vvEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Enforcement and
Compliance Assurance
(2201A)
EPA/300-R-00-008
November 2000
www.epa.gov/oeca
          Office of Environmental Justice
           Integrated Federal Interagency
                 Environmental Justice
                      Action Agenda
                                       OF Tfl
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                                          V.
                        WORKING TOGETHER
                            TOWARDS
                        COLLABORATIVE AND
                       INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS

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                        An Integrated Federal Interagency
                       Environmental Justice Action Agenda
                                        Preface

       Across the nation, communities are working hard to address a range of environmental,
public health, economic and social concerns, known as environmental justice issues.  They are
struggling to better understand the complex relationships between the environment, the economy,
and equity. Through the efforts of many governmental and non-governmental organizations,
communities are beginning to  fashion strategies that result in healthy and sustainable communities
which are environmentally sound and economically revitalized.

       Environmental justice  is a complicated issue and the concept is not  yet well understood.  It
is not a static concept but a dynamic process.  However, important lessons are emerging. One such
lesson is the need for greater Federal Agency collaboration.  Without focused and concerted efforts
on the part of multiple agencies, singularly directed initiatives, no matter how well intentioned, fall
short in the face of the overwhelming challenges presented by the combined ills of environmental,
social and economic distress.  Another lesson is the need to involve all stakeholders in the
development of the solutions.  All groups in a community must be mobilized to truly make a
lasting difference. While relatively simple lessons, these concepts are not easily
implemented—especially when distressed communities  are burdened with so many needs.

       The Integrated Federal Interagency Environmental Justice Action Agenda is an attempt to
break through the cycle of despair. It represents an important step in the implementation of
Executive Order 12898, "Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority
Populations and Low-Income Populations." The Executive Order focuses the attention of Federal
agencies  on the human health  and environmental conditions in minority and low-income
communities with the goal of achieving environmental justice and fostering non-discrimination in
programs that substantially affect human health or the environment.  Under Executive Order
12898, Federal agencies are directed to make achieving environmental justice an integral part of
their missions.  The Executive Order makes clear that its provisions also apply to programs
involving Native Americans and Alaskan Natives.

       The Action Agenda seeks to build upon creative solutions emanating from communities.
This is an important principle of environmental justice.  The Action Agenda seeks to  create
partnerships between Federal agencies and other stakeholders to promote comprehensive solutions
to environmental justice issues. The results are inspiring—demonstrating that the forces of
environmental protection, economic development, meaningful public participation, and community
revitalization can work together for the benefit of all.

                                         Charles Lee, Chair
                                         Interagency Working Group
                                         on Environmental Justice

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               SECTION I

   INTEGRATED FEDERAL INTERAGENCY
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ACTION AGENDA
                 GOAL
             BACKGROUND
             COMPONENTS

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                    An Integrated Federal Interagency
                  Environmental Justice Action Agenda
GOAL
The Integrated Federal Interagency Environmental Justice Action Agenda (Action Agenda) seeks to
build dynamic and proactive partnerships among Federal agencies to benefit environmentally and
economically distressed communities.  Increased coordination and cooperation among Federal
agencies will enhance identification, mobilization and utilization of Federal resources. Increased
coordination and cooperation also will enable distressed communities to improve environmental
decision-making and more efficiently access and leverage Federal government initiatives.  The
Action Agenda will result in improved quality-of-life for minority and/or low-income populations
suffering disproportionate environmental impacts. These populations may include indigenous/tribal
communities.

The Action Agenda intends to accomplish the following:

   •   Ensure that no segment of the population, regardless of race, color, national origin, or
       income, suffers disproportionate adverse human or environmental effects, and that all
       people live in clean, healthy and sustainable communities.

   •   Create opportunities for building partnerships between specific Federal agencies to promote
       comprehensive solutions to environmental justice issues.

   •   Promote models based in an integrated approach to  addressing environmental, public health,
       economic and social concerns of distressed communities.

   •   Ensure that those who live with environmental decisions (community residents; state, tribal,
       and local governments; and the private sector) have meaningful opportunity for public
       participation in the decision-making process.

   •   Provide a lasting framework for the integration of environmental justice into the missions of
       Federal agencies.

The Action Agenda will include examples of interagency environmental justice projects and
agency-specific initiatives, to be initiated or implemented by various Federal agencies during the
year 2000. The Action Agenda will seek to build the constructive problem-solving capacity of
communities in partnership with state,  tribal, and local governments. The Action Agenda is not
intended to replace or supercede existing federal/state/tribal/local government decision-making
processes.

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BACKGROUND

This Action Agenda is consistent with the direction set forth in the President Clinton's Executive
Order 12898 on Environmental Justice, signed February 11, 1994. Executive Order 12898 calls on
17 Federal agencies and White House offices to make environmental justice an integral part of
their mission to the extent practicable and permitted by existing law. It mandates objectives in the
following areas: (1) identify disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental
effects on minority and low-income populations; (2) coordinate research and data collection; (3)
conduct public meetings;  and (4) develop interagency model projects. It also establishes an
Interagency Working Group on Environmental Justice (IWG) composed of representatives from
these agencies and offices to accomplish these objectives.

In June 1999, the IWG began to develop the concept of an Integrated Federal Interagency
Environmental Justice Action Agenda as a way of incorporating environmental justice in all
policies, programs, and activities of Federal agencies.  Two environmental justice listening
sessions sponsored by the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and the EPA
Office of Environmental Justice (the first July 11, 1998, in Los Angeles, CA; and the second
March 6, 1999, in New  York City) and a national conference entitled "Environmental Justice:
Strengthening the Bridge Between Economic Development and Sustainable Communities" (June
10-12, 1999, in Hilton Head, SC) provided new energy to Federal interagency efforts to secure a
healthy and sustainable environment for all Americans regardless of race, color, ethnicity, or
economic status. These events provided new opportunities for senior Federal officials to respond
directly to affected communities and for meaningful dialogue among all stakeholders
(communities, businesses, academia, public health organizations, and Federal, state, tribal, and
local governments). These efforts clarified the need to address concurrently disproportionate
environmental impacts, economic and social concerns, and community empowerment.

Experience has demonstrated that efforts to address the environmental problems of minority and/or
low-income communities without meaningful community input will result in failure. An informed
and involved community  is a necessary and integral part of the decision-making process in
addressing environmental protection and its integration with the community's economic and social
goals.  Experience also has demonstrated that environmental problems suffered by such
communities cannot be fully addressed within the authority of any single governmental entity.
Therefore, within the context of this Action Agenda, "environment" is defined pursuant to National
Environmental Policy Act compliance and encompasses those elements that affect a community's
quality-of-life.

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ACTION AGENDA COMPONENTS

The Integrated Federal Interagency Environmental Justice Action Agenda is an ongoing,  "living"
framework.  The key areas of the Action Agenda are:

Promote Greater Coordination and Cooperation Among Federal Agencies

   •   Continue to support Regional Interagency Task Forces responsible for commitments made
       at the CEQ listening sessions in Los Angeles and New York City.
   •   Conduct national Federal Interagency Working Group meetings on a regular basis.
   •   Coordinate communications among Federal agencies on national and regional levels.
   •   Encourage regional Federal interagency strategies or action plans.
   •   Develop new models for Federal interagency collaboration  on regional, state, tribal, and
       local levels.

Make Government More Accessible and Responsive to Communities

   •   Ensure that core values and principles of the National Environmental Justice Advisory
       Council Model Plan for Public Participation are incorporated into Federal environmental
       justice activities.
   •   Develop a directory of environmental justice contacts.  Initially, for Federal agencies;
       future editions to include state and local environmental justice contacts.
   •   Compile a set of web-based environmental justice success stories from Federal agencies.
   •   Conduct interagency listening sessions in local communities throughout the nation.
   •   Conduct ongoing dialogue with state, tribal, and local governments.
Ensure Integration of Environmental Justice in Policies, Programs and Activities of Federal
Agencies.

    •   Promote agency-specific initiatives to benefit environmental justice communities.
    •   Compile summary of notable Federal government environmental justice accomplishments.
    •   Develop and conduct national and regional environmental justice training, which are
       agency-specific and interagency-focused.
    •   Promote opportunities for community-based assessment, intervention and prevention
       strategies to reduce health disparities, particularly within minority and/or low-income
       communities where disproportionate environmental effects may contribute to such
       disparities (To be addressed at National Environmental Justice Advisory Council Meeting,
       May 23-26, 2000).
    •   Develop strategies to enhance Federal interagency efforts to address needs of
       environmentally and economically distressed communities (To be addressed at National
       Environmental Justice Advisory Council Meeting, December 11-14, 2000).

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Initiate Environmental Justice Demonstration Projects to Develop Integrated Place-Based
Models for Addressing Community Livability Issues. (A fact sheet on the selected projects
can be found under Section II.)

Demonstration Project Objectives:
    •   Learn how Federal agencies can better collaborate to ensure local problem-solving.
    •   Achieve concrete beneficial results for affected communities.
    •   Ensure meaningful participation of affected communities in decision-making process.
    •   Enhance existing assets within affected communities.
    •   Promote greater partnership with state, tribal and local governments.
    •   Develop a template for integrated community-based solutions to environmental justice
       issues.
    •   Document lessons learned to positively impact more communities.
    •   Recommend changes in Federal policy, where appropriate.

Demonstration Project Selection Criteria:
    •   Areas selected are composed of predominantly minority or low-income populations that
       face negative environmental, public health, and/or socio-economic effects.
    •   Selected projects should be  community-based where there is a strong  community interest in
       participating in all phases of the project, including its conception, implementation, and
       completion.
    •   Communities selected may have existing resources sufficient to sustain the project through
       completion and beyond and where the demonstration project will contribute to building
       upon and enhancing existing assets within communities.
    •   Communities selected have potentially taken steps to address and/or seriously consider
       environmental justice, rural community development and capacity building, brownfield
       economic redevelopment, and/or other related issues.
    •   At least two Federal agencies will commit to participating in each demonstration project
       initiated; there will be meaningful participation by community-based  organizations;
       academic institutions; non-governmental organizations; state,  tribal, or local governments;
       and/or the private sector.

