NYC-EJA 2014 Year in Review

December 2014 - Volume 5, Issue 3

Thank you for helping New York City Environmental Justice Alliance (NYC-EJA) to make 2014 an extraordinary year! We hope you will take a moment to support our work by making a year-end contribution on our web site.

The People's Climate March was a resounding success. NYC-EJA played an integral role in planning the March and co-facilitated the NY-NJ Host Committee. We are incredibly proud that the 400,000 people who marched in September were led by young people of color and frontline communities. The March was a coming together of movements of people who haven't always worked together. Environmental justice, faith, labor, environmental, and community organizers working in solidarity are a force to be reckoned with.

From the People's Climate March, to historic climate goals set by both Mayor de Blasio and the NYC Council, to the new Climate Works for All coalition, momentum for climate justice -- the movement to dissolve and alleviate the unequal burdens created by climate change -- in NYC continues to grow.

But this year has also been marked by the sobering reality of police violence against people of color. Police violence is just one of the many ways in which structural racism impacts people of color. Please read two important articles that call attention to the intersection of Eric Garner's tragic death and environmental justice issues like asthma:

The racial divide in America is this elemental: Blacks and whites actually breathe different air

Why environmentalists should support the Black Lives Matter protests

While grieving for the lives that have been cut short, we remember Dr. King's words, "the arc of

history is long, but it bends towards justice." As long-time activists and community organizers, we are inspired by the young people of color leading protests across the country as well as by their commitment to peaceful protest. We stand with fellow New Yorkers against violence and condemn this weekend's tragic murders of Officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos.

As 2014 comes to a close, we are taking this opportunity to reflect on how NYC-EJA and our member organizations are working to advance environmental justice and fight inequality. NYC-EJA continues to build our capacity to meet the challenges ahead -- this year, we welcomed our newest staff member Jet Toomer, NYC-EJA's Community Organizer.

You can read about the progress of our on-going work below. Stay-tuned in 2015 for updates on some exciting new campaigns.

In solidarity,

Eddie

We are proud that NYC-EJA's leadership was recognized this fall by our allies in the movement. Eddie Bautista, NYC-EJA's Executive Director, was honored at ALIGN NY's Movement Builders Awards and at Citizen Action of New York's Annual Progressive Leadership Awards Gala.

Bill Lipton of the Working Families Party presenting

ALIGN NY's

Movement Builders Award to Eddie Bautista.

(image courtesy of ALIGN)

Kellie Terry, NYC-EJA's Board Chair (and Executive Director of NYC-EJA member THE POINT CDC), presenting Citizen Action of New York's Annual Progressive Leadership Award to Eddie Bautista

(image courtesy of Citizen Action of New York)

Climate Works for All

NYC-EJA developed the ten-point Climate Works for All agenda in collaboration with ALIGN NY, NYC Central Labor Council, the BlueGreen Alliance, and National AFL-CIO. Climate Works for All unites environmental justice, faith, labor, and economic and social justice groups a round a just transition agenda for sustainability in NYC.

Read the Climate Works for All report and learn more about how NYC can become the national leader on climate jobs, and elevate the grassroots voices of people of frontline communities!

Eddie Bautista speaking at the Climate Works for All Forum, December 16th, 2014

Rebuild by Design

In June,

Hunts Point Lifelines

was awarded $20 million in HUD funding in the Rebuild by Design competition.

NYC-EJA is proud to have introduced the

Penn/Olin design team

responsible for the Hunts Point Lifelines proposal to our Waterfront Justice Project research on Hunts Point and other industrial waterfronts, and to our South Bronx members.

Throughout the design process, NYC-EJA member organizations in the South Bronx, including lead community partner

THE POINT CDC as well as

Sustainable South Bronx, worked with the Penn/Olin team to ensure that issues of equity and community priorities were reflected in the final proposal.

NYC-EJA and THE POINT CDC were awarded a national grant by the Kresge Foundation in November 2014 to continue climate resiliency planning in the South Bronx during the Rebuild by Design planning and implementation process.

Waterfront Justice Project

NYC-EJA's Waterfront Justice Project made significant progress this year. Our innovative research and advocacy into climate change impacts in industrial waterfront communities has resulted in two groundbreaking research partnerships.

As a member of the Grassroots Research to Action Partnership (GRASP), we are working with NYC-EJA member UPROSE, the Rand Corporation, and the LifeLine Group on a community-based participatory research project in Sunset Park to assess the impacts of potential toxic exposures and build community resiliency.

NYC-EJA is also working in partnership with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS-DEC) and the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) NYS Pollution Prevention Institute on the EPA-funded "NYC Industrial Waterfront Communities Pollution Prevention, Toxics Reduction, and Resiliency Planning" project in the South Bronx Significant Maritime and Industrial Area (SMIA).

