Unprecedented Community Empowerment in the Neighborhoods Surrounding Exide

About the Program

Category: Health (Best in Category)

Year: 2023

In 2015, the Department of Public Health (Public Health) in tandem with the 1st Supervisorial District, partnered with community leaders and federal prosecutors to permanently close the Exide battery recycling facility. Despite the closure, past toxic emissions placed the communities at risk for cancers, lead poisoning, respiratory illness, and learning disabilities. Public Health continues to address current and future health needs while urging State agencies to effectively remove the toxins from the homes. The ongoing remediation efforts span the seven communities of Maywood, Cudahy, Huntington Park, Commerce, Bell, Boyle Heights, and East Los Angeles, representing the State’s largest cleanup of toxic contamination to date, and resulted in two legislative bills which called for cleanup funding. Public Health educates residents with multi-lingual information, resources and clinical and wellness services crucial in addressing long-term health impacts. This is a profound example of our environmental justice work with other county departments, elected officials, community-based agencies and other stakeholders to empower a predominantly Latino community and provide primary health care, blood lead testing, and mental health services. This is a model to empower and to improve health outcomes for one of the most pollution-burdened and economically disadvantaged neighborhoods in Los Angeles County.