Riverside Art Museum Announces Resignation of Executive Director After 13 Years of Leadership
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Tennessee Lawsuit Challenges Latino College Funding, Threatening IE Hispanic-Serving Institutions
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Rose Foundation Awards Grant to UC Riverside to Tackle Port Pollution and Advance Clean Air Solutions
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By Dr.G (Dr Luis S González), community writer
On June 19, the City of Colton Sustainability Team was awarded the prestigious Climate Protection Award by the U.S. Conference of Mayors via satellite transmission from Florida.
Several staff members, Directors, the City Manager and Elected Officials gathered in the Council Chambers to hear the presentation, which was awarded to Mayor Frank J Navarro, on behalf of the City of Colton Sustainability Team.
“The presentation of this award was truly an honor,” exclaimed Adrianne Rogers one
of the senior members of the award-winning Sustainability Team. She went on to continue, “We’ve been working hard to bring to fruition the ‘City of Colton Urban Heat Resilience Program.’” This said program, is an initiative aimed at mitigating the urban heat island effect and enhancing community resilience to extreme heat events. The key
VCR Public Media, the Inland Empire’s PBS Television Station (Channel 24) and NPR Radio Station (91.9 FM), is proud to announce that it has won two Emmy Awards, a remarkable recognition of the station’s commitment to telling meaningful, local stories that matter to our community.
The first Emmy was awarded in the Documentary category for our original
short series, The Warehouse Empire. Directed and hosted by San Bernardinobased filmmaker Sofia Figueroa, the powerful series examines the rapid growth of the warehouse and logistics industry across the Inland Empire.
Through in-depth reporting and firsthand community perspectives, The Warehouse Empire investigates the environmental, economic, and social impacts of this expanding sector, spotlighting issues often overlooked in mainstream media.
“As the director of The Warehouse Empire, I'm deeply honored that our series received an Emmy award. Our goal was to spotlight the powerful stories of Inland Empire residents and bring attention to how the growing warehouse and logistics industry is affecting frontline communities. With the support of PBS stations like KVCR, we’re able to elevate local voices and bring greater visibility to the challenges and resilience within our community,” said Sofia Figueroa.
- component of this program is the Urban Forest Management Plan, which is a strategic blueprint to increase the city’s tree canopy from 7 percent to 30 percent, providing shade, improving air quality, and reducing surface temperatures.
Members of the Sustainability Team who were in attendance at the presentation were Starkisha Mason Ealy, Cecilia Griego, Adrianne Rogers, Irving Medina, and Nicole Munoz. Not in attendance was Jessica Sutorus, Environmental Conservation Supervisor who not only leads this team but spearheaded the city-wide Urban Forest Management Plan.
The Plan includes the planting of a sustainable and resilient mix of healthy trees throughout the city of Colton’s public parks, avenues, parkways, arroyos, rivers, and open space. Colton’s trees provide residents and the business community with beauty, shade, comfort, health and economic benefits. Colton’s trees are cared for, valued, and protected by the city and its citizens as a “treasured” community asset.
To launch the Management Plan the City partnered with the Robert Redford Conservancy to
KVCR Emmy (cont.)
- KVCR’s second Emmy was awarded in the Interview/Discussion – Short or Long Form Content category for an episode of its original series Inland Edition. The winning episode, Chris Burns: CEO, Boys Republic, features a heartfelt conversation with a leader making a profound impact on young lives in the region. Hosted by Joe Richardson, Inland Edition explores civic engagement through thoughtful interviews that give viewers insight into the people and issues shaping life in the Inland Empire.
“As the showrunner, producer, and editor of Inland Edition, I was truly enlightened by the depth of insight shared by the civic leaders and public servants we featured. Receiving an Emmy is an incredible honor, but the real reward was learning firsthand how these individuals serve our communities every day. Our goal was to highlight the people behind the decisions that shape our lives—and I'm proud that Inland Edition resonated with viewers in such a meaningful way." – Brad Greenwell, Showrunner/Producer/Editor,
perform a Climate Vulnerability Assessment which found several conditions that needed to be targeted, such as, increasing temperatures, higher energy consumption, and health risks for at-risk populations. This assessment shaped the plan design and interventions to improve resilience and reduce emissions. Additionally, the City also partnered with Tree People and local utilities to plant over 500 trees in key areas, such as main street thoroughfares and walking routes to schools.
