NEJAC January Teleconference Meeting

National Environmental Justice Advisory Council Public Teleconference Meeting Wednesday, January 23, 2013

The National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC) will host a public teleconference meeting on Wednesday, January 23, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. Eastern Time. The primary topic of discussion will be promoting community resiliency in overburdened industrial waterfront areas.

There will be a public comment period from 3:15 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. Eastern Time. Members of the public are encouraged to provide comments relevant to the topics of the meeting.
To Register

• Register Online
• By Email: Send an email to with "Register for the NEJAC January 2013 Teleconference" in the subject line.
• By Phone: Leave a voice message at 877-773-0779.

When registering, please provide your name, organization, city and state, email address, and telephone number for follow up. Please also state whether you would like to be put on the list to provide public comment, and whether you are submitting written comments before the Friday, January 11, 2013, deadline. Non-English speaking attendees wishing to arrange for a foreign language interpreter may also make appropriate arrangements using the email address or telephone number.

Members of the public who wish to attend or to provide public comment must pre-register by 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, January 11, 2013. Individuals or groups making remarks during the public comment period will be limited to five minutes. To accommodate the large number of people who want to address the NEJAC, only one representative of a community, organization, or group will be allowed to speak. Written comments can also be submitted for the record. The suggested format for individuals providing public comments is as follows: name of speaker; name of organization/community; city and state; and email address; brief description of the concern, and what you want the NEJAC to advise EPA to do.

Written comments received by 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, January 11, 2013, will be included in the materials distributed to the NEJAC prior to the teleconference. Written comments received after that time will be provided to the NEJAC as time allows. All written comments should be sent to EPA’s support contractor, APEX Direct, Inc., via email.

Information about Services for Individuals with Disabilities: For information about access or services for individuals with disabilities, please contact Ms. Estela Rosas, APEX Direct, Inc., at 877-773-0779 or via email.

EPA Seeks Nominations for Annual Environmental Quality Awards

Each year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency honors businesses, individuals, governments and organizations that have contributed significantly to improving the environment and protecting public health in New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and eight federally recognized Indian Nations over the past year.

EPA is now seeking nominations for this annual award. Winners will be honored at an awards event in April 2013. Each winner will receive a plaque recognizing her or his environmental achievement at a ceremony during Earth Week. The Agency is accepting nominations for its Environmental Quality Awards until February 19, 2013.

EPA wants to recognize businesses, individuals, organizations and government agencies that often blaze the trail on a range of environmental protection and public health issues. Everyone is encouraged to submit nominations that illustrate outstanding environmental accomplishments. The awards recognize achievement in six categories:

•   Business and Industry
•    Individual Citizen
•    Non-Profit Organization, Environmental or Community Group
•    Environmental Education
•    Federal, State, Local or Tribal Government or Agency
•    Print and Broadcast Media

For award criteria, prior winners and nomination instructions, visit EPA's Environmental Quality Award webpage.

For additional information, please contact Elizabeth Myer, Public Affairs Division, at (212) 637-3860.

EPA January Community Call Jan 17

EPA Environmental Justice Quarterly Community Outreach Call - January 17, 2013. Additional details will follow in January.

Administrator Lisa P. Jackson has made Expanding the Conversation on Environmentalism and Working for Environmental Justice one of EPA’s top priorities. In support of this priority, we invite environmental justice advocates to participate on our next Environmental Justice Community Outreach Call, which will take place on January 17, 2012.

The purpose of these calls is to provide information to participants about the Agency’s EJ activities and maintain an open dialogue with EJ advocates. As EPA continues to advance Plan EJ 2014, the Agency hopes that these calls will better inform the public about EPA’s EJ work and enhance opportunities to take advantage of federal activities.

Listen to, or read about, previous calls.

We are taking suggestions on agenda topics for the upcoming call. After receiving your suggestions, we will select the topic(s) that are of general concern to communities. Please keep in mind that the call will only last one hour, so the number of topics discussed will be limited. Submit a topic.

For more information about the Administrator’s priorities

For more information about Plan EJ 2014

EPA Announces 2012 EJ Small Grants

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a total of $1.2 million in competitive grants awarded to 50 non-profit and tribal organizations working to address environmental justice issues nationwide. The grants enable non-profit organizations to conduct research, provide education, and develop solutions to local health and environmental issues in low-income communities overburdened by harmful pollution.

The 2012 grants support activities that address a range of community concerns including restoring and protecting waterways, reducing exposure to air pollutants from diesel exhaust and seeking healthier alternatives to household pesticides.

Environmental justice is defined as the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of race or income, in the environmental decision-making process. Since 1994, EPA’s environmental justice small grants program has supported projects to address environmental justice issues in more than 1,300 communities. The grants represent EPA’s continued commitment to expand the conversation on environmentalism and advance environmental justice in communities across the nation.

2012 EJ Small Grant recipients and project descriptions

More information about EPA’s Environmental Justice Small Grants program

Request for Proposals (RFP) for the FY 2013 Environmental Justice Small Grants and schedule of pre-application teleconference calls.

Detroiters Working For Environmental Justice

Mission

Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice works with communities to create cleaner, healthier and safer neighborhoods.

Vision

DWEJ envisions Detroit as a vibrant urban center in SE Michigan where all thrive in environmental, economic, and social health. We aim to foster sustainable communities by:

• Reducing health hazards
• Encouraging sustainable development
• Influencing economic vitality in the communities we serve

Background

Since 1994, DWEJ has been a voice for environmental justice in Michigan. Historically, minority and low-income populations have suffered disproportionately from environmental pollution, often because they have the least capacity to respond. DWEJ is dedicated to empowering urban residents to take a meaningful role in the decision-making process surrounding environmental concerns in their own communities.

They are also about building connections—between jobs and a healthy environment, community development and environmental justice, community-driven policy and economic development.

