Air Quality Community Forum Planning and Homework

This was distributed in class today and roles appointed for each class. There are organizational planning tips and sites/resources for you to begin using but you should also continue to build your website bibliography. Please, be critical when evaluating validity of information and sites. We want to be sure we represent these groups as accurately as possible.

LOCAL AIR QUALITY COMMUNITY FORUM PLANNING

NAME: _________________ ROLE IN FORUM: ________________________

Several people will be assigned to the following roles to research, represent, and present in the forum:

1) City Council: ____________________ Mayor:_______________________

2) Bay Area Air Quality District (BAAQD): ____________ (work with Mayor)

3) PSC - Employee:_________________ Board Member/CEO: _____________

4) Environmental Protection Agency (Fed Gov/EPA): _____________________

_____________________

5) Neighbor/Parent: _________________ (works with Healthy Air Committee)

6) Healthy Air Committee: __________________________

7) Experts/Scientists/Researchers: __________ ____________ ___________

8) Schools - Student:______________ Task Force Parent: ______________

9) Global Community Monitor: _______________ __________________

10) Reporters/Media- Press-Trib, Berkeley Citizen, Chronicle: _______________

USA Today Investigative Journalist: ______________________

Sites and sources to help you get started:
Team 1: Council woman Linda Miao said she’ll come to talk with us soon, she represents the district in which PSC operates. Look into demographics (groups of folks living in the area, socio economic issues, political issues, jobs in area, how would you balance all this? Do about it? Also you might get a response from her assistant, Nicole at:
LMaio@ci.berkeley.ca.us

The mayor, Tom Bates, is also going to be head of BAAQD (below). For his role, you will need to both represent Berkeley as mayor and being head of BAAQD so you’ll need to work back and forth with this team and team 2. First, locate his email or contact www.ci.berkley.ca.us (if it isn’t TBates@ci.berkeley.ca.us like Linda’s above)

Team 2: www.baaqmd.gov/ explore and become familiar with this site and work with Mayor Bates (see above) because soon you’ll be the head of this agency and you’ve been on it several years so try to locate any info on his input to this group.

Team 3: http://www.pacificsteel.com / inquiries@pacificsteel.com - try to arrange a speaker/rep from their company to come present to us and answer questions. You should also try to research online and if at all possible talk with their PR person there to share the history of PSC at the Forum.

Team 4: http://www.epa.gov/sw-846/pdfs/6020.pdf or just www.epa.gov and search PSC.

Team 5: find peeps who live in area to email/interview, project how you’d feel living here. Also check w/Kaya and her mom Erika.

Team 6: pearmichaels@gmail.com (Pear is head of this neighbor/parent committee and has sent me many emails of the group’s work that I can forward to you.
http://www.epa.gov/oecaagct/lcra.html (community rights - healthy environment)

Team 7: http://www.mindfully.org/Air/2007/PSC-Community-Samples31jul07.htm , http://www.berkeleycitizen.org/monitoring/monitor24.html ,

Team 8: Represent your own perspective, survey other students (create one) and email Laura (lgorjance@bmsonline.org) to find out which parents besides Dan Jackson are on the task force for our school.

Team 9: www.gcmonitor.org

Team 10: www.berkeleycitizen.org , http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle , http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune ,
http://content.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/smokestack/search/CA/~/~/Berkeley+Montessori+School/name/~/1/
(and/or go to usatoday.com and search Pacific Steel and Berkeley Montessori) Also, locate chief editor of article and investigators of this case on a site search on USA Today.

You will list your questions, notes and research, plus how it affects your point of view in terms of your PURPOSE and Sphere of Obligation around this PSC Healthy Air Issue. You should take notes in class whenever time is provided, during guest presenters, and an hour of independent research and notes as homework for Mon - Thu (due Fri 1/30). You may choose to divide the time over the four days or complete it all at once. Just DO IT, please! Our community forum is depending on you to do your part! You should also be as informed about your role as possible for Dan Jackson’s visit Friday to share the science about the situation.