Jesse Marquez, tireless defender of L.A. port communities, dies at 74

"Each sheet of paper, he told the commissioners, bore the name of a Wilmington resident killed by respiratory illness. Wedged between two of the country's busiest ports, the neighborhood is dotted with oil refineries, chemical plants, railyards and freeways. It's one of several portside communities known by some as a "diesel death zone," where residents are more likely to die from cancer than just about anywhere else in the L.A. Basin."

"He knocked on doors, installed air monitors, counted oil wells, built coalitions, staged demonstrations, fought legal battles and affected policy. He dove deep into impenetrable environmental impact documents. "Before Jesse, there was no playbook." Earthjustice attorney Adrian Martinez said in an interview. "What was remarkable from the beginning is that Jesse wasn't afraid to write stuff down, to demand things, to spend lots of time scouring for evidence.""

"Marquez, founder of the Coalition for a Safe Environment, or CFASE, died surrounded by family in his Orange County home Nov. 3. His death was due to complications after he was struck by a vehicle while in a crosswalk in January. He was 74. "He was one of a kind," Martinez said. "He had a fierce independence and really believed in speaking up for himself and his community. He played an instrumental role in centering Wilmington in the fight for environmental justice.""

Jesse Marquez founded the Coalition for a Safe Environment (CFASE) and led sustained community activism against pollution in Wilmington, a densely industrial portside neighborhood. He documented respiratory and cancer deaths, installed air monitors, counted oil wells, built coalitions, staged demonstrations, and pursued legal action to hold ports and refineries accountable. His advocacy produced tangible gains, including a $200-million green-space buffer during a port expansion fight and efforts to close pollution loopholes. He scrutinized environmental impact documents and demanded evidence-based protections. Marquez died Nov. 3 at 74 from complications after being struck by a vehicle in January. His work centered Wilmington in environmental-justice campaigns.

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