Guy Williams, CEO

Guy Williams is a DWEJ founding member and also served for many years on the Board of Directors. He has been the CEO of DWEJ for two years.  Williams was formerly the owner of the consulting firm G.O. Williams & Associates, LLC. He waas previously Program Manager at Fair Food Foundation, Sr. Director, Community Relations and Great Lakes Regional Director at National Wildlife Federation, He is a graduate of Bucknell University.

 

He served as Chair of the Washtenaw County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, on the board of the S.E. Michigan Sustainable Business Forum and Vice-Chair of the national board of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. He is a member of the External Advisory Committee of the University of Michigan’s Center for Sustainable Systems, Great Lakes Leadership Academy Board of Governors and the Michigan Green Chemistry Roundtable.

Williams is a registered lobbyist in the State of Michigan, board member of Eastern Market Corporation (Detroit), recent past president of the Legacy Land Conservancy and board member of Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice.

A Review of State-Level Analytical Approaches for Evaluating Disproportionate Environmental Health Impacts

Abstract

While many federal agencies are undertaking environmental justice-related activities to respond to Executive Order 12898 issued by President Clinton in 1994: “Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations,” there is a lack of guidance on how to assess disproportionate human health or environmental effects of agency programs, policies, and actions on minority and low-income populations. Meanwhile, many state governments are now developing their own strategies for identifying disproportionate environmental health impacts and addressing environmental justice concerns.

The purpose of this study is to review the diversity of state-level approaches and methodologies for conducting disproportionate environmental health impact evaluations as part of their environmental justice programs and initiatives. We found state approaches to these assessments, often called “environmental justice analyses” range from simple qualitative evaluations of demographic indicators, such as race and income, to complex quantitative analyses of environmental health hazards such as statistical modeling across populations and geographic regions.

In spite of the progress many states have made to develop methods for disproportionate environmental health impact assessment, several challenges remain such as linking these evaluation approaches to health risks so as to be useful in regulatory decision making, greater quantity and variety of robust data sets at the proper spatial resolution, increased funding to implement programs over the long-term, and collaboration among relevant governmental agencies at all levels. (Mary Ann Liebert)

Author information

Devon Payne-Sturges, Amalia Turner, Jessica Wignall, Arlene Rosenbaum, Elizabeth Dederick, and Heather Dantzker

Dr. Payne-Sturges is Assistant Center Director for Human Health at ORD/National Center for Environmental Research in Washington, DC. Ms. Turner is a senior associate at ICF International in Durham, North Carolina. Ms. Wignall is an Environmental Sciences and Engineering MSPH candidate at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Ms. Rosenbaum is a technical director at ICF International in Rohnert Park, California. Dr. Dederick is a manager at ICF International in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania. Dr. Dantzker is a manager at ICF International in Fairfax, Virginia.

Address correspondence to:

Devon C. Payne-Sturges

Assistant Center Director for Human Health

ORD/National Center for Environmental Research

1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Mail Code 8723P

Washington, DC 20460-0001

E-mail: payne-sturges.devon@epa.gov

2013 EPA Environmental Justice Small Grants

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that it is seeking applicants for a total of $1.5 million in environmental justice small grants to be awarded in 2013. EPA’s environmental justice efforts aim to ensure equal environmental and health protections for all Americans, regardless of race or socioeconomic status. The grants enable non-profit organizations to conduct research, provide education and develop solutions to local health and environmental issues in communities overburdened by harmful pollution. Grants are available for up to $30,000 each.

The 2013 grant solicitation is now open and will close on Jan. 7, 2013. Applicants must be incorporated non-profits or tribal organizations working to educate, empower and enable their communities to understand and address local environmental and public health issues. EPA will host four pre-application teleconference calls on Oct. 30, 2012; Nov. 14, 2012; Dec. 1, 2012; and Dec. 13, 2012 to help applicants understand the requirements.

Previous grants have supported activities including projects to better protect children in the Boston-area from incidences of lead poisoning and asthma attacks, conduct research on air quality in a portside Philadelphia community and provide support to residents on the Red Lake Reservation in Minnesota to repair failing septic systems and identify water that is unsafe to drink.

The principles of environmental justice uphold the idea that all communities overburdened by pollution – particularly minority, low income and indigenous communities – deserve the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards, equal access to the decision-making process and a healthy environment in which to live, learn and work. Since 1994, the environmental justice small grants program has provided funding in more than 1,300 communities, to community-based non-profit organizations and local governments working to address environmental justice issues. The grants represent EPA’s commitment to expand the conversation on environmentalism and advance environmental justice in communities across the nation.

More information about the Environmental Justice Small Grants program

Environment Justice Small Grants 2013 Request for Proposals and schedule of pre-application teleconference calls

University of Maryland EJ Symposium

First Annual Symposium On Environmental Justice And Environmental Health Disparities In Maryland And DC - Details

The Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health and the Program on Community Engagement, Environmental Justice and Health (CEEJH) are pleased to announce "First Annual Symposium on Environmental Justice and Environmental Health Disparities in Maryland and Washington, DC". The Symposium will be held on Saturday December 1, 2012, 9:00-AM to 4:00-PM; at the Adele H. Stamp Student Union Building at University of Maryland, College Park, MD.

This symposium will serve as a forum for the exchange of ideas among community members, researchers, public health practitioners, policymakers, students, and advocates on environmental justice issues and health disparities the region. The goal of this symposium is to establish and sustain a community engaged research enterprise on critical environmental health disparities and environmental justice issues, to raise the visibility of racial and ethnic environmental health disparities and feasible solutions with Marylanders, DC residents, and regional stakeholders, and facilitate action for change. In addition, this meeting will focus on intergenerational leadership development on environmental justice and health issues with a series of activities for youth from the region. A major outcome of this meeting is seeding the establishment of a community-driven regional environmental justice network.

This meeting is being sponsored by Hoff Funding Board, an organization that promotes the creation of community by providing the highest quality programming, services, and resources that meet the unique needs of students, staff, faculty, and visitors.

