACE del Caño Martín Peña
- Fideicomiso de la Tierra del Caño Martín Peña (Community Land Trust)
- Grupo de las Ocho Comunidades Aledañas al Caño Martín Peña
- Transportation Equity/Stops for Us Coalition, St. Paul, MN (1 pg, 326K) for its efforts to form a broad-based partnership to secure the construction of three new light rail transit stations, which will provide access for the transit dependent communities of East University Avenue and connect residents to housing, jobs, education, and the many amenities located throughout the Twin Cities metropolitan region. Partners include:
- Alliance for Metropolitan Stability
- Asian Economic Development Association
- Aurora St. Anthony Neighborhood Development Corporation
- Community Stabilization Project
- District Councils Collaborative of St. Paul and Minneapolis
- Got Voice, Got Power!
- ISAIAH
- Jewish Community Action
- Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy
- Transit for Livable Communities
- UFCW Local 789
- EcoCenter at Heron’s Head Park Partnership, San Francisco, CA (1 pg, 431K) for creating an environmental justice education center for use by the residents San Francisco’s Bayview Hunters Point and other communities with environmental justice concerns. Partners include:
- California Coastal Conservancy
- California State Water Resources Control Board
- Literacy for Environmental Justice
- Port of San Francisco
- San Francisco Department of Public Health
- San Francisco Department of Public Works
- Treadwell & Rollo
- Lead Poisoning Prevention Citizen’s Advisory Task Force, San Diego, CA (1 pg, 666K) for empowering communities to conduct lead hazard control work in environmental justice communities, and ensuring the protection of children from the threat of lead-based paint and dust in San Diego. Partners include:
- Environmental Health Coalition
- Lead Safe Neighborhoods Program, City of San Diego
- Lead Safe San Diego Program, San Diego Housing Commission
- Western Center on Law & Poverty
- Oregon Environmental Justice Task Force (1 pg, 409K) for effective implementation of the State’s environmental justice legislation and its ability to incorporate environmental justice considerations into State agencies’ programs. Partners include:
- The Commission on Asian Affairs
- The Commission on Black Affairs
- The Commission on Hispanic Affairs
- The Commission on Indian Services
- Multnomah County Health Department
- Oregon Environmental Council
- Oregonians for Food and Shelter
- Oregon Law Center Farmworker Program
- Organizing People-Activating Leaders OPAL Environmental Justice Oregon
- Willamette University