The City of Colton’s Urban Heat Resilience Program is more than tree planting – it’s a holistic climate strategy with proven benefits to public health, the environment, and the local economy. The program stands as a model for sustainable urban resilience.
All of the members of the Sustainability Team and Management Plan partners are to be congratulated for their efforts and success in designing and implementing the Urban Forest Management Plan. The City of Colton is certainly proud to recognize all of our employees, and whenever a special occasion arises, such as the prestigious Climate Protection Award, we can all celebrate our successes due to hard work, innovation, drive, enthusiasm and service to the community.
Inland Edition.
“We are truly honored to have won two Emmy Awards for producing local content that resonates deeply with our community,” said Connie Leyva, Executive Director of KVCR and Executive Producer for both projects. “Our mission as the PBS station serving the Inland Empire is to provide highquality, informative, and engaging programming that keeps our viewers informed and connected. This recognition affirms our belief that local storytelling matters – and that the Inland Empire deserves a strong voice in public media.”
These awards not only celebrate excellence in broadcasting but also reflect KVCR’s ongoing dedication to amplifying diverse voices and uncovering the real challenges and triumphs of the Inland Empire.
Whether it's through investigative documentaries or engaging local discussions, KVCR continues to fulfill its public media mission: to educate, inform, and inspire.
Colton Joint Unified School District leadership has renewed its commitment to school resource officers and positive relationships between its students and staff and local law enforcement and the added layer of security they bring to local schools.
The district’s Board of Education approved contracts recently with both the Colton Police Department and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department to continue having a total of five sworn law enforcement officers in its schools for the coming year.
School resource officers have proven to be a valuable resource providing onsite law enforce-
ment presence on school campuses, fostering positive professional relationships with students and staff as well as an added layer of security.
“We are proud to continue this valuable collaborative effort to foster a supportive and safe learning environment for our students and staff,” Superintendent Frank Miranda said. “Our law enforcement partners are an invaluable resource and an integral part of our school community.”
One contract staffs CJUSD schools with two sworn officers from the Colton Police Department, one at Colton High School and one at Colton Middle and Colton area elementary schools. The other contract places one San Bernardino
County Sheriff’s Deputy each at Bloomington and Grand Terrace high schools and a third at other Bloomington area schools.
School resource officers perform a number of functions in schools. They provide guidance and assistance to students and staff. They work with school and district administration to address and resolve issues impacting student and campus safety. They support intervention programs through classroom lessons, staff development and informational sessions for parents. They help connect students, parents and staff with resources and services, acting as a bridge to additional support when needed. They intervene with law enforcement action when other options have been exhausted.
By Erlinda Armendariz, Colton Rotary President
The Rotary Club of Colton will present its 5th annual Teen and Miss Colton Pageant on Saturday, June 29, at Whitmer Auditorium on the Colton High School campus, 777 W. Valley Blvd. The event begins at 3 p.m., with doors opening at 2:30 p.m.
Fifteen contestants will compete for the titles of Teen and Miss Colton in a multi-round competition including sportswear, evening gown, an onstage question, and a preliminary interview round conducted the day prior. Con-
testants will also vie for additional awards in the Teen and Miss divisions, including People’s Choice, Miss Congeniality, and Miss Photogenic.
Beginning Monday, members of the public may vote for the People’s Choice award by visiting the “Miss Colton Pageant” pages on Facebook and Instagram and liking their favorite contestant’s photo.
Teen division contestants include Alexandra Piceno, Aubree Gonzales, Kailani Muth, Kaitlyn Torres, Kayla Bustamante, Melissa Walker, Samantha Sandoval, and Yesenia Nunez. Miss Colton contestants are Charlize Flores,
Eriyah Delfin, Precious Culberson, Susan Galvan, and Yaiza Meza.
