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Campaign Report, Fall 2009 Taking Action for Health and Environmental Justice Bayview Hunters Point, San Francisco, CA: Stop Lennar Corporation’s Pollution Threat to Health! Greenaction is pressuring the developer Lennar Corporation and regulatory agencies to stop air pollution violations at the toxic contaminated Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. Due to successful pressure and advocacy by Greenaction and allies, Lennar has been cited and fined half a million dollars for repeat air quality violations. We continue to educate residents, truck and bus drivers, and businesses about the dangers of diesel pollution, and how it can be reduced. We are monitoring PG&E cleanup of toxics at the old power plant site. Kettleman City, CA: No Toxic Dump Expansion! No More Birth Defects & Infant Deaths! We are helping residents of this small farmworker town fight
proposed expansion of the Chemical Waste Management toxic waste
dump. We
are mobilizing residents to speak out at the upcoming public hearings,
and we are submitting technical comments. We are conducting a Youth
and Adult Leadership Academy to teach skills in community organizing
and knowledge of pollution and health issues to residents. A community
health survey conducted by Greenaction and community groups discovered
a large cluster of five infants born in about one year with cleft
palate birth defects, and now government agencies have been forced
to investigate. Our efforts have led to extensive media coverage
including three feature stories. Greenaction and the Mohave Cultural Preservation Program and Elders are making progress in our campaign to force US EPA to close the illegal Siemens hazardous waste plant operating in violation of federal law on the Colorado River Indian Tribes reservation. Greenaction and the O’odham Rights Environmental Justice and Cultural Rights Coalition and allies have won a great victory in stopping a toxic waste dump proposed near the O’odham community and sacred site at Quitovac, Sonora, Mexico. Quitovac now needs permanent protection. West Berkeley, CA: Stop the Pollution from Pacific Steel Casting! Greenaction is working with residents in a community campaign to end to the noxious odors and toxic pollution from Pacific Steel Casting. We are pressuring the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and the City to force PSC to eliminate odors and dramatically reduce pollution. We want healthy air for workers and residents. Visit www.youtube.com and type in Pacific Steel Casting Greenaction to see us in action. Hayward, Avenal and San Francisco, California, Utah and the Navajo
Nation: Stop Climate Change! We are helping residents of Avenal and Hayward, California and Navajo tribal members fight proposed fossil fuel power plants. In San Francisco, we are working to shut the old and dirty Mirant plant and replace it with renewable energy and conservation. West Oakland, CA: Clean up the AMCO Chemical Superfund Site! Greenaction is working with residents living on top of and next to vinyl chloride and lead contamination, and pressuring US EPA to finally begin cleaning up the toxic pollution at the AMCO Chemical Superfund site. Hawaii, New Orleans, Salinas Valley, Mojave Desert, Los Angeles,
New York, Indigenous Lands: We are helping lead a worldwide campaign to defeat industry attempts to site gasification, pyrolysis and plasma arc incinerators for treatment of solid waste (garbage), medical and hazardous wastes, sewage sludge and tires. While companies claim these technologies are “recycling” and “renewable energy,” in reality these “incinerators-in-disguise” heat wastes and then burn the gases and emit toxic emissions. We support Zero Waste programs - including increased recycling and composting, and real renewable energy instead of incineration. Reports and case studies are on our website. Midway Village, Daly City: Relocate Residents Away from PG&E Toxic Waste! Greenaction and residents are increasing pressure on government agencies and PG&E to relocate residents living on top of PG&E’s toxic waste at this public housing project. Cancer-causing chemicals threaten public health and the watershed of San Francisco Bay, and cannot be cleaned up while residents live there. Youth on Fire Environmental Justice DVD Distributed to Dozens of Communities! Greenaction and Youth United for Community Action produced a new 15-minute film, “Youth on Fire,” featuring youth in the front lines of environmental justice campaigns. This film is being distributed free to youth and community groups across the country to inspire young people to get involved and take action. Stanislaus County, California: Shut the Covanta Incinerator and Start Serious Recyling Programs! Greenaction and the Grayson Neighborhood Council are stepping up efforts to shut the Covanta garbage incinerator and to encourage cities and the county to institute serious recycling and composing programs. North Salt Lake City, Utah: Shut the Stericycle Medical Waste Incinerators! Greenaction is helping residents of North Salt Lake City, Utah and other communities around the country in a national effort to stop the burning of medical waste by Stericycle. Stericycle burns medical waste (and some non-medical waste) shipped from many states, emitting dioxin and other pollutants. Our goal is to get Stericycle to switch to safer, non-incineration technologies to protect the health of residents and workers. In March, Greenaction and a community group filed an appeal of a permit renewal issued to Stericycle by the Utah Division of Air Quality, and now physicians have joined the campaign. No New Nuclear Power Plants in Green River, Utah – or Anywhere! Nuclear power remains a huge threat to the environment and health, from the uranium mining to the risk of power plant leaks to the dangers of nuclear waste disposal. A nuclear power plant near the Green River would be disastrous as the Green River flows directly into the Colorado River, drinking and agricultural water source for tens of millions of people. Greenaction Email Activist Network: Support Greenaction's Campaigns for Health & Environmental Justice! Please Support Greenaction's Ten Year Fundraising Drive Please donate online at www.greenaction.org Donations are
urgently needed! Call (415) 248-5010
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