Repeatedly in this opinion space at La Opinión we note that the Latino community in Southern California is especially vulnerable to the damage and risks of environmental pollution, along with African Americans and beyond other communities.
This is due to various factors, from the proximity of living areas to pollution sources, insufficient resources to combat these evils, a lack of knowledge about what can be done to protect our families and more.
Among the main areas of contamination are the 15 oil refineries, five of which are in the Los Angeles area. Around them live a million Californians, half of whom are Latino. And although in that sense Southern California is the pollution capital, it is estimated that there are two million Latinos nationwide who are harmed by refineries.
It is in these refineries where, through a series of processes, crude oil is converted into gasoline or diesel, still crucial elements in our economy.
As is known, it is in this process that toxic gases and greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere, causing serious damage to human health. As we listed in other columns, they are among the main causes of asthma, Alzheimer’s, high blood pressure, diabetes, liver disease, heart problems, cancer and more.
The oil industry is one of the most powerful in the entire country and has a significant influence on our political process. Every change in the direction of caring about the health of our communities is met with well-funded opposition.
A handful of elected officials in the California Legislature along with a host of grassroots organizations are collaborating to win this battle.
Among those leading these efforts is Democratic state senator Lena González, who in the past led other environmental initiatives for the good of the community.
This time, González is promoting SB 674, whose title reads “Refineries: Community Air Monitoring Systems: Line monitoring systems established along the boundary fence of establishments.”
The motion points to a lack in existing laws regarding the counting and control of pollutants fired by refineries. This will be achieved by establishing a unified state standard that ensures the measurement of harmful pollutants.
The bill makes refinery owners and operators responsible for conducting audits of their monitoring systems, covering all appropriate facilities, and providing adequate public notification when emissions thresholds are exceeded. No less important, the text of the law will allow all information coming from online monitors from the fence are easily accessible to the public.
The motion recognizes the existing demand for a community air monitoring system, the cost of which must be paid for and maintained by the owner or operator of the refinery.
The motion goes one step further by expanding the list of establishments that must comply with these obligations and develops the accountability system in the most public way possible.
The motion goes a step further than AB 647 of 2018, which already established the structure of air quality monitoring systems.
Finally, it is a particularly important law for the Latino community. For example, there are a number of joint refineries established in the city of Wilmington, where four out of five residents are Latino.
The law was last amended in the Senate on April 10 and in the Assembly on June 19, also in 2023.
Once again, the only acceptable, true solution is the closure of the refineries, which would be a consequence of the transition to non-fossil sources of energy. In the meantime, we support SB 647 and hope that its legislative process comes to an end with the governor’s signature.