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               SECTION II
   INTEGRATED FEDERAL INTERAGENCY
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE DEMONSTRATION
               PROJECTS

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     ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE DEMONSTRATION
                              PROJECTS
1.  Greater Boston Urban Resources Partnership: "Connecting Community and
   Environment" (Boston, MA/) Lead Agency: EPA

2.  Camden - City of Children Partnering for a Better Future (Cam den, NJ)
   Lead Agency: HUD

3.  New York City Alternative Fuel Vehicle Summit (New York, NY) Lead Agency: DOE

4.  Addressing Asthma in Puerto Rico-A Multi-Faceted Partnership for Results (Puerto
   Rico) Lead Agency: HHS/HRSA

5.  Bridges to Friendship Nurturing Environmental Justice in Southeast and Southwest
   Washington, DC (Washington, DC) Lead Agency: DOD (Navy)

6.  Re-Genesis: Community Cleanup and Revitalization in Arkwright/Forest Park
   (Spartanburg, SC) Lead Agency: EPA

7.  Protecting Children's Health and Reducing Lead Exposure through Collaborative
   Partnerships (East St. Louis, IL) Lead Agencies: EPA & HUD

8.  Bethel New Life Power Park Assessment (Chicago, IL) Lead Agency: DOE

9.  New Madrid County Tri-Community Child Health Champion Campaign
   (New Madrid County, MO) Lead Agencies: EPA & USDA/NRCS

10. Easing Troubled Waters: Ensuring Safe Drinking Water Sources in Migrant
   Farmworker Communities in Colorado (Colorado) Lead Agency: EPA

11. Environmental Justice and Public Participation Through Technology: Defeating the
   Digital Divide and Building Community Capacity (Savannah, GA and Fort Belknap
   Indian Reservation, MT) Lead Agency: DOE

12. Protecting Community Health and Reducing Toxic Air Exposure through
   Collaborative Partnerships in Barrio Logan (San Diego, CA) Lead Agency: EPA

13. Oregon Environmental Justice Initiative (Portland and Rural Communities, Oregon)
   Lead Agency: DOJ

14. Metlakatla Indian  Community Unified Interagency Environmental Management
   Task Force (Ketchikan, AK) Lead Agency: DOD

15. Environmental Justice in Indian Country: A Roundtable to Address Conceptual,
   Political and Statutory Issues Lead Agency: DOE
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   Federal  Interagency Environmental Justice

                     Demonstration  Projects
                            Greater Boston Urban Resources  Partnership:
  	"Connecting  Community and  Environment" (Boston,  MA)
                                                                   Project Summary Sheet
July 2000
The overall goal of the Integrated Federal Interagency Environmental Justice Action Agenda is to increase efforts to
identify, mobilize, and make use of federal resources to benefit environmentally  and economically distressed
communities.  The Action Agenda is building dynamic and proactive partnerships that access the initiatives and
resources of federal agencies to  improve the quality of life of minority and low-income communities that suffer
disproportionate environmental impacts.
 MAJOR FOCUS OF THE PROJECT:
 Improving Public Health

 PROJECT PURPOSE:
 The ongoing partnership of 39 community-based
 organizations, universities, and federal, state, and
 local agencies acts as a liaison between community-
 defined needs and available federal resources in
 order to respond to critical community issues.  The
 Partnership will focus on the restoration of Chelsea
 Creek,  which is the most polluted tributary to the
 Boston Harbor; working with  local residents to
 transform the area into a recreational, educational,
 and  economic resource;  and improving the
 environment and public health  of  predominantly
 minority and low-income populations.

 WHY IS THE FEDERAL
 GOVERNMENT INVOLVED?
 The federal agencies involved are participating
 as members of the Greater Boston Urban
 Resources Partnership (GB-URP). The Urban
 Resources Partnership (URP) Initiative and the
 USEPA Urban Environmental Initiative (UEI) are
 federally sponsored efforts  to promote
 community-based planning  and implementation
 of natural resource projects in selected under-
 served  urban communities.  The Initiative
 demonstrates the value of federal agency
 partnerships to effectively deliver technical and
 financial assistance and other services to the
 public, and involves low-income and minority
                                            communities that have traditionally had limited
                                            access to environmental resources.  The Project
                                            also demonstrates sustainability in recognition
                                            that many environmental issues may not be
                                            adequately addressed without the combined
                                            resources of federal, state, and local
                                            governments and the capacity building at the
                                            community level, in order to develop  long term
                                            solutions from a "bottom up" approach.
                                                                    WHERE IS THE
                                                                    PARTICIPATING
                                                                    COMMUNITY?
                                               The main areas of emphasis will be
                                               Chelsea, Somerville and Boston.  In 1999,
                                               Greater Boston's multiracial population
                                               totaled 574,283, accounting for 41 percent
                                               of Chelsea's and 24 percent of East
                                               Boston's populations. The unemployment
                                               rate in Chelsea is 12.1 percent, and it is
                                               11 percent in East Boston. Nearly 51
                                               percent of the residents of Roxbury live at
                                               or below the poverty level.

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 WHAT IS THE BENEFIT TO
 THE COMMUNITY?
 The activities anticipated will benefit the community
 through the following efforts:

• Encourage and create opportunities for meaningful
 community involvement, serve community needs,
 and provide community benefits;
• Fostercooperation among residents and government
 officials  for  the enhancement of  the  urban
 environment;
• Serve  and involve low-income communities and
 minorities that have traditionally had little access to
 environmental  resources in planning and decision
 making;
• Develop a plan  for long-term sustainability and
 improvements  that  addresses   community
 environmental education and improvement needs;
•Host a  regional summit  on asthma  titled
 "EnvironmentalJustice Children's Initiative," designed
 to develop a strategy for filling the gaps in current
 action on asthma and to emphasize  prevention of
 exposure to known triggers in homes, schools, and
 the outside environments; and
• Partner with the Chelsea Creek Action Group (CCAG)
 to work with local residents to build public awareness,
 promote public access, clean up contaminated land,
 and transform the Chelsea Creek into a recreational,
 educational,  and economic resource for the
 communities and region.
PARTNERS AND THEIR COMMITMENTS
City of Boston will provide office space, equipment,
supplies, and in-kind support.
EPA will provide technical and financial assistance
with Comparative Risk Assessments, the mapping
of environmental hazards, development of public
awareness campaigns, and education on permitting
processes.
HUD will provide experience  in reviewing grant
applications.
Massachusetts Department of Environmental
Management will provide expertise in urban tree-
related issues, assist in education  activities, and
assist with the application and management of grants.
Massachusetts Department of Fish and Wildlife
Enforcement will provide  technical and  financial
resources to conduct shoreline surveys.
Tufts University and the Watershed Institute will
provide support with GIS mapping of open space, oil
terminals, and built-up areas along Chelsea Creek.
USDA Forest Service will provide technical and
financial assistance for the management of forests
and related natural resources in urban areas.
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
(NRCS) will provide technical assistance for the
restoration of Chelsea Creekand other improvements
of natural resources within  the urban environment,
and financial assistance as appropriate.
                                                  Contacts:

                                                  Kristi Rea
                                                  U.S. EPA Region 1
                                                  (617)918-1595

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   Federal  Interagency Environmental Justice
                     Demonstration Projects
                Camden —City of Children Partnering  for a Better Future
  	(Camden, NJ)
 July 2000
                      Project Summary Sheet
The overall goal of the Integrated Federal Interagency Environmental Justice Action Agenda is to increase efforts to
identify,  mobilize, and  make use of federal  resources to benefit environmentally and economically distressed
communities.  The Action Agenda is building dynamic and proactive partnerships that access the initiatives and
resources of federal agencies to  improve the quality of life of minority and low-income communities that suffer
disproportionate environmental impacts.
 MAJOR FOCUS OF THE PROJECT:
 Improving Children's Health

 PROJECT PURPOSE:
 Federal  partners will work with local educational
 institutions in the distressed City of Camden,
 which has a high population of children, to build
 the capacity  of residents, particularly youth, to
 address environmental justice issues by improving
 educational, economic development,  and  health
 care opportunities.   Activities will include (1)
 Asthma and Lead Poisoning Outreach, (2) Student
 Air Congress,  (3)  Rutgers University Masters
 Degree  Program in  Environmental Studies,  and
 (4) Youth Corp Training.

 WHY IS THE FEDERAL
 GOVERNMENT INVOLVED?
 The Camden project has been designed to ensure
 that the health of city's children in safeguarded for
 throughout  all stages of their development.
 Manufacturing and  related land use account for
 one-third of Camden's  nine  square  miles,  and
 brownf ields constitute more than half of all industrial
 sites in the city. Abandoned industrial sites contain
 chemicals, transformers, and other contaminants
 that pose significant threats  to human  health.
 Through partnerships established as a result of
 this effort, however, school-age children are being
 targeted for  the Asthma and Lead Poisoning
 Outreach and  EMPACT program, high school
 dropouts have  been targeted  for Youth  Corps
 Training, and the Partnership for Environmental
Technology Education has been directed  at
college students. Additionally, opportunities exist
for graduate students through the Rutgers Camden
Campus's environmental  sciences  master's
degree program.
                        WHERE IS THE
                        PARTICIPATING
                        COMMUNITY?
     Camden is the fifth poorest city in the
     United States and has been
     characterized as the most devastated
     city in America. One out of every three
     residents of Camden is living below the
     poverty line, the unemployment rate is
     36 percent, and the city has a
     predominantly minority population.
     Almost one-third of the city's population
     (31,000 of the total 87,500) is children.

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 WHAT IS THE BENEFIT TO
 THE COMMUNITY?
 The goal of the Camden project is to create jobs
 and  to protect  youth  from  exposure  to
 environmental contaminants.  To achieve these
 goals, the project will:

1 Sponsor 57 Camden students for a summer youth
 environmental education program and create jobs for
 youths by offering a 150-hour brownf ields assessment
 and cleanup job training program;
1 Improve screening and follow-up care for children at
 risk of exposure to lead and asthma-inducing allergens
 and train mothers of children with lead poisoning or
 asthma on abatement and control strategies;
1 Establish  effective  government, private, and
 community  partnerships for environmental
 assessment and planning;
1 Complete an  inventory of brqwnfields using a
 geographic information system in order to provide
 "one-stop shopping" - for community groups and
 developers on site conditions and reuse potential;
1 Monitor the completion of  all site assessments,
 make preliminary assessment and site investigation
 reports  readily available, and prioritize Camden's
 brownf ields for redevelopment;
1 Identify, compile, and disseminate information on
 lead issues for inner city New Jersey schools with
 Region2,the New Jersey Interagency Task Force on
 the Prevention of Lead Poisoning, and the University
 of  Medicine  and  Dentistry  of  New Jersey in
 collaboration with Ramapo College;
1 Increase public awareness  of the hazards of lead
 poisoning and asthma and build the capacity of the
 community to address the problems of exposure;
1 Develop mechanisms to facilitate the provision of
 healthy  home  environments  for all community
 members, but especially forchildren at riskf ram lead
 poisoning and asthma;
1 Facilitate recommendationsforpolicy that effectively
 protect children from lead and asthma hazards; and
1 Work with EPA Region 2, EPA Region 3, and Rutgers
 University in Camden to establish a master's degree
 in environmental studies.
 PARTNERS AND THEIR COMMITMENTS
• DOL will co-sponsorthe summeryouth employment
 program.
•HHS/Health   Resources   and   Services
 Administration  (HRSA) will provide health
 intervention for children with asthma.
• HHS/Centerfor Disease Control (CDC) will be the
 primary agency on lead initiatives.
• HUD will take the lead for new brownf ields initiatives
 including economic development loans for the city.

