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  Environmental Justice  and The  Indoor  Environment
  National Education Association Health Information Network
                                                                                         February ;1998
                        "Allcommunities[ana'persons-across thisNation should
                       '-•_;';     live in a safe and healthful environment."      :       ;-;'

                      With these wordsj President Clinton issued Executive Order 12898 on
                      February 11,1994 to establish environmental justice as a national priority.
  What is Environmental Justice ?

      According  to  the  United  States  Environmental
  Protection Agency  (EPA, 1994), environmental  justice
  means that,  "all, people  should  be treated, fairly under
  environmental laws without discrimination based pn.race,"
  ethnicity,:cultureor economic: status"..        - -   , '.
••'..;"' Studies document that certain groups  have been
  exposed to higher levels^of environmental pollutants than
  the general public.;  Historically, race-and socioeconpmic
  status have correlated with unequal distribution of envi-
  ronmental health risks.  It is important to note, however,:
  that environmental justice means that "all people should
  have an opportunity to live in a heaithy environment.  All
 'people should be able to breathe clean,air, drink clean
  water, and consume urtcontaminated foods",(EPA,  1994).


  What Are Some Examples of Indoor
  Environmental Inequities ?

 Radon.  Radon is the second .leading cause of lung can-
 cer in the US, and is the leading cause  of lung cancer in
 non-smokers.  EPA estimates that nearly one jn 15 or six
 million homes in the  US may have indoor radon levels at
 or above 4 pCi/L (p'icocuries per liter), the level at which
 EPA recommends action should be taken: Nearly, one in -<.
Jive schpoi$.in the US has at least one room, ormore than ,-
 73,000  schoolrooms in all, with  radon  levels-above 4
 pCi/L  (EPA,  1993  School Measurement:,Guidance)/
 Radon  exposure  coupled with  smoking significantly
 increases the risks of developing lung  cancer.  A 1996 =
' study by the  Conference of Radiation Control Program
 Directors (CRCPD) found  that people of color,  with the
 exceptionjof Native, Americans, and low-income groups
 tend to be less aware of the effects of radon, and less like-
 Jy to test for_radon.  People of color and/or low-income
 groups are proportionately over-repre,sehted among the,
 ranks of smokers.  Additionally, lower income groups are
 more likely to  allow smoking in their homes (CRCPD).
  Environmental Tobacco Smoke.  Environmental tobac-
  co. smpke:.(ETS), or second-hand smoke, causes 3,000
  lung-cancer deaths in non-smoking Americans each year
  (EPA, 1995).  Nearly 9 out of 10 non-smoking Americans
  are exposed to ETS.  Exposure to ETS is higher among
  children, African Americans, and males (Third  National
  Health and Nutrition Examination Survey). A 1996 study
  by the American Lung Association (ALA) found that chil-
  dren exposed to;ETS at home were 70% more likely to
  have Wheezing with colds, 60%;mpre likely to go  to emer-
  gency rooms tor wheezing, and 40% more likely to have
  persistent wheezing, compared,with  children in homes
"  without  ETS.   Not'surprisingly, trie EPA estimates that
  each year, ETS exacerbates the  asthma condition  in/.
  200,000 to 1  mjilipri asthmatic" children, arid may con-
  tribute to thousands of new childhood asthma cases.

  Asthma. Asthma is the leading serious chronic illness of
,  children in the US.  Asthma can be aggravated by expb-
  sjjreto pollutant''triggers"such as ETS, molds, and.aller-
  gens such, as cockroaches, animal,  dander, arid dust
  mites.  Asthma triggers may be more prevalent inside
  homes with indoor ;air quality (IAQ) problems such as
  inadequate ventilation, accumulation of allergens, or mold
  and mildew,-problems resulting from cracks and Bleaks  in,
  building surfaces. Poor IAQ, often found in deteriorating
  housing units, combined with outdoor air pollution will fur-
  ther exacerbate an  asthma condition.  Disproportionate
.nurnbers of-people  of color  and of low-income live  in,,
  areas of high outdoor air pollution, and may be exposed
-to more environmental asthma triggers.  These "expo-
  sures, along with factors such as. lack of access to pre-
 ventative health care, may explain why the ALA found that
 although African Americans represent one in eight of the
  US population,(12.5%),  they account for one  in  five
 deaths duie to asthma (21.5%), In addition, Hispanic ehil-'-
 dren are ,more likely to have suffered from  asthma at
 some point in their lives than children of any other ethnic ,
 group (American' Journal of Public Healtji, 83:4, 1993).

