(Full post) After years of calling on the California Air Resources Board to properly evaluate the impacts of biofuels on refinery communities, and the importance of incentivizing electrification – CBE is suing the California Air Resources Board for failing to evaluate the impacts of a program that incentivizes polluting biofuels. More to come as this develops… (Full post) The Port of Long Beach approved a project that is reckless and contradicts the goals of the state, the city, and the port itself to transition away from fossil fuels. Instead of protecting vulnerable communities, the City Council and mayor are allowing polluters to continue harming them with industrial pollution. CBE is suing the City of LB for their approval of yet another unnecessary crude oil project that fails to adequately assess cumulative environmental harms. More to come as this develops… (Full post) Dear CBE Family, (Full post) 🎉 Today (9/25/2024), CA Governor, Gavin Newsom, officially signed AB 1866, AB 3233, and AB 2716 into law! These bills will hold the oil industry accountable and protect frontline communities like Wilmington and many others across California from dangerous pollution. No one should have to live next to oil drilling operations- active or idle! 📌 What these bills will do: 1️⃣AB 1866: Pushes oil companies to plug idle wells faster or face increased fees, safeguarding public health and creating thousands of new jobs. Thank you to the all of our allies who continue to push for a CA that will be better for future generations, free of neighborhood oil drilling! Y’all did this!! (Full post)📢Environmental Justice has WON! ✊🏾 We defeated Big Oil’s attempt to overturn SB 1137, the law that would create 3,200 ft setbacks between sensitive community receptors and oil drilling sites. ⛑ 🔥SB1137 will now immediately go into effect to protect the health and safety of working families living within the 3,200 feet of oil and gas drilling. A future where Wilmington will be free of neighborhood oil drilling is within reach! 🔥🥺 Our communities are thankful for the partnership of Senators Lena González, Monique Limón, and Assemblymember Issac Bryan for upholding these crucial safeguards Please join us in celebrating this amazing victory by donating to CBE today so that our communities can continue to fight for clean air, water, and healthy places to live. Donate at cbecal.org/donate 😊 (Full post) On September 16th, 2022, we won statewide 3,200ft science-based health and safety protective buffer zones 🎉 between oil drilling operations and sensitive receptors like homes, schools, parks, and hospitals when California’s Governor, Gavin Newsom, signed SB1137 into law. This was a huge moment for us and the future health of many frontline communities throughout our state, like Wilmington, CA, who have been fighting for healthier air for YEARS by advocating for an end to neighborhood oil drilling. ✊🏾🙌🏾 El 16 de septiembre del 2022, ganamos zonas de amortiguamiento de seguridad y salud basadas en la ciencia de 3,200 pies en todo el estado 🎉 entre operaciones de perforación petrolera y receptores sensibles como hogares, escuelas, parques y hospitales cuando el gobernador de California, Gavin Newsom, promulgó la ley SB1137. Este fue un gran momento para nosotros y para la salud futura de muchas comunidades de primera línea en todo nuestro estado, como Wilmington, CA, que han estado luchando por un aire más saludable durante AÑOS abogando por el fin de la extracción de petróleo en los vecindarios. Shortly after the bill was signed, big oil spent over $20 million, at times, misleading signature gathering campaign throughout the state. They collected enough signatures to formally qualify the bill for a referendum; SB1137 is officially on the November 2024 ballot as a referendum. This November, we need to vote to keep the recently passed law to reduce the carcinogens, pollution, and smog in our local neighborhoods so that we can all have clean, safe air to breathe. We must stand up to oil corporations who are using the referenda process to reverse community-led policy wins, this law was shaped by those who live next to harmful neighborhood oil drilling operations, who made their voices heard, lobbied their state representatives, and will continue to fight for the change that they long deserve. Poco después de que se firmara el proyecto de ley, la gran industria petrolera gasto más de 20 millones de dólares, en ocasiones, en campañas engañosas de recolección de firmas en todo el estado. Recogieron suficientes firmas para calificar formalmente el proyecto de ley para un referéndum; La SB1137 está oficialmente en la boleta electoral de noviembre de 2024 como referéndum. Este noviembre, debemos votar para mantener la ley recientemente aprobada para reducir los carcinógenos, la contaminación y el smog en nuestros vecindarios locales para que todos podamos tener aire limpio y seguro para respirar. Debemos hacer frente a las corporaciones petroleras que están utilizando el proceso de referendos para revertir las victorias políticas lideradas por la comunidad; esta ley fue diseñada por aquellos que viven cerca de operaciones de perforación petrolera dañinas en los vecindarios, quienes hicieron oír sus voces, presionaron a sus representantes estatales y siguen luchando por el cambio que tanto merecen. What can you do to help and what’s at stake this November? Talk to your friends, family, and anyone who votes to inform them of this process. We have the power to KEEP THE LAW by voting this November (2024). It’s time to hold greedy Big Oil CEOs and the politicians they support accountable to protective health measures that help neighborhoods perpetually exposed to pollution. Currently, Californians live with nearly 30,000 oil wells within a half mile of homes, schools, hospitals and other sensitive sites throughout the state. We must work together to ensure that the election reaffirms what frontline communities have known for decades—we