Summer 2015

Prescription for ActionA newsletter from Physicians for Social Responsibility - Los Angeles

Op-Ed: Treating Climate Change in Los Angeles

In 2009, The Lancet Commission stated that “climate change is the greatest global health threat of the 21st century.” On June 23, 2015, this international group of health, climate, and economic experts released a new report in the medical journal, The Lancet, confirming the adverse consequences that climate change will have on our lives, many of which we are already experiencing. The release of Lancet’s 2015 report underscores an important moment for health professionals like myself. Knowing how air pollution and rising temperatures adversely affect patients and communities on a clinical level, I feel a responsibility to speak out in support of the strong climate policies needed to protect human health. Climate change is a public health emergency – it’s time that we start treating it like one.

On a local level, Los Angeles and its surrounding areas already face increased health challenges as a result of rising temperatures and air pollution. As a physician specialized in pathology, I see firsthand how air pollution affects patients, their lungs, and their overall wellbeing. Ground-level ozone – a byproduct of air pollution and heat – is linked to asthma, cardiovascular disease, and low birth weight in newborns. In Los Angeles County, approximately 1,221,000 children and adults have been diagnosed with asthma, a condition that not only causes respiratory distress, but also is accompanied by costly medications, emergency room visits, and physical

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By Dr. Devki Patel, PSR-LA Health Ambassador

a look inside this issue...PSR-LA Commemorates 70th Anniversary of Hiroshima & Nagasaki Jordan Downs: Residents demand reform and accountability from DTSC

Op-Ed: Treating Climate Change in Los Angeles PSR-LA Legislative Update: Summer 2015Welcoming New Staff Members, Jennifer Kim & Raquel Mason

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limitations on high ozone and heat days, both of which will be further exacerbated by climate change. In fact, Los Angeles was ranked the most polluted city in the U.S. in terms of ozone in this year’s State of the Air Report by the American Lung Association. Furthermore, The International Agency for Research on Cancer has determined air pollution, especially particulate matter, to be carcinogenic with an increased risk of lung cancer. After personally seeing deaths caused by asthma and lung cancer, I must speak out for the need to improve air quality.

In Los Angeles, pre-existing air quality issues – which stem from the use of fossil fuels – will be worsened by rising temperatures, leading to hazardous fire seasons, ongoing drought, and dangerous high heat days. This will especially be harmful for our agriculture and construction workers and our vulnerable populations – children and the elderly.

Low-income communities and communities of color whose homes are often concentrated in areas of the city with a disproportionate burden of air pollution are also at increased risk of health disparities.

Though we are faced with global health threats, such as deadly heatwaves, infectious disease outbreaks, and food insecurity as a result of climate change, we are fortunate in that the solutions are clearly defined and available now. In order to successfully stabilize our climate and protect health, we need rapid reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and a transition away from our fossil-fuel dependent economy. We need to stop the cause of climate change at its source: carbon-based air pollution. Clean energy sources such as solar and

wind technologies have become more affordable and readily available over the last decade. Making direct reductions to greenhouse gas emissions by replacing coal and diesel with renewable energy will not only help cool the planet, but will also offer immediate health benefits to Californians. Coal-based electricity contributes to worker illness and injury, respiratory and cardiovascular disease, and mercury exposure that is harmful to brain development. Fossil fuel reductions will decrease the healthcare and economic costs associated with air pollution from coal plants, which in the U.S. is estimated to be $100 billion a year.

Climate change is not a problem for the future – it’s a problem that we are facing and experiencing right now. The solutions are no longer limited by technology or

costs but by the lack of unified policy reform and international agreements. For physicians, the connections between air pollution, climate change, and human health are clear. With the unique understanding that

my medical education and clinical experience have given me, I feel a moral responsibility to stand in favor of local, state, and federal climate action policies which will save lives and bring vital improvements to public health. In California we have an opportunity in Senate Bill 350 to reduce our use of fossil fuels in vehicles by 50%, increase energy efficiency in buildings by 50%, and increase our production of renewable energy to 50% by 2030. The release of The Lancet report reminds us that climate change is not a political issue but a public health issue, and through urgent action, we will ensure the prosperity of our children and loved ones.

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“For physicians, the connections between air pollution, climate

change, and human health are clear.”

