CCAEJ is likely to face many challenges and concerns regarding the problem spaces in which they work, which would include environmental injustice, community health, and land use planning. Some examples might include lack of political will, limited resources, complex and interconnected problems, systemic barriers, and community engagement and empowerment.
This organization does not explicitly state that its approach to addressing environmental justice issues is unique; however, in this project and reviewing other organizations, I was surprised to see on their website they do outwardly believe in a zero-emission future and regenerative and sustainable economies. Given precedent, this could be perceived as quite a radical approach, especially to corporations or other stakeholders seeking to profit from the industrial landscape of the Inland Empire.
The Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice produces and shares a variety of data and research related to its focus areas, including environmental justice, community health, and land use planning. The organization conducts original research, partners with academic institutions and other organizations to produce reports, and compiles and analyzes data from various sources. The organization's approach to evaluating and monitoring the credibility of the information it uses and circulates likely involves a combination of internal review and external validation.
CCAEJ engages in a range of initiatives to address environmental health and justice issues in California's Inland Empire region. Some illustrative examples of the organization's work include Environmental justice advocacy, community-based research, education and outreach, coalition building, and environmental health monitoring. CCAEJ's initiatives are designed to promote environmental health and justice in the Inland Empire by empowering community members, conducting research, providing education and outreach, building coalitions, and monitoring environmental health conditions.
CCAEJ has physical office space in Riverside, California, and this serves as the hub for the organization's staff, volunteers, and community members. The office is equipped with standard office infrastructure but also has ample space for meeting rooms as community space for events and gatherings. Regarding technology, CCAEJ uses various tools and platforms to support its outreach, communications, and advocacy efforts. These include social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and email and SMS messaging services for communicating with members and supporters.
CCAEJ receives funding from federal, state, and local government agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA), and the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD). These grants support CCAEJ's research, community organizing, and advocacy efforts. Their entire budget is funded through government grants, foundation grants, and individual donations.
CCAEJ is a non-profit organization with a hierarchical structure that includes a Board of Directors, staff members, and volunteers. The organization's structure is designed to facilitate collaboration and collective action among a broad range of stakeholders committed to creating a healthy and sustainable environment for all residents of the Inland Empire.
On the organization's website, its mission is explained as follows: "The Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice (CCAEJ) is dedicated to empowering and organizing communities to protect public health and the environment in the Inland Region of Southern California. We focus on issues affecting the most vulnerable communities - low-income, communities of color - and seek to promote policies and practices prioritizing health, equity, and justice."
CCAEJ's stated mission is to promote environmental justice and the empowerment of communities in the Inland Empire region of Southern California. The organization seeks to address the disproportionate impacts of pollution and other environmental hazards on low-income communities and communities of color through advocacy, organizing, and education.
First and foremost, the Jurupa Valley versus Stringfellow Acid Pit toxic waste site was instrumental in founding the organization. The growing environmental justice movement in the 1980s and 1990s also played its part in a broader sense that ecological justice and organizing was critical issue in California and at the national level. The establishment of the Superfund resulted from the efforts of the CCAEJ’s leaders and following legislation such as California’s Environmental Justice Act in 1999, the federal Environmental Justice Executive Order of 1994, and other policies that provided the legal framework for addressing environmental justice issues.
The Flint Water Crisis of 2014 and the Covid-19 pandemic brought attention to the disproportionate impact on marginalized communities and environmental hazards and equity.
CCAEJ was founded on the growing concern about the impacts of pollution in low-income and working-class communities of color in Southern California. During the 1960s and 1970s, the region experienced a boom in industrial development and urbanization, bringing increased pollution and environmental hazards. As ecological justice gained traction in the 1980s and 1990s, the organization's founders were part of a more significant movement of social justice and activism that worked to address the unequal distribution of environmental hazards and awareness of protecting the health and well-being of all communities.