This meeting is sponsored by the Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health (MIAEH) Program on Community Engagement, Environmental Justice, and Health (CEEJH), Maryland Environmental Health Network (MEHN), Environmental Integrity Project (EIP), Children's Environmental Health Network (CEHN), Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future (CLF), United States Environmental Protect Agency (USEPA), State of Maryland, Office of Minority Health, Anacostia Watershed Society, Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, the Hoff Funding Board, and Dance Exchange. (CEEJH)

View the Agenda

For more information, please contact:

Dr. Sacoby Wilson, PhD, MS - swilson2@umd.edu This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Laura Dalemarre, MPH - ldalemar@umd.edu This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 301-405-5706

Webinar on EPA's Environmental Job Training Program

You are cordially invited to join

Mathy Stanislaus, Assistant Administrator of the Office of Solid Waste & Emergency Response of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

for a

Webinar & Conversation on EPA's Environmental Job Training Program Friday, September 21^st,  3:00 p.m. EDT

The webinar will highlight EPA’s Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training Grant Program that provides funding to recruit, train, and place unemployed individuals residing in waste-impacted communities with the skills needed to secure employment in the environmental field. In addition to the Assistant Administrator, participants will learn about the program from previous grantee and program leaders.

If you are able to attend, please register by 3pm, Wednesday, September 19th. Upon receipt of your rsvp, you will receive a confirmation email with more details.

*****************

Note: Prospective applicants include government entities, states, tribes, nonprofit organizations, community colleges and workforce investment boards. For more information on EPA’s Environmental Workforce Development & Job Training Grant Program, please visit www.epa.gov/brownfields/job.htm

EPA’s Building Blocks for Sustainable

Learn about technical assistance available through EPA’s Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities Program

On Friday, Sept. 21, join EPA’s Office of Sustainable Communities for an overview of free technical assistance available to communities through EPA’s Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities Program. This program provides short-term, targeted technical assistance to help communities implement smart growth development approaches, such as creating a green streets strategy, linking land use to water quality, or conducting a walking audit.

This webinar will focus on assistance available directly from EPA and from four EPA grantees:

ForTerra, Project for Public Spaces, Smart Growth America, and Global Green. Participants will learn about the types of assistance available and how to apply. EPA’s call for letters of interest will be released the day before this webinar. This round, EPA will be offering assistance to help local governments and community organizations support equitable development. Assistance recipients will learn about locally relevant approaches to provide housing and transportation choices for residents of all income levels, preserve and strengthen diverse local businesses, enhance access to jobs, and ensure that revitalization is fair and inclusive.

Webinar Details Friday, Sept. 21, 2012, 1:00-2:30 Eastern

No pre-registration is required. Call 1-888-850-4523. Participant passcode: 719661.

This conference has a maximum audio capacity of 299 callers, so participants may wish to share lines.

• Please test your computer prior to attending the meeting 

• The Connection Test checks your computer to make sure all system requirements are met. If you pass the first three steps of the test, then you are ready to participate in a meeting.

Warren County, NC EJ Legacy Celebration Announcement

On Saturday, September 15, 2012 the citizens of Warren County, North Carolina will commemorate and celebrate their legacy as the birthplace of the environment justice movement. Thirty years ago, the state of North Carolina dumped 40,000 cubic yards of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contaminated soil in the Afton Community of Warren County. It was thought that the mostly black, rural, and low wealth residents would not fight back. Well they did, and they were joined by people from all over the country as they marched on Raleigh, laid in front of dump trucks, and brought national attention to environmental injustice everywhere. Their actions started a movement that has spread around the world.

This unique PCB Landfill Protest Reunion and Environmental Justice Birthplace 30th Anniversary Celebration - Theme: "Telling Our Story - Building Our Future" will be held at the Coley Springs Missionary Baptist Church, 224 Parktown Road, Warrenton, NC 27589 Saturday, September 15, 2012 starting at 8:00 am, and continue until 2:00 pm. For more information please contact Bill Kearney (252) 257-1491, email address: handsincorporated@earthlink.net 

EPA Environmental Justice Community Outreach Call

September 20, 2012 at 5 p.m. ET

Administrator Lisa P. Jackson has made Expanding the Conversation on Environmentalism and Working for Environmental Justice one of EPA's top priorities. In support of this priority, EPA invites environmental justice advocates to participate on the next Environmental Justice Community Outreach Call, which will take place on Thursday, September 20, 2012 at 5 p.m. ET.

The purpose of these calls is to provide information to participants about the Agency's EJ activities and maintain an open dialogue with EJ advocates. As EPA continues to advance Plan EJ 2014, the Agency hopes that these calls will better inform the public about EPA's EJ work and enhance opportunities to take advantage of federal activities. Listen to, or read about, previous calls.

EPA is  taking suggestions on agenda topics for the upcoming call. After receiving your suggestions, we will select the topic(s) that are of general concern to communities. Please keep in mind that the call will only last one hour, so the number of topics discussed will be limited. Submit a topic.

For more information about the Administrator's priorities

For more information about Plan EJ 2014

NEJAC Teleconference Meeting Sept 21, 2012

The National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC) will host a public teleconference meeting on Friday, September 21, 2012, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The primary topic of discussion will be an update from the NEJAC's Indigenous Peoples Work Group. This NEJAC public teleconference meeting is open to the public. There will be a public comment period from 2:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Members of the public are encouraged to provide comments relevant to the topic of the meeting. Specifically, comments should respond to how best to:

1. What activities and mechanisms should EPA conduct and develop to work collaboratively with indigenous community-based/grassroots organizations to identify and address environmental justice concerns?
2. What organizational, regulatory, or policy hurdles exist that impede, complicate, or discourage tribal governments and indigenous organizations from effectively working together to address environmental and public health concerns.
3. What are the recommended means and mechanisms for EPA to coordinate and collaborate with other federal agencies to effectively provide environmental justice for indigenous people?