All members of the 2024–2025 Teen and Miss Royal Court will receive scholarships and awards presented by city and state officials.
Tickets are available in advance for $10 at Inland Valley Insurance, 183 W. H Street in Colton, or directly from pageant contestants. Tickets at the door will be $15.
Current titleholders Mia Perez (Teen Miss Colton) and Reyna Chavez (Miss Colton) will crown the winners.
By Fernanda Ramirez, Arroyo Valley High School Student
Gender equality is something that is most of the time mistaken for thinking that a certain gender is better than the other. Gender equality is a big problem that society has faced for many years, and it faces society today. Gender equality relates a lot to feminism, and feminism is the belief that both women and men are created equal.
But unfortunately, people misinterpret it by thinking that women are better than men, which is not the case; women are not better than men, and men are not better than women. Both genders need each other equally because there are many things that women can do but men can't, and there are many things men can do but women can’t. The thought of women and men being equal is nice, and yes, we even each other out—we are like a balancing scale. Women and men need each other in different ways. Not only do men need women, but women also need men, and it is not a bad thing to depend on each other because that is what we were meant for.
Being a woman is a good thing, and being a man is a good thing; we need each other to survive. Neither men nor women can reproduce alone; both genders are needed to create life. In addition to living a happy life, you need parent figures in your life—coincidentally, and most of the time, they are a man and a woman. Women and men are equal to each other; we are like Yin and Yang. It's a representation of who we are as humans, and re-
gardless of gender, everyone should be able to decide what to do with their own lives. Gender is unimportant when it comes to basic human rights, opportunities, and responsibilities.
All men and women were meant to work together to make the world a better place, and putting each other down only makes things worse. When mentioning “putting each other down,” it means not giving basic human rights to each gender—for example, not giving women equal pay, discriminatory laws against women, lack of representation, etc. Though many issues follow women, there are also issues that men go through that are not represented enough—for example, men’s sexual assault is not represented, disrespect is not represented, etc. Many issues follow each gender, and all of those different things affect each gender in its own way.
So, how can we fix these problems? It is important to know that the first step to solving a problem is recognizing we have one. The problem we have now is that we believe one gender is greater than the other. It is known that some men believe women are better than men, and others believe that men are better than women. So, in the end, the only way to solve this problem is to understand that neither gender is better than the other; both genders should be able to work together because that is what we are meant for. Both genders are perfect in their own way, and both genders are needed by one another. Even though neither gender has the same capacities as the other, they still need each other to survive.
By Matthew Leon, Arroyo Valley High School Student
Martin Niemöller, a poet and opponent of the Nazi regime during World War II, wrote in a poem:
“Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— / Because I was not a Jew. / Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”
The recent witch-hunting of illegal immigrants no doubt resonates with most of us Inland Empire residents. A study conducted by UC Riverside reveals that one in five of us are immigrants, and regardless of an individual’s stance on whether or not immigration is beneficial, the administration’s actions and fear-mongering of everyday people should be condemned.
President Trump, on April 28, consolidated his power using yet another executive order against so-called “dangerous illegal aliens,” which allowed ICE to establish a “naughty list” of sanctuary cities (cities which apparently do not currently do everything in their power to remove immigrants) and coerce them into complying with ICE’s policies using threats to funding. Complying with these regulations would mean sheriffs have to routinely hold prisoners with questionable citizenship status for ICE inspections.
The order also “ensures illegal aliens are not being favored over American citizens by directing the Attorney General to address state or local laws that unlawfully prioritize aliens.”
With this, our very own police departments will become mere outposts for the administration's anti-immigration policies. And it must be recalled that the administration does not exactly have a reputation
for correctly identifying illegal immigrants. Andry José Hernandez, a gay Salvadoran hairstylist who sought asylum in the U.S., was allegedly deported because his tattoos—particularly a crown tattoo with his parents’ names on it—had a vague resemblance to those of Salvadoran gang Tren de Aragua members. This is just one man in a list of people wrongly sent to a Salvadoran prison without due process, especially considering the ongoing Abrego Garcia case. Is this really the standard we want our states to be coerced into cooperating with? The Salvadoran government and President Trump are abusing human rights loopholes to create a system where they can deport anybody even suspected of a certain heritage and send them elsewhere—places not subject to the U.S. Constitution.
