Earth Day 2010

This is the 40th Anniversary of the Original Earth Day in 1970. The Earth Day Network is coordinating activities to commemorate the anniversary. They are encouraging individual, organizations, agencies, businesses, and others to plan events to celebrate this day for the Earth.

Global Days of Service – April 17-18, 2010 - will feature Volunteer Actions by tens of thousands of global participants. These projects in parks, beaches, schools and forests will focus on climate change solutions like tree planting, energy efficiency retrofits, water protection, urban gardens and forest restoration. Volunteer activities will be quantified though their events registration tool and carried out through local partners around the world. Click here to sign up as a partner!

Events on The National Mall in Washington, DC

Earth Day 40th Anniversary Events – April 22

Change the Climate Rally – April 25

Exhibitions and Performances on The National Mall – April 17-25

Earth Day Action Center: A Project of Earth Day Network

EPA EJ Conference at Washington Convention Center

Symposium Sponsored by: National Center For Environmental Research

Title: Strengthening Environmental Justice Research and Decision Making: A Symposium on the Science of Disproportionate Environmental Health Impacts

Date: March 17 – 19, 2010

Location: Walter E. Washington Convention Center801 Mount Vernon Place, NWWashington, DC 20001

Purpose: The US EPA Administrator, Lisa Jackson, has made the inclusion of environmental justice principles in all U.S. EPA actions a priority.

This Symposium will serve as a platform to stimulate innovative and bold thinking, and foster discussions, about critical topics and approaches to achieve this goal. Please join us at a Symposium to explore opportunities to better assess and address environmental justice in environmental policy and regulatory decision making. Multiple factors including social, political, psychosocial, economic, physical, chemical and biological determinants contribute to disproportionate human health or environmental impacts. Therefore, diverse expertise and multidisciplinary approaches that incorporate the perspectives of impacted communities and populations are necessary to better inform environmental health policy.

Participants from diverse backgrounds are invited, including researchers, academics, policy-makers, non-governmental organization representatives, government officials (e.g. local, regional, national, tribal, international), lay experts, and students.

The Symposium is open and free to the public but space is limited.

Contact:

Devon Payne-Sturges (202) 343-9852

Onyemaechi Nweke (202) 566-2314

Tina Conley (202) 343-9829

Registration: Registration
Logistics: Meeting LocationHotel
Agenda: Agenda

EPA EJView: New EJ Geographic Assessment Tool‏

EJView, a new public mapping tool, was released today and will replace the Environmental Justice Geographic Assessment Tool. The Geographic Assessment Tool was one of the first mapping tools designed to screen for areas with potential environmental justice concerns, but after four years it was time for an upgrade.

EJView maintains all of the functionality and types of data used in the Geographic Assessment Tool, but it runs smoother, faster and easier. With EJView, you can overlay demographic, health, and other environmental information on a map to get a snapshot of the multiple factors affecting a community. You can also focus on an area of concern and generate reports for that area.

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Contact Scott Parris

Stanislaus Wants To Know How EPA Is Doing On EJ

LETTER FROM THE EPA ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR

Hi everyone,

A new question of the month has been posted on the OSWER Discussion Forum: How would you grade EPA's role in addressing environmental justice issues in disadvantaged communities?

Administrator Jackson recently made expanding the conversation on environmentalism and working for environmental justice one of her top priorities. How do you feel about EPA’s current efforts toward working for environmental justice? Is EPA’s recent decision to conduct an environmental justice analysis of the Definition of Solid Waste rule a step in the right direction?

February 2009 recap Last month’s question about cleanup at former auto sector sites generated several useful suggestions that we plan to take under advisement. Several commenters emphasized the importance of accessto information and coordination among federal agencies. I encourage you to give these comments a look.

I hope you will continue to participate in the OSWER Discussion Forum; we will be posting new discussion questions at least once a month, and old questions remain available for comment indefinitely. Your input isimportant to me, and the discussions that occur on the Forum and elsewhere help inform OSWER’s work.

