Investigation Launched Into Whether City Protected Vulnerable Residents From Harmful Pollution
There have been complaints that the city has engaged in a “pattern of neglect and systemic disregard” for the health and well being of West Oakland residents.
The Mercury News:
Former Oakland Army Base: Feds Probe Civil Rights Complaint
For years, advocates at the West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project (WOEIP) have lamented the soot on their blinds and the hacking coughs that result from breathing in toxic diesel fumes spewing out of trucks as they enter and exit the Port of Oakland. Now, two federal agencies — the Department of Transportation and Environmental Protection Agency — are launching a formal investigation into whether the city and the Port of Oakland are doing enough to mitigate air pollution in the neighborhood, which has historically been burdened by elevated levels of black carbon, nitric oxide and other toxic particles. (Baldassari, 7/22)