Environmental Justice Element Update

WHAT IS ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE?

The Environmental Justice (EJ) Element is a state-mandated element in response to Senate Bill 1000 (SB 1000), that requires cities and counties that have disadvantaged communities to incorporate Environmental Justice policies into the General Plans to address the “unique or compounded health risks” in the communities by reducing pollution exposure, increasing community assets, and improving overall health. 

THE PURPOSE AND RELEVANCE OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ELEMENT

 The City’s Environmental Justice (Health & Equity) Element will serve as the foundation and guideline for achieving equity and environmental justice goals when implementing a more livable, healthy, and just community for East Palo Alto.  The U.S Environmental Protection Agency defines environmental justice as “the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.”  

Some examples of environmental justice issues are pollution exposure and air quality, access to safe and sanitary homes, access to opportunities for physical activity, and access to effective public services and facilities. See below to check out our EJ Element educational handout to understand the issues and how you can participate. 

Learn more about these disparities by viewing the Story Map: https://smcmaps.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/sidebar/index.html?appid=356f5794ea72447eabcda1e32f1fdcd7

Visit the Environmental Justice Element website for our latest updates: https://envirojusticeplanning.com/  

Community Outreach Events

Love Our Earth Festival

Staff participated in an community event promoting sustainability and building resilient community on Saturday April 13, 2024. Staff was present to promote the Environmental Justice and Safety Element updates and provided educational handouts to the community. There were two mapping activities for each element update. We asked participants to identify potential environmental justice issues and identify which natural hazards concern them. There are some pictures below from the event. 

Rock 'N' Roar at Cesar Chavez Middle School 

On Saturday May 4th, staff participated in a family event promoting the various programs of the Ravenswood Educational Fund and other community partners. This event allowed staff another opportunity to further community engagement and promote the Safety and Environmental Justice Elements update process with students and residents. Staff put together an interactive activity that introduced typical issues that would be discussed in both elements. Participants picked a statement out of a box and had to decide if it was related to the Safety Element or Environmental Justice Element. There are some pictures below from the event. 

Environmental Justice Element In-Person Workshop

The City and project consultant Placeworks partnered with Climate Resilient Communities and Nuestra Casa to organize the Environmental Justice Element in-person workshop on May 23, 2024 at the East Palo Alto YMCA. There was an overview presentation on the Environmental Justice Element in English and Spanish and an interactive walk-through activity was introduced for attendees to identify potential environmental justice issues in the community. We had a great turnout of approximately 90 residents and community members actively participated throughout the workshop. Please check out the EJ workshop summary below. 

We organized another in-person workshop on September 26, 2024 at the East Palo Alto YMCA from 6 PM to 7:30PM for the Tongan, and Samoan communities. 

Environmental Justice Elements Planning Initiative Survey 

This survey sought to better understand environmental justice issues East Palo Alto residents experience in the city. You can help us with our efforts to address your community needs by answering the questions in this survey. Please take a few minutes to take this Environmental Justice Element survey:

• English survey link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc-ul9L-o_B3vSI2Y4SgEY6PgQRGTtu0OvjS0sNZZOHfgphIg/viewform
• Spanish survey link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScCuAzdz8CUqz1HyFfL7cKeU3s8ilqfmFgYzBQZBSSo1oSdIQ/viewform

The survey will be closed Dec 20, 2024. If you have any questions or trouble accessing the survey, please contact Planning staff for assistance.