Community Environmental Monitoring (CEM) ‏ NGO: The Other Media

1. Community Environmental Monitoring (CEM)‏ NGO: The Other Media

2. What is Community Environmental Monitoring? • A project of the Other Media for environment, pollution, toxics and health related work. • Initiated in December 2003 among the communities of SIPCOT Industrial Complex, Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu. • In pollution impacted communities in: Mettur, Kodaikanal, Eloor and Edayar industrial areas in Kochi, Kerela • 2008-2009 - Trichy, Tamil Nadu, Mangalore, Andhra Pradesh and in Goa. • 2010 - Cement dust pollution impacted areas of Chhattisgarh • Assisting the residents of the region in understanding what is wrong with their environment and more importantly who should be accountable for the violations.

3. Objectives • To bring together members of pollution impacted communities fighting similar battles • To provide solidarity, media, research, technical and legal support to pollution impacted communities • To develop and deploy Community Environmental and Health Monitoring models

4. CEM Activities in 2009 • April 2009, CEM organised a week long film festival in collaboration with other organisations with the aim of raising awareness on the various environmental and human rights issue that surrounds us. • CEM conducted a visit to Budumuru village in Vishakapattnam district of AP where the community has been significantly impacted by the operations Nagarjuna Agri Chem Ltd, a pesticide manufacturing unit. • Conducted a 2 day trianing and took samples • June 2009, a day long awareness workshop in Chengalpattu district near Chennai • CEM along with GCM and RECONCILE (Kenya) and Groundwork (South Africa) conducted a week long training and toxic tours in Kenya and South Africa among the pollution impacted communities. • July 2009, CEM along with other community groups conducted a two day fact-finding visit in the coastal district of Tuticorin • CEM also organised a successful AGM action on Chemplast Sanmar, a unit responsible for massive pollution in Mettur.

5. CEM Activities 2009 • August 2009 CEM in Kodaikanal - organised lobby meetings with TNPCB on the issues of mercury clean up by Hindustan Lever Ltd in Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu. • Assisted in research on various litigations filed and pursued on pollution related issues in Cuddalore and Mettur. • September CEM in Goa - Strategy meetings and air sampling exercises were organised with the communities in Goa and Mangalore. • In Goa there were also meetings organised with the state pollution control board representatives discussing the environmental violations of Syngenta.

6. CEM Activities in 2009 • CEM along with its partner Global Community Monitor (GCM) organised trainings in Israel and three pollution impacted communities of Thailand in the month of October. • Dec CEM in Chhattisgarh • CEM along with Corporate Accountability Desk, NFFPFW and Chhatishgarh Mahila Adhikar Manch organised a two day fact-finding to Chanta district of Chhattisgarh investigating the possible impacts of at least eight new coal fired thermal power plants within a radius of eight kilometers. • Investigated the pollution caused by Lafarge Cements plant near Raipur.

7. CEM 2010 (Cuddalore) • 1. Continue and strengthen the ongoing monitoring exercise in SIPCOT Cuddalore • 2. Raise awareness among the community and strengthen the community opposition to new toxic facilities planned for SIPCOT Cuddalore • 3. Build community network by working with different members in the region like children, youth and women. • 4. Build networks with the workers in the region on Occupational Health and Safety issues. • 5. Work towards ensuring basic facilities like hospital, clean drinking water, public distribution system and strengthening the panchayat committees in the villages.

8. CEM 2010 (Mettur) • Continue the research assistance for legal cases for compensation and criminal prosecution of polluter filed by the community members. • 2. Make connections between pollution and its impacts on the daily lives and livelihood of the villagers and create a public opinion on the demands for basic amenities in the region. • 3. Work towards the strengthening the recently formed Mettur Environment Protection Committee (MEPC). MEPC is a coalition of representatives of three villages primarily impacted by the functioning of the existing units in the region with the purpose to combat pollution and protect public health. • Technical, legal, logistical and media support for the community efforts to get polluters to remediate contaminated lands and groundwater in Mettur and other pollution impacted places (on request from community only).

9. CEM 2010 (Others) • Got involved in Trichy, TN, Mangalore, AP, Goa in 2009. Plan to continue these in 2010 • CEM has also received a request to initiate training and monitoring work in the Cement dust pollution impacted areas of Chhattisgarh. CEM would conduct its first training in the month of March 2010.

10. Budget • 13245 USD for the 2010 activities. • Major component is salary. • CEM Coordinator 20,000/month 2,40,000/year 5333 USD • CEM Coordinator Cuddalore 8000/Month 96,000/Year 2133USD • CEM Coordinator – Mettur 10000/Month 1,20,000/Year 2667USD • Bay area can fund say 5 to 6K USD.