must keep oil drilling away from our children and families. ¿Qué puedes hacer para ayudar y qué está a riesgo este noviembre? Habla con tus amigos, familiares y cualquier persona que vote para informarles sobre este proceso. Tenemos el poder de MANTENER LA LEY con nuestro voto este noviembre (2024). Es hora de responsabilizar a los codiciosos directores ejecutivos de la gran industria petrolera y a los políticos que apoyan sobre las medidas de protección de la salud que ayudan a los vecindarios perpetuamente expuestos a la contaminación. Actualmente, los californianos viven con casi 30,000 pozos petroleros a menos de media milla de hogares, escuelas, hospitales y otros sitios sensibles en todo el estado. Debemos trabajar juntos para garantizar que las elecciones reafirmen lo que las comunidades de primera línea han sabido durante décadas: debemos mantener la extracción de petróleo fuera del alcance de nuestros hijos y familias. The power is 100% in the hands of the voters here. Let’s show them that no amount of money can deny the collective POWER OF THE PEOPLE! ✊🏾 Aquí el poder está 100% en manos de los votantes. ¡Demostrémosles que ninguna cantidad de dinero puede negar el PODER colectivo DEL PUEBLO! ✊🏾 (Full post) In honoring the power of storytelling, we are proud to share our Resilience Hub StoryMap as a way to share our process, lessons learned, and the overall success of community-led planning. ✅ We only accept green hydrogen projects and uses that do not keep fossil fuel infrastructure online and meet the outlined equity principles. 📄 Read our joint statement on Equity Principles for Hydrogen (See full post) CBE Wilmington was instrumental in a huge win today! Emissions from petroleum storage tanks are a major threat to the health of frontline communities, and today, we won major protections from these sources of pollution! 🔑This major oil refinery regulation will cut cancer-causing benzene emissions & smog-forming Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in EJ communities. These mods are estimated to cut VOCs by about one ton/day -will also apply to the whole South Coast region. “We had to push to get this regulation into the Wilmington, Carson, W. Long Beach Community Emissions Reduction Plan under #AB617 years ago.” said Alicia Rivera, Wilmington Community Organizer with CBE. “The regulation adoption is turning the plan into a real community win! The fight to phase out oil refineries also continues, but today we celebrate important protections for thousands living near these facilities.” (Full Post) Make your voice heard and give your feedback on the Environmental Justice Element of the Oakland 2045 General Plan. Comment on the incompatible land use in your community and help create tangible changes that will improve your quality of life. If you are living in Oakland, this plan will impact YOU! Set up a time with Sharifa, our East Oakland Staff Researcher, and she will help you submit your comment. Here are the available office hours for Sharifa (30 minute appointments): We hope to hear from you soon. Email Sharifa by clicking here, or send an email at Sharifa@cbecal.org
CBE Lawsuit Alert: LCFS
CBE Lawsuit Alert: Oil Storage Expansion
Read our post-election statement
As we confront the results of this year’s Presidential Election, we encourage our community to come together to combat misinformation with facts, to fight fear with compassion, and most importantly, to care for those who need it most in this moment… (Read more)
Gov. Newsom Signs 3 Key Polluter Accountability Bills into Law
2️⃣AB 3233: Empowers local governments to defend residents from harmful oil and gas pollution.
3️⃣AB 2716: Imposes fines on low-production wells, holding polluters accountable in the largest urban oil field in the country.
Environmental Justice Communities Win BIG!
📌On June 26th, 2024, Californians for Energy Independence pulled their referendum seeking to overturn SB1137 in the November 2024 election!
This is the result of decades of organizing to protect our neighborhoods and communities in solidarity with CEJA, CEJA Action, Working Families for a Healthy California, CRPE, PSR-LA, APEN Action, Black Women for Wellness Action, VISION, CCEJN, and the Central California Asthma Collaborative. 
SB 1137: This November, KEEP THE LAW when you head to the polls!
StoryMap- Community-led Resilience Hubs!
EJ Groups Develop Guiding Equity Principles for Department of Energy’s Hydrogen Infrastructure Funding
To that end, we have established guiding principles which represent our collective values and positions to support the communities of color and low-income backgrounds that we represent across the state of California.
✅ We oppose all forms of dirty hydrogen production.
✅We demand community consent and involvement in the development of any hydrogen project.
Major win against toxic emissions from refinery oil storage tanks in Wilmington and surrounding communities; Rule 1178
Earlier today, South Coast AQMD adopted amended rule 1178 as the first step toward protecting #FrontlineCommunities from the harmful pollutants & toxic chemicals they leak into our air! 🎉
It is projected to slash emissions by adding domes onto floating roof crude oil storage tanks that were previously exempted, require weekly inspection with Infrared Optical Gas Imaging (OGI) cameras to detect invisible leaks, and require more stringent standards for leaking seals.
East Oakland Research Dept. Office Hours: Comment on the Environmental Justice Element of the Oakland General Plan
What’s New
(Full post) Today, $7 billion in funding was announced that will shape our energy future – but the ARCHES hydrogen plan has blocked environmental justice organizations from participating in its entire process. This plan has the risk of being extremely dangerous if it is not handled with input from EJ, public health, and community based organizations that can ensure it does not perpetuate the systemic injustices we need to eradicate.