 OTHER PARTICIPATING PARTNERS
• New  Jersey  Department of Environmental
 Protection
• New Jersey Economic Development Association
• New  Jersey  Housing Mortgage and  Finance
 Agency
• New Jersey Redevelopment Authority
 Contacts:

 Maureen O'Neill
 U.S. EPA Region 2
 (212)637-5025


 Dr. Margaret Lee
 HHS/HRSA
 (212)264-2571
Denise Notice-Scott
HUD
(212)264-1401


Dan Mahoney
HHS/CDC
(215)685-2784

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  Federal  Interagency Environmental  Justice
                    Demonstration  Projects
 July 2000
New York City Alternative Fuel Vehicle Summit, New York, NY
                                                       Project Summary Sheet
The overall goal of the Integrated Federal Interagency Environmental Justice Action Agenda is to increase efforts to
identify, mobilize, and make use of federal resources to benefit environmentally  and economically distressed
communities.  The Action Agenda is building dynamic and proactive partnerships that access the initiatives and
resources of federal agencies to improve the quality of life of minority and  low-income communities that suffer
disproportionate environmental impacts.
 MAJOR FOCUS OF THE PROJECT:
 Improving Children's Health

 PROJECT PURPOSE:
 A partnership of federal agencies, local officials, and
 community organizations will conduct a series of
 meetings culminating in an Alternative Fuel Vehicle
 Summit.  The project goal is to accelerate the
 conversion of vehicular fleets operating  in NYC
 metropolitan area to cleaner fuels. This is intended
 to result in better air quality for heavily congested
 environmental justice neighborhoods.

 WHY IS THE FEDERAL
 GOVERNMENT INVOLVED?
 As a member of the White House Interagency Task
 Force on Environmental Justice Issues in New York
 City, the Department of Energy (DOE) met in Spring
 of 1999  with the  White  House  Council on
 Environmental Quality. Through the Office of Energy
 Efficiency and Renewable Energy, DOE agreed to
 lead the  efforts of the federal government  and
 community representatives in organizing an
 alternative fuels summit, focusing on accelerating
 the conversion to cleaner fuels of fleets operating in
 the New York City metropolitan area. During the
 Summerofl 999, DOEformed a planning committee
 of partners to determine the content of the summit on
 alternative fuels.
                                 The existence of a planning committee on this issue
                                 has allowed the city to talk to community groups
                                 about current projects on alternative fuels and has
                                 given the community groups the opportunity to
                                 express their concerns about poor air quality and the
                                 need to do more. The planning committee has given
                                 the federal participating agencies the ability to rally
                                 togetherto try to change the bus purchasing plans of
                                 the Metropolitan Transit Authority.
                                                        WHERE IS THE
                                                        PARTICIPATING
                                                        COMMUNITY?
                                      The communities involved with this
                                      project are located in heavily
                                      congested environmental justice
                                      neighborhoods areas of Manhattan,
                                      the Bronx, and Brooklyn which have
                                      been affected by high concentrations
                                      of diesel burning vehicular traffic.

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 WHAT IS THE BENEFIT TO
 THE COMMUNITY?
 The planning committee recommended holding a
 design charette to gather additional neighborhood
 and local and state government input on the issue
 of  alternative fuels. Following  that meeting,  the
 planning'committee put together an action plan for
 2000 and 2001  based on input from participants
 and included the following tasks:

1 Hosting neighborhood meetings to encourage local
 heavy-duty fleets to switch to alternative fuels;
'Sponsoring a city workshop on alternative fuel school
 buses;
1 Sponsoring an airport meeting to encourage more
 fleets to use alternative fuels;
1 Assisting with an alternative fuels workshop for local
 governments;
1 Holding  an alternative fuels summit to showcase
 successes and build on this work to lead to greater
 penetration of alternative fuel vehicles in heavy-duty
 niche markets located in designated environmental
 justice neighborhoods; and
1 Identifying heavy-duty transportation fleets and
 establishing  contacts or conducting  outreach to
 representatives in  order to get their participation in
 planned meetings.

 PARTNERS AND  THEIR COMMITMENTS
1 DOE will serve as the project lead and co-coordinator
 of  the Interagency task Force  on Environmental
 Justice in New  York  City that  supports the AFV
 project. DOE will also provide project coordination at
 the Headquarters level, program resources and
 technical assistance through the Office of Energy
 Efficiency and Renewable Energy, and logistical
 and in-kind support to projects activities.
1 DOI, working closely with local officials, community
 organizations and  other federal  agencies, will help
 organize meetings.
1GSA will help develop markets.
1 HUD will provide logistical and facilitation support.
• New York City Department of Transportation will
 serve as  a contributing member to  the  summit
 PlanningCommitteeandthe Interagency Task Force
 on  Environmental Justice  in New York City that
 supports the AFV project; will provide assistance in
 organizingcommunity-based informational meetings;
 will assist by providing contacts with local vendors,
 equipment manufacturers and utility marketing
 personnel; will  provide information  concerning
 funding opportunities; and will  offer assistance  in
 developing approaches to develop model projects.

 The following partners will serve as  contributing
 members to the summit Planning Committee, be
 responsible for identifying heavy-duty transportation
 fleet operating within their designated community
 area, establish  contacts or  conduct  outreach  to
 representatives of targeted fleets to getthem involved
 in project activities, and provide meeting locations,
 as required:
• Lower Washington Heights Association
• New York City  Environmental Justice Alliance
• The Point Community Development Corporation
• United Puerto Rican Organization of Sunset Park
• West Harlem Environmental Action
 Contacts:

 Marcy Rood
 DOE
 (202)586-8161
Omar Friella
Environmental Justice Alliance
(212)239-8882

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  Federal  Interagency  Environmental  Justice
                     Demonstration Projects
 July 2000
 Addressing Asthma in Puerto Rico—a Multifaceted
	Partnership for Results
                                             Project Summary Sheet
The overall goal of the Integrated Federal Interagency Environmental Justice Action Agenda is to increase efforts to
identify, mobilize, and make use of federal resources to benefit environmentally and economically distressed
communities.  The  Action Agenda is building dynamic and proactive partnerships that access the initiatives and
resources of federal agencies to improve the quality  of life of minority and low-income communities that suffer
disproportionate environmental impacts.
 MAJOR FOCUS OF THE PROJECT:
 Improving Children's Health

 PROJECT PURPOSE:
 A  partnership of federal agencies, local health
 departments, community groups, foundations, and
 universities will seek local community input to gain a
 better understanding of what accounts for the high
 prevalence of asthma in Puerto Rico. The project will
 result in a geographic action plan that maximizes
 asthma prevention and augments current interagency
 efforts to develop a community asthma intervention
 program for children in Puerto Rico's  low-income,
 under-served populations.

 WHY IS THE FEDERAL
 GOVERNMENT INVOLVED?
 A study conducted by the Puerto Rico Department of
 Health (in collaboration with ATSDR) found that 30
 percent of Latino Puerto Rican children aged 13-14
 and more  than 40 percent of children aged 6-7 had
 been diagnosed with asthma, a serious  and
 sometimes life-threatening respiratory condition. This
 project willtakeacollaborativeapproachto implement
 acomprehensivestrategytoimprovechildren'shealth
 by reducing the incidences of asthma.  To this end,
 an asthma summit led by H RSA and cosponsored by
 EPA, Mt. Sinai Hospital, and Roberts Wood Johnson
 Foundation is being convened in New York City May
 31 to June 1, 2000 to develop geographical action
 plans. The summit covers New York, New Jersey,
 Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. A special
 breakout  session  on  Puerto  Rico will be held.
                       Professional health providers and community activists
                       will hold a dialogue to facilitate multiagency and
                       community efforts toward next steps.  This summit
                       will complement and augment efforts currently
                       underway by the sponsoring partners to develop a
                       community asthma intervention program for Puerto
                       Rico.
                                              WHERE IS THE
                                              PARTICIPATING
                                              COMMUNITY?
                          The main population that this effort is
                          intended to address is children in Puerto
                          Rico.  In the United States, Latinos are
                          disproportionately impacted by asthma.
                          Although within the Latino population there
                          are variations in asthma rates depending on
                          an individual's national heritage, a study
                          conducted by the Puerto Rico Department
                          of Health (in collaboration with HHS/CDC
                          and HHS/ATSDR) found that asthma was
                          fairly prevalent among children living in the
                          Puerto Rico.

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 WHAT IS THE BENEFIT TO
 THE COMMUNITY?
 The activities anticipated will benefit the community
 through the following efforts:

• Facilitate participation in the Puerto Rico breakout
 session at the asthma summit;
• Develop a Puerto Rico Action Plan to address asthma;
•Build  upon  existing  scientific research and
 community-based work on asthma as well as explore
 financial  and technical partnerships in order to
 advance in new directions; and
• Develop  and implement a  community asthma
 intervention program for Puerto Rico to reduce the
 incidence of asthma in children.

 PARTNERS AND THEIR COMMITMENTS
• Department of Health and Human  Services
 (DHHS)/Agency for Toxic Substances and
 Disease Registry (ATSDR) will assist in presenting
 findings from asthma summit to community groups
 in Puerto Rico.
• DHHS/Health Resource Services Administration
 (HRSA) will sponsor the asthma summit.
• EPA will co-sponsor the asthma summit.
• Mt. Sinai Hospital will host the asthma summit and
 offer technical assistance.

The following partners will provide support to this
initiative when the follow-up asthma conference is
 held
in Puerto Rico:
• Puerto Rico  Community Groups
• Puerto Rico  Department of Health
• Puerto Rico  Environmental Quality Board
• Puerto Rico  Lung Association
• University of Puerto Rico

 OTHER PARTICIPATING PARTNERS
•DHHS/Health  Care  Finance Administration
 (HCFA)
•HUD
•NIH
Contacts:


HHS/ATSDR
Dr. Henry Falk
(212)264-2571


Maureen O'Neill
U.S. EPA Region 2
(212)637-5025


Dr. Jose Rodriguez-Santana
Pediatric Pulmonary Clinic
(787) 754-8500
HCFA
(212)264-3772
Dr. Luz Claudio
Mt. Sinai Hospital
(212)241-7625

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  Federal Interagency  Environmental  Justice
                    Demonstration  Projects
              Bridges to Friendship:  Nurturing Environmental Justice in
  	Southeast and Southwest Washington, D.C.
 July 2000
                      Project Summary Sheet
The overall goal of the Integrated Federal Interagency Environmental Justice Action Agenda is to increase efforts to
identify,  mobilize, and  make  use of federal resources to benefit environmentally and  economically distressed
communities.   The Action Agenda is building dynamic and proactive partnerships that access the initiatives and
resources of federal agencies to improve the quality of life of minority and low-income communities that suffer
disproportionate environmental impacts.
 MAJOR FOCUS OF THE PROJECT:
 Economic Development

 PROJECT PURPOSE:
 The  well-established Bridges to Friendship
 Partnership  will focus on  environmental justice
 concerns related to the revitalization of Southeast
 and Southwest Washington, D.C. neighborhoods
 next  to the Washington  Navy Yard. Efforts will
 center around turning environmental liabilities into
 opportunities by better orchestrating job training
 and employmentand entrepreneurial opportunities,
 identification of community assets, and strategies
 to address gentrification and community
 displacement.

