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.
The Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice (CCAEJ) began in 1978 following the struggle for clean air and healthy communities in Jurupa Valley; residents rallied together to shut down the Stringfellow Acid Pit toxic waste site. The organization's founder Penny Newman led community members in a decades-long fight that resulted in the state awarding 114 million dollars in reparations for residents and establishing the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), better known as the Superfund. Following these accomplishments, environmental leaders acknowledged the need to create a community resource that working-class communities of color could turn to in the midst of pollution crises. In 1993, CCAEJ became an official nonprofit organization founded on this principle and the belief that all residents have a right to participate in collective decisions that directly affect them and also be an actor in developing solutions to clean up their environment and health.
The early structure of CCAEJ consisted primarily of volunteer-leadership and a small team of part-time staff. Over time this organization grew and secured additional funding. It was able to support the hiring of more staff and expand its programs and services.
How does the EHC approach issues of power and privilege within the local community, given how the history of environmental justice is rooted in low-income communities of color?
What role do you see the EHC working towards in promoting future policy change and advancing environmental justice at the local, state, and national levels? What are some challenges and opportunities facing the EHC in this work?
The EHC is generally perceived as a respected and influential organization, internally and externally. Within the organization and its community, there is a strong sense of shared purpose and commitment to advancing environmental justice and healthy communities. The EHC staff and volunteers are deeply committed to the organization's mission and are viewed as knowledgeable and passionate advocates for environmental health and justice. The
The EHC is considered a credible organization with a reputation for effective research and advocacy work to promote environmental justice. The EHC is consulted by policymakers and stakeholders for environmental health and justice issues and is regarded as a valuable source of information and expertise.
EHC is a well-established and respected organization within the environmental justice sector with a track record of successful campaigns and policy victories. The organization has been active for over 40 years and is well-established and respected within the community it serves. The organization has been instrumental in shaping local policy and advocacy efforts. It has thus been recognized by a range of other organizations and institutions, including the California Environmental Protection Agency, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. The EHC has proven to be an essential actor within the environmental justice and public health sectors, with a strong record of community organizing, policy advocacy, and credible research.
The EHC functions within the non-profit sector and works to serve the environmental justice and public health fields. As an environmental justice organization, EHC’s mission is to empower communities and promote health and justice through community organizing, policy advocacy, research, and education.
The EHC collaborates with various organizations, including critical collaborators such as The California Environmental Justice Alliance (CEJA), The San Diego Coalition for Environmental and Social Justice, and The Labor Council for Latin American Advancement. The EHC does not typically criticize or distance itself from other organizations and instead focuses on building collaborative working partnerships to advance its mission and goals.