Recently, NYC-EJA published our Waterfront Justice Project research in Local Environment, a peer-reviewed journal.

NYC-EJA's Director of Research, Juan Camilo Osorio, presenting alongside other members of the Grassroots Research to Action in Sunset Park (GRASP) partnership at the International Society of Exposure Science annual meeting in October 2014.

NYC-EJA members on the steps of City Hall at a press conference in support of City Council Waste Equity legislation in October 2014.

Waste Equity

Environmental Justice is finally coming to NYC's Solid Waste System!

In February 2014, at the City Council Committee on Sanitation & Solid Waste Management oversight hearing, chaired by Council member Antonio Reynoso, NYC-EJA members came out in force to urge the City Council to support waste equity and the Transform Don't Trash proposal for a new commercial waste system.
In May, NYC-EJA members joined the City Council's Black, Latino and Asian Caucus, the Teamsters, Working Families Party, NYLPI, other NYC Council Members, and EJ allies at a City Hall press conference to support the Solid Waste Management Plan and continued construction of the East 91st MTS.
In July, the final 2 lawsuits to block the reopening of the East 91st Street Marine Transfer Station were tossed out by a federal judge. Construction on the East 91st Street Marine Transfer Station (MTS) is moving forward, despite opposition funded by deep-pocketed real estate interests.
In October, Council Members Antonio Reynoso & Stephen Levin co-sponsored Waste Equity legislation that will help achieve modest but meaningful reductions in permitted waste capacity in 3 overburdened communities and ensure that, in the future, no other communities will be forced to handle a disproportionate share of our waste.
In November, Council Members Lander, Chin, and Richards and Public Advocate James introduced a Plastic Bag Reduction Bill that will contribute to our long-term goals to both reduce waste and reduce impacts on low-income communities of color.

Finally, as a member of the Transform Don't Trash coalition we are working to reform the commercial waste sector. Looks for updates on commercial waste in 2015!

NYC-EJA members coming out to support the Solid Waste Management Plan in May 2014.

NYC-EJA members came out to support the Solid Waste Management Plan in May 2014

Selected Stories from 2014

CLIMATE JUSTICE

Eddie Bautista's Article in the Earth Island Journal: Lacing Up for Historic Climate Justice March

Op-Ed: Why We March: Stepping Forth for a Planet in Peril

Grist: At this year's big climate rally, most of the people won't be pale, male, and stale

People's Climate March Documentary: Watch "Disruption"

New York Times: Taking a Call for Climate Change to the Streets

The Latin Post: New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio Introduces Sweeping Plan to Reduce Greenhouse Emissions by 80 Percent by 2025

NY1 Noticias: Nueva York y el cambio climatico

NY1 Online Video: Panel Previews People's Climate March

Vice: Study Says East and Gulf Coasts Might See Tripling of Flood Events by 2030

WASTE EQUITY

Capital New York: De Blasio moves on waste facility, despite protests

City Journal: Manhattan Transfer New York's waste-management plan is turning into a battle of the boroughs.

NY Environment Report: Neighborhoods Burdened by Processing City's Trash Look to New Sanitation Commissioner

City Limits: Trash Fight is Sequel to Bloomberg Battle

NY Environment: North Brooklyn: Fighting for Fairness in NYC's Trash War

GENERAL

NY Daily News: Outsiders, occupy City Hall

City Atlas Profile Eddie Bautista

Dear Friend:

We ask your help to sustain our campaigns for environmental justice. Please support the NYC Environmental Justice Alliance (NYC-EJA) by making a tax-deductible online donation at NYC-EJA's website.

Founded in 1991, NYC-EJA, a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization, is NYC's only federation of community-based organizations fighting for environmental justice in low income communities of color.

For nearly 25 years, NYC-EJA has successfully led reform campaigns on climate change, solid waste, power plant siting and brownfield remediation policies.

But we need your help to continue our successes. Your tax deductible online contribution can be made securely on the Donation page at our website: www.NYC-EJA.org. Your donation will support NYC-EJA's ongoing campaigns, including the new challenges posed by climate change. You can also mail a check payable to: New York City Environmental Justice Alliance, 166A 22nd Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11232.

Become an EJ Friend - $50.00

Become an EJ Ally - $100.00

Become an EJ Champion - $200.00 (our 200x200 campaign!)

For more information on NYC-EJA's work (or better yet, to support that work with a tax-deductible donation), please visit our website at www.NYC-EJA.org . You'll be glad you did!

Hasta la proxima,

Eddie Bautista,

Executive Director