EJAM accomplishments so far:

• EJAM secured the first-ever Public Utilities Commission (PUC) hearing on energy in North Minneapolis in September 2003. With the highest turnout in the state, 150 people participated and sent a clear message - it’s time to clean up the metro area coal plants. The PUC heard that message and in December 2003 approved the Metro Emissions Reduction Project (MERP), a voluntary plan to clean up three metro area coal plants.
• EJAM held its inaugural “Founder’s Day” conference on October 11, 2003, featuring renowned environmental justice expert, Dr. Robert Bullard. Subsequently, we hosted a second Founder’s Day conference on January 22, 2005, featuring renowned scientist and environmental justice advocate, Dr. Tyrone Hayes. Our third Founder’s Day featured keynote presentations by Jesus Torres, a youth organizer with Centro Campesino, an Owatonna-based organization fighting for migrant farm worker rights; and Margie Richard, an award-winning grassroots organizer from Norco, Louisiana, who battled and won a just relocation agreement with Shell Chemical Co.
• In March 2003 several EJAM members traveled with the Sierra Club to the Chicago E.P.A. hearing on the EPA’s mercury MACT rule to raise the issue of environmental justice for communities of color, low-income communities, and Indigenous Peoples. EJAM members also testified at a local community hearing at the Martin Luther King Center on the EPA’s mercury plan.
• EJAM has hosted several accountability forums in North Minneapolis on issues of importance to the community, including environmental health concerns at a recent affordable housing development and the redesign of Broadway Avenue North. These forums brought decision-makers, scientists, and developers together with community members to address the concerns of the community.
• EJAM has drafted an environmental justice policy for the state of Minnesota, and has worked closely with EJAM leader Rep. Keith Ellison to pass legislation in 2005 to reduce household lead hazards offering tax incentives to pay for clean up. In addition, EJAM and Rep. Ellison are fighting to reduce the blood lead level of concern from 15 to 10 ug/dl, so that more children will receive appropriate intervention and treatment for lead poisoning.
• In 2006 EJAM, as a member of Mercury-Free Minnesota, advocated for the successful passage of landmark state legislation to reduce mercury emissions from Minnesota’s three largest coal plants by ninety percent by 2014.
• Also in 2006, EJAM worked with the Minneapolis City Council to pass a comprehensive mercury reduction ordinance for the city.
• EJAM partnered with the Women’s Environmental Institute (WEI) and East Phillips Neighborhood Organization to advocate for communities affected by Arsenic contamination in the Phillips neighborhood in South Minneapolis. The contamination was caused by a pesticide company operating and polluting for decades in the heart of this community. Over time the pollution spread creating a vast plume of soil contamination throughout the neighborhood. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently testing and cleaning-up yards. EJAM and our partners sponsored a community forum in June 2006 to inform community members about the problem and EPA’s testing and clean-up activities. Following the meeting we gave feedback to the EPA on future removal of additional contaminated soils and children’s health concerns. EJAM also advocated for and achieved a new City of Minneapolis ordinance requiring that renters receive information about arsenic problems, in addition to the homeowners. In support of the ordinance we held a press conference at the home of an affected family on this pressing community issue in solidarity with the national Environmental Justice for All Tour in September 2006.
• In October 2006, EJAM co-sponsored with Centro Campesino a forum on pesticides in Owatanna, MN.
• EJAM, is a member of the Steering Committee of Healthy Legacy, a statewide coalition working on safer products and safer production methods. As a Healthy Legacy partner, EJAM has trained youth leaders to advocate on these issues. These youth leaders worked with Rep. Karen Clark to pass a Pilot Project on reducing scented products in Minneapolis schools.
• Based on community interest generated by the 2008 Founder’s day, EJAM assembled a climate justice working group, which is developing strategies to tackle global warming which disproportionately affects low income and communities of color.

A shorter version from headwaters grant:

History. An impetus for EJAM’s formation was to empower low-income and communities of color to influence decisions on the future of a coal-fired power plant located in North Minneapolis. EJAM helped secure the first-ever Public Utilities Commission (PUC) public hearing on energy in North Minneapolis. Over 150 people attended and many voiced their concerns about the effects of coal plant pollution on their health and their community. The hearing had a big impact on the PUC’s ultimate decision to approve conversion of the Riverside Power plant from dirty coal to cleaner natural gas. This victory generated momentum for the continued development of EJAM. EJAM elected a fifteen-member Board of Directors in March 2004 and adopted Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws. Since then, EJAM has hosted monthly meetings, set priorities for action in annual Founder’s Day community engagement processes, convened accountability forums on environmental justice issues, advocated in state and municipal processes for systems change and collaborated with groups representing communities of color, Indigenous Peoples, low income residents, migrant farm workers as well as environmental and children’s health concerns. EJAM’s work draws on the environmental justice framework set forth by Robert Bullard, who keynoted our first Founder’s Day Conference, in Dumping in Dixie: Race, Class, and Environmental Quality. Bullard’s environmental justice framework:

Selected Accomplishments.

• Mercury pollution: EJAM has mobilized communities, testified and advocated at U.S. EPA, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and Minnesota legislative hearings to focus on the Environmental Justice-related impacts of mercury. EJAM significantly contributed to the 2006 passage of Minnesota laws reducing mercury pollution from the state’s largest coal plants by 90 percent and led a successful effort to adopt a Minneapolis mercury reduction ordinance.
• Pesticides: EJAM has collaborated with Centro Campesino to protect migrant workers from pesticides since hosting Dr. Tyrone Hayes at the 2004 Founder’s Day event to discuss effects of atrazine. EJAM and Centro Campesino have since presented testimony at the Minnesota legislature on the need to protect migrant farm workers from pesticide exposure.
• Arsenic: EJAM organized an “Arsenic Triangle” community accountability session in June 2006 to assist residents in clean up of arsenic pesticide contamination in South Minneapolis and continues to advocate for protection of community members.
• Lead pollution: EJAM assisted the City of Minneapolis in securing a $2 million grant from HUD to remediate lead paint in the Phillips neighborhood. EJAM raised awareness of disparities in lead exposure, resulting in a 2005 law tightening up the requirements that protect children with elevated blood lead levels.
• Toxic Chemicals: EJAM, as a partner with Healthy Legacy, a statewide coalition working on safer products and safer production methods, trained youth leaders to advocate on these issues. These youth leaders worked with Rep. Karen Clark to pass a Pilot Project on reducing scented products in Minneapolis schools.
• Global Climate Change: Based on community interest generated by the 2008 Founder’s day, EJAM assembled a global warming work group, which is to develop strategies to tackle global warming which disproportionately affects low income and communities of color.