Dear members and supporters,

On our agenda this month:

• • • Presentation: Valero Remediation.  Our July 8^th meeting is jointly sponsored by Progressive Democrats of Benicia and the Benicia Community Air Monitoring Program
    • Vote on bylaw amendments by members (proposed amendments have been sent to all members)

To get the zoom link to the meeting please email progressivedemocratsofbenicia@gmail.com. We will send the zoom link to members the day before the meeting.

Guest Speakers:

Cary Secrest a former EPA employee who worked for US EPA from 1989 to 2022.  During this time, Mr. Secrest led CAA inspections at facilities such as refineries, chemical plants, coke ovens, and organic liquid storage terminals using Next Generation Compliance advanced monitoring techniques for Air Toxics emissions.  He developed and implemented investigative methods using advanced pollution monitoring techniques and complex data analyses to identify unlawful emissions.  He currently works for Argos Scientific, the contractor that runs the BCAMP air monitoring station.

Eric Stevenson  a chemical engineer with over 35 years of experience in the environmental field. He has designed remediation systems, performed air pollution emissions permitting, testing and monitoring, and recently retired as the Director of Meteorology and Measurement at the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, managing the Air Monitoring, Laboratory, Source Test, Meteorology, Quality Assurance and Data Management sections. He was a member of various committees and work groups dealing with air quality issues on a local, state and national level, including the National Association of Clean Air Agencies (NACAA) Air Monitoring Steering Committee, charged with interfacing with the U.S. EPA to develop monitoring rules and guidance. He now works as the Global Director of Technology Innovation for Argos Scientific.

Ann Alexander   has more than 25 years of environmental legal and policy advocacy experience in not-for-profit, government, and law school clinical settings, fighting for community and environmental justice. Her work has been covered extensively in the media.
She has worked to support communities, advocates, and environmental change makers in environmental law and legal matters, strategy development and implementation.  Her areas of expertise include fossil fuels (oil and gas extracting, orphan wells, refining), just transition, environmental justice, community advocacy, environmental review policy (including NEPA and CEQA), climate policy, clean energy and transmission siting, and clean water.