Elucidating Industrial Pollution Impacts on Disadvantaged Neighborhoods of Santa Ana
SUKRITI KAPUR, Jasmine Osei-Enin, Andrea Delgado, James Adams, Leonel Flores, Jose Rea, David Herman, José Arturo Jiménez Chávez, Celia Faiola, Manabu Shiraiwa, Andrea De Vizcaya Ruiz, Michael Kleinman, Jun Wu, Kathleen Johnson, Kim Fortun, University of California, Irvine
Abstract Number: 682
Working Group: Aerosol Exposure
Abstract
Santa Ana, California faces a large environmental burden of poor air quality due to proximity to industrial facilities. The city has ~1700 permitted facilities that emit large quantities of toxic metals, volatile organic compounds and particulate matter. More than 33 out of 64 neighborhoods are designated as disadvantaged communities on CalEnviroScreen. Getting Residents Engaged in Empowering Neighborhoods - Madison Park Neighborhood Association (GREEN-MPNA) is a community-based organization in Southeast Santa Ana that advocates for clean and safe environments, and community empowerment through active civic participation. Its Comunidad Unida Aire Limpio (CUAL) committee is a resident-driven air monitoring network and environmental justice steering committee that is active in clean air advocacy and community research. CUAL utilizes a multifaceted approach to advocate for clean air: 1) advocacy through stakeholder meetings 2) community air monitoring, and 3) capacity building to empower communities for long term self-sufficiency in air quality management. GREEN-MPNA (in partnership with EcoGovLab, UCI) organizes bi-annual stakeholder meetings, bringing together regulatory agency representatives to discuss issues of concern with the community such as proximity to metal plating industries, lead and hexavalent chromium pollution, and lack of a monitoring station nearby. These meetings have paved the way for active advocacy by residents and researchers alike. Through air monitoring we investigated how proximity to local industries affects indoor air quality in East Santa Ana homes by comparing indoor and outdoor PM2.5 concentrations. The result showed higher indoor concentrations in homes closer to the industrial corridor. To foster long-term capacity building in Santa Ana, CUAL implements several initiatives, including year-round educational programs for various age-groups, university campus visits for students, and guided tours of environmental justice communities throughout California. Collectively, these efforts have helped the community and researchers understand the magnitude of poor air quality in Santa Ana, and subsequent steps needed to address this problem.