To Register

• By email: Send an email to with "Register for the NEJAC-September 2012, Teleconference" in the subject line. Please provide your name, organization, city and state, email address, and telephone number for future follow up.
• By phone or fax: Send a fax (please print), or leave a voice message, with your name, organization, city and state, email address, and telephone number to 877-773-1489. Please specify which meeting you are registering to attend (e.g., NEJAC-September 2012 Teleconference). Please also state whether you would like to be put on the list to provide public comment, and whether you are submitting written comments before the Monday, September 17 deadline. Non-English speaking attendees wishing to arrange for a foreign language interpreter may also make appropriate arrangements using the email address or telephone/fax number.

Members of the public who wish to attend or to provide public comment must pre-register by 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Monday, September 17, 2012. Individuals or groups making remarks during the public comment period will be limited to five minutes. To accommodate the large number of people who want to address the NEJAC, only one representative of a community, organization, or group will be allowed to speak. The suggested format for written public comments is as follows: A brief description of the concern, and what you want the NEJAC to advise EPA to do; name of speaker; name of organization/community; city and state; and email address.

Written comments received by 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Monday, September 17, 2012, will be included in the materials distributed to the members of the NEJAC prior to the teleconference meeting. Written comments received after that time will be provided to the NEJAC as time allows.
All written comments should be sent to EPA's support contractor, APEX Direct, Inc., via e-mail or fax at 877-773-1489.

Information about Services for Individuals with Disabilities:

For information about access or services for individuals with disabilities, please contact Ms. Estela Rosas, APEX Direct, Inc., at 877-773-1489 or via e-mail.

EJ Implications of DC Stormwater Retention Program

In addition to evaluating stormwater retention, the DC Department of the Environment (DDOE) considered how the program might create or exacerbate stormwater pollution hotspots. For the purposes of this analysis, DDOE considered stormwater pollution hotspots to be parts of waterbodies with disproportionate stormwater pollution impacts, either in terms of erosive volumes or the pollutants in that volume. Several important points support DDOE’s conclusion that stormwater retention credits (SRC) trading is not likely to have a net negative impact, and may have a net positive impact, in terms of hotspots.

 

First, off-site retention will result in the installation of more BMPs retaining stormwater from developed areas that currently have little or no retention. In addition to providing more overall retention, as discussed above, the volume retained by these BMPs will be more heavily composed of first-flush volume. First-flush volume is the volume that washes off a site during the beginning of a rainstorm, and it tends to have higher concentrations of pollutants than the volume washing off at later points in the storm.

Second, with or without off-site retention, all regulated development sites in the District will achieve significantly more retention than is currently being achieved under the status quo (DDOE’s existing regulations do not require retention).

Third, the location of off-site retention BMPs is likely to provide more protection for the relatively vulnerable non-tidal tributaries to the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers and Rock Creek, as compared to strict on-site retention. DDOE assumes a typical off-site retention scenario would shift retention from regulated sites with high retention costs in the densely developed downtown to retrofit sites outside of the downtown core, where the cost of retention is significantly lower. These sites outside of the downtown core typically drain into the relatively vulnerable tributaries. By contrast, much of the District’s downtown core drains into the tidal Anacostia and Potomac Rivers. Because of their size and tidal mixing, these waters are generally less sensitive to erosive flow and localized pollutant impacts than the tributaries. In short, off-site retention is likely to result in a further increase in protection for the District’s tributaries (its most vulnerable waters), compared to strict on-site retention. 

DDOE also evaluated the potential impact of off-site retention in terms of Environmental Justice (EJ). DDOE does not expect a negative EJ impact and sees the potential for a positive EJ impact. For the reasons discussed above, DDOE expects that high-cost retention sites in the densely developed and relatively affluent parts of the downtown business district would be relatively likely to forego on-site retention in favor of purchasing SRCs from low-cost retrofit sites in less densely developed and less affluent areas. This could provide a net increase in the installation of aesthetically pleasing green infrastructure in less affluent parts of the District. In addition to these aesthetic benefits, these retention BMPs would provide more protection for the waterbodies in those communities, helping to make them better resources for community members.  (DDOE Proposed Regulations)
 

EPA Region 4 EJ Conference

EPA Region 4’s 2012 Southeast Regional Environmental Justice Conference theme was, “Promoting Environmental Justice through Effective Education, Collaboration, and Mobilization”

ABOUT THE CONFERENCE

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4, Office of Environmental Justice hosted the Regional Environmental Conference on August 16-17, 2012. The conference was held at the Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal Center in Atlanta, GA. The conference goals are:

1. To develop tangible solutions to address environmental, health, and social impacts affecting communities with environmental justice concerns;
2. To educate the attendees on the environmental, health, and social impacts affecting communities with environmental justice concerns; and
3. To provide networking opportunities for environmental justice leaders and organizations.

Over 150 people, representative of all stakeholder groups, attended the conference and built relationships that will benefit their communities and promote sustainable growth. Workshops and sessions were led by experts in their field. Conference Schedule

Purpose:
This conference promoted environmental justice by:

• Identifying the presence and impact of health problems in environmental justice communities;
• Increasing stakeholder understanding of the public health impacts of unequal distribution of environmental pollution;
• Helping stakeholders to identify their problems, develop and implement creative solutions and share project success stories;
• Identifying tools and strategies environmental justice organizations can use to sustain themselves once federal and state funding have ceased;
• Using environmental justice, within each state, as a theme to build partnerships with state and local government officials, community groups, academics, industry and others; and
• Providing technical assistance, such as grant writing training, to help stakeholders advance their environmental justice efforts.

Although the federal government has taken measures to ensure environmental equality, an effective strategy must incorporate perspectives from a diverse group of impacted stakeholders. This conference promoted education, collaboration and mobilization among environmental justice community groups; environmental organizations; federal, state and local government officials; academic institutions; and other interested stakeholders to help us all better identify and implement solutions for communities that are most overburdened by environmental pollution.

