Mission

The Environmental Justice Coalition for Water is comprised of grassroots and intermediary organizations across California committed to environmental justice. Its mission is to educate, empower and nurture a community-based coalition that will serve as a public voice and be an effective advocate of environmental justice issues in California water policy. Coalition members represent different priorities, such as economic development, affordable housing, civil rights, pollution prevention, or public health, but share an understanding that all issues are impacted by water policy. The coalition seeks to elevate the issues and new voices of environmental justice to the regional and state level, and to ensure that water policy development, management, and planning move forward in a manner that addresses issues faced by its constituency.

Issues

Water Pollution, Water quality, Water affordability, Watershed management, Education, Community organizing, Environmental racism

Activities

Education, Organizing, Community Outreach, Workshops, Media/Press Campaign, Communication/Networking, Policy, Advocacy

Programs/
Projects

Currently the Coalition is working on a number of projects through three sub-committees: outreach, policy & legislative and blueprint/research. By developing outreach materials and communication tools such as a website, brochure, and e-mail listserve, the Coalition expands and diversifies membership, and it facilitates communication among members to keep them informed and engaged in activities, funding sources, and legislative and policy actions related to environmental justice and water. The Coalition tracks and comments on CALFED as a strategy for mobilizing Coalition members to press CALFED to move forward on environmental justice commitments, including hiring a full time environmental justice coordinator, developing, environmental justice criteria in funding solicitation packages and establishing an Environmental Justice Work Group. Toward these ends, the Coalition is also leading the research and development of a document tentatively titled, Blueprint for Incorporating Environmental Justice into California Water Policy, which provides a community-based vision and recommendations for addressing Environmental Justice and Community issues in California water policy. Finally, the Coalition has hosted environmental justice regional workshops around the state (some in collaboration with CALFED), as a way to reach out to communities to identify local environmental justice water issues and solutions.

Constitutency

Communities of color and low-income neighborhoods throughout the state as served by Coalition member organizations.

Geographical Focus

Neighborhood, City, Regional, State

Staff

1 Half-time, 2 part-time interns

Volunteers

9 member steering committee

Membership Base

60-80 organizations

Publications

Resource documents available online.

Annuual Budget

$100,000-500,000

Year Founded

1999