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UCI School of Social Sciences <br />3151 Social Science Plaza <br />Irvine, CA 92697-5100 <br />(949) 824-1207 <br />htt]2s://www.anthro]2ology.uci.edu <br />December 7, 2021 <br />Re: Environmental justice in Santa Ana's General Plan Update <br />To Whom It May Concern, <br />Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the City of Santa Ana's Draft General Plan <br />Update. I am Mike Fortun, a historian and anthropologist of science and professor at <br />University of California Irvine (UCI). I specialize in the study of how science is used in <br />governance, helping highlight best practices. I write to encourage the City of Ana to adopt <br />best practices for using science in governance in updating the city's General Plan. <br />The timing of the city's work to update its General Plan is especially ripe given rising <br />expectations across the country and California that environmental injustice be proactively <br />addressed at the local level. The time is also ripe because of the expanse of scientific <br />research now underway in Santa Ana, many through partnerships with UCI. I am part of a <br />large, interdisciplinary science team from UCI recently awarded a California Department of <br />justice Grant to study air pollution in Santa Ana, for example. Results from UCI research in <br />Santa Ana will continue to be available in coming years. The General Plan needs to include <br />explicit plans to use these research findings in their continuing planning and programing. <br />Developing capacity for best -practice use of science in governance in Santa Ana will require <br />focused planning, new levels of organizations and new communication strategies. For this <br />reason, I recommend slowing down passage of a new General Plan for Santa Ana so that <br />plans for developing this capacity are detailed and foregrounded. <br />The next General Plan for Santa Ana should include concrete plans to establish a new Santa <br />Ana Office of Environmental justice. This office would be responsible for assisting and <br />monitoring new scientific research on Santa Ana, helping translate it into planning and <br />policy. A new Santa Ana Office of Environmental justice could also be responsible for <br />hosting regular public meetings where new scientific findings can be shared and discussed. <br />These meetings should be accessible in person, by phone and teleconference (Zoom). <br />