BOARD MEETING DATE: October 1, 2010
AGENDA NO. 20

PROPOSAL:

Legislative and Public Affairs Report

SYNOPSIS:

This report highlights August 2010 outreach activities of Legislative and Public Affairs, which include: Environmental Justice Update, Community Events/Public Meetings, Business Assistance, and Outreach to Business and Federal, State, and Local Government.

COMMITTEE:

Not Applicable

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Receive and file.
 

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer

Background

This report summarizes the activities of Legislative and Public Affairs for August 2010. The report includes four major areas: Environmental Justice Update; Community Events/Public Meetings (including the Speakers Bureau/Visitor Services, Communications Center, and Public Information Center); Business Assistance; and Outreach to Business and Federal, State, and Local Governments.

Environmental Justice Update

The following are key environmental justice-related activities in which staff participated during August 2010. These events involved communities which suffer disproportionately from adverse air quality impacts.

• On August 3, staff hosted an AQMD booth at the LAPD Clergy Councils National Nite Out event in Baldwin Hills. Over 500 people attended this event which was an outcome of the African American outreach campaign.
  
  
• On August 4, staff conducted a follow-up phone meeting with the President of the Brotherhood Crusade to discuss the African American outreach campaign.
  
  
• On August 4, staff conducted a follow-up phone meeting with the President of the Greater Los Angeles African American Chamber of Commerce (GLAAACC). Staff discussed a targeted outreach meeting to 10 to 20 African American businesses scheduled to take place in September.
  
  
• On August 4, staff met with a representative of the Black Barbershop Association. Staff discussed the nexus between air quality issues and African Americans and planned to have booth in September at the First Saturday program at selected barbershops.
  
  
• On August 4, staff met with a representative of Healthy African American Families to discuss a stakeholders meeting with around 10 health professionals in the African American community. Related concerns are asthma, proximity to freeways and other EJ issues.
  
  
• On August 10, staff met with local community members of impacted areas, and local, state and federal government officials, for discussions and participated in an environmental justice community tour of sites in Wilmington, Maywood and Commerce.
  
  
• On August 11, staff participated in a meeting of the Inland Valley Task Force in the Inland Empire region, which is comprised of representatives from local community and environmental organizations and local, state and federal government agency staff. The meeting focused on concerns about diesel emissions and other impacts of goods movement in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
  
  
• On August 11, staff held a town hall meeting in San Bernardino that provided area residents with the first public presentation on the AQMD Clean Communities Plan (CCP). The town hall meeting was attended by approximately 100 residents and community activists. It was co-sponsored by the City of San Bernardino and the San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG).
  
  
• On August 12, staff met with the President of Vietnamese Community Health at UCLA, a student run organization that assists the Vietnamese community in Orange County with health-related programs. The purpose of the meeting was to introduce the AQMD, learn more about the organization, and discover possible partnership opportunities.
  
  
• On August 14, staff attended the Madison Park Resource Faire in Santa Ana, CA. The purpose of the fair was to provide health and social resources to the community. AQMD hosted a booth and provided air quality information to the community.
  
  
• On August 21, staff hosted an AQMD booth at the 5^th Annual Health & Safety Fair, organized by the Del Amo Action Committee in Torrance. Approximately 250 community members attended the event. Staff provided information on AQMD programs.
  
  
• On August 24, staff attended the Archdiocese of Los Angeles Creation Sustainability Committee meeting at Sts. Peter and Paul located in Wilmington, CA. Staff shared air quality information and discussed local Environmental Justice issues in the Wilmington area.
  
  
• On August 26, staff conducted a general AQMD presentation to the faith-based Carson Black Chamber of Commerce members. Included in the presentation was AQMDs outreach to the African American community. 
  
  
• On August 28, staff attended the Delta Sigma Theta planning meeting in Orange County.  Staff discussed air quality information and set a date to conduct a general AQMD presentation.
  
  
• Staff contacted the following organizations to provide information on the proposed Boyle Heights pilot Clean Communities Plan.
  
  
  • Resurrection Church, Boyle Heights
  • Estrada Courts Resident Management Council, Boyle Heights
  • Hollenbeck Youth Center, Boyle Heights
  • Legacy LA, Boyle Heights
  • Salesian High School, Boyle Heights
  • Hollenbeck Middle School, Boyle Heights
  • Los Angeles Fire Department, Boyle Heights
  • Los Angeles Police Department, Boyle Heights
  • Adelante Eastside, Boyle Heights
  • Animo Charter School, Boyle Heights
  • Lorena Elementary School, Boyle Heights
  • Roosevelt High School, Boyle Heights
  • Speaker John Perez Job Fair, Maywood
  • Senator Wrights Back to School Fair pre-meeting, Inglewood

COMMUNITY EVENTS/PUBLIC MEETINGS

Each year, thousands of residents engage in valuable information exchanges through events and meetings that AQMD sponsors alone, or in partnership with others. Attendees typically receive the following information: tips on reducing their exposure to smog and its health effects; ways to participate in AQMD rule and policy development; and assistance in resolving air quality-related problems.  The events that AQMD staff attended and provided information and updates include:

Speakers Bureau/Visitor Services

AQMD receives requests for staff to speak on a variety of air quality-related issues. The requests come from organizations such as trade associations, chambers of commerce, community-based groups, schools, hospitals and health-based organizations.  AQMD also hosts visitors from around the world who meet with staff on a wide range of air quality issues.

