(Full post, publicacion entera) We are enraged that Judge Sontchi has approved Exide’s 3rd bankruptcy with the support of the Department of “Justice.” The Vernon site will be abandoned by Exide by October 30, 2020 which will force Californians to pay for the costly toxic clean up. Despite over 1000 people submitting emails in opposition and over 250 people mobilized to a public hearing with a one day’s notice, Judge Sontchi ignored community concerns and testimony and still approved the bankruptcy plan.  Adding insult to injury the judge minimized the threat the Vernon site poses to SELA and ELA community members, finding that the site did not pose an immediate and imminent threat even though there admittedly extremely high rates of lead. While the judge preserves the right for the state of California to file administrative claims he ultimately ruled that the Exide will be able to walk away from the public health catastrophe they created by the end of the month. While this is not surprising to many of us that have witnessed local, state and federal government continually prioritize corporations over the well-being of our communities, it will never get easy to experience this slow violence. It will never get easy to know that our families have to continue to have their health deteriorate due to the carelessness of companies like Exide and the negligence of the state. US DOJ claims the bankruptcy is meant to avoid the site abandonment. Now, the site cleanup will be under Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) ‘s responsibility. Considering how the community cleanup is going and knowing DTSC has allowed for this massive disaster, we have little faith in them. Now more than ever it is important to continue building with our neighbors. The fight is not over, our communities have always organized and we will continue to so long as our government continues to fail us. What do we do when our communities are under attack? STAND UP, FIGHT BACK!

Amazing art work by Amber Williams-King

Nos enfurece que el juez Sontchi haya aprobado la tercera quiebra de Exide con la aprobación del Departamento de “Justicia”, lo que inevitablemente hará que los californianos paguen por la costosa limpieza tóxica. A pesar de que más de 1000 personas enviaron correos electrónicos en contra y más de 250 se movilizaron a una audiencia pública con un día de anticipación, El Departamento de Justicia de los Estados Unidos decidió ponerse del lado del contaminador. El juez Sontchi dijo que el estado de California aún puede presentar reclamos administrativos, pero finalmente que el sitio de Exide en Vernon no representa una amenaza inmediata e inminente y que el plan de quiebra propuesto seguirá adelante. Sabemos que esto no es verdad, esto no es sorprendente para muchos de nosotros que hemos sido testigos de que el gobierno local, estatal, y federal continuamente prioriza a las corporaciones sobre el bienestar de nuestras comunidades, nunca será fácil vivir esta VIOLENCIA lenta. Nunca será fácil saber que nuestras familias tienen que seguir con el deterioro de su salud debido al descuido de empresas como Exide y la negligencia del  estado. El Departamento de Justicia de los EE. UU. Afirma que la quiebra está destinada a evitar el abandono del sitio. Ahora, la limpieza del sitio estará bajo la responsabilidad del Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC). Teniendo en cuenta cómo va la limpieza de la comunidad y sabiendo que DTSC ha permitido este desastre masivo, tenemos poca fe en ellos. Ahora más que nunca es importante seguir construyendo con nuestros vecinos. La lucha no ha terminado, nuestras comunidades siempre se han organizado y seguiremos haciéndolo mientras nuestro gobierno nos siga fallando. ¿Qué hacemos cuando nuestras comunidades están siendo atacadas? ¡LEVANTARTE Y LUCHAR! 💚

Increíble obra de arte de Amber Williams-King

(Full post, publicación completa)  Visit StayHousedla.org to learn more about tenant rights and get connected to legal assistance in Los Angeles. The COVID-19 pandemic has cost people their jobs & livelihoods. This has put an estimated one-third of households in a position where they cannot make rent.

Visite StayHousedla.org para obtener más información sobre los derechos de los inquilinos y conectarse a la asistencia legal en Los Ángeles. La pandemia de COVID-19 le ha costado a la gente su trabajo y sus medios de vida. Esto ha puesto a un tercio de los hogares en una posición en la que no pueden pagar el alquiler.