Physicians for Social Responsibility - Los Angeles

617 South Olive Street, Suite 200Los Angeles, CA 90014

Phone. 213-689-9170Fax. 213-689-9199

Email. info@psr-la.orgVisit. www.psr-la.org

StaffExecutive DirectorMartha Dina Arguello

Associate DirectorDenise Duffield

Land Use & Health CoordinatorMonika Shankar

Air Quality & Health AssociateJennifer Kim

Membership & Communications CoordinatorShazia Manji

Program AssociateRaquel Mason

Board MembersNancy Gibbs, M.D. PresidentJimmy Hara, M.D. Vice PresidentJose Quiroga, M.D. TreasurerNeal Baer, M.D. Robert Dodge, M.D. Margaret Wacker, M.D. Rishi Manchanda, M.D., M.P.H.Felix Aguilar, M.D., M.P.H. Richard Saxon, M.D., Emeritus Sol Londe, M.D., EmeritusShirley Magidson, Emerita

PSR-LA Legislative Update: Summer 2015The 2014-2015 California Legislative Session ends on Friday, September 11th. As we approach the end of this year’s session, here’s an update on the status of bills that we’ve been tracking at PSR-LA.

Climate Change

SB 350 (de Leon): The Clean Energy and Pollution Reductions Act PSR-LA Position: Support – PSR-LA supports the strong emissions reductions language in SB 350, a bill that provides a dual pathway for greenhouse gas emissions reductions and for new economic development through the growth of renewable energy in California. Check out the page one op-ed, “Treating Climate Change in Los Angeles”, written by PSR-LA Member and Health Ambassador Dr. Devki Patel, for more information about why we need SB 350. Status: SB 350 has passed out of the Senate, the Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee, and the Assembly Natural Resources Committee. The bill will be heard by the final committee – the Assembly Appropriations Committee – when the California Legislature reconvenes after summer recess.

SB 32 (Pavley): The Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006PSR-LA Position: Support – PSR-LA supports the passage of SB 32, and continues to seek out ways in which the bill could be strengthened to further prioritize the needs of communities who are bearing the brunt of climate change’s negative health impacts. Status: SB 32 has also passed out of the Senate, the Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee, and the Assembly Natural Resources Committee. The bill will be heard by the final committee – the Assembly Appropriations Committee – when the California Legislature reconvenes after summer recess.

Toxics & Health

SB 328 (Hueso): Pesticide Disclosure in Rental Housing PSR-LA Position: SupportStatus: SB 328 has passed out of the Senate, and the Assembly Judiciary Committee. The bill will be heard by the final Assembly committee when the California Legislature reconvenes after summer recess.

SB 763 (Leno): Flame Retardant Disclosure in Children’s ProductsPSR-LA Position: SupportStatus: SB 763 has also passed out of the Senate, the Assembly Committee on Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials. The bill has been sent to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 708 (Jones-Sawyer): Consumer products: content information PSR-LA Position: SupportStatus: AB 708 passed out of the Senate, the Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee, and the Assembly Natural Resources Committee. This bill has become a two year bill and will not be taken up for discussion again until January of 2016.

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Jennifer Kim joined PSR-LA in June 2015

as the Air Quality and Health Associate. She provides support for the implementation of our Air Pollution program, which focuses on regional pollution policies, the elimination of urban oil and gas extraction, and the rapid transition away from fossil fuels. Jennifer is driven by her passion to actualize vibrant

and just communities, and has been involved with various environmental and social justice organizations. She has worked with the Center for Biological Diversity on efforts to prevent tar sands oil development and expansion in the US, and has volunteered with Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice and People Organized to Win Employment Rights (P.O.W.E.R) in Bayview Hunters Point, a neighborhood heavily burdened with pollution from past and present industrialization.

Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies with an emphasis on Sustainability and Social Justice from San Francisco State University. She has a great interest in sustainable and inclusive community development, and plans to return to school for her master’s in a related field.

Raquel Mason joined PSR-LA in July 2015

as a Program Associate, where she supports PSR-LA’s Climate Change and Toxics programming and coalition initiatives. Previously, Raquel partnered with MEND – an antipoverty organization in Pacoima, California – to assist with their newly established Grow Together Program. The project works to

promote good health for its participants through access to fresh produce, the exercise offered by gardening, and educational workshops. By the end of the first harvest, program participants were excited and empowered by their built environment. After witnessing this new community of urban gardeners, Raquel was inspired and committed to the power of bottom-organizing. Raquel has worked with several social justice organizations throughout Los Angeles including Esperanza Community Housing Corporation, Peer Health Exchange, and most recently with Pacoima Beautiful’s Urban Agriculture Program.

Raquel holds a Bachelor of Arts in Urban and Environmental Policy from Occidental College. In the future she plans to pursue her Master’s in Urban Planning.