 WHY IS THE FEDERAL
 GOVERNMENT INVOLVED?
 Bridges to  Friendship is  a community-based,
 sustainable development partnership of community
 organizations, businesses, D.C. government and
 federal government organizations that have come
 together to contribute to the revitalization of the
 southern quadrants of Washington, D.C.   This
 alliance is focused on enhancing the quality of life
 and preserving the natural and cultural heritage of
 the area by promoting economic development and
 environmental  protection.  In  particular, the
 partnership strives to use existing resources in new
 ways and support existing community efforts with
 new allies.
Environmental justice, capacity building,  and
brownfields redevelopment are driving forces behind
the project since it began in response to community
concerns related  to the Anacostia River, federal
cleanups of contaminated sites, and contamination
of other sites in the community.
Much of the value added by the partnership comes
through capacity  building, such  as linking youth
outreach and job training resources to providers at
all  levels to create employment  opportunities for
area residents.
                       WHERE IS THE
                       PARTICIPATING
                       COMMUNITY?
      The Bridges to Friendship area
      includes Southeast and Southwest
      Washington, D.C., where the
      Washington Navy Yard is located.
      This area includes communities
      dominated by public and low-income
      housing and is predominantly African
      American.

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 WHAT IS THE BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY?
 This project  will  benefit the Washington,  D.C.
 community through the following efforts:

• Increase the  variety, quality, and quantity of job
 training and career development  opportunities for
 local residents;
• Increase the number of quality businesses operating
 in Southeast  and  Southwest Washington, D.C. or
 owned by local residents. Bridges to Friendship will
 target three businessesfor start-up in prrelocation to
 Southeast/Southwest D.C. and  will  co-sponsor
 business development seminars;
• Increase the availability of  quality educational,
 employment, and recreational opportunities foryouth
 living in the target area;
• Deliver career readiness seminars in public housing
 and other  community  locations,  foster  the
 development of additional internship programs, and
 support community youth activities;
• Create a highly effective, efficient, and sustainable
 management infrastructure; and
• Ensure that other  Bridges to Friendship goals and
 area planning efforts in general (zoning, housing,
 etc.) incorporate community vision and needs.

 PARTNERS AND THEIR COMMITMENTS
• Alice Hamilton Occupational  Health Center will
 provide environmental and occupational Health  &
 Safety training and Life Skills, Job Readiness and
 Intellectual Enrichment training,  and  support for
 employer interest and job placement.
• Covenant House Washington will provide youth
 outreach and job  readiness assistance, internship
 and leadership development for youth, and partner
 with the Navy to provide Day Care provider on-the-
 job training.
• DOE will conduct energy education and job training
 programs,  provide  alternative  fuel  vehicle
 maintenance, and supply additional  resources
 through its brightfields and sustainability programs.
• DOI will provide assistance and expertise in design,
 development, and implementation of green space
 beautification and landscaping projects; youth and
 job training/mentoring programs; and work with the
 D.C. metro bus system to prevent storm water run-
 off from polluting waterways.
• DOL  will provide  expertise in  training and labor
 exchange activities, advise partners in the workforce
 development  system, and facilitate coordination of
 DOL programs and projects.
DOT will conduct community outreach through its
transportation planning and assistance programs,
and provide relevant job training opportunities.
District of Columbia Department of Employment
Services will provide management infrastructure
support,  job training resources  and employment
networks.
Ellen   Wilson   Community   Development
Corporation will prepare area low-income residents
for employment opportunities associated with the
redevelopment  of  the commercial corridor and
residential neighborhood south  of  the SE-SW
Freeway.
EPA will provide management infrastructure support,
leverage its commitment and extensive resources
devoted to the Anacostia Ecosystem Initiative, ensure
that environmental concerns and safeguards are
integrated into partnership efforts, provide Superfund
Job Training Initiative and community involvement
expertise and resources, and provide deconstruction
expertise and resources.
Friendship  House Association will provide
commun ity resou rces, access to residents, and social,
educational,  training, and economic development
services.
GSA will provide opportunities through the Small
and  Minqrity(8A)  Business program, provide
opportunities for facility deconstruction, and provide
facilities for meetings and instruction.
HUD will provide community building, facilitation and
technical  assistance and  enhance  community
revitalization through continued funding of locally
responsive housing and  community development
programs.
USDA, Forest Service will utilize  existing expertise
in providing consultant service in promoting urban
reforestation through the Urban and  Community
Forestry Program.
US Navy, Naval District Washington will support
the management infrastructure of the partnership;
actively develop opportunities for local residents to
train in marketable job skills;  and identify job
opportunities for community members at Navy Yard
businesses.
Contacts:

David Ouderkirk
Bridges to Friendship, Naval District Washington
(202) 442-4020

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  Federal  Interagency  Environmental Justice

                    Demonstration  Projects

         Cleanup and Revitalization through Collaborative Partnerships,
	Arkwright and Forest Park Community (Spartanburg, SC)
 July 2000                                                           Project Summary Sheet
The overall goal of the Integrated Federal Interagency Environmental Justice Action Agenda is to increase efforts to
identify, mobilize, and  make use of federal resources to benefit environmentally and economically distressed
communities.   The Action Agenda is building dynamic and proactive partnerships that access the initiatives and
resources of federal agencies to  improve the quality of life of minority and low-income communities that suffer
disproportionate environmental impacts.
 MAJOR FOCUS OF THE PROJECT:
 Economic Development

 PROJECT PURPOSE:
 The project will assist Re-Genesis, a community
 based organization in the Arkwright/Forest Park
 area of Spartanburg, South Carolina, in involving a
 broad variety of stakeholders to foster identification,
 inventory, assessment, cleanup and redevelopment
 of contaminated sites.  The project will also help
 build a community-based partnership to include
 local and  state agencies in a dynamic process of
 stakeholder education, structured  dialogues, and
 planning charettes to create short- and long-term
 development strategies.

 The project is designed to involve  a variety of
 stakeholders working togetherto foster identification,
 inventory, assessment, cleanup, and redevelopment
 in the Arkwright/Forest  Park area of Spartanburg,
 South Carolina. Through a collaborative effort, the
 groups willbe able to avoid redundancy and maximize
 the use of private monies and public grant dollars to
 best help this environmental justice community.

 WHY IS THE FEDERAL
 GOVERNMENT INVOLVED?
 The target community is within a one-quarter-mile
 radius of two Superfund sites. Other local areas of
 concern include  an abandoned textile mill, an
 operating  chemical plant, two dumps, and several
 suspected illegal disposal areas.  These properties
 have brought concerns about public safety, blight,
health, and the environmentforsometime. Thearea
has not enjoyed  any substantial commercial
development for years, and the vast majority of
normal retail needs are not within close proximity.

Re-Genesis, an active, community-based group with
1,400 members, has taken the lead in establishing
                       WHERE IS THE
                       PARTICIPATING
                       COMMUNITY?
   The City of Spartanburg, South Carolina
   has a population of 43,687.
   Approximately 53 percent of the
   population is white and 46 percent is
   African American. The targeted area —
   Arkwright/Forest Park on the south side of
   the city—has a 96 percent African
   American population.

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 partnerships to address  local environmental and
 health issues as well as revitalization.  Although
 these partnershipsfocused initially on cleanup issues
 (two  abandoned  toxic  sites  have  been
 environmentally assessed since  1998 and one site
 has undergone a $1 million  voluntary cleanup),
 current  plans represent renewed hopes for
 revitalization.  The county has recently applied a
 $20,000 environmental justice grant and a $100,000
 EPASuperfund Redevelopment Initiative grant, and
 plans to apply for a DOE Bright Fields grant. A recent
 forum on "Responsive Revitalization" was held with
 more than 60 diverse stakeholders in attendance.

 WHAT IS THE BENEFIT TO
 THE COMMUNITY?
 Expected benefits to the community include
 creation of housing, a technology center, a
 southeastern regional clinic, and a job training
 center. The Arkwright and Forest Park
 Community partnership will benefit as the result of
 activities which will:

1 Educate  stakeholders in the fundamentals and
 impacts of brownf ields cleanup and redevelopment;
1 Build localcommitmentandpartnershipsforbeneficial
 community redevelopment;
1 Educate the partnership on sustainable reuse tools
 and cleanup funding mechanisms;
'Lay the foundation  for  re-examining future
 development and growth;
1 Facilitate job training efforts;
1 Continue developing recommendations  for a
 revitalization process through structured dialogues
 and facilitated charettes;
1 Host a  series of  meetings with  community,
 developers, and state and federal representatives to
 review a proposed development plan for the area;
 and
1 Host meetings with the community, state and DOT to
 develop a transportation plan for the area.
 PARTNERS AND THEIR COMMITMENTS
• DOT will partner with the State of South Carolina to
 determine the impact on the Arkwright community of
 a proposed connector between State Highway 295
 and either State Highway 221 or Collins Avenue.
 The value of this connector to the community will be
 to provide  access to the community for future
 commercial development.
• EPA will  offer technical information in relation to
 development of  environmentally compromised
 properties.
• HUD  will partner with  the  county through the
 community's consultant to develop one or more
 housing subdivisions.

 OTHER PARTICIPATING PARTNERS
• City of Spartanburg
•County  of Spartanburg  (Community and
 Economic Development Division, Transportation
 Planning)
• First Federal Bank
• First South Bank
• Re-Genesis
•South Carolina  Department of Health and
 Environmental Control
•South  Carolina  Economic  Development
 Administration
• Spartanburg Development Council
• University of South Carolina
• Vigindustries/lnternational  Minerals and
 Chemical Corporation
• Wachovia Bank
 Contacts:

 Jewell Harper
 U.S. EPA Region 4
 (404) 562-8629
Rosalind Brown
U.S. EPA Region 4
(404) 562-8633

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  Federal  Interagency  Environmental  Justice
                     Demonstration  Projects
     Protecting Children's Health and Reducing Lead Exposure through
  	Collaborative Partnerships  (East St. Louis, IL)
 July 2000
                      Project Summary Sheet
The overall goal of the Integrated Federal Interagency Environmental Justice Action Agenda is to increase efforts to
identify, mobilize,  and make use of federal resources to benefit environmentally and economically distressed
communities.  The Action Agenda is building dynamic and proactive partnerships that access the initiatives and
resources of federal agencies to improve the quality of life of minority and  low-income communities that suffer
disproportionate environmental impacts.
 MAJOR FOCUS OF THE PROJECT:
 Improving Children's Health

 PROJECT PURPOSE:
 Community groups, local hospitals, federal, state
 and local  agencies in  East St. Louis and St. Clair
 County willcollaboratetoimplementacomprehensive
 strategy to improve children's health by reducing
 lead poisoning.  The project will address both lead
 based paint hazards and uncontrolled lead releases
 to surface soil. Removal actions, where necessary,
 will promote  opportunities for redevelopment in
 neighborhoods and eliminate  illegal dumping.

