CCEJ Victories

"I thank the hard work of CCEJ for bringing the issue to the attention of the community and
for their ceaseless efforts on Beacon Hill's behalf." --- A Beacon Hill community resident.

Improving Air Quality & Community Organizing Victories

We have a proven track record of success in our organizing – we’ve eliminated sources of air toxins in the South Park and Beacon Hill neighborhoods. In November 1998, we successfully influenced the Veterans Administration Hospital to shut down its medical waste incinerator and adopt a safer method of medical waste disposal. In 2001, we ended a six-year struggle to stop Long Painting Company from emitting toxic paint fumes in the South Park neighborhood. Both of these campaigns involved intense community organizing, outreach, education, political advocacy and media outreach.

Political Advocacy

CCEJ tracks relevant legislation in the cause for environmental justice, advocating for policy changes at the state level. CCEJ was instrumental in drafting language for HB1411, the Environmental Justice Act introduced by Washington State 11th District Representative Velma Veloria. The bill, passed in 2002, requires businesses to provide to nearby residents notification within 24 hours of any hazardous releases. Prior to the bill, residents in high impacted areas were not aware of dangerous hazardous chemical waste spills.

Improving Agency Commitment to Environmental Justice Principles

CCEJ has made a major impact on local agency commitment to EJ by pressuring agency directors to include community representatives in relevant decision making processes. CCEJ is called upon to advise agency staff on culturally appropriate outreach and priorities for health intervention, risk assessment, and community outreach and research. We have facilitated interagency communication to improve access to services for people impacted by environmental injustice.

Bringing Forth Youth Voices

CCEJ’s Environmental Justice Youth Advocates Program (EJYA) has been instrumental in involving youth in community outreach and advocacy on environmental justice issues. To date, youth have done presentations, door knocking, outreach, a community survey and a toxic tour.

Community-Based Research

CCEJ believes that an informed community can best advocate for itself. We do research on pollution, housing and other issues to ensure that communities have accurate information to make informed decisions. We utilize pollution databases, the internet, interviews, reports, studies and various methods to gather information. Providing research tools to communities ensures that they have the skills to secure valuable information.

Forming Alliances & Building a Broad-Based Movement

CCEJ has become a powerful force not only locally, but regionally, bringing together tribes and urban and rural environmental justice groups in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska through the Northwest Environmental & Economic Justice Alliance (NEEJA).

Building a Grassroots Base

Through the Yesler Terrace Coalition CCEJ has attracted an average of 180 people to our community forums on the future of public housing in Seattle. CCEJ coordinates meetings, community outreach, direct actions and provides organizing support to this multi-ethnic, multilingual community of public housing residents.

Speakers Bureau

We coordinate an Environmental Justice Speakers Bureau which helps Northwest groups gain regional and national support for our issues and increases visibility. On a national level, CCEJ has raised funds to send a NEEJA member to relevant national and local conferences and trainings, increasing networking opportunities, visibility and organizational capacity.

Raising Awareness

Community education is a key component of our work. Through door-to-door outreach, events, CCEJ reports, conferences, outreach, leafleting in the community and other means, we have helped raise the profile of CCEJ and the issue of environmental justice in our region. CCEJ has received extensive media coverage over the years on our successful campaigns and organizing efforts. Our impact is exhibited by the increased number of requests for information, technical assistance, and support we receive on a daily basis.

Promoting Pipeline Safety

CCEJ was instrumental in securing a cooperative agreement with Olympic Pipeline officials to ensure that we are kept informed of their safety inspections and that all of their community outreach information is provided in various languages to residents living along the pipeline. Former CCEJ Organizer Nate Moxley was appointed by Governor Gary Locke to the Citizens Advisory Committee of Pipeline Safety.

Annual Conference/Events

Since 2002 CCEJ has coordinated the Community-Based Solutions for Environmental Health & Justice Conference. Each year, this event draws an average of 300 people. In the words of Dolores Huerta, Co-Founder of United Farmworkers of America who was the keynote speaker at our first conference: "This conference has more soul than any other conference I have ever been to." The conference provides a platform for indigenous people and people of color working on environmental and economic justice issues to not only talk about their issues but what we see as viable solutions as well. The conference also includes skills-building workshops.

To date, CCEJ has coordinated and participated in hundreds of community events and workshops on environmental justice issues, reaching thousands of people and generating support for the struggles of low-income people and people of color.

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