Sincerely,

Mathy Stanislaus

Assistant Administrator for EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response

EPA Environmental Justice Video Contest

EPA Announces Environmental Justice Video Contest: Faces of the Grassroots

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is sponsoring an environmental justice video contest that challenges professional or aspiring filmmakers to create videos that capture the faces of the environmental justice movement. The Faces of the Grassroots contest is an opportunity to publicly exhibit creativity with environmental justice stories, and connect with others working to raise awareness of the movement.

Faces of the Grassroots is intended to help EPA expand the conversation on environmentalism and work for environmental justice. Participants can make a difference for the historically underrepresented in their community by using videos to show the struggles and triumphs they have endured to advance environmental justice.

Videos can focus on any environmental justice activity, issue, or topic. Examples would be a music video about climate change, or a video recording a successful environmental justice project that has made a community a healthier and happier place to live.

Awards will be given to the winning submissions in each category. The videos will also be featured on EPA’s Web site and may be used as public service announcements. Entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. EST on Thursday, April 8, 2010. EPA will announce winners in honor of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day.

Below are the categories and prize money:

Public Service Announcements (30 or 60 seconds)

1st Place - $2,500
2nd Place - $1,500
3rd Place - $1,000
Student Winner - $500 (13-18 years old)

Informational Video (3-5 minutes)

1st Place - $2,500
2nd Place - $1,500
3rd Place - $1,000
Student Winner - $500 (13-18 years old)

More information

Informational video on the contest

Announcing OSWER Video Town Hall Discussion

Video Town Hall discussion on February 23‏

From: Mathy Stanislaus

Sent: Wed 2/17/10 12:59 PM

To: Stakeholders

Hello, I'm happy to announce that OSWER will be holding our second Video Town Hall discussion on Tuesday, February 23 from 1:30 - 3:00 PM EST. Anyone who wishes to attend will have an opportunity to ask questions directly to myself and other EPA experts. The discussion will cover two topics:

1) Reducing your carbon footprint through reducing, reusing, andrecycling. Everyone knows that practicing the "three Rs" - reducing, reusing, and recycling - minimizes waste and reduces the need forl andfill space. What not everyone knows is that reducing, reusing,and recycling is also an effective way to reduce the production ofthe greenhouse gases that cause climate change. By reducing our need for materials, we conserve the energy that is expended at every stageof a product's lifecycle. EPA wants to know what you're doing at home, at work, or at school to fight climate change by using the three Rs, and what we can do to help.

2) EPA's Environmental Justice analysis of the Definition of Solid Waste rule. In January, EPA began requesting public input on a draft plan (viewable here) for assessing the potential impacts of its hazardous waste recycling rule on low-income, minority and tribal populations. EPA is hosting a series of public round tables on this topic in early 2010.

This Video Town Hall meeting offers another opportunity for the public to share their thoughts on the draft plan. There are two ways to attend the Video Town Hall:

1. Watch online. Access the streaming video feed at www.epa.gov/oswer/videotownhall.htm . You can e-mail questions to town hall questions@epa.gov before or during the meeting. We will select a representative sample of questions and answer as many as possible. Please include your name or organization when submitting a question. or...

2. Call in. You can listen to the meeting toll-free by calling1-877-220-5073, conference code 51715371. People attending byphone will have an opportunity to ask questions towards the end of the meeting. We will answer as many questions as possible. As always, information about this Video Town Hall and previous discussions is available at www.epa.gov/oswer/videotownhall.htm. I hope you'll join me on the 23rd.

Sincerely,

Mathy Stanislaus

Assistant Administrator for EPA's Office of Solid Waste and EmergencyResponse

EPA Announces California EJ Achievement Awards

The Environmental Protection Agency gave its annual Environmental Justice Achievement Award to the dozen community groups, health agencies and environmental groups for their work in protecting people from eating contaminated fish caught off the Palos Verdes Peninsula. The ceremony was held at Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro. , The Palos Verdes Shelf Fish Contamination Education Collaborative includes Boat People SOS, Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, the Asian Youth Center, Heal the Bay and St. Anselm's Cross-Cultural Community Center.

