Day 3, West Coast — Fort Ord and Fresno
It’s the third day of the tour and we are settling in as travelers. In the morning we bonded over our mosquito stories on the way to see Fort Ord. The voice in my head is still saying, “Why would anyone in their right mind burn land where there is unexploded ordinance?” It became clearer when talking to one of the young activits at last night’s Fort Ord forum who said, “It is faster than the safer alternatives and developers want this land so they can build.” And after our tour of Fort Ord, I can see why; it is spectacular land with great views and ocean breezes surrounded by beautiful Monterey pine and cypress trees draped with Spanish moss.
We toured the former military site, the old barracks long abandoned, the peeling paint setting off the lead detector in my mind. As I was about to ask about the lead, LeVonne Stone and Patrice, a student at California State Monterey Bay University, told us many of the barracks had already been burned, again setting off the lead detector in my mind. We visited a landfill that is now being graded in preparation for a high-end housing development. We laughed at the sign with a happy family playing together in their new luxury home. It showed a happy multi-ethnic family and, again, I wondered how happy these families would be if they knew their homes were on a Superfund site and if there are disclosure and right-to-know laws involved with the development.
When we rolled into Fresno we felt great to seeing the “Welcome EJ Tour” sign. We were greeted by our Fresno colleagues at a 4 panel Forum, which discussed Air Quality, Land Use & Transportation, Climate Change & Environmental Justice, and Waste Issues. They also highlighted their great victories against incinerators and industry. A presentation on renewable energy generated a lively discussion making it clear that when we deal with climate change we are not willing to compromise. We want climate justice with carbon emission reduction that also reduces other smog-forming substances. “When we talk about alternatives sometimes I get the feeling that regulators want us to pick your poison and this is something that I find insulting,” said Rosinda Mataka of Grayson Neighborhood Council.
We followed the Forum with a tour of West/Southeast Fresno. Ray Leon, the Central Valley Organizer for the Latino Issues Forum, guided us through Fresno explaining all the environmental injustice the community faces. We ended the night with a wonderful reception at Arte Americas Gallery, where Latino artists are featured.
-Martha Dina Arguello and Ashley Iwanaga