By SDCN Editor
Sacramento, CA–The California Air Resources Board announced the reappointment of all 13 members to its ongoing Environmental Justice Advisory Committee.
The Committee is comprised of representatives from California communities most heavily impacted by air pollution, including disadvantaged communities with minority or low-income populations.
“These appointments demonstrate the board’s commitment to integrating environmental justice and equity as a cornerstone of CARB’s climate programs,” said California Air Resources Board Chair Liane Randolph. “We know climate change impacts vulnerable communities the most. Each of these members bring a unique perspective from their communities. By partnering together, we can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address historic inequities by advancing environmental justice and equity in our implementation of the Scoping Plan.”
The Environmental Justice Advisory Committee was created under AB 32, the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, to help advise the Board in developing the Scoping Plan and on pertinent issues related to AB 32. The California Air Resources Board convened the first advisory committee in 2007. The committee was reconvened in 2013, 2017, and 2021 to advise on the Scoping Plan.
The members of the Environmental Justice Advisory Committee are:
Martha Dina Argüello, Physicians for Social Responsibility – Los Angeles; Juan Flores, Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment; Angel Garcia, Californians for Pesticide Reform; Dr. Catherine Garoupa, Central Valley Air Quality Coalition; Kevin Hamilton, Central California Asthma Collaborative; John Harriel Jr., International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers; Thomas Helme, Valley Improvement Projects; Matt Holmes, Little Manila Rising; John Kevin Jefferson III, Urban Leaf; Mayor Rey León, The LEAP Institute; Luis Olmedo of Comité Civico del Valle; Jill Sherman-Warne, Native American Environmental Protection Coalition; and Sharifa Taylor, Communities for a Better Environment.
The Environmental Justice Advisory Committee also adopted its first charter, which the committee members and CARB worked together to develop. EJAC members unanimously approved the charter during the March 15 public meeting. The charter sets clear goals for CARB and EJAC members, as well as provides accountability, and transparency and outlines the working relationship as it relates to governance for the ongoing EJAC.
