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Madison Park Neighborhood Association and the Environmental Justice movement in Santa Ana by Connie Valencia

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  1. Background and History 

Madison Park Neighborhood Association-Getting Residents Engaged in Exercise and Nutrition (MPNA-GREEN) is a local non-profit organization established in 1987.  MPNA-GREEN is a resident run, non-profit organization that supports the environmental justice movement in Santa Ana by empowering local residents.  With the support of Santa Ana residents, including the Comunidad Unidad Aire Limpio (CUAL), MPNA-GREEN strives to promote a safe and clean environment. In addition, MPNA-GREEN has developed partnerships with local organizations including UC Irvine to promote and advocate for better air quality for Santa Ana residents. In collaboration with local partners, Santa Ana residents, members and staff of MPNA-GREEN engaged elected officials to develop policies that support and address community needs.  Most importantly, these collaborations have helped MPNA-GREEN develop trusting relationships that have led to efforts, including seeking additional grant funding to help sustain community based initiatives.   

Community based research is a method that promotes collaboration between community partners and researchers to address current issues disproportionately impacting certain groups.1,2  This collaboration invites partners to assess historical practices that have oppressed vulnerable communities and develop a deeper understanding of resident’s perspectives.1,2  Through this process vulnerable community members are empowered with knowledge and encouraged to discuss potential solutions and frameworks that will lead to the production of resources and knowledge for the community, by the community. 

Photo Courtesy of MPNA-GREEN
  1. MPNA-GREEN & The General Plan

In November 2020, the City Council of Santa Ana, a city in central Orange County, was scheduled to vote on a General Plan. The General plan is a comprehensive document designed to guide city planners and developers on land use until 2045.  Under the recent passing of Senate Bill (SB) 1000 the City of Santa Ana, and all cities in California, are mandated, for the first time, to address environmental justice needs, engage residents in discussion, and decision-making process to promote transparency by including environmental justice as an element in the plan.  Twenty-three census tracts including Madison Park have been identified as Environmental Justice (EJ) Communities within the city of Santa Ana.  EJ communities are defined by the EPA as overburdened and vulnerable to toxic sources released by local industrial warehouses and freeways.3  EJ communities are  primarily low income and inhabited by people of color.  Due to various factors including lack of financial resources many residents are not able to move out of EJ communities.  To support EJ communities, under California Assembly Bill (AB) 617, the California Air Resource Board (CARB) is required to monitor air quality in impacted communities including Santa Ana to help reduce air pollution.  

In the Santa Ana General Plan Community Forum on EJ, held on October 19, 2020, staff from MPNA-GREEN publicly announced the need to engage more residents.  Based on the list of attendees, staff from MPNA-GREEN stated that residents from only three out of twenty three identified EJ communities participated actively during this event and previous city council meetings.  Thus, it was recommended that the city of Santa Ana take a proactive approach in engaging EJ communities and residents to increase awareness of the General Plan.  In addition,  it is important that Santa Ana residents are given the opportunity to actively participate during the decision making process by commenting during a meeting, writing letters to local elected officials or reflections on their experiences related to poor air quality. 

Furthermore, MPNA-GREEN understood the responsibility they have in monitoring the implementation of SB1000 and AB617 by engaging residents, conducting air monitoring events, and pressuring local and state elected officials to support environmental justice policies.  As a result, they have taken a proactive approach in engaging residents to attend city council meetings to address their concerns with elected officials in Santa Ana.  These efforts were done in the midst of COVID-19 which prompted changes including meeting virtually with residents and accommodating residents’ challenges with technology.   

  1. Collaborations

Over the years, MPNA-GREEN has developed partnerships with various organizations including  UCI within Southern California.  These partnerships have been instrumental in sustaining environmental justice efforts including the recruitment and training of the CUAL steering committee.  Both the CUAL steering committee and local organizations including UCI affiliated departments have assisted in  mobilizing and engaging youth and adult residents to discuss and understand the implications of SB1000 and AB617.  Those implications require local governments to develop policies that address environmental issues faced by local residents.  This means governments are mandated to develop policies that address issues related to air pollution, air quality, access to healthy food options, and the development of green spaces to support the health of local residents and improve their quality of life.  MPNA-GREEN staff, residents,  local activists, representatives from the Environmental Law Clinic at the UC Irvine School of Law and the Deputy Attorney General at the California Bureau of Environmental Justice confronted Santa Ana City Planners about the city’s neglect to address EJ needs nor disclose land use plans to the public.  As a result MPNA-GREEN pushed for a delay of the General Plan.  Through this process, MPNA-GREEN empowered residents with knowledge, communication skills and increased  awareness of the General Plan.  These actions helped MPNA-GREEN develop community capacity  to delay the General Plan  and encourage elected officials to develop a plan that is inclusive, addresses cumulative perpetuated harm caused by local polluters and outlines necessary steps to address the environmental burden impacting residents quality of life. 

  1. Current Update on the General Plan

In November 2020, with the support of local residents, UCI affiliated partners and MPNA-GREEN successfully pressured the Santa Ana Planning Commission to delay the General Plan.  This was a victory for Santa-Ana community residents, MPNA-GREEN and affiliated partners.  The city council is scheduled to pass the General Plan on February 15, 2022.  Despite this success, MPNA-GREEN continues to work hard by networking with council members and engaging residents to increase awareness and dialogue related to the General Plan.  The goal is to encourage policy makers to develop a General Plan  with equitable and sustainable solutions that support residents’ needs and concerns. 

References

  1. Wallerstein N, Duran B. The theoretical, historical and practice roots of CBPR. Community-based participatory research for health: Advancing social and health equity. 2017:17-29.
  2. Minkler M. Ethical challenges for the “outside” researcher in community-based participatory research. Health Educ Behav. 2004;31(6):684-697.
  3. California Environmental Justice Alliance. Defining Environmental Justice Communities: Using CalEnviroScreen in State Policy. 2015; https://caleja.org/2016/09/defining-environmental-justice-communities-using-calenviroscreen-in-state-policy/.

Bio:  Connie Valencia was a 3rd year doctoral student in the Department of Public Health at the time that she was a 2020-2021 Newkirk Fellow with the Research Justice Shop. For more information regarding the Research Justice Shop please visit the website or contact researchjustice@uci.edu or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.