PRESS RELEASE
-For Immediate Release-
September 10, 2008

Contact: Brian Gumm, (202) 683-4812, bgumm@ombwatch.org

Caroline Farrell Wins Award for Outstanding Public Interest Work in the Central Valley

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10, 2008—OMB Watch is pleased to announce that Caroline Farrell, Directing Attorney at the Center on Race, Poverty, and the Environment's (CRPE) Delano office in California, has won a Public Interest Rising Star Award for her outstanding public interest work in Kern County and beyond. She has an undergraduate degree from Bates College and a law degree from Golden Gate University School of Law.

The Public Interest Rising Star Awards are part of OMB Watch's year-long 25th Anniversary celebration. They honor the outstanding, dedicated work of younger people and encourage their continued pursuit of government accountability, citizen participation, or social justice. Public Interest Rising Star Award winners will be recognized at OMB Watch's 25th Anniversary event in Washington, DC, the evening of Sept. 17.

Farrell's peers describe her as a relentless and accomplished advocate for environmental justice throughout California's Central Valley. In her time with CRPE, she has taken on agribusiness, oil companies, and developers in her effort to protect the civil and environmental rights of low-income communities of color. Through her work, she has consistently ensured that underserved communities have a voice at the table when environmental and land-use plans are made.

Upon learning of the award, Farrell said, "I am honored to be recognized by such a well respected organization for doing the work that I love."

Gary D. Bass, Executive Director at OMB Watch, offered his congratulations. "Far too often, big-monied special interests try to get away with paving over sensitive areas, poisoning our air and water, and causing great harm to our health. Unfortunately, the effects of these nefarious activities are disproportionately felt in low-income communities of color. Caroline has had the tenacity and courage to stand up and say 'No!' to big polluters and irresponsible land-use plans. Her work has provided immeasurable benefits to the residents of the Central Valley, which is one of the many reasons I'm proud that OMB Watch is presenting Caroline with one of five Public Interest Rising Star Awards."

The full list of award winners is available at /files/25th. There were roughly 100 nominees considered for the award. For more information about OMB Watch, see http://www.ombwatch.org/article/archive/250.

* * * * *

Caroline Farrell Bio

Caroline Farrell is the Directing Attorney of the Delano Office of the Center on Race, Poverty and the Environment, otherwise called CRPE, in California. CRPE is an environmental justice organization with a three-prong mission: (1) to empower individuals through capacity building trainings; (2) to work with communities to participate in the decision making processes which affect their lives; and (3) to address the environmental problems facing low-income communities and communities of color.

Caroline has been has been working with low-income communities and communities of color in the Central Valley for the last nine years. Caroline has represented low-income communities and communities of color on issues related to dairy development in the Central Valley, hazardous waste facilities, land application of biosolids, and industrial pollution. Caroline serves of on the Board of Directors of Communities for a Better Environment. She co-authored with Luke Cole Structural Racism, Structural Pollution and the Need for a New Paradigm for the Washington University Journal of Law & Policy. Last year she authored an article, SB 115: California's Response to Environmental Justice — Process over Substance, for the Golden Gate Environmental Law Journal.

Caroline graduated from Golden Gate University School of Law in 1999 with Highest Honors. She received her undergraduate degree in Political Science from Bates College in Lewiston, Maine.

# # #

OMB Watch is a nonprofit government watchdog organization dedicated to promoting government accountability, citizen participation in public policy decisions, and the use of fiscal and regulatory policy to serve the public interest