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Orozco, Norma <br /> From: Greg Camphire <gcamphire@gmail.com> <br /> Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2022 11:43 AM <br /> To: eComment <br /> Subject: Santa Ana General Plan Update <br /> Hello, <br /> I am writing with the hopes that Santa Ana City Council members and the mayor <br /> are already aware of the pollution emergency that is dangerously affecting our <br /> city's land, air, and water. In particular, the massive amount of toxic lead in the <br /> soil surrounding our most vulnerable residents is a major crisis that needs to be <br /> addressed and remediated immediately. This emergency situation has been well- <br /> documented: from a 2017 investigative report in Think Progress, to a thorough <br /> 2022 follow-up co-published by The Grist andVoice of QC—not to mention the <br /> State Attorney General's concerns about SBi000 violations in a 2020 letter to the <br /> City Attorney—and even a UN expert's related call to action to solve the life- <br /> threatening global pollution problem as covered in Reuters today. <br /> Despite this overwhelming evidence—including the fact that only 4% of Santa <br /> Ana's open land is considered green space—I'm concerned that the General Plan <br /> in its current version does not go far enough to take immediate action in ensuring <br /> the continued health of Santa Ana residents. While not the full responsibility of <br /> the City of Santa Ana alone, the City Council must utilize the General Plan as a <br /> crucial method of bringing together multiple stakeholders and community <br /> members to develop a comprehensive policy to address environmental justice <br /> concerns, especially lead contamination. Based on past engagement with Santa <br /> Ana residents and best scientific practices, the plan should include education and <br /> outreach about the lead pollution problem, mitigation actions such as soil testing <br /> and blood lead testing, remediating contaminated soil, and identifying policy and <br /> regulatory changes needed to reduce exposure. Although these elements have <br /> been previously requested by local organizations such as Orange County <br /> Environmental Justice, it is my understanding that they are absent from the <br /> current proposed General Plan Update. <br /> I strongly urge the City to revisit the current draft of the General Plan Update <br /> with an eye toward actionable, measurable pollution response efforts that are <br /> encoded in city policies. As we painfully ease away from the worst moments of <br /> the Covid-19 pandemic, we are entering the midst of even larger growing <br /> 1 <br />