Audience:

Communities, States, Local Businesses, Colleges, and Universities in GA, AL, MS, TN, KY, FL, SC and NC

CO-SPONSORS

Alabama Department of Environmental Management
Cardno TBE
Center for Sustainable Communities
DIRTT Environmental Solutions
Emory University, Office of Sustainability Initiatives
Green Group Holdings
MDB, Inc.
Restoration Services, Inc.
Southface
Spelman College
U.S. Climate Action Network
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Secretary for Health
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service

Dana Alston

Remembering An Envirnmental Justice Heroine

Dana Alston

Dana died on August 7, 1999 and the environmental justice movement will never be the same.  This EJ activist worked tirelessly for social and environmental justice. Dana was 47 years old when she died.

Dana Alston received a Bannerman Fellowship in 1992 in recognition of her leadership in the development of the environmental justice movement. The Bannerman Fellowship Program was founded in 1987 on the belief that the most effective approach to achieving progressive social change is by organizing low-income people at the grassroots level. In 2002, the Fellowship Program was renamed the Alston/Bannerman Fellowship Program in honor of Dana Alston. Dana died on August 7, 1999 at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco.

Dana was a native of New York and lived in Washington, D.C. She was in San Francisco for treatment of kidney disease and consequences of a stroke when she died. Her beloved son, Khalil Alston-Cobb, resides in Washington, D.C.

(More)

Is Fracking An Environmental Justice Issue?

Hydraulic fracturing may be one of the top environmental controversies of the moment -- but is it also an environmental justice problem?

It is one of the most high-profile questions facing the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council and a debate that highlights the difficulty in drawing a clear line on what qualifies as an EJ issue.

Earlier this week, the council put the question to Nancy Stoner, U.S. EPA's acting assistant administrator for water. Her office recently released draft guidance on the extraction process, interpreting requirements for wells in which diesel fuel is used in fracking fluid.

Fracking affects the rural poor -- who qualify under the environmental justice definition of a community overburdened with environmental hazards. It is an issue of grave importance in a lot of rural areas to the rural poor and particularly people who rely on well water for their drinking water.  (E&E Publishing, 7/27/2012)

EPA EJ Hot Spots Mapping Tool

The U.S. EPA's "Plan EJ 2014" is a road map for incorporating the needs of poor, minority and overburdened communities in the government's day-to-day activities. Enter EJ Screen is an EPA mapping tool designed to help the agency spot pockets of people whose health has suffered disproportionally over the years because of environmental factors. The database uses census data, poverty levels, toxic emissions and documented pollution events to assign a score to 217,000 geographic "block groups" around the country. The program represents both the advances and the limitations of EPA's effort to bring clarity to the environmental justice effort.

EJ Screen overlays minority and low-income demographics on a map of 217,000 block groups, each having 500 to 5,000 people. (An alternative method under consideration includes additional demographic data including the percentage of people in a block group with less than a high school education, the percentage who speak English, and the number under the age of 5 and over the age of 64.)

EPA then puts that information over a map of environmental factors.  Among the 12 factors EPA has selected for its first version of EJ Screen is air pollution -- including ozone levels and soot from diesel exhaust and smokestacks. The agency also includes data on a community's proximity to environmental hazards including Superfund dumps, water discharge facilities, high traffic areas and buildings built before 1960 that have a high risk for lead paint.

The result is a graphic illustration showing each block group's ranking nationwide for each environmental factor. And the maps can also be used to show how block groups compare by state or by region when it comes to each factor.

But the maps are also limited, EPA. They don't, for example, combine all the environmental factors to show cumulative impacts. For instance, how does one scientifically weigh a person's proximity to a lead paint structure against exposure to particulate matter in the air?  (E&E Publishing, 7/27/2012)

National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC)

Public Meeting: Select Sessions Available via Teleconference

July 24-25, 2012

*REGISTRATION CLOSES JULY 18*

During the upcoming public meeting of the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC) on July 24 and 25, 2012, the following three sessions will be available via audio teleconference to those unable to attend in person:

Teleconference Session 1 (Tuesday, July 24, 1:15-3:45 p.m. Eastern Time)

* EJ in Permitting: Public Engagement Best Practices (1:15-2:00 p.m.)
* EJ/Children's Health Key Performance Indicators Initiative (2:00-2:15 p.m.)
* Nail Salon Worker Health Exposures (2:15-2:45 p.m.)
* Hydraulic Fracturing (2:45-3:45 p.m.)
Teleconference Session 2 (Wednesday, July 25, 9:15-10:15 a.m. Eastern Time)
* ORD 101: An Overview of EPA’s Research Programs
Teleconference Session 3 (Wednesday, July 25, 1:00-2:00 p.m. Eastern Time)
* EPA Tribal Program: An Overview

Separate phone lines will be used for each session, so please be specific about which sessions you want to attend when registering. There will be not be a public comment period during these sessions.
Please note that a limited number of lines will be available. Those who are pre-registered will be given priority over others on a first-come basis, as capacity allows. Participating individuals will be able to hear “real time” presentations and NEJAC member discussions on the topics specified above. The teleconference will be audio only, in an effort to minimize cost.

You can register as follows:

* By E-mail with “Register for the NEJAC-July Teleconference” in the subject line. Please provide your name, organization, city, state, e-mail address, and telephone number for future follow-up; and specify the teleconference session number(s) that you will attend. That is, if you intend to call in for all three teleconference sessions, you must state that. Separate lists will be kept for each teleconference session (1, 2, and 3).

* By Phone or Fax to 877-773-0779 with your name, organization, city, state, e mail address, and telephone number. Please specify “NEJAC-July Teleconference“ and the teleconference session number(s) that you will attend in your fax or voice message.

For more information, please contact or 877-773-0779.

Interagency Working Group Town Hall Meeting.

Interagency Working Group on Environmental Justice Announces a Town Hall Meeting in Durham, North Carolina

The Interagency Working Group on Environmental Justice will hold a community stakeholder meeting in conjunction with the Department of Health and Human Services and other federal partners on Monday, July 16, 2012, from 7pm - 9pm at the Hyati Heritage Center, 804 Old Fayetteville Street, Durham, NC.

