Black employees of the California Air Resources Board have raised concerns about a racist work environment and are calling for more representation at the state's main air and climate agency in a letter POLITICO obtained this week.
Impact: The Sept. 4 letter from a "group of concerned Black employees" includes two dozen accounts of racist or biased behavior at the agency and an "action plan" that calls for appointing at least one Black board member and two other people of color to fill upcoming vacancies on the board that has 14 voting members and two lawmakers in non-voting positions. The board does not have a Black or Asian American member.
CARB is planning to adopt a resolution at its Thursday board meeting directing agency staff to "work to remediate race-based harms within CARB's jurisdiction." It will hold a discussion on the agency's work on addressing "the ways race has affected climate and air quality risks in California and CARB’s own internal operations" and will hear a report from board member Phil Serna, a Sacramento County supervisor.
