Jocquay Thomas, Youth Intern at Literacy for Environmental Justice
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For more information:
Pamela Calvert, Director of Development & Communications
415 282-6840/510 220 6919 c
Nancy Abdul-Shakur, Environmental Health & Justice Manager
415 282-6840/510 375-6311 c
BAYVIEW YOUTH ADVISES NAVY ON SHIPYARD
CLEAN-UP
Jocquay Thomas, 18, Appointed to Hunters Point Shipyard Board
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE--This Thursday evening, a Bayview Hunters Point teen will take his place amid chemical engineers, environmental regulators, and
educators at the table of the Hunters Point Shipyard Restoration Advisory Board, or RAB, which monitors the base's clean-up on behalf of the
community. The Hunters Point Naval Shipyard is a Superfund site, the most seriously contaminated military base on San Francisco Bay.
Jocquay Thomas, 18, is a Youth Intern at Literacy for Environmental Justice (LEJ), a youth empowerment and environmental education organization based
in Bayview Hunters Point. Jocquay attended his first RAB meeting in August 2007 as part of LEJ's Community Leaders United 4 Change environmental
health and justice program, which is supported by a grant from the California Environmental Protection Agency.
The Independence High School senior recalls, "I was very interested in what the Navy has to say about clean-up, and I knew right away I wanted to be
part of this. At my first meeting I saw that the community only had five minutes for comment, but if I was on the other side of the table my
input would count more, so I decided to go for it."
Although Thomas's Harbor Rd. home is less than a mile from the Shipyard, he says "I didn't know the history until I came to LEJ - I just knew it was
toxic." Now that he is a RAB member, he hopes to see "faster clean-up and better community education."
RAB members serve two-year terms. Thomas's mom, Michelle Brooks, a radiologist, would like to see her son follow a career path in environmental
justice, but Jocquay's heart is in the kitchen - he plans to start a baking and pastry program at Cordon Bleu in January.
LEJ Executive Director Sudeep Rao says, "Jocquay is a rising star at LEJ. His presence on the RAB is a benchmark for us, confirming that we're
on track with our mission to empower Bayview youth to improve the health of our community."
Keith Forman, Base Realignment and Closure Environmental Coordinator for the Navy, adds, "I share the enthusiasm for Jocquay joining the Hunters
Point Shipyard Restoration Advisory Board and hope that, working together, we'll be able to reach a new part of the community. I look forward
to helping educate Jocquay about the Navy's extensive cleanup efforts at Hunters Point Shipyard, and learning a new perspective from him."
Like many military installations around the country, the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard established a Restoration Advisory Board following a
Clinton-era Executive Order to
increase community input into base cleanup programs. The primary purpose of the RAB is to represent the interests of the general public and to serve
as a community point of contact. RAB members also include the environmental regulators overseeing the base's cleanup, although the RAB itself does
not have regulatory authority.
The next RAB meeting will be held at Southeast Community Commission Facility, Alex Pitcher Room, 1800 Oakdale Avenue on Thursday, October 25, 2007
from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
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Founded in 1998, Literacy for Environmental Justice addresses the ecological
and
health concerns of Bayview Hunters Point and the surrounding communities of southeast San Francisco. Our mission is to foster an understanding
of the principles of environmental justice and urban sustainability in our young people in order to promote the long-term health of our
communities. We define environmental justice as the right of all people to clean water, safe energy, healthy food, non-toxic homes and schools,
open space, and equitable educational and employment opportunities.
