Media Release

City Councilmembers Nominate Takvorian for Port Commission

(National City) – San Diego City Councilmembers Donna Frye and Todd Gloria have nominated long-time environmental justice leader Diane Takvorian to fill the Port of San Diego Board of Commissioners seat being vacated by Laurie Black, who has stepped down to attend to family health concerns. Takvorian today officially accepted the nomination.

“My best wishes are with Laurie and her family in this challenging time. It is my honor to be nominated to carry out the vision and values that we share for the people of San Diego and the future of our Port,” she said. Takvorian is a founder and Executive Director of Environmental Health Coalition (EHC), a non-profit organization dedicated to achieving environmental and social justice. She has worked Port-related issues for almost two decades.

“Creating a thriving, sustainable Port is a goal that is well within our reach,” Takvorian said. “We must strive to be good stewards of San Diego Bay and the waterfront, a good neighbor to communities, an ally to workers, and a shining example of how people, the environment, and industry can coexist without harmful impacts. It’s time for the Port to invest in new technologies and policies that put people first and create long-term benefits for everyone.”

The state Legislature created the Port of San Diego in 1962 to manage San Diego Bay and surrounding waterfront land. The agency oversees the protection and development of the Bay. The Port is made up of Imperial Beach, National City, Chula Vista, San Diego and Coronado waterfront properties. Its mission is to protect the Tidelands Trust resources while balancing economic benefits, community services, environmental stewardship, and public safety on behalf of the citizens of California.

“The principles of environmental justice that we have worked for during the last 30 years are the principles inherent in a sustainable economy and vibrant community,” Takvorian said. “The mission of the Port reflects these principles, and my goal is to ensure that this mission is realized.”

Takvorian said her priorities as Commissioner will be:

• The cleanup of toxic sediments and restoration of San Diego Bay

• Removal of the South Bay Power Plant and the development of sustainable energy options for the tidelands

• Protecting workers and residents from deadly diesel pollution from ships and trucks by employing new technologies

• Development of sustainable economic opportunities that benefit local communities and the region

• Ensuring open and effective public participation in the Port of San Diego decision-making processes.

Founded in 1980, Environmental Health Coalition has grown from a volunteer group to a vibrant and stable organization supporting 24 employees and a $2.2 million budget. EHC works to protect public health and the environment threatened by toxic pollution through efforts that create a just society.

Under Takvorian’s direction, EHC’s community organizing and policy advocacy work with disenfranchised communities have eliminated many health risks, such as the stoppage of fruit cargo fumigation with the toxic pesticide methyl bromide at the Barrio Logan port terminal (1997), the shut down of a chrome plating business operating next to homes in Barrio Logan (2002), and approval of an ordinance to phase polluting business operations out of residential areas of National City (2006). Another EHC-sponsored law made California the first state to ban the sale of lead-contaminated candies imported from Mexico (2005).

Takvorian served as Co-Chair of the California Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Justice Advisory Committee from 2001-05. In 2003, this committee adopted historic recommendations to address community environmental justice issues. She was appointed to the California Global Warming Environmental Justice Advisory Committee in 2007. The James Irvine Foundation honored Takvorian with its Leadership Award in 2008. The award recognizes individual leaders who are advancing innovative and effective solutions to significant state issues.