Press Release

Noted Environmental Health Expert, Shankar Prasad, joins the Coalition for Clean Air

(Sacramento) Noted expert in environmental health and the former Deputy Secretary for Science and Environmental Justice for the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal-EPA) has joined our staff. Dr. Shankar Prasad will serve as an Executive Fellow for CCA, supporting the organization's work on global warming, freight transportation, toxics, and California's State Implementation Plan for air pollution.

"It is very rare that a small non-profit organization has the opportunity to bring on someone with Dr. Prasad's knowledge and experience. We know he will help us and our allies advocate more effectively for pollution reductions and protecting the health of all Californians," said Tim Carmichael, CCA's Senior Policy Director.

Dr. Prasad has more than 21 years of experience working in environmental health research and policy development. At Cal-EPA he initiated and completed the agency's efforts to assess the quality and role of Science in the decision-making process and secured funding to incorporate cumulative impacts consideration into the regulatory process. Prior to his move to Cal-EPA, Dr. Prasad served as Health Advisor at the California Air Resources Board, where he played a key role in the board's adoption of environmental justice policies, helping to secure $1.5 million in funding to assess cumulative and disproportionate impacts, which he regards as one of his careers greatest accomplishments.

A physician by training, Dr. Prasad also worked as a Health Effects Officer at the South Coast Quality Air Management District and served on various federal and state scientific policy review panels. In addition to being a member of the National Environmental Justice Advisory Committee, he also Co-Chairs its Goods Movement Working Group

Dr. Prasad is eager to bring his experience to the nonprofit advocacy sector.

"I hope that the advocacy expertise of this organization and my experience can be combined to promote clean air policies focused on reducing cumulative and disproportionate impacts," he said. Dr. Prasad says this will be his greatest challenge yet, "taking the lead in recommending policies to reduce both air pollution and climate change impacts" that will have a positive, lasting impact on California's communities.

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