 WHY IS THE  FEDERAL
 GOVERNMENT INVOLVED?
 The St. Clair County region of  Illinois is an area that
 is littered with  idled smelters, junkyards, and defunct
 industry. It has numerous abandoned, contaminated
 lots that serve as  play areas  for the communities'
 youth and as  illegal dumping havens. This project
 targets East St. Louis and other communities in St.
 Clair County, Illinois,  including Brooklyn, Alorton,
 Centerville, and Washington Park. Air pollution has
 been a major  problem due to the fact that St. Louis
 Metropolitan Area exceeds EPA's limit on the amount
 of smog in the air.  In addition, when children living
 in East St. Louis were tested for lead poisoning,
 there were four times as many children with lead
 poisoning than in the surrounding communities, and
 the rate of lead poisoning wasfourtimes higherthan
 the national average.
Another recurring and severe problem in the region
is flooding. The drainage systems currently in place
were originally constructed to drain agricultural land,
not to convey runoff from stormwater in residential
and urbanizing areas.  The  region has a combined
sewer and stormwater system that is deteriorating.
Impermeable surfaces (e.g., roads and parking lots)
have increased  the volume of water running into
streams  and rivers, and pollution from lead, oil,
gasoline, and other products on these surfaces is
carried directly into local water bodies. As wetlands
and forested areas are paved, flooding continues to
become even more severe.
                      WHERE IS THE
                      PARTICIPATING
                      COMMUNITY?
      Sixty-five percent of the population
      of East St. Louis is low-income
      compared with a state average of
      27 percent, and 98.6 percent of the
      population is minority compared to
      a state average of 25 percent. The
      surrounding communities
      (Brooklyn, Alorton, Centerville, and
      Washington Park) have similar
      demographics.

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 WHAT IS THE BENEFIT TO
 THE COMMUNITY?
 This project will take a collaborative approach to
 implement a comprehensive  strategy to improve
 children's health by reducing lead poisoning. It will
 address both  lead-based  paint and uncontrolled
 lead releases  to surface soil.  East St. Louis will
 benefit from the following activities:

1 Conducting blood lead screening of children  0-12
 years old and  pregnant mothers;
1 Providing appropriate medical care service referrals
 for cases of high lead blood content;
1 Conducting lead-based  paint  hazard  control
 throughout the county;
1 Assessing uncontrolled lead releases to surface soil
 and homes with lead hazards;
1 Conducting housing  rehabilitation along  with
 landscaping efforts and weatherization;
1 Conducting site  assessments on abandoned  lots
 and following up with removal actions and demolition
 activities when necessary;
1 Assisting in building community capacity to recognize
 lead hazards  and ways to reduce the threats to
 children's health as well as avenues to better
 communication and environmental decision-making;
1 Promoting a healthy environment  for   the
 environmental justicecommunitybyofferingagreater
 avenue for residents to become  more involved in
 environmental issues in their community; and
1 Hosting public meetings and  availability sessions
 and distribute  a quarterly newsletter to discuss the
 progress and next steps of the project.

 PARTNERS AND THEIR COMMITMENTS
1 Army  Corps of Engineers will assist with  project
 coordination, technical assistance and conduct site
 assessments at abandoned lots when necessary.
> East-West  Gateway Coordinating  Council will
 conduct lead  soil sampling in approximately 30
 residential yards in the city. The  Council will work
 with homeownersto implement landscaping activities.
• EPA has provided a $75,000 grant to conduct lead
 soil sampling in East St. Louis near many defunct,
 bankrupt  industrial  areas.  EPA will continue to
 provide technical  assistance,  potentially fund
 community education/awareness  and facilitate the
 project collaboration.
• East St. Louis Community Development Block
 Grant Office will assist in providing the $10,000
 Home Repair Grants to homes identified through the
 partnership. The office will also provide prevention,
 education and awareness assistance.
• E. Side Local Health District will assist in the blood
 lead screening, providing appropriate medical care
 referrals, and conducting prevention and education/
 awareness information workshops and distributing
 materials throughout the community.
• HUD has provided a $2.8 million dollar grant to St.
 Clair  County through  their Lead Hazard  Control
 Program and  will continue to provide technical
 assistance and lessons learned from other grantees
 with similar challenges.
• Illinois Department of Public Health will continue
 to implement the US EPA grant to conduct lead soil
 sampling to characterize the uncontrolled releases
 of lead in the soil.  Historical blood lead data will be
 mapped  and a temporal evaluation of blood lead
 trends in the area will be performed. The Department
 will also continue to  support/facilitate lead blood
 screening.
• Neighbors United for Progress will provide lead-
 based paint assessments and assist with community
 outreach and education.
•St. Clair County Intergovernmental Grants
 Department is the recipient of the HUD Lead Based
 Paint Hazard Control grant and will provide funding
 to several community organizations and contractors
 to  implement the blood lead  screening, case
 management,  assessment,  prevention/education,
 lead hazard control and landscaping activities.
• St. Mary's Hospital Corporate Health Center will
 provide blood  lead screening, case management,
 prevention/awareness and education assistance.
  Contacts:

  Noemi Emeric
  U.S. EPA Region 5
  (312)886-0995
Richard Mark
St. Mary's Hospital
(618)482-7025

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   Federal Interagency  Environmental Justice
                     Demonstration Projects
                   Bethel New Life PEM Fuel Cell Deployment in a "Green"
                         Building and Power Park Assessment  (Chicago,  IL)
 July 2000
                      Project Summary Sheet
The overall goal of the Integrated Federal Interagency Environmental Justice Action Agenda is to increase efforts to
identify, mobilize, and make use of federal resources to benefit environmentally and economically distressed
communities. The Action Agenda is building dynamic and proactive partnerships that access the initiatives and
resources of federal agencies to improve the quality of life of minority and low-income communities that suffer
disproportionate environmental  impacts.
 MAJOR FOCUS OF THE PROJECT:
 Economic Development

 PROJECT PURPOSE:
 Federal partners will work to assist Bethel New Life,
 a faith-based community development corporation
 located in the  West Garfield section of Chicago,
 Illinois, tofulfillitsvision of turningthe neighborhood's
 environmental liabilities into assets. The project will
 design, develop, install,  field test, and monitor
 performance  of  a 20-kW Proton  Exchange
 Membrane (PEM) fuel cell power system as part of
 the "Lake/Pulaski Commercial Center" building
 development. Bethel is developing the building as
 a "green," energy-efficient, affordable, commercial
 retail center.  The deployment of a PEM fuel cell
 system in a mixed-use commercial building will be
 on the leading edge of demonstrations of advanced
 PEM fuel cell technology in building applications.
 The fuel cell power system will provide approximately
 27 percent of  the estimated 75-kW peak power
 requirement of the building.  Waste heat from the
 fuel cell will also  be  used to supplement the
 building's heating and/or hot water requirements.
 The project will also conduct a feasibility study to
 determine the opportunities for incorporating energy-
 efficient technologies. This will enable the design
 and construction of a mixed-use development that
 takes advantage of existing rail links and converts
 an abandoned industrial area  into a  revitalized
 economic center to provide much needed housing,
 jobs, and commercial and industrial development.
WHY IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
INVOLVED?
Bethel New Life, a  faith-based community
development  corporation in Chicago,  Illinois,  is
seeking to demonstrate the significant benefits that
green development  and  distributed  energy
resources can provide in addressing the need for
economic redevelopment and critical infrastructure
                        WHERE IS THE
                        PARTICIPATING
                        COMMUNITY?
  The target community -the West Garfield Park
  section of Chicago 4s a mostly African-
  American community (98 percent) with 40
  percent of the residents living on incomes below
  the poverty level. The proposed mixed-use
  development would provide this community with
  a convenient location for resources such as a
  child development center, a medical clinic, a
  bank, a drug store, and other commercial
  spaces.  The community also anticipates the
  availability of Welfare to Work training and
  employment through building and landscaping
  contractors at the site.

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 issues, such as electricity reliability, air quality, and
 transportation.  By working with the Department of
 Energy (DOE) and federal, state, local, and private
 and nonprofit partners, Bethel New Life hopes to
 redevelop an  area in the  West Garfield  Park
 community of Chicago along  Lake Street and Lake
 Pulaski into a "power park," which utilizes energy-
 efficiency technologies.  A feasibility study for the
 proposed project will examine the  incorporation of
 distributed  energy resources  (including  on-site
 power generation) and whether development as a
 power  park would address summer air cooling
 needs without further taxing the city's power grid or
 generation capacity.

 WHAT IS THE BENEFIT TO  THE COMMUNITY?
 Bethel New Life's objective is to use the existing rail
 system links and convert a devastated abandoned
 industrial area  into a revitalized economic center
 that  provides  much needed  housing, jobs,
 commercial, and industrial redevelopment.   The
 community  will  benefit from the  following tasks
 associated with  the project:

1 Demonstrate the excellent energy-efficiency  and
 environmental benefits of  PEM fuel  cells used in
 building applications;
1 Assess the energy opportunities that could enable
 the design and construction  of a mixed-use
 development in the target area;
1 Conduct a feasibility study to look at how the Bethel
 New Life property could benefit from its development
 as a "power park" (in the long term, this study could
 be used to attract government grants and private
 development money for  investment in  this  site);
 and
1 Redevelop the area to include a commercial center
 atamajortransit stop thatwill provide the surrounding
 community with comfortable access to the local rail
 line.

 PARTNERS AND THEIR COMMITMENTS
 Argonne National Laboratory will provide overall
 project coordination, technical  assistance  and
 program resources to project development, use of
 research facilities, and  project planning  and
 development assistance.
Bethel New Life, Inc., will co-coordinate project
activities  and team development, contribute staff
and  resources,  plan and  organize  building
development project  construction  phases,
collaborate with other partners to assemble project
teams, and pursue grant funding and other financial
instruments.
City of Chicago Department of Environment will
provide  support to demonstrate the  use of
photovoltaics on the roof construction.
Commonwealth Edison will provide project funding
support through the City of Chicago's Department of
the Environment.
DOE will serve as the project lead, provide technical
assistance, and program support through the Office
of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, and
solicit grant  proposals.
Farr Associates will serve as the building architect
and as a member of the project development team.
HUD will provide Bethel New Life with an Enterprise
Zone grant award.
Illinois Department of Commerce and Community
Affairs will demonstrate the use of photovoltaics on
the development's roof construction  and assist
Bethel New Life in assembling project teams.
Illinois Energy Office will  prepare  and submit
proposals to provide for the design, development,
installation,fieldtesting, and performance monitoring
of fuel cell power system to support the project's
commercial center.
Institute  of Gas Technology will contribute to the
design and  development of the fuel cells to be
employed in the project and serve as a development
team  member.
Mantaky  Realty Group will provide assistance in
land  development  and use and  serve as a
development team member.
Mosaic Energy  will serve as a member of the
project development team.
 Contacts:

 Martin Kurtovich
 DOE
 (202)586-5196

 Mary Nelson
 Bethel New Life, Inc.
 (773) 473-7870
Norm Peterson
National Laboratory
(630) 252-7229

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   Federal  Interagency Environmental Justice
                     Demonstration  Projects
 July 2000
New Madrid County  Tri-Community Child Health
 Champion  Campaign  (New Madrid County,  MO)
                                         Project Summary Sheet
The overall goal of the Integrated Federal Interagency Environmental Justice Action Agenda is to increase efforts to
identify, mobilize, and make use of federal resources to benefit environmentally and economically distressed
communities.  The Action Agenda is building dynamic and proactive partnerships that access the initiatives and
resources of federal agencies to improve the quality of life of minority and  low-income communities that suffer
disproportionate environmental  impacts.
 MAJOR FOCUS OF THE PROJECT:
 Improving Children's Health

 PROJECT PURPOSE:
 An EPA-USDA  partnership works with state and
 local agencies to address three areas that impact
 children's health: lead, asthma/allergies, and water
 quality. The projects came about when three rural
 towns in New Madrid County, Missouri, saw the
 potential benefits of working together. A subsequent
 request to federal and state agencies for assistance
 resulted in this project. While community education
 and capacity building is an ongoing  part of this
 project, efforts will include proactive actions such
 as planting trees to decrease dust contaminants
 and improving stormwater drainage.

