Youth for Environmental Justice/ Youth Action

HUGE COMMUNITY VICTORY!! After decades of organizing and pushing for a 710 fwy project that does not shove more dirty diesel trucks through our hoods agencies are finally seeing what we’ve BEEN SAYING our communities deserve clean air! Generations of community leaders from ELA-SELA-LBC made this happen! While there is still work to be done to ensure a project with zero emission, no displacement, targeted hire, and so much more, for now, we can celebrate!! Check out the link in our bio for full statement from the Coalition for Environmental Health and Justice (CEHAJ) and coverage from Streetsblog LA. For now, feel free to share a memory from your time organizing towards this huge win! @cbe_cal @urselacbe @earthjustice @nrdc_org @eycej @wearelbre @legalaidla

Sign up for our park equity series in Maywood and Cudahy!! Join us as we talk about the connections between social justice and access to green space & dream up a new park or renovation, all while including the importance of anti displacement, environmental justice, and community safety that does not rely on cops! Participants that make it thru all for workshops will receive a gift card DM us if you have any questions and make sure to sign up here: bit.my/selaparks

Apply to be our next SELA Community organizer and join folks on the ground fighting to bring environmental and climate justice to SELA! We especially encourage Black, Indigenous, POC, womxn, LGBTQIA+ folks to apply!

Check out our stories today! Kim Castro, SEHS c/o 2019 will be sharing her path after high school with us! Kim got involved with Youth Action! in 9th grade and is a fierce and passionate leader! From facilitating summer training to being the club leader at SEHS, Kim has a lot to share

We are enraged that Judge Sontchi has approved Exide’s 3rd bankruptcy with the support of the Department of justice.The Vernon exide site will be abandoned by Exide by October 30, 2020 which will force Californians to pay for the costly toxic clean up. Despite over 1000 people submitting emails in opposition and over 250 people mobilized to a public hearing with a one day’s notice, Judge Sontchi ignored community concerns and testimony and still approved the bankruptcy plan.... Adding insult to injury the judge minimized the threat the Vernon site poses to SELA and ELA community members, finding that the site did not pose an immediate and imminent threat even though there admittedly extremely high rates of lead. While the judge preserves the right for the state of California to file administrative claims he ultimately ruled that the Exide will be able to walk away from the public health catastrophe they created by the end of the month. While this is not surprising to many of us that have witnessed local, state and federal government continually prioritize corporations over the wellbeing of our communities, it will never get easy to experience this slow violence. It will never get easy to know that our families have to continue to have their health deteriorate due to the carelessness of companies like Exide and the negligence of the state. US DOJ claims the bankruptcy is meant to avoid the site abandonment. Now, the site cleanup will be under DTSC’s responsibility. Considering how the community cleanup is going and knowing DTSC has allowed for this massive disaster, we have little faith in them. Now more than ever it is important to continue building with our neighbors. The fight is not over, our communities have always organized and we will continue to so long as our government continues to fail us. What do we do when our communities are under attack? STAND UP, FIGHT BACK! Amazing art work by Amber Williams-King

What this week has felt like, trying to keep up with Exide’s BS and our govt’s failure to prioritize our communities Tomorrow (10/16) at 7 AM (pst) is day 2 of the Exide bankruptcy court proceeding call in # : 855-855-8556 id: 1410833#... shoutout to everyone that has submitted an email, given public comment, and been monitoring this wild process! today in the court proceeding they mentioned that over 1000 emails and 125 public comments were recorded voicing opposition to their bankruptcy and site abandonment. community is fired up!! as always, hit us up with any questions!

Exide’s bankruptcy hearing is today at 4PM. With practically no heads up, it is important as many folks as possible call in and urge US DOJ to DENY EXIDE’S PLAN FOR BANKRUPTCY & to leave our communities with their toxic mess We’re not too sure what the format of this meeting will be, but please try to do public comment and voice your truth

EXIDE BANKRUPTCY HEARING: The US Department of Justice will be holding a public hearing w/ one day's notice Join us to continue to take action against Exide's plan to abandon the site and leave us with their toxic mess. Shoutout to the 570 individuals, SELA city leaders, County agencies, and various community orgs that submitted emails urging for this public hearing--Demand the DOJ to deny Exide's Bankruptcy plan and site abandonment TUES,10/13 @ 4pm Tel (844) 337-7911 ID: 579-5412