Goods Movement 101: A training model for community engagement and education

In Southern California, the growth and development of large ports and transportation corridors to accommodate the distribution of imported goods throughout the state and to the rest of the country has resulted in the release of thousands of tons of polluting emissions each year. Goods movement poses an issue of environmental injustice by placing a disproportionate burden of this pollution on the primarily low-income and communities of color living in close proximity to areas such as ports, freeways and railways. Historically, these heavily impacted communities have not had access or opportunity to participate in critical decision making processes regarding land use and development. As a result, community concerns regarding health, safety and quality of life issues have not been given consideration when decisions are made related to the development and expansion of goods movement systems and infrastructure. In order to provide skills and training to community residents to build their capacity to participate in dialogue and decisions regarding goods movement development, the poster's authors developed and pilot tested a “Goods Movement 101” training course. Community based organizations in Southern California are currently using the training curriculum to teach local residents about how their communities are impacted by goods movement pollution. The poster will demonstrate the ways in which the Goods Movement 101 training has been utilized to educate, engage and empower community residents and public health advocates to meaningfully participate in efforts to reduce the harmful impacts of goods movement, improve community health and work towards building healthier environments.