 WHY IS THE FEDERAL
 GOVERNMENT INVOLVED?
 EPA  Region 7 and the  Natural  Resource
 Conservation Service  Midwest Region  have
 fostered partnerships based on their commitment
 to ensure that all communities receive  the benefits
 of their programs and that no portion of the population
 be disproportionately impacted in a negative way
 by their policies, programs, and procedures. The
 first  area in which these  two  organizations
 concentrated their efforts was in three  small towns
 located in the bootheel of Missouri.  The project
 began by identifying environmental hazards that
 might place community members (with an emphasis
 on children)  at  a health risk.  Data were also
                   collected  to  evaluate  whether  there  was
                   disproportionate risk in these three communities
                   compared to the  rest  of the  state to consider
                   environmental justice.
                                           WHERE IS THE
                                           PARTICIPATING
                                           COMMUNITY?
                      The City of Lilbourn, City of Howardville,
                      and Village of North Lilbourn are rural
                      agricultural communities located in the
                      bootheel region of Missouri,
                      approximately 175 miles south of St.
                      Louis. These towns do not have the types
                      of businesses or industry established that
                      might make them sustainable, and they
                      are characterized by gross poverty and
                      substandard  housing conditions.  This
                      project will benefit the community by
                      providing a safer environment for
                      children, greater community awareness
                      regarding health hazard prevention, and
                      a greater capacity to address needs and
                      concerns on  a local level.

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 The resulting  New Madrid County Tri-Community
 (NMCTC) Child Health Champion Campaign is a
 community-led initiative with  a variety of local and
 regional  partners.   Community development,
 leadership, and capacity-building skills are integral
 parts of this project and essential to the sustainability
 of any  efforts  undertaken.  Data collection,
 communication, and coordination by allof the partners
 resulted in the completion of an Action Plan in 1999.
 Implementation of this plan is expected to take place
 beginning in 2000 and continuing through 2001.

 WHAT IS THE BENEFIT TO
 THE COMMUNITY?
 The activities anticipated under the action plan  will
 benefit the community through the following efforts:

1 Screening/testing of children in the target communities
 for lead poisoning;
1 Providing appropriate medical care service referrals
 for cases of high lead blood content;
1 Providing education and awareness  regarding  the
 environmental health hazards of chemical products,
 tobacco smoke, home insect allergens, and field and
 agricultural dust;
1 Planting evergreens, and long-lived trees and shrubs
 in areas around schools and children's playgrounds
 to decrease dust contaminants;
1 Providing educational materials  and  training
 workshops concerning safe drinking water, stagnant
 water, water sampling and also the signs/symptoms
 of the ill health effects due to contaminated water;
1 Building capacity in  the community to recognize
 environmental  hazards and ways to  reduce those
 threats in drinking water, stormwater  drainage, and
 stagnant water;
1 Improving stormwater drainage in  the  targeted
 communities;
1 Taking drinking water samples and constructing a
 template for a drinking water  consumer confidence
 report; and
1 Facilitating the participation of community members
 in technical  training provided  by the state.

 PARTNERS AND THEIR COMMITMENTS
1 Bootheel Lead Nurses will provide health screening
 and information and referral services.
1 Delta Area Economic Development Corporation
 will conduct educational workshops.
1 EPA Region 7 will provide financial, compliance,
 andtechnical assistance in the areasof lead, asthma/
 allergies, and water quality.
• Great RiversAlliance of Natural Resource Districts
 will assist with project coordination and technical
 assistance.
• Headstart will support/facilitate health screening.
• Lincoln  University Cooperative  Extension will
 provide technical assistance, information, and referral
 services.
•Missouri Department of Conservation will provide
 technical assistance with a design topography plan
 to address blowing dust and pesticides.
• Missouri Department of Natural Resources will
 provide technical and drinking water compliance
 assistance as well as provide operator certification
 training.
• Missouri Department of Public Health will provide
 technical assistance and conduct health education
 and information workshops.
• NewMadrid County Health Department will provide
 health screenings and assistance referrals.
• NMCTC Community Team  will assist with project
 coordination, communication efforts, and education.
• USDA/Natural Resource Conservation Service
 (NRCS)  will  provide technical assistance for
 excavating  drainage ditches, surveying, and
 designing a stormwater drainage system. They will
 also  provide leadership,  grant  writing, and
 managementtraining.
  Contacts:


  Althea Moses
  U.S. EPA Region 7
  (913)551-7649


  Great Rivers Alliance of Natural Resource Districts
  (314)830-3790

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   Federal  Interagency Environmental Justice
                    Demonstration Projects
   Easing  Troubled Waters:   Ensuring  Safe Drinking Water Sources in
  	Migrant Farm Worker Communities  in Colorado
 July 2000
                      Project Summary Sheet
The overall goal of the Integrated Federal Interagency Environmental Justice Action Agenda is to increase efforts to
identify,  mobilize, and  make use of federal  resources to benefit environmentally and economically  distressed
communities.   The Action Agenda is building dynamic and proactive partnerships that access the initiatives and
resources of federal agencies to  improve the quality of life of minority and low-income communities that suffer
disproportionate environmental impacts.
 MAJOR FOCUS OF THE PROJECT:
 Ensuring Safe Drinking Water

 PROJECT PURPOSE:
 A  new partnership has been created  among
 environmental and community groups, educational
 institutions, and government agencies to  identify
 the location and assess the safety of drinking water
 sources for Colorado migrant farm worker camps.
 The network created by these partnerships will be
 used to more effectively deliver human health and
 environmental services in the future.

 WHY IS THE FEDERAL
 GOVERNMENT INVOLVED?
 Although many health problems found in the general
 population also affect migrant farm workers,  in many
 cases the frequency or intensity of the problem is
 greater within the  migrant population than in the
 population at large.  Migrant farm workers in the
 United States represent a diverse group of people.
 About 85 percent are from minority groups—
 Hispanics (65 percent), African Americans,
 Jamaicans, Haitians, Laotians, and Thais.  While
 contributions made by migrant farm workers are
 essential  to the U.S. economy, an estimated 61
 percent of farm workers live in poverty. Additionally,
 migrant farm workers are often found to be  living
 with a number of health  problems related  to their
 working environments, yet fewer than 20  percent
 are served by accessible health care centers.
A 1997 report issued by the U.S.  Department of
Labor (DOL) found that more than 300,000 workers
a year are poisoned by pesticides. A variety of
contaminants may affect drinking water sources in
these areas, including organophosphates and other
pesticides from agricultural  runoff, chemicals from
nearby industrial facilities, and lead and biological
contaminants resulting from structural  sources
such as defective plumbing and sewer lines.   In
addition to the direct exposure facing workers,
children may also be affected.  They come into
                        WHERE IS THE
                        PARTICIPATING
                        COMMUNITY?
      This project will address the
      drinking water concerns of migrant
      farm workers in various parts of
      Colorado.

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 contact with pesticides through residue from their
 parents' clothing, dust tracked into  their  homes,
 contaminated  soil in areas where they play, food
 brought directly from the fields to the table,  and
 contaminated  well water.

 Federal agencies, like the USEPA, are committed
 to bringing together the expertise, resources,  and
 attention needed to address the human health risks
 facing this disenfranchised population.

 WHAT IS THE BENEFIT TO
 THE COMMUNITY?
 The community will  benefit through  the following
 efforts:

1 Developing geographic information system (GIS)
 maps of  migrant farm worker camps and water
 sources;
1 Assessing available  water quality data for these
 camps;
1 Conducting additional water testing  for identified
 sites;
1 Recommendingchangestofederal policies regarding
 testing of migrant worker water sources as a result of
 data analysis and interagency/worker dialogue;
1 Developing an interagency and community plan to
 address communication and education needs;
1 Developing a  database to track  issues  such as
 migrant farm worker camp locations,  water source
 location and types of contamination, and the number
 of workers at specific sites to ensure the provision of
 safe drinking water; and
1 Buildingasustainablesupportnetworkto implement
 policy and communication changes.

 PARTNERS AND THEIR  COMMITMENTS
 Colorado Department of Labor will assist with
 information for database development and help
 assess potential programmaticand/orpolicychanges
 regarding worker camps.
Colorado Department  of  Public Health and
Environment will assist with information fordatabase
development, clarify drinking water regulations and
inspection process for Colorado, and help assess
potential programmatic  and/or policy changes
regarding regulation  of drinking water sources  in
worker camps.
Colorado  State  University—High  Plains
Intermountain Centerfor Agricultural Health and
Safety will assist with information  for database
development.
Cooperative Extension  Service  will assist with
database  development  and help  develop and
implement a communication plan.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
will assist with  providing  information for database
development.
DOL currently performs inspections to enforce the
Migrant Seasonal Protection Act to ensure workers
receive promised wages, transportation, and housing.
They willalso be assisting with database development
related to these inspections, including camp location
and, potentially, water quality information.
EPA Region Swill facilitate dialogue among partners
and help defineneeded programmatic/policy changes.
Region 8 will provide outreach support and legal and
technical expertise.
National Centerfor Farmworker Health will provide
information on relevant studies.
Plan de Salud del Valle (Salud  Family Health
Center) will assist with database development and
help with additional water sampling and help assess
potential programmatic  and/or policy changes
regarding farm worker camps.
Contacts:

JeanBelille
U.S. EPA Region 8
(303)312-6556

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  Federal Interagency  Environmental Justice
                    Demonstration Projects
   Environmental Justice and Public Participation Through Technology:
          Defeating the Digital Divide and Building Community Capacity
                                        (Savannah, GA and Fort Belknap, MT)
 July 2000
                      Project Summary Sheet
The overall goal of the Integrated Federal Interagency Environmental Justice Action Agenda is to increase efforts to
identify,  mobilize, and  make use of federal  resources to benefit environmentally and economically distressed
communities.   The Action Agenda is building dynamic and proactive partnerships that access the initiatives and
resources of federal agencies to  improve the quality of life of minority and low-income communities that suffer
disproportionate environmental impacts.
 MAJOR FOCUS OF THE PROJECT:
 Community Education and Capacity Building

 PROJECT PURPOSE:
 This partnership of federal, tribal, and local agencies,
 community organizations, and historically black
 colleges and universities will workto help communities
 gain  access to information technology and gain
 capacity to participate in environmental decision
 making.  Federal  agencies will provide  both
 computers and technical assistance to establish
 community technology centers.   The  project will
 targettwocommunities:thefirst in Savannah, Georgia
 and  the second  at the Fort  Belknap Indian
 Reservation. These willserve as modelsforeventual
 replication by other communities and tribes.  Along
 with federal agencies, Howard University will provide
 training and ongoing technical support.

