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Orozco, Norma <br />From: Tim Schutz <info@sg.actionnetwork.org> <br />Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2022 3:58 PM <br />To: eComment <br />Subject: eComment - Item 26, Santa Ana General Plan Update and Environmental Impact <br />Report <br />eComments City Council Santa Ana, <br />Dear Santa Ana City Council, <br />I am writing to urge you to not pass the Environmental Justice provisions of the General Plan <br />Update, nor the Environmental Impact Report, without addressing the concerns of residents <br />and organizations like Orange County Environmental Justice, Madison Park Neighborhood <br />Association, THRIVE Santa Ana, and Rise Up Willowick regarding the updated Plan's ability <br />to effectively remediate soil -lead contamination, air pollution, and the lack of open space in <br />our city. We do not oppose passing the Housing Element, since there is a strict timeline for <br />that element, but we believe the individual environmental justice policies of the General Plan <br />must be revised, as they do not sufficiently address the rampant environmental health issues <br />that are poisoning our communities every day. <br />For decades now, Santa Ana residents have suffered from the combined impacts of soil -lead <br />contamination, air pollution, and having less open space and parkland than the majority of <br />cities in the United States. Many of the city's low-income neighborhoods are contaminated <br />with lead at 25 to 50 times higher than the California EPA safety threshold; huge swaths of <br />Santa Ana face pollution burden scores of 84 to 99 out of 100; and low-income <br />neighborhoods of color have 73% less park land than the region's more affluent, <br />predominantly white neighborhoods. These health crises and environmental injustices have <br />persisted for generations in our community —and now, Santa Ana City Council has the <br />opportunity to take action. <br />Under California S131000, Santa Ana's latest General Plan Update must address the <br />environmental justice needs of our residents —however, despite the input and <br />recommendations of a variety of community members and stakeholders, the city has not <br />sufficiently committed to resolving these issues and prioritizing the health of our community. <br />