Environmental Justice strategies for the ERP are currently under development by the implementing agencies in accordance with the CALFED Bay-Delta Program Record of Decision. Since 2000, the ERP has provided financial support for public health agencies to provide outreach and education for disadvantaged and at-risk communities for fish contamination. DHS is engaging communities and stakeholders in developing educational materials and methods of educating people in the Bay Region and Central Valley. DHS’ efforts are focused on using existing networks to develop and disseminate the information about the risks of eating contaminated fish; existing networks include community-based organizations, county environmental health departments, food stamp programs and health care providers. With involvement by these stakeholders, educational materials were developed in several languages and at different literacy levels and are available to any interested groups or individuals.

DHS is using an ERP grant to provide mini-grants to several community-based organizations for specialized outreach to specific at-risk groups. A local stakeholder group meets regularly to collaborate and develop educational materials. These educational materials also emphasize the benefits of eating fish and provide information about the types of fish that can be eaten safely. A fish monitoring project, recently funded by ERP, also is developing advisories, outreach and educational efforts. This project involves a diverse stakeholder and agency steering committee to provide input and assist with outreach efforts and integrates environmental justice principles into the project.

Among the other issues that the ERP Agencies and the BDPAC Environmental Justice Subcommittee will work to address is that of identifying potential third party impacts from environmental restoration activities. For example, the ERP will continue to involve BDPAC Environmental Justice Subcommittee and other community based organizations in the fish contamination monitoring and outreach and education activities. Recent activities include funds to support a local stakeholder advisory group to develop outreach materials and strategy, community-based organizations and tribal involvement in the steering committee for the fish tissue monitoring project, and a DHS project that provides mini-grants to local community organizations to do outreach on the fish contamination issue.