Environmental Health Coalition is one of the oldest and most effective grassroots organizations in the United States, using social change strategies to achieve environmental justice.

Mission Statement: EHC is dedicated to achieving environmental and social justice. We believe that justice is accomplished by empowered communities acting together to make social change. We organize and advocate to protect public health and the environment threatened by toxic pollution. EHC supports broad efforts that create a just society which foster a healthy and sustainable quality of life. 

EHC is a multi-issue organization, with each campaign united by the following beliefs and values:

• All people have the right to live, play and work in a safe and healthy environment.
• All people have the right and responsibility to act to correct environmental damage and prevent future degradation.
• EHC represents the public interest and takes direction from the communities we represent.
• Communities of color and poor communities are disproportionately affected by toxic materials used in the workplace and discharged into the air, land and water.
• Pollution prevention is the most effective approach to addressing the toxics crisis.
• EHC supports the integrity of ecosystems and recognizes human dependence on them.
• EHC promotes community and worker right-to-know about toxic chemicals.
• It is the government's duty to enact and enforce laws to safeguard the environment, worker and public health.

Problem Statement: As one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United States, San Diego's toxics problems are myriad, often compounded by its location on the U.S./Mexico border. Critical evidence of the San Diego/Tijuana region's pollution crisis includes:

• Over 150 million pounds of toxic waste are generated each year by San Diego industries and over 3 million pounds of toxic pollutants are discharged annually into the air.
• Communities of color such as Barrio Logan in San Diego, are most at risk. Studies indicate that toxic air emissions from just one facility creates a cancer risk 600 times above the accepted level for this community.
• Contaminated sites have been discovered at 22 separate sites on North Island Coronado, a Naval installation.
• San Diego bay is one of the most polluted harbors in the United States. A study released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration listed San Diego Bay as the second most toxic of 18 bays studied , second to Newark Bay, New Jersey. 56% of the Bay sediments are acutely toxic to marine organisms, while 74% of the area exhibited chronic toxicity. The most toxic sites were found along the shipbuilding and Navy facilities adjacent to Barrio Logan.
• Tijuana has approximately 800 maquiladora industries, more than any other city along the U.S./Mexico border. The majority of these manufacturing industries are highly polluting such as furniture, plastics, metal, and electronics production.

History and Accomplishments: For 20 years, EHC has responded to community needs in the region by empowering citizens through community organization and technical assistance and by developing policies which lead to long-term solutions. By participating in national and international networks, EHC effectively disseminates information, assists our allies and creates social policy change on a broader scale.

Since its inception, EHC has proven to be an effective grassroots environmental justice organization. What makes EHC truly unique is that its membership is made up of professionals, community activists, scholars, senior citizens, outdoor enthusiasts, and youth representing all walks of life. Together we have secured numerous victories protecting public health and the environment. Recent examples include:

• The official dedication of 2,200 acres of precious coastal wetlands for a South San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
• The publication of TOXIC TURNAROUND, the first comprehensive pollution prevention guide designed specifically for local governments and public agencies to help them develop cost-efficient and effective pollution prevention programs.
• After 5 years of intense community organizing, EHC's efforts resulted in the enactment of a policy banning the use of the toxic pesticide methyl bromide adjacent to poor Latino communities. This is the first policy of its kind in the United States.
• EHC has taken a leadership role in childhood lead poisoning prevention and has worked for over four years educating high risk communities about lead poisoning hazards, prevention and abatement.
• Convinced the U.S. EPA to award the City of San Diego with the nation's first "Emerging Brownfield" grant to relocate polluting industries out of residential communities of color to appropriate industrial zones.