The City of Arvin has a population of more than 21,000, with 29.3% of the community at the Federal poverty level or lower. The City’s household median income is $35,609 versus the U.S. national household median income of $56,516. The City is linguistically isolated, with 97% of the population speaking Spanish as a first language, and, of those, 48% do not speak English fluently or at all.
In 2007, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cited Arvin as having the worst air quality in the country. According to the Cal Enviro Screen 3.0, the City still ranks in the 85-98.1% percentiles for a disadvantaged community suffering from a high pollution burden.
Arvin suffers from a lack of tree canopy, recreational activities for youth and seniors, access to retail and commerce, safe drinking water, streets, and sidewalks throughout the city.
The City of Arvin is located in one of the poorest and most heavily polluted areas of Kern County. The community is severely impacted by emissions from commercial fleets, industrial discharge, container trucks, and highway traffic within the Kern County limits. During the summer months, Arvin transforms into a sweltering heat island of thick hot wavy air. To improve air quality, the City is an early adopter of alternative fuel vehicles and renewable energy. Challenged by the inequities of air pollution, water contamination, and poverty, the City approaches energy reduction and greenhouse gases using a multi-layered methodology. This methodology includes implementing LED light conversion, solar power, electric vehicle charging stations, EV Fleet Conversion, Urban Greening, and Urban Forestry projects.
In the last two years, Arvin replaced City facility lighting in multiple buildings to LEDs, installed solar on the transit building to power two buildings, conducted an energy assessment study, converted to LED outdoor lighting, and is currently working with PG&E and Staples energy to replace non-LED streetlamps. The City is implementing an Urban Greening Program as well as an Urban Forestry Program to strategically plant trees, develop an Urban Forestry Plan, capture stormwater, and reduce the heat island effect within the City. Arvin, in collaboration with the SJV Clean Energy Organization and ICLEI, established it’s very first Greenhouse Gas Emissions baseline and continues its mission to bring energy reduction and greenhouse gas reduction programs to its community.
In 2019, Arvin received a Regional Award of Merit by the Kern Council of Governments for innovative transportation in its implementation of Zero Emissions buses and electric vehicle charging stations. Arvin plans to roll out a fleet of 3 new electric buses for its transit operation in 2020.
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