Is this what we want our police departments to have to report to and work under? More importantly, does this blatant profiling sound like any other regime? It must be remembered: Auschwitz, the most notorious and largest concentration camp, was intentionally not built on German land.
If this is happening to Salvadoran immigrants on the basis that they may be related to gangs, what will be coming to Mexican Americans? What camps will they be sent to, considering that President Trump has squandered our partnership with the Mexican government?
Our people should refuse to work with such policies. Our police departments becoming puppets for the administration is only a step toward the Trump administration acquiring full power over the public. This is a slippery slope that most should want to stay far, far away from.
By Colton PD
ASan Bernardino man was fatally shot early Monday morning in Colton, according to the Colton Police Department.
Officers responded to the 3600 block of Placentia Lane at approximately 5 a.m. June 16 following reports of a shooting. When officers arrived, they located an adult male suffering from a gunshot wound. The victim, identified as Kristian Gutierrez of San Bernardino, was pronounced dead at the scene by Colton Fire Department personnel.
The Colton Police Department’s De-
tective Division is investigating the incident, with assistance from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department Scientific Investigations Unit. The San Bernardino County Coroner’s Office also responded.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Detective Isabel Jaramillo at ijaramillo@coltonca.gov or 909-3705142, or Sergeant Shawn McFarland at smcfarland@coltonca.gov or 909-3705140. Those wishing to remain anonymous may contact the We-Tip hotline at 800-78-CRIME or visit wetip.com. Refer to case number 25-03084.
The investigation remains ongoing.
By Colton PD
Aman was found dead inside a mobile home in Colton on the afternoon of June 9, prompting an investigation by local police and forensic authorities.
At approximately 3:40 p.m., Colton police officers responded to the mobile home complex at 2250 West Mill Street to conduct a welfare check. After receiving no response from the resident, officers entered the home and discovered a deceased adult male inside.
The Colton Police Department’s Detective Division responded and assumed the investigation. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department Scientific Investigations Division
assisted in processing the crime scene, and the San Bernardino County Coroner’s Office also responded.
The identity of the deceased is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Detective Jaime Ramirez at jramirez@coltonca.gov or 909-3705021, or Sergeant Shawn McFarland at smcfarland@coltonca.gov or 909-3705140. To remain anonymous, contact the We-Tip hotline at 800-78-CRIME or visit wetip.com. Refer to case number 25-02983.
This investigation also remains ongoing.
The Louis Robidoux Parkland and Pecan Grove (LRPPG) will host a free community workshop, “Composting 101,” on Saturday, June 28, from 10 a.m. to noon at 5370 Riverview Drive in Jurupa Valley.
Presented in collaboration with the Riverside County Master Gardeners, the event will include an educational presentation and live composting demonstration aimed at beginners and seasoned composters alike. Attendees are encouraged to arrive by 9:30 a.m. to secure parking, seating, and take advantage of early giveaways provided by LRPPG and the UC Master Gardeners.
The first 15 community members to sign in will receive a free countertop compost container. In addition, all participants will be entered into a raffle for one of three backyard composting bins. Following the event, attendees will receive a digital resource packet covering materials discussed during the workshop.
“I am always excited about the events we host at LRPPG, but am especially looking forward to this upcoming workshop,” said LRPPG Site Specialist Lus Gomez. “These free events are an incredible opportunity to learn from expert Master Gardeners and to meet others in the community interested in sustainability.”
Throughout the event, guests will be able to speak directly with presenters and learn about other free workshops available through the Master Gardeners program in Riverside County. Light refreshments will be provided, along with branded stickers, bags, and keychains while supplies last.
