Taking Action for Health and Environmental
Justice
Bayview Hunters Point, San Francisco, CA
VICTORY!
PG&E Hunters Point power plant closed!
In May,
Greenaction and residents celebrated the closure of the dirty,
old and unnecessary
PG&E power plant that came after
years of struggle by Greenaction and community members, including
a nonviolent action in a rain storm on April 11th. Greenaction
and residents have started new campaigns to reduce pollution from
Darling
International and Pan-Glo Services, two polluters that operate
with little regulatory oversight. We are helping public housing
residents
document unhealthy housing conditions that contribute to asthma
and allergies.
International
Campaign SupportsTohono O’odham
Indigenous Peoples Fight against Mexican Hazardous Waste Dump Project
Greenaction
is helping traditional and ceremonial leaders of the O’odham
peoples in Mexico and the U.S. oppose Mexico’s
plans to build a giant hazardous waste landfill near villages
and sacred sites in Quitovac in Sonora, Mexico. We brought together
a huge alliance of environmental justice and Indigenous groups,
and protests are being planned across the Southwest and Mexico.
California,
Arizona, Texas and around the World: Resisting the Onslaught of “Incinerators in Disguise”
Greenaction
is continuing our campaign to defeat industry attempts to site
gasification, pyrolysis and plasma arc incineration technologies
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” heat
wastes and then burn the toxic gases and produce toxic emissions.
We support pollution prevention, increased recycling and real
renewable energy instead of incineration technologies. Our new
report on this
issue, including case studies, is available on our website www.greenaction.org.
Greenaction
is now in court fighting InEnTec’s attempt to
overturn our historic victory in our appeal of their permits for
a plasma arc facility to treat medical wastes in Red Bluff, California.
This battle has national and international implications, and we
continue to mobilize residents to pressure InEnTec to abandon this
project.
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,
as well as fighting plans for proposed sewage sludge dumping
near the town. We are conducting a training program for local women
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 held a big march
and rally attended by 300 people, including many youth, April
1st in Patterson for environmental justice and against the Covanta
garbage
incinerator. We educate residents about dangers of pesticides
and teach leadership skills to women and youth. We are active in
the
Central California Environmental Justice Network & Central
Valley Air Quality Coalition.
Richmond, California Environmental Health and Justice
Project launched
Greenaction and the West County Toxics Coalition
have launched a major campaign to stop new pollution and reduce
existing pollution
in this community that suffers from refineries, chemical plants,
waste treatment facilities and other dirty industries. In late
June we joined residents in an urgent campaign to stop the siting
of a crematorium that would emit large amounts of toxic mercury
adjacent to homes.
From East Palo Alto, CA to the Gila River Indian Community,
Arizona: United Against Romic!
The fight to close the Romic hazardous
waste plants in East Palo
Alto, California and the Gila River
Indian Community in Arizona is gaining momentum. Greenaction has
united the Native peoples of Gila River and Youth United for Community
Action (from East Palo Alto) to stop Romic’s pollution of
both communities. As a result of our increased pressure, and Romic
has recently received large fines in both communities.
White
Mesa Utes, Navajo, Greenaction & allies
fight against International Uranium Corporation in Utah
We work
with White Mesa Utes, Navajo and other area residents, Dine
CARE and other allies to fight IUC’s attempt to accept wastes
with very high radioactive content at their “mill”/dump
in southern Utah next to the White Mesa Ute reservation. Our goal
is to close IUC due to pollution and desecration of Indian sacred
sites.
North
Salt Lake City, Utah: Shut Stericycle Medical Waste Incinerator – Sterilize,
Don’t Burn the Waste!
Greenaction is working with families
living next to the Stericycle incinerator that burns medical waste
shipped there from many states,
emitting dioxin and other pollutants into the air. We want Stericycle
to switch to safer non-incineration technologies that will protect
the health of residents and workers.
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 to stop Calpine’s
proposed geothermal power plants that would pollute Medicine Lake
and nearby wilderness.
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 the community.
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. Please donate $20
to Greenaction
for the video or DVD.
August
6th Action at Livermore Nuclear Weapons Lab & August
9th at Bechtel Corporation, San Francisco, CA: No Nukes! No Wars!
Support Indigenous Rights!
Greenaction is joining with Tri-Valley
CAREs and other allies to take action on the anniversary of the
bombing of Hiroshima. See
www.greenaction.org for more information and details.
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 oppose 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.
Invisible 5 Audio Tour Project
Greenaction, POND
and artists joined together to produce a two-CD set that is a
self-guided audio tour of Interstate-5 in California
between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Invisible-5 traces the
invisible toxic landscape along the interstate through stories
of people and communities fighting for environmental justice,
set against natural, social and economic histories. The project
combines voices of residents, community organizers, farmers,
historians, geographers, and advocates, with field recordings, sound,
music,
and archival audio.
Youth and Kids! Submit stories, photos, and pictures to our youth
website. youth@greenaction.org
