Citizens for Environmental Justice (CFEJ) - the Beginning:

On December 29, 1999, Diana Bazan died of breast cancer. She was only 42. Several people at her services
came up to the family to talk about others Diana's age that lived on the Westside community too that were dying or had died of cancer. The family became concerned that perhaps Diana's death and the deaths and illnesses of others was due to the fact that they grew up sandwiched between old pre-regulation dumpsites and decided to investigate.

Suzie Canales, one of Diana's sisters, took the lead and placed ads in the Thrifty Nickel and Adsack asking for anyone that grew up in the area around Cunningham Jr. High School and knew of anyone with cancer or who had died of cancer, to please give CFEJ a call. Then the group went door to door in the immediate vicinity of the Westside community and conducted an informal health survey.

Citizens for Environmental Justice

The results were alarming with many people reporting hysterectomies at young ages, birth defects, cancer and other health problems. CFEJ petitioned state and federal agencies to investigate but the agencies took only token tests and declared that there was no evidence of hazardous substances in the old dumpsites therefore no link to any illnesses. The group conducted an extensive investigation themselves through out of- pocket expense and found that the area they grew up in was peppered in oil/gas exploration and production.

They found links between Brown & Roots Oil Field Construction Business and the field next to
Cunningham Jr. High School (the school they all attended) and old pipelines carrying crude oil and gasoline ran through one of the dumpsites and continued through the community. During research, the group also found documents from the City Planning and Zoning Commission on race zoning restrictions. It was clear that people of color were restricted by
zoning ordinances to live in undesirable areas near hazardous waste sites and dangerous pipelines.

Because CFEJ found a direct link to the oil industry in their Westside community and because environmental injustice issues are prevalent along refinery row too, CFEJ environmental justice work focused on refinery emissions and health impacts. The group's mission was to work for environmental justice. Today, CFEJ has made great strides in bringing about public awareness on environmental justice issues locally, state-wide and nationally. In 2003, CFEJ launched a bucket brigade program with the help of Denny Larson of the Refinery Reform Campaign and Global Community Monitor. The program enables the group to take samples of the air using a simple bucket equipped with a standard tedlar air sampling bag. The group supplements the bucket monitoring with the use of the CEREX Hound instant monitor with great success, documenting high levels of toxic chemicals leaving the plant's fence-line.CFEJ monitoring has enabled them to collect evidence on uncontrolled emissions emitted daily by Citgo's West Coker. Video of this event and data showing high levels of toluene were presented at a Title V Public Hearing (6/8/06) in Corpus Christi where the group called on monitoring sufficient to meet the clean air act and necessary for enforcement measures, in order to protect human health.

CFEJ Accomplishments and Awards:

  • Watch dog efforts on industry including monitoring and patrolling refinery row to document air emissions and events. On April 1, 2006, during a patrol, the Corpus Christi Bucket Brigade, a project of Citizens for Environmental Justice, documented by video and photographs, Citgo West Plant’s Coker during the decoking part of the operation and emitting uncontrolled emissions into the environment (picture of coker), this event occurs twice a day, releasing tons of hazardous pollutants.  Video of this event and data showing high levels of toluene were presented at a Title V Public Hearing (6/8/06) in Corpus Christi where the group called on monitoring sufficient to meet the clean air act and necessary for enforcement measures, in order to protect human health.
  • Network with other bucket brigades around the country to learn from each other and unite in the struggle for environmental justice.
  • Testifying in Austin before Senate Committees advocating for tighter regulations that would benefit environmental justice communities.
  • Research and writing reports for outreach and education to highlighting environmental justice and health issues. In addition, a report on Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs) was recently released that shows that the most impacted communities are not benefiting from SEPs.
  • Advocating for environmental justice in Corpus Christi, locally, state-wide and nationally and holding industry and government accountable for environmental racist issues still occurring.
  • Permit Victory! Citgo Refinery East submitted an application which would have expanded their capacity by adding 3,5000 barrels per day (bpd) to a 71,500 bpd fluidic catalytic cracking unit. Citizens for Environmental Justice, the National Reform Campaign were supported by Environmental Integrity Project, Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club and Rio Grande Legal Aide in submitting comments to request a contested case hearing on this permit on August, 2004. TCEQ voided the permit application early 2007 because they could not get CITGO to agree to Best Available Control Technology (BACT). This victory by the environmental groups stopped an increase in sulfur dioxide by over 500 tons per year that would have greatly impacted the environmental justice communities surrounding CITGO.
  • Years of advocating for change at CITGO West’s coker unit has resulted in EPA ordering CITGO to test for Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and Particulate Matter (PM). Citgo’s coker is a huge source of pollution, releasing tremendous amounts of uncontrolled emissions into the environment daily.
  • Bringing National attention to the environmental racism still occurring in
    Corpus Christi is key, in order to bring about change. National Awareness includes:
  • September, 2005, Suzie Canales flew to Washington D.C. to receive an award, presented by Congresswoman Hilda Solis, from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) for Outstanding Achievements in Environmental Justice.