Fish from the waters off the Palos Verdes Peninsula have been a health risk for more than 25 years because the ocean floor there has one of the nation's largest deposits of DDT and PCBs. Some anglers, especially those in the immigrant community, were catching fish to supplement their diet without knowing of the health risk. The collaborative has tried to correct that by telling fishermen to steer clear of toxic-prone fish like the white croaker.

The EPA gives out its environmental justice award each year to an initiative working to improve the environment for vulnerable communities, often serving poor people of color who lack the resources of other conservation groups. (L.A. Times, 2/12/10, Photo courtesy EPA)

New York City Law Review Hosts EJ Discussion

The New York City Law Review is sponsoring a panel discussion on environmental justice issues in New York City, "Whose Survival? Environmental Justice as a Civil Rights Issue, " on Thursday, February 18, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.Auditorium, CUNY School of Law65-21 Main Street, Flushing, NY 11367

Featuring:

*Majora Carter – President, Majora Carter Group
*David Palmer – Interim Executive Director, Center for Working Families
*Miranda Massie – Senior Staff Attorney, N.Y. Lawyers for the Public Interest, Environmental Justice section
*Elizabeth Yeampierre – Executive Director, United Puerto Rican Organization of Sunset Park

This panel will highlight how the purpose of the environmental justice movement is to combat “environmental racism,” a term used to refer to a multitude of racial and economic injustices wrought upon impoverished communities through the inequitable distribution of environmental burdens. The panel will trace the emergence and development of key issues in the environmental justice movement in New York City, including brownfield redevelopment, school siting and contaminants, air quality, and inequitable distribution of open space.

Panelists will address the role of communities and activists, as well as lawyers and policymakers in identifying and advocating against environmental injustices; the nature of interaction between these roles and the remedies each effects; and how such advocacy dovetails with community-building, local economic development, and the "green" revolution. This panel will be moderated by Professor Carmen Huertas-Noble, Director of the Community and Economic Development Clinic at the law school. Additionally, the CUNY Green Coalition will be hosting a 'wine and cheese' (local wines and organic snacks) reception following the panel to continue the discussion that the panel begins, where they will also be accepting donations for the BLSA-Green Coalition inaugural summer environmental law fellowship.

Attendance is free, but please RSVP for the panel discussion.

The New York City Law Review is CUNY Law School’s student-run publication that seeks to publish the best of legal scholarship from all points of view on various legal topics within the broad framework of the Law School’s mission statement, “Law in the Service of Human Needs.”

More information about Law Review

Directions

Earth911 Celebrates Eco-Warriors For Black History Month

People To Celebrate

by Marisa McNatt

Devoting the month of February as a time to recognize African Americans’ contributions to society began with Carter G. Woodson in the early 1920s. After spending his childhood working on Kentucky coalmines and finishing high school at the age of 22, Woodson went on to earn his doctorate at Harvard University. Reading the history books, he was dismayed at the lack of attention paid to African American history.

So we thought we’d compile our own list of African Americans acting as stewards of the environment. Watch out for these eco-warriors because this won’t be the last time you hear about them. Featured are Dorceta Taylor, John Rosenthall, Norris McDonald and Samara Swanston.

Earth911 is an environmental services company that addresses product end-of-life solutions for businesses and consumers. It provides the platform and tools needed to support recycling and proper disposal for various products, giving the people who buy them a number of ways to participate in companies’ sustainability initiatives. Through its innovative Local Recycling and Proper Disposal Database, Earth911.com hosts information for hundreds of products in over 117,000 listings across the country.

Marisa McNatt, pictured above, is in the master's journalism program at the University of Colorado at Boulder and is earning a certificate in environmental policy and society.

Obama Administration Officials Promote Sustainable Communities, Environmental Justice at Smart Growth Conference

U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan, left, and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, right, visited Seattle today (Thursday, February 4), to address the 9th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth Conference. They were joined by Environmental Protection Agency Assistant Administrator Mathy Stanislaus, below.