 WHY IS THE FEDERAL
 GOVERNMENT INVOLVED?
 In 1992, the EPA chartered the Federal Facilities
 Environmental Restoration Dialogue  Committee
 (FFERDC)  to examine  issues  surrounding
 environmental  cleanup at federal facilities.  The
 committee made a series of recommendations that
 were designed to improve environmental cleanup
 decision making at federal facilities.  One  such
 recommendation stated that federal, state, tribal,
 and local governments need to make special efforts
 to consult with groups that have  been commonly
 excluded from this process, such as minority, low-
income, rural and inner-city residents, and Native
American communities. The committee furtherstated
that these groups need assistance to expand and
develop their capacities where needed to participate
in cleanup decision-making processes.
                       WHERE IS THE
                       PARTICIPATING
                       COMMUNITY?
   The project will target two communities: the
   first in Savannah, Georgia, and the second at
   the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in
   Montana.  A partnership of federal, tribal, and
   local agencies, community organizations, and
   historically black colleges and universities will
   workto help these communities gain access
   to information technology and gain capacity to
   participate in environmental decision making.
   These activities will serve as models for
   eventual replication by other communities and
   tribes.

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 The development of community technology centers
 to provide access to computers and the Internet
 for these underrepresented groups is one way to
 empowerthem in environmental decision-making
 processes. These technology centers will  enable
 thetargetcommunitiesto participate in information
 exchanges and policy-formation dialogues.  The
 proposed community technology center three-
 year  project will allow federal and  nonfederal
 partners to combine resources to develop model
 community technology centers in an environmental
 justice  community and a  Native American
 community that will have applicability across similar
 stakeholder communities.

 WHAT IS THE BENEFIT TO
 THE COMMUNITY?
 The objective  of this effort  is  to help targeted
 communities  gain  access to computers and  the
 Internet in order to expand and develop capacity to
 participate in environmental decision making. Specific
 activities associated with this objective which  will
 benefit the community are as follows:

1 Create community technology centers to give
 communities access to federal agencies and a wide
 range of environmental information on the Internet;
1 Conduct training programs that include computer-
 based and Internet research and tools; toxic release,
 chemical, and  risk assessment information; and
 community economics;
1 Supervise community use of the training and tools
 received;
'Create and implement youth development programs;
'Provide   economic   development   tools,
 entrepreneurship training, and other resources such
 as proposal writing and grant management to make
 the technology centers self-sufficient;
1 Provide continuous technical  assistance from
 historically black colleges and universities and other
 sources via the Internet and e-mail;
1 Develop a technical assistance Web site (TechNet)
 and listserve;
1 Conduct a research meeting  with the targeted
 communities  and others to  discuss experiences,
 lessons learned, and implications for the future; and
1 Conduct a research project to evaluate the  results
 and  examine the  implications  for  program
 modification and replication.
 PARTNERS AND THEIR COMMITMENTS
• DOE  Office of Intergovernmental and Public
 Accountability will provide  surplus computers,
 environmental training, and  public participation
 assistance.
•EPA  will  provide  surplus  computers  and
 environmental training.
• Urban Environment Institute will provide training
 and ongoing technical support.

 OTHER PARTICIPATING PARTNERS
These partners will provide support as appropriate
to this technology project:
•AOL
• Center for Environmental Justice
• City of Savannah
• Fort Belknap Indian Community Council
• International Institute For Indigenous Resource
 Management
• National Urban Internet
  Contacts:

  Dr. Mildred McClain
  Citizens for Environmental Justice
  (912)233-0907


  John Rosenthal
  Urban Environment Institute
  (703) 922-7653


  Mervyn Tano
  International Institute for Indigenous
  Resource Management
  (303) 733-0481


  Melinda Downing
  DOE
  (202) 586-7703


  Ben Speakthunder
  Fort Belknap Indian Community Council
  (406) 353-2205

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   Federal  Interagency Environmental Justice

                     Demonstration  Projects

      Protecting Community Health  and  Reducing Toxic Air Exposure
 through  Collaborative Partnerships In Barrio Logan (San Diego, CA)
 July 2000                                                           Project Summary Sheet

The overall goal of the Integrated Federal Interagency Environmental Justice Action Agenda is to increase efforts to
identify, mobilize, and make use of federal resources to benefit environmentally  and economically distressed
communities.  The Action Agenda is building dynamic and proactive partnerships that access the initiatives and
resources of federal agencies to  improve the quality of life of minority and low-income communities that suffer
disproportionate environmental impacts.
 MAJOR FOCUS OF THE PROJECT:
 Improving Children's Health

 PROJECT PURPOSE:
 Federal, state, and local agencies  will work with
 local partnerships led by the Environmental Health
 Coalition to conduct a  model project on ways to
 improve air quality in  the predominantly Latino
 community of Barrio Logan. The project will provide
 information to  the community by utilizing an  air
 monitoring station  in a  local high school  recently
 established by California Air Resources Board
 (CARB).  CARB envisions the project providing a
 model for the new Neighborhood Impacts Program
 and plans to duplicate this community involvement
 and participation effort in other low-income, minority
 communities in California.  The  project also will
 involve clinical studies to substantiate the high rate
 of asthma and will work to improve health care
 delivery.

 WHY IS THE FEDERAL
 GOVERNMENT INVOLVED?
 The  Barrio Logan community  is a low-income
 Latino community plagued by  substandard
 housing, over crowded schools, a  lack of health
 care and social services, and high unemployment
 rates. Criss-crossed by two major freeways, this
 community is  subject  to the release of three
 million pounds of toxic air pollution each  year
 from numerous small industries, large shipyards,
 naval installations, and waste storage facilities
 adjacent to the area.  Poor air quality has been
 attributed to the high  incidence of asthma (28
 percent compared with a national  average of 7
 percent) and other respiratory illnesses in the
children living  in these communities.    The
respiratory health hazard index for the area is
100-200 times above acceptable levels and is
rising, however, there are no air monitors in the
immediate area to assess  the  kinds of toxins
impacting these communities.

Federal, state and local agencies will work together
to create a model  project that examines ways to
improve air quality in this community. The project
will provide information to the community by utilizing
an air monitoring  station in a local  high school
recently established by the CARB, and will also
involve clinical studies to substantiate the high rate
of asthma and work to reduce health risks in this
community.
                        WHERE IS THE

                        PARTICIPATING
                        COMMUNITY?
    The community of Barrio Logan and
    surrounding areas have a population
    that is 85 percent Latino. Forty percent
    of these residents are living below the
    state's poverty level. The community
    borders an industrialized portion of San
    Diego Bay and is considered to be one
    of the most polluted communities in the
    county.

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 WHAT IS THE BENEFIT TO
 THE COMMUNITY?
 The Barrio Logan Air Monitoring Workgroup is studying
 how to improve air quality in the Southeast San
 Diego County community of  Barrio Logan and
 surrounding communities. This project will provide
 a range of benefits to the Barrio Logan community by
 doing the following things:

1 Building community capacity andskillsto understand
 environmental impacts on their health and how to
 effectively deal   with local, state,  and federal
 authorities to change  their  communities and
 environment;
1 Encouraging local, state,  and federal authorities to
 more aggressively inspect, regulate,  and enforce
 environmental laws in small businesses that are
 located right next to residential areas;
1 Identifying major pollutant sources in Barrio Logan
 and helping the community/local authorities reduce
 or  eliminate these sources.  For instance, Barrio
 Logan is working with all industries in the area to
 implement pollution  prevention strategies  and/or
 relocation to industrial zones. Also, trucks should
 be rerouted from going through the Barrio Logan
 community to  prevent dust and other paniculate
 exposure to residents;
1 Showing a reduction in the asthma and respiratory
 illnesses of children  living in Barrio  Logan once
 pollution  sources are identified and cleanup is
 initiated; and
1 Identifying a process to allow local communities to
 have a meaningful voice in selectingtheircommunity
 for the city's redevelopment effort.

 PARTNERS AND THEIR COMMITMENTS
> American Lung Association  (ALA) will conduct
 Open Airways training in school and is working to
 provide scientific input on source identification for air
 pollutants.
> Air Pollution  Control District (APCD) provided
 staff, a web site, and data/information to a workgroup
 and their community on air station;  is comparing
 information with other parts of city; and  has modified
 behavior on granting air variances in area.
1 California AirResource Board (CARS) will use the
 Barrio Logan Air Monitoring Project as a model for a
 new Neighborhood Impacts Program and duplicate
 the community-based involvement approach in other
 low-income, minority communities. CARB will also
 develop methods and protocols for identifying,
 monitoring, and reducing air pollution impacts in
 communities affected by multiple emission sources.
 CARB provided $500,000 in resources (staff and
  equipment) to set up a monitoring station and conduct
  emission inventory in the Barrio Logan community.
• Environmental  Health  Coalition is working
  aggressively with  the city and City Council  on the
  Redevelopment Zone for Barrio Logan to make the
  area mainly  residential.
• EPA  is working with local CUPAs to  make  sure
  inspections  and enforcement efforts are occurring
  and has quarterly meetings with EHC to address
  broad-ranging issues in community.
• HUD  will assist the  local authorities in securing
  adequate, safe housing for Barrio Logan residents.
• Industrial Environmental Association represents
  many of the industries in Barrio Logan and tries to
  encourage pollution prevention strategies.
• Mercado Tenants Association provides meeting
  space, translates, and disseminates information to
  the community on  the  project, and arranges
  community meetings and field trips to the monitoring
  station for residents.
• NIEHS will provide supportto conduct clinical studies
  on asthma incidence and work to reduce health risk
  related to environmental exposures.
• San Diego  School  District is working with the
  American Lung Association to conduct Open Airways
  training in schools and using Tools for Schools to
  identify indoor air pollution sources in schools.
• USC Health  Centerwill provide scientific and medical
  investigation in the area (particularly as it relates to
  the children in the area).  The Center has been
  involved in family education projects on air pollution
  sources in Barrio Logan.
  Contacts:

  Clarice Gaylord
  U.S. EPA Region 9
  (619)235-4767
California Air Resource Board
(916)445-3742
  San Diego County Air Pollution Control District
  (619)694-3358
  Fred Tyson
  NIEHS
  (919)541-0176
Frank Riley
HUD, San Diego
(619)557-5310

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  Federal  Interagency  Environmental  Justice
                     Demonstration Projects
                                      Oregon Environmental Justice Initiative
                                  (Portland and Rural Communities,  Oregon)
 July 2000
                      Project Summary Sheet
The overall goal of the Integrated Federal Interagency Environmental Justice Action Agenda is to increase efforts to
identify, mobilize, and make use of federal resources to benefit environmentally and economically distressed
communities.  The  Action Agenda is building dynamic and proactive partnerships that access the initiatives and
resources of federal agencies to improve the quality  of life of minority and low-income communities that suffer
disproportionate environmental impacts.
 MAJOR FOCUS OF THE PROJECT:
 Improving Public Health

 PROJECT PURPOSE:
 A partnership comprising federal, tribal, state, and
 local government and community partners will work
 to accomplish three community-identified needs in
 the State of Oregon that impact  public health:
 reduce lead exposure  in urban areas, reduce
 pesticide  exposure in rural areas,  and  eliminate
 illegal dumping on tribal lands. The Initiative will
 include targeted inspections.  It will also include
 community-based research,  outreach, and
 education projects such as a mobile lab for blood
 lead testing; development of PC-based geographic
 information system profile of Oregon consisting of
 environmental and health databases; community-
 based environmental monitoring; two federal-tribal-
 state summits; and "Safe Food"a-farmworker,
 youth-designed research project to identify pesticide
 residues.

