(Full post) Joined by Congresswoman Nanette Barragán , residents and allies, CBE & Stand Together Against Neighborhood Drilling (STAND LA) held a press conference today exposing extensive illegal drilling by Warren Resources.

CBE Attorney Alison H. kicked off the press event by outlining Warren’s numerous violations since 2018, including failure to conduct environmental reviews as required by local laws and submitting permit applications to the state with potentially fraudulent information.

With remarks underscoring needing to hold Warren accountable for illegal drilling as a matter of justice, Congresswoman Barragan said: “If it’s a fight they want, they’ve got one. We won’t stand silent & let them prioritize profits over the health, safety & quality of life of our community.”

During the event, Wilmington residents Nizgui G. & Dulce A. spoke about the health impacts their communities have suffered from for years due to oil drilling, clearly stating that Warren’s activities disregard public health & put profits over people.

“We have sued & won protections, there are laws in place that are supposedly there to prevent this from happening. We did it the right way, the correct way, the legal way, & STILL we don’t have the justice we deserve because simply put, NO OIL DRILLING IS SAFE!” Nizgui, CBE YEJ

Holman United’s Rev. Louis A. Chase urged the city to shut down Warren’s Banning facility and expedite the drafting & adoption of the ordinance that will phase out oil drilling based on the motion the L.A. City Council passed in January 2022. Rev. Chase highlighted the role frontline communities have played in the fight against oil drilling, saying: “It is because of residents & advocates like all of us standing here today, that the L.A. City Council took the historic 1st step toward phasing out oil drilling in January.”

THE BOTTOM LINE IS: Warren has been sidestepping local review and fabricating information in their permit applications to #CalGEM. In fact, some of Warren’s fabricated applications are still pending before CalGEM today. This discovery is especially disappointing because the whole point of creating CalGEM was to shift oversight focus to holding fossil fuel companies accountable and to safeguard public health and the environment.

ON MARCH 10 CBE members and staff decided to stand up and fight back against Warren’s illegal operations. We submitted a letter to LA City outlining how Warren is gaming the system, and called on the City to shut down these illegal operations.

IN MID-MARCH LA City found Warren in violation of the LA Municipal Code and issued an Order to Comply. However, Warren appealed this Order to only further delay accountability. And in the meantime, Warren is operating under those same CalGEM permits, and illegally polluting our community every day.

WE KNOW ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IS POSSIBLE. We’re calling on LA City and CalGEM to start the process of suspending these illegal operations and ordering a shut-down. No one should be forced to live on the frontlines of toxic oil drilling operations. And to learn that Warren has been illegally expanding operations twists the knife.

WHILE WARREN CONTINUES TO DODGE ACCOUNTABILITY, OUR FRONTLINE COMMUNITIES HAVE A VISION FOR A CLEANER AND HEALTHIER FUTURE.

Thanks to STAND-LA, CBE, Congresswoman Barragan, and most importantly, all the frontline communities for continuing to fight for No Drilling Where Were Living and pushing the city to take actions that will protect the health of all Angelenos.

(Full Post) The June 7th California primary midterm election is coming up real soon. Are you ready to vote? Check your voter status online: registertovote.ca.gov After you’ve checked your status and you’re ready to vote, head over to ballottrax and sign up to track your ballot! Make sure to register before May 23rd!

Las elecciones primarias de mitad de período de California son el 7 de junio y se están acercando pronto. ¿Está preparado para votar? Verifique su estado de votante en línea: registertovote.ca.gov ¡Después de que usted haya comprobado su estado y esté listo para votar, diríjase a balottrax y firme para rastrear su boleta! Asegúrese de registrarse antes del 23 de mayo.

What’s your vote plan for the California primary midterm election? Use our 4-point checklist to ensure that your ballot is cast and counted:
✅Check your registration status! Make sure you are registered by visiting voterstatus.sos.ca.gov. If you are not registered, register at registertovote.ca.gov.
✅Make a vote plan! Make sure you and your family have a plan to vote early to ensure your vote is counted.
✅Learn what’s on your ballot! Read your voter guide to learn more about the candidates and what they stand for.
✅Track your ballot! After you vote, make sure it gets to the elections office on or before June 7th! Visit california.ballottrax.net/voter/

A partir del 9 de mayo, todos los votantes registrados en California recibirán una boleta de voto por correo. ¿Cómo está devolviendo su boleta? ¡Asegúrese de firmar y sellar su boleta y luego puede devolverla de cuatro maneras!: 

1. Por correo (no se necesita sello!) 

2. En un lugar de votación. 

3. En una urna oficial. 

4. En la oficina de Elecciones del Condado.

As Gavin Newsom prepares to deliver the State Of The State, 80 groups call on him to raise the bar for climate leadership on Cleaner Cars. That means:

✅ No new gas car sales by 2030 

✅ An equitable transition & good EV jobs 

(Read full blog) Communities for a Better Environment honors and celebrates the countless achievements, contributions and sacrifices that Black Americans have made throughout U.S. hxstory, as well as the lived and shared experiences of Black Americans and African Americans that have shaped the world, our society, and culture as we know it.

After decades of grassroots organizing, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously voted to phase out oil drilling throughout the City of Los Angeles. (Read full blog)

(Full Post) OAKLAND, Calif. – Today Communities for a Better Environment (CBE) filed a lawsuit against AB&I Foundry and it’s parent company, McWane, Inc. for violating Proposition 65 (the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act) by exposing the surrounding community to a known carcinogen without proper notice. The lawsuit was filed today in Alameda County Superior Court. (Read more…)

(Full Post) The Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing (SOMAH) Program has an exciting opportunity for local visual artists to create two 3-minute videos for Californians that provide energy efficiency and conservation tips for environmental justice communities. This is a paid opportunity. Applicants do not need prior experience with environmental justice work but must demonstrate a passion to impact their community.

Apply here. Submissions are due by January 14, 2022.

Please feel free to share this with anyone in your network that you think would be interested in applying.

Lastly, you can learn more about the SOMAH program and its community benefits here.

(Full Post) Wilmington, CA– United States Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland traveled to California this week, making stops in Wilmington, an environmental justice neighborhood in the Harbor region of Los Angeles, California. Secretary Haaland is the first Native American to hold a cabinet position and first Secretary of the Interior to join Communities for a Better Environment (CBE) for a toxic tour to bear witness to the adverse health and safety impacts associated with neighborhood oil drilling, and the threat that idle and orphan oil wells pose to frontline communities. (Read more here)