These meetings provide an opportunity for stakeholders to discuss best practices and model programs to create more healthy and vibrant communities. Stakeholders include grassroots communities; federal, state, tribal, and local government agencies; business/industry; academics and other interested parties. These regional meetings also provide an opportunity to explore how the federal government can meet its responsibilities and work effectively with communities experiencing environmental justice issues.



Doors open at 6:00 pm.


This events are open to the public.

The Washington Times Reports on EJ Conference

Environmental justice: A new movement to restrict your movement



Environmental justice: Hope and change, or power and control?

Southeast Regional Environmental Justice Conference

 

Registration Now Open

Conference Information

When: August 16-17, 2012

Where: Atlanta Federal Center - Sam Nunn Bldg.
61 Forsyth Street SW, Atlanta, GA 30303

Cost: FREE

Audience: communities, states, local businesses, colleges, and universities in GA, AL, MS, TN, KY, FL, SC, NC

There are three easy ways to register:

• Online: https://epa.connectsolutions.com/e5t4ysila62/event/registration.html
• By Email: Send an email to mclendon.ella@epa.gov with "Register for the Regional EJ Conference" in the subject line. Please provide your name, organization, mailing address, email address, telephone number, and workshop selections for breakout sessions 1 and 2.
• By Phone: Please call Ella McLendon at 404-562-8316. On the voice message system, please say and spell your name, organization, mailing address, email address, telephone number, and workshop selections for breakout sessions 1 and 2.

Mark your calendars for the Southeast Regional Environmental Justice Conference, to be held in Atlanta, GA on August 16-17, 2012. This conference is essential for promoting environmental justice and equality in EPA Region 4. Registration is now open and will be available through August 10, 2012.

• Learn about tangible solutions to address environmental, social, and health Impacts associated with environmental pollution
• Engage in networking opportunities with environmental justice leaders and organizations
• Participate in various interactive workshops

For more information, contact Sheryl Good (good.sheryl@epa.gov), (404) 562-9559

NEJAC Community Conference Call

 

Intended Audience: Environmental Justice and Tribal Communities or Organizations

  When: June 27, 2012

 Time: 1:00pm-2:00pm EST

 Conference Line: 1-866-299-3188; code: 919-541-5624#

(To participate, please plan to join the call at least 10 minutes prior to the start time. The phone line is limited to 125 participants on a first-come first-served basis)

Purpose: To provide information on upcoming activities in EPA's Air Programs and foster a dialog with communities on their air quality issues. This call will provide updates on the:

• National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC) Meeting scheduled for July 24-25, 2012
• Federal Action Plan to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Asthma Disparities
• New features of the Ultraviolet Index and how it differs from EPA's Air Quality Index
• Air emissions and associated health impacts as a result of shale gas drilling, fracturing and production
• EPA's Air Programs and Regulations
• • Federal Implementation Plan and Revisions to Regional Haze
  • Particulate Matter National Ambient Air Quality Standards (PM NAAQS)
  • Portland Cement-Amendments in Response to Reconsideration
  • Polyvinyl Chloride and Copolymers Production (PVC) NESHA

For more information, contact Lena Epps-Price (epps-price@epa.gov), (919) 541-5573.

EPA EJ Title VI Comment Period Ends June 19th

Advancing Environmental Justice through Title VI Plan EJ 2014 Draft Supplement Comment Period Ends June 19th.  Administrator Jackson has made improving EPA's civil rights program a priority. Complying with EPA's statutory civil rights obligations is a critical part of the Agency's efforts to advance environmental justice. As part of this effort, EPA is pursuing long overdue, vigorous, robust, and effective implementation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other nondiscrimination statutes.

The Office of Civil Rights (OCR), in consultation with the Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) and the Office of General Counsel (OGC), have developed a draft supplemental implementation plan, "Advancing Environmental Justice through Title VI", for Plan EJ 2014. The draft focuses on Title VI of Civil Rights Act and its integration with Plan EJ 2014.
EPA continues to ask for your comments on the Title VI Draft Supplement. Please visit  to review and provide comments on the supplement.

As a reminder, the opportunity to submit comments via the internet, by email and through postal mail will end at 11:59 p.m. (EST) on Tuesday June 19, 2012.

EPA Environmental Justice Blog

Mustafa Ali

Agency's EJ Blog Launched on April 17th

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IN ACTION

By Mustafa Ali

Nothing brings about change faster than when local communities get involved and organize to improve the conditions in their cities, towns, and neighborhoods. Over the years, I have travelled to communities across the country, where the impacts of pollution and public health problems are all too real. On each of these visits, I have been struck by what a difference it makes when residents are involved in the environmental decision-making and have a voice in designing a vision for the future in the places they call home.

Community engagement is a key tenant of environmental justice and why it is so important that we have a place to share our stories, or successes, and our expertise. It is our hope that this blog will support the online community of advocates working for environmental justice and create a space where we can highlight the positive activities happening in communities to reduce environmental and health disparities. Organizations, businesses and citizens throughout America are trying a wide range of approaches to advance environmental justice. We want to capture these good ideas and connect them to others across the country.

Additionally, many government agencies offer resources for overburdened communities, but it can seem daunting to locate them all. And, since EPA’s Administrator, Lisa P. Jackson, promoted environmental justice as one of her top priorities, there has been important progress at EPA and other federal agencies to address environmental justice concerns and expand the benefits of government programs in low-income and minority communities. Environmental Justice in Action! will also serve as a space where we can share information about the resources, tools, and programs available to help achieve healthy and sustainable communities.

My goal for this blog is to make this a resource for you and to provide an opportunity for everyone to join the conversation on environmentalism. So, it is important that we hear from you! Let us know what types of information would be most useful and interesting to you.What do you want to learn more about? Please post your thoughts and comments here and on future posts to help us better design this blog to meet your needs. While the government can provide support and assist in building capacity in communities, putting environmental justice into action takes you!

