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Orozco, Norma <br /> From: Matthew Delgado <info@sg.actionnetwork.org> <br /> Sent: Tuesday, January 18, 2022 4:10 PM <br /> To: eComment <br /> Subject: eComment - Item 23 January 18 2022 <br /> eComments City Council Santa Ana, <br /> Dear Santa Ana City Council, <br /> I am writing to urge you to not pass the Environmental Justice provisions of the General Plan <br /> Update, nor the Environmental Impact Report, without addressing the concerns of residents <br /> and organizations like Orange County Environmental Justice, Madison Park Neighborhood <br /> Association, THRIVE Santa Ana, and Rise Up Willowick regarding the updated Plan's ability <br /> to effectively remediate soil-lead contamination, air pollution, and the lack of open space in <br /> our city. We do not oppose passing the Housing Element, since there is a strict timeline for <br /> that element, but we believe the individual environmental justice policies of the General Plan <br /> must be revised, as they do not sufficiently address the rampant environmental health issues <br /> that are poisoning our communities every day. <br /> For decades now, Santa Ana residents have suffered from the combined impacts of soil-lead <br /> contamination, air pollution, and having less open space and parkland than the majority of <br /> cities in the United States. Many of the city's low-income neighborhoods are contaminated <br /> with lead at 25 to 50 times higher than the California EPA safety threshold; huge swaths of <br /> Santa Ana face pollution burden scores of 84 to 99 out of 100; and low-income <br /> neighborhoods of color have 73% less park land than the region's more affluent, <br /> predominantly white neighborhoods. These health crises and environmental injustices have <br /> persisted for generations in our community—and now, Santa Ana City Council has the <br /> opportunity to take action. <br /> Under California SB1000, Santa Ana's latest General Plan Update must address the <br /> environmental justice needs of our residents—however, despite the input and <br /> recommendations of a variety of community members and stakeholders, the city has not <br /> sufficiently committed to resolving these issues and prioritizing the health of our community. <br /> 1 <br />