In addition to the workshop, visitors are encouraged to explore several on-site features including LRPPG’s biodiversity and pollinator gardens, a bird blind wildlife observation area, the “AirBeeNBee” bee hotel, and Chronolog photo stations that allow visitors to contribute to time-lapse environmental monitoring.
Representatives from the Inland Empire Resource Conservation District, one of LRPPG’s partner organizations, will also be present to answer questions about the parkland’s conservation efforts and upcoming events.
The next workshop at LRPPG is scheduled for Saturday, July 26, and will focus on vegetable pickling. The event will be hosted in collaboration with the Master Food Preservers and will include demonstrations, raffle prizes, and additional resources.
For more information, visit www.louisrobidouxparkland.or g or check the event kiosk on site.
Senator Eloise Gómez Reyes (D-Colton) and Assemblymember Robert Garcia (D-Rancho Cucamonga) issued the following statements regarding their coauthored letter to the Redlands Unified School District (RUSD) Board of Education. The letter urges the Board to abandon draft policies under consideration for approval.
Senator Reyes said, “The draft policies being considered by the RUSD Board – particularly those in the name of Title IX protection – are ironic, considering its recent and direct violations of that law.
Very urgent and costly issues of student safety persist at RUSD schools, and I urge the Board to abandon its ongoing publicity and political stunts and immediately pivot its attention toward solutions that will prioritize protection of our community’s children.”
Assemblymember Garcia said, “Every student deserves to feel safe, seen, and supported at school. These proposed policies threaten that feeling by enabling censorship, forced outings, and exclusion, especially
Executive Director Drew Oberjuerge (center) stands with Riverside Art Museum staff and board members following the announcement of her resignation, effective August 15, 2025. Oberjuerge leaves behind a 13½-year legacy of transformative leadership, including the creation of The Cheech and RAM’s receipt of the 2023 National Medal for Museum and Library Service.
The Riverside Art Museum (RAM) Board of Trustees announces the resignation of Executive Director Drew Oberjuerge, effective August 15, 2025, marking a nearly 131⁄2 year tenure at the helm of this long-standing art institution. Under her visionary leadership, the museum has experienced remarkable growth and transformation, notably highlighted by the opening of The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Arts and Culture (The Cheech), solidifying RAM’s role as a vital cultural hub in our community. This significant work culminated in RAM receiving the prestigious 2023 Museum and Library Service National Medal, the highest honor awarded to museums and libraries that exemplify excellence in service to their communities.
and vibrant exhibitions at the historic Julia Morgan building and The Cheech, a new executive director will inherit a strong foundation from which to lead us into our next phase of excellence."
“Drew Oberjuerge has been an outstanding leader for RAM,” Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson said. “She has elevated RAM from an institution that was well respected in the city and region to a powerhouse with a national and international reach. She will leave RAM well positioned for future success, and we are grateful for her service to our community.”
for our most vulnerable youth. I urge the Redlands Unified School Board to pause, listen to the community, and commit to building an educational environment grounded in dignity, not division.”
In addition to these proposed policies regarding LGBTQ+ youth and content, in the last two years RUSD has had numerous incidents and reports of sexual assault and harassment of students by staff, hate speech among youth peers, and most recently, discriminatory acts targeting LGBTQ youth.
Senator Eloise Gómez Reyes represents Senate District 29, which includes the cities of Colton, Fontana, Highland, Loma Linda, Rancho Cucamonga, Redlands, Rialto, San Bernardino, Upland, Grand Terrace, Loma Linda, and the unincorporated communities of Bloomington and Muscoy.
Assemblymember Robert Garcia (D-Rancho Cucamunga) represents Assembly District 50, which includes the cities of Bloomington, Colton, Fontana, Loma Linda, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Redlands, Rialto, and San Bernardino.
“Drew believed in this project from day one,” said Cheech Marin. “She brought the heart, the smarts, and the hustle it took to make The Cheech a reality. I’m deeply grateful for her vision and tenacity—for helping create a lasting home for Chicano art that will inspire generations.”
