Taking Action for Health and Environmental
Justice
Bayview Hunters Point, San Francisco, CA
“If
the government and PG&E won’t close the Hunters Point
Power Plant, the People Will!” Community Sets April 11th
deadline for closure of dirty power plant!
The fight
to close the polluting PG&E Hunters Point power
plant is coming to a climax. Under pressure from Greenaction
and residents, PG&E has filed papers that could lead to the
plant’s
closure in the next few months. Tired of continued delays and
years of broken promises, community groups and Greenaction are
calling on residents and supporters to come to the power plant
on April 11th, the day the plant will either be closed down
by the government - or will be closed down through nonviolent
protest.
Greenaction and residents have started new campaigns targeting
Darling International and Pan-Glo Services, two polluters that have
operated with virtually no regulatory oversight. We are also working
with public housing residents to document unacceptable housing conditions
that can contribute to asthma and allergies.
Resisting
the Onslaught of “Incinerators in
Disguise” Across
the Country and the World
Greenaction
is continuing our all-out campaign to defeat the waste industry’s attempt to site incineration
technologies such as gasification, pyrolysis, and plasma arc for
treatment of hazardous,
solid, medical waste, sewage sludge and tires. While the industry
claims these technologies are “recycling” and “renewable
energy,” in reality these “incinerators-in-disguise” burn
toxic waste gases and produce toxic emissions. We support pollution
prevention, increased recycling and real renewable energy instead
of incineration technologies.
Red Bluff, CA
David versus Goliath VICTORY in Appeal
by Greenaction & Residents
against InEnTec’s “Plasma Arc” Incinerator Permits – community
organizing and legal action continue
After 10
hearings over three months, Greenaction and residents won our
appeal of permits issued
by the local Air District to
InEnTec
for a medical waste “plasma arc” treatment plant.
If built, the wastes would be heated and then the toxic gases
would
be burned, with toxics emitted into the air. The Hearing Board
agreed with us that the permits were improperly issued, and voted
3-1 to
rescind the air pollution permits issued to InEnTec. InEnTec has
now filed legal action to try to overturn the hearing board’s
decision, and Greenaction and the community group have intervened
in the court proceedings.
Kettleman City, San Joaquin Valley, California
Stop Proposed
Toxic Waste Dump Expansion!
Greenaction
is helping this farmworker community fight expansion of the nearby
Chem Waste Management hazardous
waste landfill.
Greenaction joined a big crowd of angry residents to oppose the
dump expansion
at the October 19th meeting sponsored by Kings County and State
agencies. Kettleman City was the site of the historic victory
in the early 1990’s against a proposed hazardous waste incinerator.
We are conducting a training program for women in the community
on environmental health issues and leadership skills.
Stanislaus
County, San Joaquin Valley, California
Campaigns against incineration and pesticide drift!
Greenaction and
the Grayson Neighborhood Council will hold an April
1st march and rally in Patterson for environmental justice and
against the Covanta garbage incinerator. In response to our campaign,
Stanislaus
County and the City of Patterson are expanding recycling programs.
We educate residents about dangers of pesticide drift and teach
leadership skills to women and youth. We participate in the Central
California Environmental Justice Network and Central Valley Air
Quality Coalition.
Medicine Lake, California
Save Sacred Indian Site & Wilderness
from Calpine’s Proposed Power Plant!
Greenaction
is supporting Pit River Indian Tribe members and their Dahu Lah
As Sacred Site
Defense coalition in efforts to stop Calpine’s
proposed geothermal power plants that would desecrate and pollute
Medicine Lake and the beautiful areas nearby. Greenaction joined
tribal members in organizing a successful protest of 250 people
at Calpine’s headquarters in San Jose on January 27th, and
more actions are planned.
West Berkeley, California
Stop Pollution
from Pacific Steel Casting! Safe Jobs and Clean Air!
Greenaction
has joined Berkeley residents to stop the noxious odors and
significant emissions from Pacific Steel Casting.
We are pressuring
the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to do their job
and force PSC to eliminate the odors and dramatically reduce pollution.
We want healthy air for the workers and community.
From East Palo Alto, CA to the Gila River Indian Community,
Arizona
United Against Romic!
The fight to close the Romic hazardous waste
plants located in East Palo Alto, California and the Gila River
Indian Community in Arizona is gaining momentum. We helped bring
together Youth United for Community Action, an East Palo Alto
youth group, with the Gila River Alliance for a Clean Environment.
We
joined YUCA’s protest and spoke at the public hearing on
Romic. As a result of our joint efforts, government agencies have
increased
enforcement, and Romic has recently received large fines in both
communities.
West Oakland, California
AMCO Chemical Superfund Site
We are working
with the Chester Street Block Club Association to make sure that
U.S. EPA does a safe
and prompt cleanup of the
AMCO Chemical vinyl chloride Superfund site. We are pressuring
EPA to use the safest possible technology to remediate the toxic
site that is located next to homes and a children’s playground.
White Mesa Ute Reservation and Moab, Utah
VICTORY against radioactive
waste dumping proposal!
We helped White Mesa Ute and Navajo tribal
members, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, the City of Moab and other
allies win a big victory when
the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) decided to move the radioactive
tailings from the defunct Atlas Uranium Mill on the banks of the
Colorado River to a safer, different location. The campaign also
forced DOE to reject sending the waste to the International Uranium
Corporation plant next to the White Mesa Ute reservation. We are
working with tribal members and other allies to close the IUC
mill due to pollution and desecration of Indian sacred sites. We
attended
the January 5th hearing in Blanding, Utah to oppose new proposed
shipments of highly radioactive wastes.
Defending the Sacred Ward Valley Film Project
Greenaction
and the Mohave Cultural Preservation Program have launched a project
to distribute the new film “Defending the Sacred.” The
film tells of the successful fight by the five tribes of the
Colorado River Native Nations Alliance, Greenaction and a big
coalition
that saved Ward Valley, the Colorado River and sacred Indian
lands from the proposed nuclear waste dump. The video or DVD can
be
purchased from Greenaction for $17.
Support
the Gwich’In Indian Nation in Alaska
Save the Arctic
National Wildlife Refuge!
Greenaction urges everyone to contact the
U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to urge them to save
the Arctic National Wildlife
Refuge from proposed oil and gas drilling. The latest attempt
by Bush to get congressional approval for drilling in the refuge
was
defeated, but we will remain vigilant in defense of the Arctic
Refuge.
Colorado River Indian Tribes, Arizona
Shut down Westates Carbon!
Greenaction is helping Colorado River
Indian Tribes members in opposing the continued operation of
the Westates/US Filter hazardous waste
facility on tribal lands. Westates emits dioxin and other pollutants,
but the U.S. EPA has allowed the company to operate without
proper permits or full environmental review.
Environmental Justice Air Quality Coalition
Greenaction
is working with community groups across the Bay Area to pressure
the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and other
agencies to protect air quality and uphold environmental justice.
The coalition held a well-attended protest at the offices of
the U.S. EPA in the fall to blast the agency’s environmental
racism.
