IVAN Network

Identifying Violations Affecting Neighborhoods (IVAN):

The IVAN program is a community-based environmental monitoring and enforcement system created by Comite Civico del Valle in 2007 and later expanded by the Central California Environmental Justice Network (CCEJN) to Fresno, Kern, and Tulare counties. Residents report environmental issues (such as pesticide drift, refinery smoke, or oil leaks) to CCEJN, who then reports the complaints to the appropriate regulatory agencies. CCEJN works with agencies through monthly meetings to address the problems. The development and implementation of the IVAN model marked a turning point in environmental justice history. IVAN empowers residents of disadvantaged communities to participate in solving environmental concerns; it leverages institutional knowledge of government systems for the benefit of residents; it improves transparency in environmental reporting; and it improves government accountability toward communities that have been historically neglected. Most importantly, the IVAN program promotes the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of people of all races, cultures, and incomes with respect to the enforcement of environmental laws.