Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Richmond residents urge council to invest $550 million settlement in health, jobs and a "just transition" beyond Chevron
Summary
Scores of Richmond residents, youth organizers and community groups urged the City Council during public comment to use the $550 million settlement from the Polluters Pay campaign to fund immediate community needs and to plan for a transition away from fossil-fuel dependency.
Dozens of Richmond residents and community groups urged the City Council on May 20 to prioritize the $550,000,000 the city secured through the Polluters Pay campaign for both immediate services and a long-term transition away from fossil fuels.
Speakers representing neighborhood groups, youth organizers, environmental justice groups and community nonprofits described health harms from refinery pollution and called for investments in parks, libraries, youth programs, clean‑energy jobs and brownfield cleanup. "We fought for this," said Carrie Garen Sheehy, staff attorney at Communities for a Better Environment, referring to the coalition that negotiated the settlement. "Now we need to start planning now to build a healthier future for Richmond," said Martine Johansson, a researcher with Communities for a Better Environment.
The calls for a dual approach — meeting…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
