Areas of Focus / Environmental Health

Environmental Health

Environmental health is focused on the natural and built environments for the benefit of community health and over the years, CHC has been a catalyst in calling out inequities and advancing policies in South LA to increase:

Food Retail – access to affordable, quality, fresh, wholesome food

Green Space – access to parks, community gardens, and local urban farms

Streetscape – improve conditions to encourage safe walking, biking, and other active transportation

Air quality and mitigation of local pollution sources

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Baldwin Hills Oil Field & Community Advisory Panel

Between 2006 – 2008 CHC led efforts to mobilize residents (Greater Baldwins Hills Alliance) surrounding the Baldwin Hills Oil Field to bring attention to the need for a Community Standards District (CSD) to counter the uncontrolled emissions of noxious gases that caused residents to flee their homes. The final plan had a number of welcomed provisions such as the establishment of a Community Advisory Panel (CAP).

Key concerns remained and CHC joined community groups and individuals in one of four lawsuits against Los Angeles County since the Board certified the CSD. In July 2011, an agreement was reached by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors that strengthened health and safety protections for households living near drilling operations.

Today, as a member of the CAP, CHC along with a health workgroup is working with the LA County Department of Public Health to inform the design and implementation of a Health Assessment and Environmental Justice Study as required by the original Settlement Agreement.

For More Information:

Baldwin Hills CSD Website: http://planning.lacounty.gov/baldwinhills
CSD summary: http://planning.lacounty.gov/assets/upl/project/bh_csd-summary.pdf
The Settlement Agreement: http://planning.lacounty.gov/assets/upl/project/bh_settlement-agreement_20110715.pdf

Greater Baldwins Hills Alliance (GBHA):

The alliance was originally convened along with partner agencies to ensure community oversight of the CSD with the goal of eliminating adverse health, safety and environmental risks and impacts from the Baldwin Hills Oil Field, and restore the land to parkland consistent with the Baldwin Hills Master Plan. CHC continues its engagement to see this goal to fruition.

Interested in keeping up to date with the operations in the Baldwin Hills Oil Field ~ Click here.

Updates on CHC’s current work related to the Environmental Health ~ Click here