About the author: Mustafa Ali currently serves as the Associate Director of Communications for EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice. He has been a national speaker, trainer and facilitator on social justice issues for the past 20 years and focused on the issue of environmental justice for the past 19 years.

EPA EJ Office's New Video Series

EPA's Office of Environmental Justice has officially launched its 20th Anniversary Video Series. These videos feature federal and local government officials, non-profit leaders and students who share stories about the lessons that they have learned over their time working on environmental justice. They will be featured on the Environmental Justice in Action Blog.

The first video available on the blog today features Vernice Miller-Travis. Watch the video, share it, and let EPA know your thoughts in the comments section. Also, be sure to add your e-mail to the subscribe link on the upper right side of the blog's home page to receive EPA's weekly posts. Clicking the "Like" button is another way to let your friends know about this great resource.

California Cap & Trade Discrimination Complaint To EPA

The Center on Race, Poverty and the Environment has filed a complaint with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Friday on behalf of a coalition of environmental justice and civil rights activists alleging that cap-and-trade provisions in California's pioneering program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions discriminate against people of color.

The groups, which represent minority communities, accused the California Air Resources Board of violating the Civil Rights Act of 1964 when it agreed to allow polluters in low-income areas to use carbon offsets to buy their way out of pollution reduction under the state's global warming reduction plan. Cap and trade allows them to buy allowances from other facilities or offsets from out of state or even internationally, denying communities next to refineries and other polluting businesses the benefits that would occur through direct regulationwhich filed the complaint.

The groups assert that it is discrimination because these communities, which are overwhelmingly populated by people of color are very close to cap-and-trade facilities. In particular, the African American population is disproportionately affected.

The groups fought against oil companies and global warming skeptics to support - AB32, the landmark law passed in 2006 that requires California to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020.  However, the groups opposed the cap and trade provision of AB32 and want to see the benefits on site in the communities that suffer from disproportionately large numbers of pollution-caused illnesses. The EPA complaint mirrors a lawsuit previously filed by the same groups that is still pending in state court.

The Air Resources Board believes efforts to reduce greenhouse gases, including cap-and-trade provisions, will benefit every community, but the goal of AB32 was to reduce statewide carbon emissions, not localized smog. There are separate regulations, he said, that control diesel emissions from buses and trucks and restrict smokestack pollution in ports and rail yards.

The EPA's Office of Civil Rights now has 20 days to decide whether to accept the complaint. If it is accepted, then regulators will have 180 days to investigate the case and make a preliminary finding. The complaint cites studies that show that people of color make up 66 percent of the state's population most heavily hit by pollution, with African Americans making up the vast majority of the victims. (San Francisco Chronicle, 6/12/2012)

Environmental Justice in the Workplace

When people go to work, they put their lives in the hands of their employers. Those employers have a duty of care to their employees to protect them from harm. However, many people are exposed to harmful substances during the course of their work. Sometimes, they contract life-limiting diseases as a result. There is a tendency among some to think exposure to toxic substances only happens in the third world and that in America, we had consigned dangerous working conditions to history with our labor laws. They are wrong. An estimated 350,000 workers contract an industrial disease each year in the United States, caused directly by their working environment. 50,000-70,000 die of them.

Disease and Damage

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is responsible for protecting workers in the US. They exist to enforce legislation on workplace health and safety. The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 makes employers responsible for their workers’ health and safety at work, but that does not mean that they always do, despite the OHSA’s best efforts. Some workers, such as farm workers, are not covered by the OSHA but should be covered by state agencies. While legal protection for workers does exist, there are many examples of workers suffering because their employers failed to adequately protect them. Often, these workers come from the most vulnerable groups in society, such as migrant workers. People on low incomes often have no option other than to take jobs in the most dangerous industries. African American and Hispanic workers are over-represented in low-wage, hazardous jobs, and so these communities are more likely than others to be impacted by poor working conditions.

Industrial, construction and agricultural jobs tend to be the most dangerous. Construction and maintenance workers can be exposed to chemicals such as asbestos and other chemical dusts in the fabric of buildings. Manufacturing workers can be exposed to all kinds of liquid and other chemicals in the course of the manufacturing process. Miners often breathe in large quantities of harmful coal dust and other residue. Farm workers are exposed to harmful pesticides and even sometimes to dangerous diseases spread by animals, such as anthrax. Even without exposure to chemicals, workers health can be damaged by long hours and dangerous machinery.Nearly all of the diseases caused by these (and other) hazards can be prevented by good working practices, such as providing proper safety equipment to those handling chemicals, carrying out asbestos surveys and giving all workers safety training.

Workers Fight Back

We know that there are numerous violations of safety legislation every day, as many employers believe they can get away with lax safety standards. However, some workers are not willing to just accept dangerous working conditions and the risks that go with them. Many of them will have seen what those conditions have done to former colleagues.

In California, California Rural Legal Assistance helps farmworkers fight for justice in their working conditions. The California Labor Code exempts farm workers from its forty-hour maximum working week. Instead, they can work for up to sixty hours, despite often facing harsh conditions and physical fatigue. Several farmworkers die just from heat exhaustion each year, and many others’ health is damaged by exposure to chemicals.

The Environmental Justice for Cleaning Workers Campaign fights on behalf of cleaning workers exposed to harmful chemicals in the course of their work. They recognize that cleaning workers are more likely than others to suffer from a range of diseases, including certain cancers, asthma and neurological diseases. Children of cleaning workers are more likely to be born disabled, and women are more likely to miscarry than others. They have had some success in persuading employers to limit the use of harmful chemicals.

These are two local organizations working for change. There should be more.

Can We Do More?

We have legislation in place designed to protect workers from harm, and yet it often fails to do so. No-one should die trying to make a living. Those who suffer most are often those least able to fight back, such as migrant farm workers. National organizations need to help support local groups in their fight against poor working conditions. Individual workers cannot fight back without risking their jobs, and few if any vulnerable workers are unionized. United and with help on their side, they could do so much more.