Speaking before an audience of more than 1,500 key planners, public health professionals, developers, government staff and elected officials Secretaries Donovan and LaHood and Assistant Administrator Stanislaus discussed the ways their agencies are working together through the Obama Administration’s Partnership for Sustainable Communities to improve access to affordable housing, provide better transportation options, and protect public health and the environment.

The President proposed $527 million in his budget for an ambitious new livability initiative at the U.S. Department of Transportation. Its Office of Livable Communities will be a focal point for initiatives such as expanding transit in low-income neighborhoods. It will fund a grant program to help state and local transportation agencies provide more transportation choices that spur economic development.

The New Partners for Smart Growth Conference, taking place Feb. 4-6, is the premier national smart growth conference, bringing together experts from a wide range of disciplines to discuss transportation, housing and urban development, public health, equitable development, environmental protection, and other topics. The partnership agencies are working together more closely than ever before to meet the president’s challenge to coordinate federal policies, programs, and resources to help urban, suburban, and rural areas build more sustainable communities.

The New Partners for Smart Growth Conference is managed by the Local Government Commission, in partnership with EPA, DOT, and other public and private sponsors.

More about the Partnership for Sustainable Communities

More on EPA’s Smart Growth Program

More information on HUD’s Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities

Senior EPA Officials Attend NEJAC Meeting In New Orleans

The National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC), a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency independent advisory group, is holding a public meeting in New Orleans Jan. 27-29 to discuss environmental justice issues. EPA Assistant Administrators Cynthia Giles, left, and Mathy Stanislaus, right, along with other senior officials, will take part in an opening dialogue with NEJAC on Jan. 27.

EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson has made promoting environmental justice and expanding the conversation of environmentalism one of the seven key priorities of her tenure at the Agency. Since taking office, she has appointed a Senior Advisor for Environmental Justice and a Senior Counsel for External Civil Rights in order to focus the agency’s efforts to address the health and environmental burdens faced by communities disproportionately impacted by pollution. Most recently, and consistent with this commitment, the agency announced that it would assess the impacts of its hazardous waste rule on disadvantaged communities. This action will also be used to inform EPA’s ongoing effort to strengthen the consideration of environmental justice in rulemakings.

WHO: Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance

Mathy Stanislaus, assistant administrator for the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response

WHAT: Public meeting on environmental justice

WHERE: New Orleans Marriott Hotel, 555 Canal Street, 504-581-1000

WHEN: Jan.27, 1:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. CST
Jan. 28, 8:45 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. CST
Jan. 29, 8:45 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. CST

NEJAC Information

EPA’s Environmental Justice Program

Lisa Jackson Speaks At EJ Conference in New Orleans

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, left, delivered opening remarks highlighting EPA’s Environmental Justice Initiatives today at the New Orleans Marriott Hotel for the "2010 Conference on Environmental Justice, Air Quality, Goods Movement and Green Jobs" in New Orleans, Louisiana. The conference is cosponsored by EPA, Dillard University and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

Administrator Jackson has made promoting environmental justice and expanding the conversation of environmentalism one of the seven key priorities of her tenure at EPA. Since taking office, she has appointed a Senior Advisor for Environmental Justice and a Senior Counsel for External Civil Rights in order to focus the agency’s efforts to address the health and environmental burdens faced by communities disproportionately impacted by pollution. Most recently, and consistent with this commitment, the agency announced that it would assess the impacts of its hazardous waste rule on disadvantaged communities. This action will also be used to inform EPA’s ongoing effort to strengthen the consideration of environmental justice in rulemakings.

Excerpt:

We can talk about health care. But we also have to talk about how the poor – who get sick more often because they live in neighborhoods where the air and water are polluted – are the same people who go to the emergency room for treatment. That drives up health care costs for everyone. It hurts the local and the national economy.

We can talk about the need for more jobs and small businesses in our urban centers and metropolitan regions. But that conversation must also include the understanding that environmental challenges in our neighborhoods hold back economic growth. Poison in the ground means poison in the economy. A weak environment means a weak consumer base. And unhealthy air means an unhealthy atmosphere for investments. And in many neighborhoods, visible environmental degradation compounds other problems.

