In a significant stride toward environmental justice, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District has rolled out a plan aimed at slashing air pollution in the disadvantaged neighborhoods of Bayview Hunters Point and Southeast San Francisco. Together with local groups, the plan will seek to bring much-needed relief to an area grappling with severe air quality issues, per the Air District's details. The initiative, a Community Emissions Reduction Plan or CERP, is expected to serve as the cornerstone of strategies that will breathe cleaner air into the community.
The collaboration features heavyweights like the Marie Harrison Community Foundation and the Bayview Hunters Point Community Advocates. "This community-driven process will direct focused attention to neighborhoods severely impacted by longstanding environmental injustices, health inequities and poor air quality," the agency's executive officer Dr. Philip Fine said in an announcement. The final plan aims to deploy solutions with a staunch focus on public health, aligning local air quality priorities that the Air District will implement in partnership with the California Air Resources Board, and, not to forget, the community folk themselves.
Bayview Hunters Point/Southeast San Francisco, areas notably tied to District 10, is now the fourth local community to be integrated into this effort, following the footsteps of West Oakland, Richmond-North Richmond-San Pablo, and East Oakland. The CERP is designed to pinpoint and implement new measures among its goals. These were selected by the community that goes beyond what's already in play at the state and regional levels for cutting down on local emissions and exposure to pollutants.
This move comes as a beacon of hope for one of the most diverse areas in the Bay, historically burdened with a range of industrial facilities that have taken their toll on the local environment. The livelihood and health of its residents have suffered, particularly those living in the proximity of major pollution sources like the I-280 and I-101 freeways. The statewide AB 617 law, recognizing the unequal distribution of air quality improvements across California, mandates extra attention and resources for communities like these that are in close vicinity to cumulative pollution sources, sparking initiatives like the CERP.
As part of the efforts to encourage community involvement, there is an open invitation for residents to attend the initial meeting on January 16, intended to shed further light on the planning process. The event, which will be held at the Southeast Community Center in San Francisco, will see the formation of a steering committee, a group that mirrors the diverse makeup of the region, set to convene monthly to steer the course of CERP's development. For more details, interested parties can visit the Air District's official website at this link.
