East Palo Alto has a toxic legacy shaped by decades of underrepresentation in land use decisions—and now that legacy is at greater risk due to EPA funding and staff cuts. In this opinion piece, Miriam Yupanqui describes how the EPA oversees long-term remediation after the Romic Environmental Technologies site contaminated local neighborhoods, and why weakened oversight threatens timely cleanup. With the growing challenge of climate-driven groundwater rise and the spread of harmful pollutants, we need stronger federal oversight. The article also highlights community-led action through the Peninsula Accountability for Contamination Team (PACT), a coalition advocating for contaminated site cleanup and infrastructure resilience. Read the full article here.