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School Indoor Environmental Quality.  Asthma is the
number one cause of school absences due to a chronic
condition In the US.  It is essential that schools have a
healthy indoor environment,  especially  since children
spend so much time in schools. Poor IAQ can increase
the potential for long and/or short term health problems,
reduce productivity for school employees and students,
and accelerate deterioration of and/or reduce efficiency of
ventilation equipment.  A 1995 school facilities survey by
the US Government Accounting Office found that about
half of US schools, serving 21 million students, reported
at least one unsatisfactory environmental condition, such
as air quality, poor ventilation, or heating and  lighting
problems. Lack of resources and  existing school facility
problems can be obstacles to improving IAQ in schools.

Carbon Monoxide. An estimated  1,000 people die each
year as a result of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning and
thousands of others end up in hospital emergency rooms
(EPA).  At  high concentrations, carbon monoxide can
cause coma and death within minutes.  Two common
causes of fatal or near-fatal CO poisoning are misuse or
malfunction of heating devices and motor vehicle exhaust.
Between 1979 and 1988, unintentional deaths due to car-
bon monoxide were almost three times higher for males
than for females.  Race-specific death rates were more
than 20% higher for African Americans  than for whites
(Journal of the American Medical Assoc., 266:5,1991).

Lead. Lead poisoning in children causes impaired physi-
cal and mental development, including learning disabili-
ties and reduced attention spans. The main source of
lead poisoning is the ingestion of deteriorating lead-based
paint in older housing.  Lead dust that is inhaled poses an
additional danger, as it is almost completely absorbed into
the lungs.  A blood lead level of 10 mg/dL (micrograms of
lead per deciliter of blood) is the level above which some
action should be taken.  Phase 2 of the Third National
 Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III),
conducted from 1991  to 1994, found that blood lead lev-
 els for Americans have declined dramatically, with about
 one in 23 children in the US having blood lead levels
 greater than the current action level. However, blood lead
 levels remain higher among children in low-income fami-
 lies.  Many inner city buildings and low-income  housing
 units contain deteriorating lead-based paint.  These build-
 ings often contain lead in the drinking water from pipes
 and fixtures,  and lead in soils.  More than one in five
 African American children living in older homes have ele-
 vated blood lead lexels (NHANES III).
 Recommended Actions
 Q  Encourage parents to test for lead exposure in all
     children in the primary grades and younger.
 Q  Encourage  community  members to test their
     homes and schools for  radon,  and contact their
     state radon office if high radon levels are found.
 Q  Encourage parents to restrict smoking inside their
     homes, especially if their children are asthmatics.
 Q  Reduce potential asthma triggers in your home if
     family members are asthmatics.
 Q  Educate yourself and others about CO poisoning.
 U  Encourage schools to implement EPA's IAQ Tools
     for Schools Action Kit to  remediate as well as pre-
     vent potential IAQ problems.
Consider Children
     Environmental justice means that all people should
have an opportunity to live in a healthy environment-
including children.  Intergenerational equity means "that
younger  or  older generations,  or future  generations,
should not bear greater environmental burden" (EPA).
     EPA's Environmental Health Threats to Children
report (1996) recognizes that children are  particularly at
risk from environmental health hazards in three ways:

Children  are more  susceptible to environmental
threats.  Their bodies are experiencing rapid changes in
growth and development. Their immune systems are also
developing, and they may be less able than healthy adults
to recover rapidly from illnesses and stressors.

Children are more exposed to environmental threats.
They eat  proportionately  more food,  drink more fluids,
breathe more air, and play outside more than adults.  This
means that children may breathe in or ingest more pollu-
tants per pound  of body weight.  For example, children
absorb and  retain a  larger percentage of ingested lead
than adults,  which increases the toxic effects of the lead
(Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 2:1, 1988).

Children are exposed to different environmental haz-
ards.  Children are least able to protect themselves,, and
their natural curiosity  and tendency  to explore leaves
them open to health  risks adults can  more easily avoid.
When children crawl  on the ground or floor, or play out-
side, they are more exposed to potentially contaminated
dust and soil, lead paint, household chemicals, and other
hazardous substances.

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 Working With Communities

      As you reach out to your school or community, there are severaf things that you should do:
 « Learn  more about  the health issues  of  concern.
   An understanding of the possible environmental health
   risks in the school or community is a first step to action.
   Contacting the local health  department and environ-.
 '  mental organizations in the community, and the appro-
   priate informational hotlines  provides a better.under--
   standing of local environmental health issues.

 • Learn about the school or community.  Familiarize
   yourself with the members of the, school or community.
   An understanding of. the diversity of the community will
   help  determine how to  solve  potential problems
   Getting a sense of what community members' priorities
   are will help you assess what needs to be done and
   how to approach the school, or community.

