This project was made possible with generous funding from the Resources Legacy Fund.
In support of a residential-grade cleanup of the AstraZeneca toxic waste site on Richmond’s southeast shoreline, the SF Bay Chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility and Richmond Shoreline Alliance (RSA) are undertaking a community engagement and capacity-building process called the Healthy Environment Project. The goal of the project is to increase community awareness of the importance and urgency of cleaning up this and other local contaminated shoreline sites such as Bayview Hunters Point in San Francisco, as well as to build community engagement and in the long term, a healthier and more resilient watershed.
SF Bay PSR and RSA have secured funding to support this project, which will be overseen by a dedicated strategy team of composed of SF Bay PSR, RSA, and allied organizations. The project will be devoted to capacity building, community outreach, advocacy, and mobilization. It will also provide training and education to foster leadership skills in younger BIPOC Crescent Park residents and provide opportunities for coalition-building and strengthening relationships with other organizations to promote a healthy Richmond. As such, although the Healthy Environment Project itself is a short-term project with defined tasks and time periods, depending on funding and success, we hope this role will expand into next steps when the project concludes.
The project will bring more diversity, inclusion and equity into RSA in order to better represent the communities that will be most impacted by polluted stormwater, groundwater, and VOC intrusion from the site resulting from sea level rise.
Co-Chairs of RSA and Project Administrators are Pam Stello and Janet Johnson. Project Organizers are Alfredo Angulo and Brandy Khansouvong.
READING
UC Berkeley: Othering & Belonging Institute: Taking Stock: Visioning Beyond the Refinery, by Alfredo Angulo, Marisol Cantu, Tera Johnson, Eli Moore, Natalia Urzola & Mylanah Yolangco
SF Chronicle: Richmond in the Shadow of Industry, a photo essay
Guardian: ‘No time for inaction’: how a California refinery disaster created a generation of activists
Project Organizer Alfredo Angulo
Hello! My name is Alfredo Angulo (they/them), I’m an Environmental Justice Organizer from Richmond, CA. I’m a first-generation graduate from U.C. Berkeley where I received my B.A. in Political Science. As a lifelong resident of Richmond, the city of pride and purpose has made me who I am today. Growing up in Richmond, I’ve witnessed every oil spill, fire, and gas leak from the second largest refinery in California. Through my work in projects like creating a Community Emissions Reduction Plan for Richmond with BAAQMD, and documenting the stories and visions of those most harmed by generations of fossil fuel operations with the Richmond Progressive Alliance’s Listening Project, I’ve grown to understand how the experiences of underserved communities like Richmond have been shaped by the legacies of racist policies like redlining that fueled generations of disinvestment and neglect by government.
I am passionate about creating positive change for my community though fighting those legacies, and putting decision-making power back into the hands of our community. I work to ensure an equitable and just transition away from fossil fuels towards a sustainable, regenerative society and economy that works for everyone while ensuring that the voices of those most harmed by Richmond’s industrial roots are amplified and heard.
Project Organizer Brandy Khansouvong
Hello, my name is Brandy Khansouvong. I am twenty-nine years old, and I am also a mother to a eight-year-old boy. I’ve been living in Richmond my whole life. Living in Richmond with my parents it was hard to explain what’s going on around us in Richmond. My parents are refugees from Laos. I want a safe place to live in for my family and community. What is important to me is to keep my community safe from all the harmful chemicals that are nearby my community. I took this job to help my community out, so they could know what’s happening around our community and make a better environment for the people who live in Crescent Park.