[Read our Statement] We stand in solidarity with communities across the country condemning the murders of George Floyd, Tony McDade, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and all countless numbers of Black community members that have been murdered by police brutality and white, civilian vigilantes.

CBE Statement of Solidarity

Communities for a Better Environment stands in solidarity with communities across the country condemning the murders of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Tony McDade in Tallahassee, Florida, Breonna Taylor in Kentucky, Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia and all of the other, countless numbers of Black community members that have been murdered by police brutality and white, civilian vigilantes. These killings are rooted in the structural racism that is built into every level of our society.

Anti-Black racism permeates every corner of our global society. We enter this conversation against the backdrop of a global pandemic, and we know that COVID-19 is taking Black lives at an alarming rate that is disproportionate to any other community. Black folks are also disproportionately impacted by environmental racism and have been at the frontlines of the worst impacts of climate change. Like climate change and COVID-19, state-sanctioned violence against Black folks is a public health crisis. We must be as active in dismantling structural racism as we are in fighting for environmental and climate justice. The liberation of Black people is vital to the collective liberation of all oppressed peoples.

We are calling on the CBE Community to be anti-racist allies and actively support the Movement for Black Lives to defund the police and defend Black life. Solidarity with Black Lives and Black led movements means calling out white supremacy and anti-Blackness, including from non-Black people of color and educating the people around you about the importance of this moment and the violent history of the United States in relation to anti-Black racism that has made this country to be what it is today. This means having difficult, but necessary, conversations with our families, peers and neighbors. This also includes intentionally and regularly buying from and investing in Black-owned businesses and supporting Black families and community members with financial support and other relevant offerings. The lack of meaningful investment in Black, Indigenous, People of Color communities continues to marginalize a large segment of the American public and left them vulnerable to every harm in our society. It is up to us to show up for Black folks, follow and trust in their leadership and stand against white supremacy and the systems in place that have continually shown us that they do not value Black lives. All Black Lives Matter.

As an environmental justice organization, we are committed to understanding our own participation and complicity with anti-Blackness, especially from non-Black people of color. Internally, CBE is holding space to establish a shared baseline understanding of racism and anti-Blackness- what they are, how they operate in the world, and how they manifest within the organization; develop common language for talking about racism and other forms of structural oppression; learning about tools and strategies to address racism and anti-Blackness within the staff, organization and our membership; and learn about the concepts of feminine leadership and trauma-informed practice, and understand how these frameworks support all staff members to heal from racism and cis-hetero-patriarchy.

In Solidarity and Community,

Communities for a Better Environment

Click HERE for full CBE statement. Haga clic AQUI para el mensaje completo de CBE. Our staff will update this as much as possible. Nuestro personal actualizara el documento.

Follow these steps to protect yourself. Sigua estos pasos para protegerse.

Join our team and please check out all of our available positions!

Latest fact sheet HERE.

Last night, Feb. 25, 2020, the Marathon/Tesoro Los Angeles Refinery in Carson / Wilmington erupted into a major fire after multiple explosions and a giant fireball:
• The major fire was seen shooting into the sky, with black smoke that could even be seen at night. (A reduced fire was still seen burning this morning, Feb. 26th.) The original explosion was seen as far away as Fullerton (about 25 miles). This is the largest refinery on the West Coast, and its major expansion was protested by thousands, and contested in court.

CBE crew in Richmond and Wilmington are getting the vote out! Y’all have until 8pm, find your polling place: vote.ca.gov

Click HERE for info. Before 12PM today in South East Los Angeles, a Delta Air Carrier needed to dump jet fuel in order to make an emergency landing at LAX. Jet fuel exposure has multiple health risks. If you experience any of the following symptoms please seek medical attention. Updates to come.

Hoy, antes de las 12 p.m. en el sureste de Los Ángeles, un Delta Air Carrier necesitaba descargar combustible para hacer un aterrizaje de emergencia en LAX. La exposición al combustible para aviones tiene múltiples riesgos para la salud. Si experimenta alguno de los siguientes síntomas, busque atención médica. Actualizaciones por venir.