Throughout her tenure, Oberjuerge, in collaboration with the Board of Trustees and staff, spearheaded numerous initiatives that expanded exhibition offerings, increased community engagement, and significantly enhanced educational programs. Her unwavering commitment to the arts and her ability to inspire both staff and patrons have left an indelible mark on the organization.
"We are deeply grateful for Drew's dedication and passion for the arts," said Patricia Reynolds, President of the Riverside Art Museum Board of Trustees. "Her leadership has positioned the Riverside Art Museum as a leading institution in the region, and we wish her all the best in her future endeavors. With the establishment of The Cheech, our expanded art education programs,
Oberjuerge is leaving to serve as Executive Director of the Sam and Alfreda Maloof Foundation for Arts and Crafts in Rancho Cucamonga. In this new role, she will collaborate with foundation trustees, staff, and stakeholders to chart a new period of excellence and accessibility for the organization that stewards the historic residence and woodshop of Sam Maloof, one of the most widely recognized artists from Inland Southern California.
“It’s been an honor to serve as the Executive Director of the Riverside Art Museum, working with so many good-hearted people over the years to innovate our institution,” says Oberjuerge. “I know that the future of the Riverside Art Museum, inclusive of The Cheech, is bright! I look forward to taking what I learned at RAM to the Maloof to strengthen another Inland Empire anchor institution to benefit our region’s communities.”
The Board of Trustees has begun the search for a new Executive Director and will soon appoint an Interim Executive Director to manage day-today operations until a permanent replacement is selected. The Riverside Art Museum remains committed to its mission of enriching the community through the arts and will continue to thrive in the years to come.
By Cal Matters
Alawsuit filed by Tennessee’s attorney general — and joined by the group that led the effort to overturn affirmative action — is challenging federal funding for Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), threatening the future of student support programs at most Inland Empire colleges and hundreds of campuses across California.
The lawsuit, backed by Students for Fair Admissions, argues that the U.S. Department of Education’s funding programs for HSIs are discriminatory and unconstitutional because they target a specific ethnic group. Filed in federal court, the case takes aim at a decades-old law that allocates funding to colleges and universities where at least 25% of undergraduate students identify as Latino, and a substantial share come from low-income backgrounds.
California has the largest number of HSIs in the country — 171 out of the 615 nationwide — including most of the state’s Cal State and University of California campuses. In the Inland Empire, nearly every major college is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, including Cal State San Bernardino, where 72% of undergraduates are Latino, and Riverside Community College, where 68% of students identify as Latino.
“These are not just statistics — these are young people
facing systemic barriers that have persisted across generations,” said Dr. Wolde-Ab Isaac, chancellor of the Riverside Community College District. “We are serving the underserved. Our populations are educationally and economically underserved. This is a system failure.”
The lawsuit contends that Tennessee colleges are being unfairly excluded from federal support simply because they don’t meet the 25% Latino enrollment threshold. “They also serve needy, low-income students of all ethnicities,” the complaint states. “But under the statute, they get no HSI money because they lack enough members of one particular ethnic group. So all students at these schools suffer.”
Dr. Isaac disagrees. His district, which includes three campuses and more than 59,000 students, receives between $3 million to $4 million annually through HSI grants — less than 1% of its $300 million budget — but funding that he says plays a vital role in offering scholarships, tutoring, science and technology labs, and mentoring programs.
“We have the most dynamic, the most diverse, the most vibrant population of any [college district], and we have a much bigger share of poverty in our areas,” Isaac said. “We have so many young kids compared to any place else and yet those opportunities are not there to help them unlock those talents.”
The HSI program was created by Congress in 1992 to
address disparities in college access and completion among Latinos. National studies have shown Latino students are more likely than their white peers to be firstgeneration college attendees and to face linguistic, cultural, and economic barriers. In 2023, the Department of Education allocated $418.8 million in grants and assistance to HSIs across the country.
Inland Empire educators and advocates say that cutting this funding would disproportionately harm a region where high school enrollment is rising, yet college-going and graduation rates remain among the lowest in the state.