FULL STATEMENT

EPA & CBC Announce Joint Environmental Justice Tour

First Stop: Jackson, Mississippi

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson and U.S. Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA), Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, today announced plans to visit American communities most ravaged by environmental degradation and pollution. The joint EPA-CBC Environmental Justice Tour will visit several areas throughout the country to highlight environmental justice challenges faced by Americans in all communities. The tour will also include stops in South Carolina, Maryland, and Georgia among other states.

Mississippi marks the first stop on the tour with visits to Greenville and Jackson on January 22-24. Representative Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), right, will host Administrator Jackson in Greenville where both a roundtable discussion with regional mayors and tour of a local water treatment plant are slated. In Jackson, EPA and the CBC will host an Environmental Justice Conference at Jackson State University with the participation of community leaders, elected officials, students and religious leaders.

Administrator Jackson, left, has made promoting environmental justice and expanding the conversation of environmentalism one of the seven key priorities of her tenure at EPA. Since taking office she has appointed a Senior Advisor for Environmental Justice and a Senior Counsel for External Civil Rights in order to focus the agency’s efforts to address the health and environmental burdens faced by communities disproportionately impacted by pollution. Most recently, and consistent with this commitment, the agency announced that it would asses the impacts of its hazardous waste rule on disadvantaged communities. This action will also be used to inform EPA’s ongoing effort to strengthen the consideration of environmental justice in rulemakings.

The Congressional Black Caucus, under the auspices of its Energy & Environment Taskforce, and the leadership of Barbara Lee, left, is actively engaged on a host of environmental issues including green jobs, climate change, alternative energy options and environmental justice issues. Together with community and business leaders, faith networks and other relevant stakeholders, members of the CBC are continuing to develop a “Green Agenda” that comprehensively builds healthy families and sustainable communities by increasing access to opportunities provided by the federal government.

The environmental justice movement was started by individuals, primarily people of color, who sought to address the inequity of environmental protection in their communities. Grounded in the struggles of the 1960s civil rights movement, the environmental justice movement sounded the alarm about the public health dangers for their families, their communities and themselves. In 1990, the Congressional Black Caucus and a bipartisan coalition of academic, social scientists and political activists met with EPA officials to discuss their findings that environmental risk was higher for minority and low-income populations. In response, the then-EPA administrator created the Environmental Equity Workgroup in July 1990 to address these issues. EPA’s environmental justice office was later established in 1992.

Picarro Claims To Have Revolutionary New Gas Analyzers

Picarro makes gas analyzers that the company claims can track concentrations of all sorts of greenhouse gases and pollutants including methane, hydrogen sulfide, CO2, formaldehyde, ammonia and others. Picarro's units can be mounted on a car and driven around a neighborhood or around the perimeter of a refinery or chemical plant, and according to the company, can capture emissions plume information. The YouTube video below shows what one of the units can do. The video shows a real drive in California performed with a standard pickup truck.

Picarro says their emissions detectors are so easy to use that current users include an innkeeper and a high school teacher. According to Picarro, it is literally plug and play. Their customers are among the biggest names in atmospheric sciences including NOAA, the World Meteorological Organization and the Chinese Meteorological Administration. The EPA and other agencies have test-driven their products.

Note: The Environmental Justice Blog, nor any of those listed on this site, are recommending the product and no listees, to our knowledge, are being compensated for this publicity. It does appear to be a very interesting product.

EPA to Assess Impacts of Waste Rule on Disadvantaged Communities

Mathy Stanislaus
Assistant Administrator
EPA Office of Solid Waste
and Emergency Response
Consistent with EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson’s commitment to reach out to communities historically underrepresented in EPA decision-making, the agency is requesting public input on a draft plan for assessing the potential impacts of its hazardous waste recycling rule on low-income, minority and tribal populations. This draft plan is one example of how EPA is bringing historically underrepresented communities into this process and giving everyone a seat at the decision making table.

To encourage safe recycling and to help conserve natural resources, EPA’s Definition of Solid Waste (DSW) rule published in October of 2008, modified the regulations for hazardous materials that are recycled, also known as hazardous secondary materials. EPA is reaching out to stakeholders, including the environmental justice community, requesting public comment before the analysis begins.