On August 10, staff provided an AQMD briefing and a tour of AQMDs facility and laboratory to 18 graduate students from Taiwan.

On August 11, staff provided an AQMD briefing and a tour of AQMDs facility and laboratory for 15 students from the Youth Science Center.

On August 18, staff provided an AQMD presentation on the types of air quality complaints and the air monitoring stations in Long Beach to 14 representatives of the City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services in Long Beach.

Communication Center Statistics

The Communication Center handles calls on the AQMD main line, 1-800-CUT-SMOG^® line and Spanish line.  Calls received in the month of August 2010 are summarized below:

*Saturday, Sunday, holidays and after 9:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Public Information Center Statistics

The Public Information Center (PIC) handles phone calls and walk-in requests for general information.  Information for the month of August 2010 is summarized below:

BUSINESS ASSISTANCE

AQMD assists businesses by notifying them of proposed regulations so they can participate in the development of these rules.  AQMD also works with other agencies and states to identify efficient, cost-effective ways to reduce air pollution and shares that information broadly.  Additionally, staff provides personalized assistance to small businesses both over the telephone and by on-site consultation.  The information is summarized below. 

• Conducted four free on-site consultations
• Provided permit application assistance to 204 companies
• Issued 17 clearance letters

Types of business assisted:

OUTREACH TO BUSINESS AND FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Field visits and communications were conducted with staff from the following cities:

Anaheim, Azusa, Buena Park, Cerritos, Chino, Claremont, Commerce, Covina, Diamond Bar, Downey, Duarte, Fontana, Glendale, Huntington Beach, Huntington Park, Inglewood, Irwindale, La Canada Flintridge, Lakewood, La Puente, Lomita, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Manhattan Beach, Maywood, Monrovia, Moreno Valley, Pasadena, Pomona, Riverside, Rolling Hills Estates, Rosemead, San Bernardino, San Gabriel, Santa Ana, Santa Clarita, Sierra Madre, South Gate, South Pasadena, Temple City, Torrance, Walnut, Westminster and Whittier.

Visits and/or communications were conducted with elected officials or staff from the following offices:

• U.S. Senator Diane Feinstein
• U.S. Representative Gary Miller
• U.S. Representative Ed Royce
• U.S. Representative Loretta Sanchez
• U.S. Representative Maxine Waters
• U.S. Representative Diane Watson
• Senator Bob Huff
• Senator Curren Price
• Senator Roderick Wright
• Assembly Speaker John Perez
• Assembly Member Anthony Adams
• Assembly Member Paul Cook
• Assembly Member Kevin Jefferies
• Assembly Member Jeff Miller
• Assembly Member Brian Nestande
• Assembly Member Cameron Smythe

Staff represented AQMD and/or provided a presentation to the following groups:

• Annenberg School of Nursing
• Asthma Coalition of Los Angeles County
• Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
• Azusa Unified School District
• Beach Cities Health District
• Black Business Association
• Black Chamber of Commerce of Orange County
• Boyle Heights Neighborhood Council
• Buena Park Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs
• Burbank Chamber of Commerce
• California Black Chamber of Commerce
• California Black Womens Health Project
• California Contract Cities Association
• California School Nurses Organization
• Cedars-Sinai Hospital
• Charles Drew University
• Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles
• Coachella Valley Association of Governments
• Compton Block Club
• Concerned Citizens of Compton
• Crenshaw Chamber of Commerce
• Filipino Chamber of Commerce
• Greater New Bethel Baptist Church
• Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce
• Healthy African American Families
• Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Orange County
• Hollenbeck Middle School
• Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs
• Inglewood Interfaith Council
• Irwindale Chamber of Commerce Environmental Committee
• Keston Institute
• Las Virgines-Malibu Council of Governments
• League of California Cities, Los Angeles Division
• Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce
• Los Angeles County Medical Association
• Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation
• Los Angeles Fire Department
• Los Angeles Lakers
• Los Angeles Police Department
• Los Angeles Society of Allergy, Asthma and Clinical Immunology
• Los Angeles Sparks
• Los Angeles Unified School District
• Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce
• Mattel Childrens Hospital
• Mission Ebenezer Family Church
• Moreno Valley Chamber of Commerce
• Monrovia Memorial Hospital
• National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Long Beach
• National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Los Angeles
• Newhall School District
• 100 Black Men
• Orange County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority
• Orange County Business Council
• Port of Long Beach
• Port of Los Angeles
• Providence Little Company of Mary
• Redondo Beach Roundtable
• Resurrection Church
• Riverside County Asthma Coalition
• Roosevelt High School
• Saban Free Clinic
• Safe Routes to School Coalition
• Saint Bernardine Medical Center
• Salesian High School
• San Bernardino Associated Governments
• San Bernardino County Department of Public Health
• San Bernardino County Economic Development
• San Fernando Valley Council of Governments
• San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership
• SEALab
• Sierra Club
• Soto Street Elementary School
• South Bay Cities Council of Governments
• South Bay Family Health Care
• South Central Family Health Center
• South Orange County Regional Chambers of Commerce
• Southern California Association of Governments
• Torrance Environmental Commission
• Torrance Memorial Medical Center
• United Nurses Associations of California
• University of California, Los Angeles
• University Synagogue
• Urban League
• Valley Industry and Commerce Association
• Vietnamese American Chamber of Commerce
• Western Riverside Council of Governments
• Wilmington Chamber of Commerce
• Wyland Living Green