PSR-LA Welcomes Two New Staff Members: Jennifer Kim and Raquel Mason

DTSC Reform

SB 673 (Lara): Hazardous Waste Control Law PSR-LA Position: SupportStatus: SB 350 has passed out of the Senate, the Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee, and the Assembly Natural Resources Committee. The bill will be heard by the final committee – the Assembly Appropriations Committee – when the California Legislature reconvenes after summer recess.

More Legislation

Through our role in various coalitions, PSR-LA also tracks the following legislation. You can find more information about these bills at www.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, or by visiting the California Environmental Justice Alliance (CEJA) website.

AB 1062 (Bonta): Environmental Justice Small Grant Program PSR-LA/CEJA Position: Support

AB 1071 (Atkins, Garcia): Supplemental Environmental ProjectsPSR-LA/CEJA Position: Support

AB 693 (Eggman): Multifamily Affordable Housing Renewable Energy ProgramPSR-LA Position: Support

SB 660 (Hueso, Leno) Public Utilities CommissionPSR-LA Position: Support

AB 151 (Parea, Daly, Salas): EnergyPosition: Oppose

AB 590 (Dahle, Salas): Greenhouse Gas Reduction FundPosition: Oppose

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PSR-LA would like to thank our event co-sponsors: the American Friends Service Committee-Los Angeles, Campaign Nonviolence, Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace, the International Health and Epidemiology Research Center, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, Office of the Americas, Palisadians for Peace, Pax Christi, PeaceAction West, Soka Gakkai International-USA, St. Camillus Catholic Center, and Veterans for Peace Los Angeles. Photos - top left: June Kuramoto of the band Hiroshima (Photo by Richard Fukuhara 2015); top-right: Hiroshima survivor, Junji Sarashina; bottom: PSR-LA Board Member Dr. Jimmy Hara (Photo by Richard Fukuhara 2015)

PSR-LA held “Never Again,” an event to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, on August 5, 2015 at the Chain Reaction peace sculpture in Santa Monica. The event was also dedicated to increasing awareness of nuclear threats and the need to ban and eliminate nuclear weapons.

Reverend Ryuzen Hayashi of the Koyasan Buddhist Temple presented the Hiroshima Peace Flame, brought from Hiroshima to Los Angeles by former Mayor Tom Bradley in 1989. He then led a moment of silence for those killed in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, preceded by the ringing of a bell seven times for each decade that has passed since the bombings.

Junji Sarashina, of the American Society of Hiroshima-Nagasaki

A-Bomb Survivors, spoke of his experiences during the Hiroshima bombing. “We have to have peace,” he concluded. “We have to have the world without the war and definitely we shouldn’t have any nuclear weapon to win a war. “

June Kuramoto, of the band Hiroshima, performed the moving song, “Thousand Cranes.” Speakers included PSR-LA’s Dr. Jimmy Hara, Blase Bonpane of Office of the Americas, Alice Soto of Pax Christi, Danny Hall of SGI-USA, Stephen Rohde of ICUJP, PSR-LA’s Martha Dina Arguello, and Robert Scheer, Editor-in-Chief of Truthdig

The day’s call to action was given by PSR-LA’s Dr. Bob Dodge. “Nuclear weapons are the greatest public health threat we face,” he said. “Prevention is the key. And I want to emphasize that each and

every one of you has a role and must play a role in making sure that becomes a possibility.”

The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have shown the horror, destruction, and grief caused by nuclear weapons. We must make sure they are never used again. Sign up for our e-news to stay informed, or contact Denise Duffield at dduffield@psr-la.org or 213-689-9170 ext. 104.

PSR-LA Commemorates 70th Anniversary of Hiroshima & Nagasaki Atomic Bombings

On a Friday afternoon in March, leaders from one of the most powerful environmental agencies in California joined environmental justice and public health advocates at the Jordan Downs community in Watts to participate in a toxic tour, highlighting years of environmental degradation and neglect. Newly appointed director of the Department of Toxics Substances Control (DTSC), Barbara Lee, and Arsenio Mataka, Assistant Secretary for Environmental Justice and Tribal Affairs at the California Environmental Protection Agency, were presented with a vibrant community, but one riddled with contaminated land, industrial sources of pollution, and constant toxic air emissions. The organizers and residents were clear about their ask: conduct comprehensive remediation of contaminated sites and the surrounding area, make

the process transparent, and create opportunities for meaningful community participation.