Dr. Isaac said that even if HSI funding were eliminated, his district would continue offering the same services. “That is part of our mission,” he said. “But removing federal support sends the wrong message — that helping underserved students succeed is somehow unfair.”
The lawsuit is the latest challenge from Students for Fair Admissions, which successfully sued Harvard and the University of North Carolina in a Supreme Court case that ended race-conscious admissions nationwide in 2023.
Now, the group’s newest legal battle threatens to upend another pillar of educational equity — and its outcome could reshape how federal funding is distributed to the colleges serving the nation’s largest and fastest-growing student population.
The Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment has awarded a $3.5 million grant to the University of California, Riverside (UCR), launching a groundbreaking research initiative to address dangerous air pollution in San Pedro and surrounding neighborhoods near the Port of Los Angeles—areas long referred to as part of the “diesel death zone” due to the health impacts of port-related emissions.
UC Riverside’s Center for Environmental Research and Technology (CE-CERT) at the Bourns College of Engineering has been awarded the grant to lead this research project. As UCR’s largest research center, CECERT brings over 30 years of expertise in clean transportation, sustainable energy systems, and air quality innovation.
Nationally recognized for turning cutting-edge science into real-world impact, CE-CERT will work in close partnership with communities to investigate the impact of Ocean Going Vessels (OGVs) on near shore air pollution.
The research is focused on measuring and understanding the air pollution and health impacts caused by OGVs operating in and around the Port of Los Angeles by measuring emissions of up to 100 vessels using drones and on-board instruments.
Ground-based monitoring will complement these measurements, focusing on hazardous air pollutants such as carbonyls, PAHs, black carbon, and sulfates among others.
Backed by CE-CERT’s expertise in diesel emissions, goods movement, and advanced air quality modeling, this approach will allow researchers to directly trace pollution from freight operations to ithe nearshore communities. The long-term outcome is that the data generated will help implement mitigation strategies and enhance regulatory enforcement through innovative monitoring methods.
“This research will help close critical knowledge gaps and gives frontline communities and regulatory agencies the information they need to advocate for public health and make policy decisions relating to the impacts of port activities,” said Dr. David Cocker, lead researcher at CE-CERT.
“This grant represents a significant milestone in our mission to work with community litigants on implementing their goals for mitigation funding,” said Aiko Pandorf, Interim Executive Director of the Rose Foundation.
This initiative is rooted in a long and hard-fought environmental justice struggle. In 2001, the Port of Los Angeles approved construction of a terminal for China Shipping—one of its largest tenants—without first preparing an Environmental Impact Report (EIR), in violation of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
In response, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), in partnership with community allies such as East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice, Coalition for Clean Air, San Pedro Peninsula Homeowners United, and San Pedro and Peninsula Homeowners Coalition, filed a lawsuit that led to a landmark settlement. The court sided with the plaintiffs, requir-
ing the Port to prepare a full Environmental Impact Report (EIR).
Yet over the years, the Port repeatedly backtracked on its promises, prompting renewed legal action. In 2022, a trial court found a “profound violation of CEQA,” and by December 2023, the California Court of Appeal ordered immediate corrective measures.
In May 2024, the San Diego County Superior Court ruled that the lease between the Port and China Shipping must include enforceable pollution-reduction measures, including the use of cleaner cargo-handling equipment and Alternative Maritime Power, requiring ships to plug in at berth instead of burning diesel.
This led the parties to settle the remaining case issues which led to the creation of a mitigation fund, housed at the Rose Foundation, aimed at finding projects that would help reduce port-related air pollution.
This legal victory stands as a powerful testament to the tireless commitment of community-driven leadership in the fight for environmental accountability and justice.
"This project stands on the shoulders of a communityled legal battle that proves what is possible when community-based organizations join forces with residents to demand justice," said Jodene Isaacs, our Director of Grantmaking at the Rose Foundation. "Community partners are using settlement funds from the Port of Los Angeles to harness scientific research that can be used by regulators to shape a cleaner, more equitable future."