•  Identify the respected leaders in the community.
   Work with the'respected  leaders  in "the  community
   to better understand, the history and needs of the com- •
   munity.   Experienced leaders can share insight into
   effective community outreach.

• identify and work with communication channels.
  Build a strong line of communication within the school
  or community to raise awareness about potential envi-
  ronmental health risks.  Effective lines of communica-
  tion increase participation and can ease fears and mis-
  conceptions.      - -  -
    •  Make meetings accessible.  Increasing community
      participation requires scheduling meetings and events
      at convenient times and in places that are perceived as
    - safe and welcoming to all community members. When
      appropriate, make sure that bilingual services and pub-
      lications are available.

   •  Involve children. Children are often the most at risk
  ,--.   from environmental, health  hazards.  It is  important to
      include children in your efforts not only because  their
      health is so important, but also because it can be an
   .  effective way to reach adults.

   • Work  with  established  grassroots  coalitions.
   .  Identify .organizations,  leaders, and community mem-
    • bers who are working on environmental  health issues;
     Working in a coalition is an effective way to maximize
    .materials,  personnel, informational,  and financial
     resources  to  address a wide range of environmental
     health issues.   ,

   • Identify potential resources.   If there are  environ-
    - mental health risks facing the school or community, it is
    helpful to find financial and materials support for your.
    efforts.. Support can be found through public and pri-
    vate grants.  In some cases, it may be helpful to work
    with local housing agencies.and health clinics.
 TERMS COMMONLY USED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
 Environmental Justice:  The fair treatment and meaningful
 involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national ori-
 gin, or income with respect to the development, implementa-
 tion, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and
 policies. Fair treatment means that no racial, ethnic, or socioe-
 conomic group should bear a disproportionate share of the
 negative environmental, consequences resulting from industri-
 al, municipal, and commercial operations, and from the execu-
 tion of federal, state, local, and tribal programs and policies.

 Affected Communities: Individuals or groups of individuals
 who are subject to an actual or potential health, economic, or
 environmental threat'arising from, or which arose from, pollu-
 tion sources or  proposed  polluting sources.: For example,
 affected parties  include individuals who live near pollution
 sources and whose health is or may be endangered or whose
 economic interest is directly threatened or harmed.  .
 Low-Income Community: A population that is classified by
 the ,U.S. Bureau of the Census .as having an aggregated mean
 income (for a family of four) of $13,359 per year, adjusted for
 by the cost-of-living index-of the locality, and whose income
 level is at the lowest 25% of the total population of a defined
 area or jurisdiction.               -•

 People of Color Community:  A population that is classified
 by the U.S.  Bureau of the Census  as African American,'
 Hispanic American, Asian and  Pacific American,  American
 Indian, Eskimo, Aleut aod other non-white  persons, whose;
 composition is at least'25% of the total population of a defined
. area  or jurisdiction.               "   ,,         .

 Tribe: All federally recognized American Indian tribes (includ-
 ing Alaskan Native Villages), pueblos, and ranchers.  The term
 tribe refers to only federally recognized indigenous peoples.
                                                     . 3

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To  Learn  More:
/nc/uston of resources In this section
does not constitute an endorsement from
ttwNEAorNEAHIN.

EPA ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
HOTLINE:  For information on envi-
ronmental justice, environmental jus-
tics grant opportunities, how to obtain
a listing of the EPA Regional
Environmental Justice
Coordinators, and/or for assistance
in the resolution of environmental jus-
tice Issues, contact 800/962-6215.
EPA INDOOR AIR QUALITY
INFORMATION CLEARINGHOUSE:
For information about IAQ in homes
and schools, to find out how to order
the EPA IAQ Tools for Schools
Action Kit, and for a listing of the
EPA Regional IAQ and/or Radon
Coordinators, contact 800/438-4318
or 202/484-1307 in Washington, D'.C.

NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL
RADON HOTLINE: For information
on radon and how to obtain low-cost
test kits, contact the hotline at
800/SOS-RADON (767-7236).
NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL
LEAD HOTLINE: For information on
how to protect children and adults
from lead poisoning, call the hotline
at 800/LEAD-FYI (532-3394).

NATIONAL HISPANIC INDOOR AIR
QUALITY HOTLINE: For informa-
tion in Spanish or English about IAQ
in homes, answers to consumer
questions about indoor air concerns,
and options for radon testing and mit-
igation,, contact the hotline at
800/SALUD-1-2 (725-8312) or
202/265-8863 in Washington, D.C.
     This brochure has been funded wholly by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under assistance agreement
  CX S->4279-01-0 to the National Education Association Health Information Network.  The contents of this document do not nec-
  essarily "reflect the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency, nor does mention of trade names or commercial
  products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.
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