Jordan Downs is a public housing community of 700 African American and Latino low-income families, many of whom are single mothers with children. Geographically, the community is surrounded by several major freeways and bordered by Alameda Street – an industrial corridor and “big rig” thoroughfare. There are nearly two dozen cleanup sites within a 1.5-mile radius, at least five of which are adjacent to the community. In 2008, the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) purchased a 21-acre industrial site situated in the middle of the Jordan Downs community – known to residents as the “factory site.” At that time, HACLA announced its plan to

demolish the Jordan Downs public housing complex and turn it over to a private developer for redevelopment into a mixed-used housing community.

While HACLA agreed to work with DTSC to remediate the factory site after finding elevated levels of lead, arsenic, benzene, naphthalene, and other contaminants of concern, it did not agree to consider the contamination in relationship to surrounding hazards, nor to assess the social and health vulnerability of nearby residents. Several scientific studies indicate that these toxicants can impact a range of health outcomes, from developmental growth and reproductive health, to behavioral challenges, and in some cases they have been shown to cause cancer. With prolonged exposure to this chemical cocktail, the residents

Jordan Downs: Residents demand reform & accountability from DTSCBY MONIKA SHANKAR, LAND USE & HEALTH COORDINATOR

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of Jordan Downs continue to be vulnerable to adverse mental and physical health effects.

In 2013, PSR-LA’s joined forces with local advocates to promote a health protective approach to proper remediation at

Jordan Downs. As part of our recommendations, we urged HACLA to guarantee that redevelopment also ensured a one-to-one replacement of existing affordable housing units so that residents are not displaced from their homes. In the last couple of years, advocates and residents have fought to make sure HACLA and DTSC live up to their promises to clean up the land and ensure a healthy and stable future for the residents of the Jordan Downs community. PSR-LA has been the leading health voice at Jordan Downs, connecting residents with materials on the health impacts of contaminants of concern, lending our health voice in policy and legislative advocacy, and engaging our health professionals in these efforts.During the March tour of the site, PSR-LA Health Ambassador Dr. Tatianne Velo spoke with Jordan Downs residents about the health symptoms associated with exposure to main contaminants of concern, emphasizing the risk of long term and cumulative exposure.

But organizing and advocating at the local level only resolves part

of the problem. When viewed in the context of regulation and enforcement, the adverse environmental health conditions that exist in Jordan Downs and at many other sites across the state will continue to persist unless agencies comprehensively address

industrial contamination through proper permitting and meaningful community engagement. This is central to the petition of a coalition of statewide residents – called the People’s Senate – living in and adjacent to toxic sites. In March following the toxic tour, they delivered a letter to Barbara Lee demanding real and expansive reform at DTSC, as well as site specific benchmarks. Some key demands of the People’s Senate include: urging the establishment of an accountability body and community oversight committee to increase transparency of the decision-making process; development of a standardized permitting criterion to stop hazardous facilities from operating

under expired permits; and increase fines for violators and reinvestment in pollution prevention and source reduction programs.

One promising approach to enact DTSC reform is through statewide legislation. At the beginning of the year, Senator Ricardo Lara in collaboration with our ally and People’s Senate convener the Center for Race, Poverty and the Environment (CRPE), introduced Senate Bill 673. The bill does three things: first, it create a California Communities Committee to advise DTSC on increasing transparency and public participation in its decision making; second, it requires DTSC to adopt regulations establishing additional permitting criteria including consideration of social vulnerability of nearby residents; and third, it requires the agency to develop and implement particular programmatic reforms. If passed and signed by the Governor, the bill would set the stage for proper reform at DTSC. SB 673 is a critical element in ensuring DTSC lives up to its promise to protect Jordan Downs and other vulnerable communities from environmental harm.

“With prolonged exposure to this chemical cocktail, the residents of Jordan Downs continue to be vulnerable to adverse mental and physical health effects.”

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“The Man Who Saved the World”Saturday, September 26th at the Arena Theater in Hollywood

PSR-LA will host a special screening of “The Man Who Saved the World,” at the Arena Theater in Hollywood. The firm tells the tale of Stanislav Petrov, a Soviet colonel who defied protocol and did not launch a retaliatory nuclear strike when a satellite warning alarm was accidentally triggered in 1983. A discussion with the film’s director, producer, and PSR-LA physicians will follow the screening. September 26 is the U.N. International Day for the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, and also the exact anniversary of the date of Petrov’s historic actions. More information about the screening will be available soon. For more information contact Denise Duffield at 213-689-9170 ext. 104 or dduffield@psr-la.org.

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