Events that have had a significant impact on the evolution of this organization include the Love Canal disaster in 1978, the Bhopal Gas Tragedy in 1984, and other highlighted dangers from industrial and agricultural pollution that garnered public attention and were critical to raising awareness and the necessity for stronger environmental regulations to be advocated for.
Community-led research under the CBE has provided extensive documentation on the impacts of environmental and health conditions from pollution in low-income communities of color in California.
CBE played an instrumental role in the passage of the California Environmental Justice Act in 1999, which mandated that state agencies identify and address the disproportionate impacts on marginalized communities in California.
