Ella Baker Center Blog

This morning, Toxic Twins: Soiling the Southland was released-  a new Los Angeles-specific report by the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights and the California Environmental Justice Association. This report shows that the two largest financial backers of Proposition 23, the Dirty Energy Proposition, have been cited dozens of times for pollution violations that threaten millions of Los Angeles families, especially Latino and African American families.

Valero and Tesoro oil companies have put millions into the Dirty Energy Proposition because of their vested interest in protecting their right to pollute in California. Their pollution disproportionately impacts folks of color. Populations residing within 2.5 miles of Valero and Tesoro’s toxic facilities in Los Angeles and the Bay Area were 63 percent African American, Latino and Asian/Pacific Islander.

To add insult to injury, Valero and Tesoro have repeatedly violated pollution laws in California by releasing chemicals into the air. The study reports that this January, “Valero disclosed that it had 29 outstanding Violation Notices from the South Coast Air Quality Management District.” Over 44 violation notices within a three year window have been settled between Tesoro and the Bay Area Quality Management District.

“Clean air and a healthy environment is not a luxury, but a right,” said Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. “Prop 23 stands for willfully violating these rights. It stands for dirty air and is being promoted through unclean tactics. Over the past decade, we have made too much progress to take such an enormous step backwards.”

To learn more about the Toxic Twin’s impact in Southern California, read the full report. Then, get involved in Communities United to Stop the Dirty Energy Prop- all Californians who believe that people and the planet must come before profits are needed for our efforts!