From the DataCenter's Youth Strategy Project, Spring/Summer 2002:

Youth Expose Air Quality Agency's Broken Promises

When the Bay Area Air Quality Management District convened a "community meeting" in East Palo Alto to inform residents of their Clean Air Plan, they thought they would get a friendly crowd.

Instead, Youth United for Community Action (YUCA), a youth organizing group led and run by young people of color based in East Palo Alto, confronted Air Quality Management District staff and board members with their history of inaction and slow response to previously raised community concerns around health and air quality.

DataCenter helped YUCA by providing a profile of Air Quality Management District and its track record of inaction in other communities. YUCA youth were able to use this information to expose the officials' broken promises at the April "community meeting."

YUCA youth continue to target Air Quality Management District as part of Environmental Justice Air Quality Coalition, a strong coalition of environmental justice groups in the Bay Area fighting for better air quality.

For further information, contact Youth United for Community Action, (650) 322-9165.