EPA’s goal is to ensure these materials are safely managed and the results of the evaluation will be used to decide whether additional action is necessary. Lessons learned from the analysis of the DSW rule will also be used to inform EPA’s ongoing effort to strengthen the consideration of environmental justice in rulemakings.

EPA will discuss the draft methodology with the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC) at its national public meeting and host a roundtable to gain public input on the draft methodology. Both meetings are scheduled to be held on January 28, 2010, in New Orleans, La.

A second public roundtable meeting will be held on February 23, 2010 at EPA’s Potomac Yard Conference Center in Arlington, Va., and an online public roundtable will be held on February 25, 2010. The public may also submit written comments on the draft methodology until March 15, 2010.

More information

Memorandum From EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson

The EPA Administrator Addresses Environmental Justice To EPA Employees

MEMORANDUM

From: Lisa P. Jackson, Administrator

To: All EPA Employees

Colleagues:

Almost one year ago, I began my work as Administrator. It has been a deeply fulfilling 12 months and a wonderful homecoming for me. As our first year together draws to a close, we must now look to the tasks ahead.

By working with our senior policy team, listening to your input and learning from the experiences of the last 12 months, we have strengthened our focus and expanded the list of priorities. Listed below [is one theme out of] seven key themes to focus the work of our agency.

Expanding the Conversation on Environmentalism and Working for Environmental Justice: We have begun a new era of outreach and protection for communities historically underrepresented in EPA decision-making. We are building strong working relationships with tribes, communities of color, economically distressed cities and towns, young people and others, but this is just a start. We must include environmental justice principles in all of our decisions. This is an area that calls for innovation and bold thinking, and I am challenging all of our employees to bring vision and creativity to our programs. The protection of vulnerable subpopulations is a top priority, especially with regard to children. Our revitalized Children’s Health Office is bringing a new energy to safeguarding children through all of our enforcement efforts. We will ensure that children’s health protection continues to guide the path forward.

[This priority] will guide our work in 2010 and the years ahead. [It is] built around the challenges and opportunities inherent in our mission to protect human health and the environment for all Americans. We will carry out our mission by respecting our core values of science, transparency and the rule of law. I have unlimited confidence in the talent and spirit of our workforce, and I will look to your energy, ideas and passion in the days ahead. I know we will meet these challenges head on, as one EPA.

Sincerely,

Lisa P. Jackson

EPA Seeks Applications for Environmental Community Grants

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is making $2 million available in 2010 to reduce pollution at the local level through the Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) program. CARE is a community-based program that works with county and local governments, tribes, non-profit organizations and universities to help the public understand and reduce toxic risks from numerous sources.

Applications for the CARE grants are due March 9, 2010. EPA will conduct three Webcasts to answer questions from prospective applicants about the application process on Feb. 2, 23, and 26 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

EPA will award CARE cooperative agreements in two levels. Level I awards range from $75,000 to $100,000 and will help establish community-based partnerships to develop local environmental priorities. Level II awards, ranging from $150,000 to $300,000 each, will support communities that have established broad-based partnerships, have identified the priority toxic risks in the community, and are prepared to measure results, implement risk-reduction activities and become self-sustaining.

In 2009, EPA’s CARE program distributed $2 million to nine communities. Examples of projects that received grants include addressing waste and storm water issues in Kennett, Mo.; reducing air and water pollution in Holyoke, Mass.; addressing water pollution from coal slurry in Wheeling, W.Va.; reducing radon and other indoor air pollutants in Pueblo, Colo.; and tackling the problem of hazardous waste materials and open dumping in Toksook Bay, Alaska.

More information

Environmental Justice Volume 2, Number Four, Dec 2009

Environmental Justice Vol. 2, No. 4, December 2009 is now available online‏

The table of contents for this issue is listed below. More information.

