Victory! Toxic Polluter LeSaffre Yeast (Formerly Red Star Yeast) Announces Closure in Face of Growing Community Protest!

See Also:

	2/28/03 Read the letter from the West Oakland Clean Air Coalition to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District Board of Directors (PDF Format)
	2/20/03 West Oakland Residents Disrupt and Stop Air District Meeting - Community and Greenaction Denounce Air District Plan to Ignore Violations and Issue New Permit to Lesaffre Yeast (formerly Red Star).
	12/19/02 West Oakland Community & Greenaction Demand Air District Deny New Permit to Red Star Yeast/Lesaffre as polluter flunks air tests and odors continue! Read the Press Release from the press conference, the new Fact Sheet, and the campaign background! Read the Dec. 18th Oakland Tribune story: Regulators Go Too Easy on Yeast Factory, Neighbors Say

For more information, contact:

Greenaction

(415) 248-5010

Victory For Health and Environmental Justice!

Despite the best efforts of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to help toxic polluter Lesaffre Yeast (formerly Red Star Yeast) get a new permit, the company has caved in to community pressure and has announced they are closing!

We understand the closure may happen around April 15th!

Lesaffre's press release claims they are closing due to "market economics" and "challenging California environmental conditions."

Outraged by the ongoing noxious odors and excessive toxic emissions of cancer-causing chemicals into the community, a strong community environmental justice coalition battled the company and the Bay Area Air District for the last several years.

The community coalition has waged an intense and effective campaign including blocking the Air District from issuing the proposed new Title V Clean Air Act permit, beginning legal challenges, and organizing protests and actions. A major protest was planned for April 19th, and the factory apparently will close just days before this big action was to take place.

Coalition members include the Chester Street Block Club Association, Citizens for West Oakland Revitalization, Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice, Pacific Institute, Environmental Science Institute, Youth Empowerment Center, and Oakland City Councilwoman Nancy Nadel.

This victory shows once again that communities have the power to achieve environmental justice, and can win even though government agencies such as the Bay Area Air District continue their pro-polluter policies and practices.