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The Center on Race, Poverty and the Environment

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Tractor Fertilize Field Pesticide And Insecticide. [1]

The Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment (CRPE) is a California-based nonprofit organization founded in 1989 that provides legal support to grassroots groups in environmental justice communities.[2] It focuses on addressing environmental issues affecting low-income communities and communities of color.[3]

CRPE's stated mission is "to achieve environmental justice and healthy, sustainable communities through collective action and the law." The organization provides organizational, technical, and legal assistance to underserved communities facing environmental challenges. With its main offices in San Francisco and Delano, California, CRPE primarily works in Central California, particularly the San Joaquin Valley. Still, it also engages in efforts across the United States.[2][4]

History

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Luke Cole and Ralph Abascal founded CRPE in 1989 to support the environmental justice movement. The organization focuses on working directly with communities affected by environmental issues.[5] CRPE has participated in various campaigns and legal cases involving environmental issues in underrepresented, low-income communities.[6][7] The organization provides support to address environmental and health challenges.

Founders and leadership

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CRPE operates with the involvement of environmental justice attorneys. Co-founder Luke Cole provided legal and technical assistance to attorneys and community groups addressing environmental issues nationwide and was the Executive Director of the CRPE until he died in 2009. He was recognized by Berkeley’s Ecology Law Quarterly with the Environmental Leadership Award in 1997.[8] Ralph Santiago Abascal, a graduate of UC Law SF, co-founded CRPE alongside Luke Cole. Abascal contributed by advising other attorneys and participating in over 200 court and administrative cases related to environmental justice issues affecting marginalized communities.[7][9] Caroline Farrell was the Executive Director based in the Delano office. She worked closely with communities of color and low-income communities, leading various environmental justice initiatives with a presence in the San Joaquin Valley. She is not part of the organization anymore.[10][11]

Notable cases

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The Center on Race, Poverty, and the Environment has participated in several legal cases addressing environmental issues in impacted communities, including:

  • Romo v. Brown: This case addressed concerns about the potential impact of fracking near schools and residential areas, particularly in Latino communities in California’s Central Valley.[12][13]
  • CRPE v. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): CRPE filed a lawsuit alleging that the EPA failed to adequately protect schoolchildren and families in agricultural regions, such as the Central Valley and Oxnard, from potential pesticide exposure.[14]
  • CRPE v. San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District: CRPE and other organizations filed a lawsuit against the district, claiming it allowed industrial sources to increase pollution levels in the San Joaquin Valley.[15]
  • El Pueblo Para El Aire y Agua Limpio (with CRPE) v. Kettleman City: The proposed expansion of the Chemical Waste Management hazardous waste landfill in Kettleman City, California, drew opposition from local advocacy groups, such as the Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment (CRPE) and El Pueblo Para El Aire y Agua Limpio, due to concerns about potential environmental and health impacts on the surrounding community.[16]

References

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  1. ^ "Figure 1: Forest management area with sampling sites. Map credit: OpenStreetMap Contributors, 2023. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0". doi:10.7717/peerj.16431/fig-1. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  2. ^ a b "CENTER ON RACE POVERTY & ENVIRONMENT - GuideStar Profile". www.guidestar.org. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  3. ^ Editor (2010-01-01). "Rembering Professor Luke W. Cole, 1962-2009". UC Law Environmental Journal. 16 (1): 241. ISSN 1080-0735. {{cite journal}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  4. ^ "Outsourcing Global Warming Solutions | Reimagine!". www.reimaginerpe.org. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  5. ^ Hevesi, Dennis (June 10, 2009). "Luke Cole, Court Advocate for Minorities, Dies at 46". The New York Times.
  6. ^ magazine, STANFORD (2009-09-01). "Soldier For Justice". stanfordmag.org. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  7. ^ a b Taylor, Michael (2009-06-09). "Luke Cole - environmental justice lawyer - dies". SFGATE. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  8. ^ Newell, Brent (2010). "Journal of Environmental Law & Litigation : Vol. 25, No. 1, p. 3-6 : Remembering Luke Cole". ISSN 1049-0280. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  9. ^ "An Enduring Tribute to Ralph Abascal, '68". UC Law San Francisco (Formerly UC Hastings). Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  10. ^ "Caroline Farrell". Planning and Conservation League. 2016-06-21. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  11. ^ "Caroline Farrell". Greenpeace. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  12. ^ Cahill, Nick (July 16, 2015). "Fracking Called Special Threat to Latino Kids". Courthouse News Service.
  13. ^ "Allison Rowe | Environmental Justice". sites.williams.edu. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  14. ^ Lopez-Wagner, Betsy (2016-04-28). "Center on Race, Poverty and the Environment Reports on EPA Failures". Earthjustice. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  15. ^ Gore, JaNell (2023-05-27). "Environmental organizations filed a lawsuit against San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District". South Kern Sol. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  16. ^ "El Pueblo Para el Aire y Agua Limpio v. County of Kings". www.elr.info. Retrieved 2024-12-01.
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