Guest Editorial:

Climate Justice
Peggy M. Shepard and Cecil Corbin-Mark

Original Articles

The Environmental Injustice of “Clean Coal”: Expanding the National Conversation on Carbon Capture and Storage Technology to Include an Analysis of Potential Environmental Justice Impacts, Stephanie Tyree and Maron Greenleaf

Minding the Climate Gap: Environmental Health and Equity Implications of Climate Change Mitigation Policies in California, Seth B. Shonkoff, Rachel Morello-Frosch, Manuel Pastor, and James Sadd

Best in Show? Climate and Environmental Justice Policy in California, Julie Sze, Gerardo Gambirazzio, Alex Karner, Dana Rowan, Jonathan London, and Deb Niemeier

The International Dimension of Climate Justice and the Need for International Adaptation Funding, J. Timmons Roberts

Facilitating Climate Justice through Community-Based Adaptation in the Health Sector, Kristie L. Ebi

Climate Change, Heat Waves, and Environmental Justice: Advancing Knowledge and Action Jalonne White-Newsome, Marie S. O'Neill, Carina Gronlund, Tenaya M. Sunbury, Shannon J. Brines, Edith Parker, Daniel G. Brown, Richard B. Rood, and Zorimar Rivera

U.S. Childhood Obesity and Climate Change: Moving Toward Shared Environmental Health Solutions, Perry E. Sheffield and Maida P. Galvez

Book Review: Race, Place, and Environmental Justice after Hurricane Katrina: Struggles to Reclaim, Rebuild, and Revitalize New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, Brentin Mock

EPA 2009 Environmental Justice Achievement Awards

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is awarding five multi-stakeholder partnerships, representing a total of 60 organizations, for their efforts to address environmental justice concerns. The multi-stakeholder partnerships included at least one community organization and two or more representatives from: academic institutions; business and industry; non-governmental and environmental organizations; state and local governments; and tribal government and indigenous organizations.

The EPA Environmental Justice Achievement Awards recognize the distinguished accomplishments of partnerships that work collaboratively in communities disproportionately exposed to environmental and human health risks. Winning applications were reviewed and selected based on six criteria by an independent, non-EPA review panel:

1) Partnerships and Collaboration
2) Innovation
3) Community, Equity, and Public Involvement
4) Integration
5) Leveraged Resources/Capacity Building/Sustainability
6) Demonstrated Results/Effectiveness

The 2009 Environmental Justice Achievement Award winners:

Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning for outstanding leadership in community-based efforts to prevent childhood lead poisoning in the City of Rochester, New York.

Fish Contamination Education Collaborative for outstanding efforts to reduce the consumption of contaminated fish by the local Vietnamese, Chinese, and angler populations near the Palos Verdes Shelf Superfund site, Los Angeles, California.

Mitigation Agreement Commission and the Lowcountry Alliance for Model Communities for outstanding efforts to work with the City of North Charleston and the South Carolina Ports Authority to foster environmental protection and economic revitalization in distressed neighborhoods.

ReGenesis Project for outstanding leadership and efforts to address environmental protection and community revitalization issues in the Arkwright community of Spartanburg, South Carolina.

The Clean Trucks Program for outstanding efforts to significantly reduce air pollution from big truck rigs around Long Beach and Los Angeles, California port facilities.

Details on the winning projects of the 2009 Environmental Justice Achievement

John Rosenthall On WSFA News 12 in Tuskegee, Alabama

National Small Town Alliance

Assists With Tuskegee Development Project

WSFA News 12 Reporter Melissa McKinney

Interviews John Rosenthall

VIDEO

Rosenthall: "As the community prospers so does the university."

McKinney: "He's working to restore cities with historically black colleges and universities."

Rosenthall: "The parents really don't want to carry their kids to a school where there's a problem in the community."

McKinney: "Tuskegee is first in line for a facelift."

Rosenthall: "We could have gone to a lot of other places, but they're not as well known as Tuskegee."

McKinney: "Community leaders and students are tossing around ideas like building renovations, downtown design, and clean-up. If those ideas become Tuskegee's master plan - then the real work begins. "

Rosenthall: "We don't have any money to work with and my theory is that once we put together a great plan, once we put together the people to make this work, it will be our job to find the money."

(WSFA 12 News, Tuskegee, Alabama)