Environmental Health News Publicizes Environmental Justice

Today Environmental Health News (EHN) begins a three-week series, Pollution, Poverty and People of Color.  They will be examining the long-discussed, rarely-addressed issues of environmental justice in urban and rural communities across America.

Today's story focuses on the refineries and close-in neighborhoods of Richmond, California. The Bay Area city of 103,000 is ringed by five oil refineries, three chemical factories, eight Superfund sites and more.

Help us spread the word.  Contact me or editor Marla Cone if you have questions or comments on the series.

Peter Dykstra

Publisher

Environmental Health News

www.ehn.org

The Daily Climate

www.dailyclimate.org

(o) 770-929-8052

(c) 404-272-3304

Twitter: pdykstra

May – US Asthma Awareness Month

One of the success stories of America’s Clean Air Act is its reduction of asthma attacks by an estimated 1.7 million. Also preventing 130,000 heart attacks and 13 million lost work days this Act is one of the most results focused public health programs Americans have ever seen in their history.

Even during the current Administration measures have been taken to further reduce emissions of mercury, acid gas, particulate matter, arsenic and other harmful chemicals. Almost a year ago the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized the Cross State Air Pollution Rule which also ensured that countless Americans aren’t forced to breathe in contaminated air from other states.

Whilst the Act has helped millions of Americans to live with cleaner air there are still measures that can be taken to improve public health. The month of May symbolizes Asthma Awareness Month as a result the EPA is keen to raise awareness of asthma and encourage Americans take action against the disease and find out how far reaching it can be.

Education and awareness

Asthma affects almost 26 million Americans which includes 7 million children. Whilst there is no cure for the chronic respiratory disease it is manageable if the sufferer and their network of support are educated on asthma’s triggers. Attacks are also preventable as a consequence of this education and awareness.

The highest affected include low income and minority populations and whilst the EPA are working to improve air quality and cut down the environmental causes of the disease they also want to promote asthma awareness so those affected can help themselves too.

Costs and effects

The cost to economy of asthma is around $56 billion. This cost includes both direct medical costs from hospital admissions and visits as well as indirect costs like the amount of lost school and work days.

The EPA states that almost 13 million asthma sufferers report having an asthma attack in the last 12 months – this represents half of the amount of actual sufferers of the disease nationwide.

Of the minority groups EPA found that instances of asthma attacks are highest among Puerto Ricans. They also report that African Americans have higher volume of hospital visits, hospital stays and fatalities than Caucasians.

Measures to manage

On a positive note however the EPA believe that sufferers in America can learn to get their symptoms under control and still have a full and active lifestyle by taking on board some simple advice and measures. The four steps are valuable, common sense tips that could save lives and improve the quality of life for many more.

1) Understanding what triggers your asthma and avoiding it will prevent attacks. Environmental issues like dust mites, mold, secondhand smoke and air pollution can be triggers. Do everything you can to avoid them in your home and surroundings.

2) Taking each day at a time in managing your asthma is important. Seeking advice and developing an asthma action plan with your doctor will help you improve your environment to reduce triggers.

3) Having asthma doesn’t limit you in terms of activity – therefore still be active in your sports and other activities.

4) Local air quality impacts your asthma – asthma sufferers can check air quality conditions to help avoid risk at www.airnow.gov.uk. There is even an Air Quality Index mobile app available for smart phones.

Further advice

More information and advice can be found on the EPA’s website http://www.epa.gov/asthma/

Asthma Awareness Month helps raise awareness of asthma and how it can impact people’s lives. With more education and awareness the disease can be managed effectively and the steps identified here along with the further information on the EPA’s website will help improve the lives of many asthma sufferers. It is hoped too that by understanding the impact of the environment particularly in highest affected groups asthma attacks and hospitalization will reduce.

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Holly Redfern is a freelance writer from England who focusses on the unknown dangers in the air we breathe. From her recent analysis of orgaic latex vs memory foam mattresses to the impact of the congestion zone in London her work has been well received in a number of well known environmental blogs and journals.

18th National Health Equity Research Webcast

The 18th National Health Equity Research Webcast (formerly known as the Annual Summer Public Health Research Videoconference on Minority Health) arrives in 4 weeks, with sought-after presenters and a distinguished moderator.

When? Tuesday, June 5, 2012, 1:30-4:00pm EDT

Where? Webcast or Tate-Turner-Kuralt building auditorium

Topic: "Social Determinants of Health Disparities: Moving the Nation to Care about Social Justice"

Featuring:

• Camara P. Jones, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., Division of Epidemiologic and Analytic Methods for Population Health(p), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Ronny A. Bell, Ph.D., M.S., Professor, Wake Forest School of Medicine and Co-Director, Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity
• Aida L. Giachello, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
• Moderator:Cedric M. Bright, M.D., F.A.C.P., Director, Office of Special Programs and Assistant Dean for Admissions, UNC School of Medicine and 112th President, National Medical Association

This free, interactive session will be broadcast with a live audience in the Tate-Turner-Kuralt auditorium at the UNC School of Social Work and can be viewed over the Internet (webcast). Questions will be taken from broadcast participants by email and toll-free telephone.

 More information

Register

To register to view on your personal computer

To register for the studio audience at the TTK auditorium

Answers to frequently asked questions

Comments from last year's participants

The 18^th National Health Equity Research Webcast is presented by the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health Minority Health Project and UNC Diversity and Multicultural Affairs, in association with the UNC American Indian Center and Norfolk State University Ethelyn R. Strong School of Social Work, a partner in the Commonwealth Public Health Training Center. Major cosponsors to date include the UNC Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research. Please consider becoming a cosponsor or providing an endorsement!

Vic Schoenbach (www.unc.edu/~vschoenb/)
Director, Minority Health Project
UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health

Cookie Newsom
Director of Diversity Education and Research
UNC Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs

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* 24+ health disparities-related broadcasts and seminars are available as on-demand webcasts