Two immigrant communities tackle air pollution in Boyle Heights, Long Beach under new CDC-funded pro

The Los Angeles basin has some of the worst air quality in the nation, and two immigrant communities will develop plans to take action against the dangerous emissions generated by ship, train and truck traffic in their neighborhoods under a new project that kicks off in April: "Turning Data into Action (TDA): Fighting Air Pollution in Two Immigrant Communities."

The Children's Clinic in Long Beach and the East LA Community Corporation in Boyle Heights will take the lead in developing action plans aimed at changing policies and practices to reduce pollution generated in their predominantly Latino communities as goods move from the twin ports to warehouses and rail yards. These communities experience disproportionately heavy traffic and the health consequences that come along with air pollution, such as asthma, cardiovascular disease and low birth-weights. And all Californians live with the costs and consequences of air pollution through increased emergency room visits and a greater burden on the health care system generally.

With the Center’s public service program Health DATA coordinating efforts, the TDA project brings together community activists, policymakers, researchers, air quality scientists, and the Los Angeles and Long Beach public health departments to develop action plans aimed at advancing policies that can reduce air pollution and its health consequences.

“The people who live and work in these neighborhoods are the experts on what’s happening in their communities,” said Peggy Toy, director of the UCLA Center for Health Policy’s Health DATA program. “I’m excited about the opportunity this project gives them to work with scientists, health officials and policymakers to advance policies that can help clean up the air they breathe every day.” 

Turning Data into Action, TDA, is a project supported through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health for Communities Organized to Respond and Evaluate (REACH CORE).

TDA is one of two major Health DATA projects that are building community capacity to combat air pollution in at-risk neighborhoods. The other is the ALERT project, a training and education program that helps Los Angeles local groups, in partnership with academics and other experts, to understand environmental health issues and use data and other evidence to create change in their communities.