 WHY IS THE FEDERAL
 GOVERNMENT INVOLVED?
 The Environmental Justice  Initiative for the District
 of Oregon is a multiyear partnership comprising
 federal, tribal, state,  and  local government and
 community partners. Through the support of state
 government and community-based  organizations,
 the Initiative has generated sustainable support to
 achieve a goal of the Children's Health Initiative:
 reducing the risk of lead paint exposure.
By helping communities educate themselves and
establish relationships with agencies that can help
them positively affect their environmental concerns,
the federal partners hope to increase the lead-safe
housing stock, increase testing for lead poisoning for
at-risk children, and reduce pesticide exposure for
farmworkers and their children through  state-led
inspections and appropriate judicial authority.
                        WHERE IS THE
                        PARTICIPATING
                        COMMUNITY?
    Although the Oregon Environmental Justice
    Initiative is focusing on the needs of
    children, farmworkers, and tribes in
    Portland and surrounding rural
    communities, the Initiative responds to
    several important national health-related
    concerns. This approach to problem-
    solving, using the tools of enforcement and
    community-based research and education,
    can be duplicated and emulated in other
    Regions.

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 WHAT IS THE BENEFIT TO
 THE COMMUNITY?
 The participating communities and tribes will benefit
 from this project through activities that will achieve
 the following:

1 Promote place-based partnerships with grassroots
 community groups, local, state,  and  tribal
 governments, business, unions, community service
 non-profit organizations; the academic community;
 and the media;
1 Leverage federal  resources  to  address  three
 community-identified needs-reduction of lead
 exposure in urban areas, reduction of pesticide
 exposure in rural areas, and elimination of illegal
 dumping on tribal lands;
1 Provide a framework for interagency, multimedia,
 collaborations with communities, with concrete
 measures of success;
1 Create an Environmental Justice Working Group;
1 Implement an enforcement strategy through targeted
 inspections in environmental justice communities to
 address lead,  pesticides, and  illegal dumping on
 tribal lands;
1 Create a mobile lab for blood lead testing;
1 Develop a PC-based geographic information system
 profile of Oregon that consists of environmental and
 health databases;
'Host summits  of local,  state,  and federal
 representatives with community presenters;
1 Institutecommunity-based environmental monitoring;
 and
1 Implement the "Safe Food" project, which will assist
 in identifying  pesticide  residues in the home;
 measure levels of exposure  to pesticides in food,
 water, and the immediate home environment; and
 assess  ways to  deliver  culturally appropriate
 prevention strategies in order to increase pesticide
 avoidance behaviors and  decrease  levels  of
 environmental exposure to pesticides.
 PARTNERS AND THEIR COMMITMENTS
•EPA Region 10
•HUD
• U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon

 OTHER PARTICIPATING PARTNERS
 These partners will serve in an advisory role and
 work together to hold an environmental justice
 summit and plan the summer 2001 inspections:
• Albina Weed & Seed Project
• CREATE
• Environmental Justice Action Group (EJAG)
• Environmental Justice Work Group (EJWG)
• Governor's Environmental Justice Advisory
 Board (GEJAB)
• King Neighborhood Association
• Multnomah County Health Department
• Oregon Environmental Council
• Oregon Legal  Services
• Oregon OSHA (will also determine drinking water
 risks)
• Oregon State Health Division
• Pinerose y Campesinos Unidoes del Noroesta
 (PCUN)
• City of Portland Water Bureau
• Urban League of Portland
  Contacts:

  Monica Kirk
  U.S. EPA Region 10
  (503) 326-3269
Okianer Christian Dark
United States Attorney for
 the District of Oregon
(503)727-1013

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   Federal  Interagency  Environmental Justice

                    Demonstration Projects

                        Metlakatla Indian  Community Unified  Interagency
	Environmental Management  Task Force (Annette Island, AK)
 July 2000                                                           Project Summary Sheet
The overall goal of the Integrated Federal Interagency Environmental Justice Action Agenda is to increase efforts to
identify, mobilize, and  make use of federal resources to benefit environmentally and economically distressed
communities.   The Action Agenda is building dynamic and proactive partnerships that access the initiatives and
resources of federal agencies to  improve the quality of life of minority and low-income communities that suffer
disproportionate environmental impacts.
 MAJOR FOCUS OF THE PROJECT:
 Address environmental concerns on Annette Island.

 PROJECT PURPOSE:
 The formation of a partnership of federal, tribal and
 local government agencies and organizations to
 address areas of contamination and to develop and
 implement the Metlakatla Indian Community(MIC)
 Master Plan.  This Master Plan will address land
 use, areas of contamination, andfuture development
 on the peninsula.

 WHY IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
 INVOLVED?
 Government activities on this land began in  1940
 with the lease of 10,000 acres to the Department of
 War for building a World War II defense  base;
 establishing a minor U.S. Navy base; establishing
 a major U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) base; creating a
 U.S. Air Force ballistic missile early warning system
 complex; and  installing a U.S. Army radar/
 communication  system.  The Federal Aviation
 Administration (FAA) assumed 5,000 acres of lease
 property and ownership of most of the facilities after
 1949, and operated Annette Island Airport until the
 nearby Ketchikan International Airport displaced it
 in 1973. The USCG continued  to use the Annette
 airport  until relocating to  Sitka in  1977.   The
 government stored a combined total of one million
 gallons of fuel at several sites on the island. Today,
 extensive soil contamination exists around some of
 these fuel storage sites. In addition, lead, asbestos,
and oils containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
have been found at building sites formerly leased
by the government where abandoned government
vehicles, airplane parts, drums, and other wastes
now sit. To date, four federal agencies (COE, BIA,
FAA, and USCG)  have spent approximately $5
million investigating and cleaning up contamination
on the peninsula, however, it is estimated that an
additional $62 million may be needed over the next
10 years.
                      WHERE IS THE
                      PARTICIPATING
                      COMMUNITY?
 The Annette Islands Indian Reserve is located
 in southeast Alaska, approximately 20 miles
 south of Ketchikan. This reserve has been the
 home of the MIC since 1887, and is the only
 Indian reserve in Alaska. The U .S. government
 currently holds this land in trust for the tribe.

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 WHAT IS THE BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY?
 Through a coordinated federal  effort to resolve
 environmental concerns, this project will achieve
 the following:

•Collaborative relationships between tribal and federal
 officials;
• Mitigation of environmental impacts in order for the
 tribe to use its property in an economic and beneficial
 way;
• Protection of the customary and  traditional use  of
 food resources;
• Development and implementation of a Master Plan
 for cleanup and restoration of the Metlakatla
 Peninsula;
• Building tribal capacity to manage and conduct
 environmental programs;
• Providing federal technical assistance as needed
 and monitoring of the tribe's performance; and
• Planning  development in  order  to  promote
 economic  growth  through  the tourism and
 commercial fishing industries.

 PARTNERS AND THEIR COMMITMENTS
•Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) will provide assistance
 and funding for planning  activities associated with
 site cleanup and use.
• Central Council of Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes
 of Alaska will  conduct soil and water sampling.
• DOD, Army Corps of Engineers (COE) will provide
 assistance  through funding and cleanup  MOUs.
• EPA  will provide assistance  with building  tribal
 environmental program capacity.
• FAA will provide funding assistance.
• USCG  will assist with the  identification   and
 mitigation of past impacts
 Contacts:

 Johnny Duplantis          Andrea Elconin
 COE, Alaska District       COE, Alaska District
 (907) 753-2829           (907) 753-5680

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   Federal  Interagency Environmental  Justice
                     Demonstration Projects
             Environmental Justice in Indian Country: A Roundtabie to
  	Address  Conceptual,  Political, and Statutory Issues
 July 2000
                      Project Summary Sheet
The overall goal of the Integrated Federal Interagency Environmental Justice Action Agenda is to increase efforts to
identify, mobilize, and make use  of federal resources to benefit environmentally and economically distressed
communities.  The Action Agenda is building dynamic and proactive partnerships that access the initiatives and
resources of federal agencies to improve the quality of  life of minority and low-income communities that suffer
disproportionate environmental  impacts.
 MAJOR FOCUS OF THE PROJECT:
 Community Education and Capacity Building

 PROJECT PURPOSE:
 Federal agencies in collaboration with tribes, tribal
 organizations, and other interested parties will
 conduct a roundtable to thoroughly  discuss, and
 identify means to address, the broad range of tribal
 cultural, religious, economic, social, legal,  and
 other  issues  related to environmental justice in
 Indian country.   Both tribal leaders and federal
 agencies have been struggling to properly interpret
 and implement the  principles  of environmental
 justice in a manner that is consistent with the needs
 of tribal communities and the complexities of federal-
 tribal trust relationships. This demonstration project
 proposes  to produce a coherent implementation
 strategy based on substantive input from tribes.

 WHY IS THE FEDERAL
 GOVERNMENT INVOLVED?
 The Roundtable will provide an  opportunity for all
 branches  of the federal government to improve
 their understanding of the underlying issues and
 complexities  of environmental  justice in  Indian
 Country, including gaps in policy, technical, scientific,
 social, and legal research. This will enable federal
 agencies  and tribes to collaborate effectively in
 order to  develop a framework for policy  and
 regulations related to environmental justice in Indian
 country.
The two-day Roundtable is planned for late summer
2000 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and grew out of
a commitment by federal agencies to tribal groups
at the June 1999 environmental justice conference
in Hilton Head, South Carolina.
           WHERE IS THE
           PARTICIPATING
           COMMUNITY?

  The Roundtable proposes to assemble a
  representative group of American Indians,
  Alaskan natives, environmental protection
  experts, legal scholars, ethicists, tribal elders,
  religious leaders, cultural specialists, policy
  experts, and others from around the nation to
  identify and address the issues associated with
  environmental justice in Indian Country.

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 WHAT IS THE BENEFIT TO
 THE COMMUNITY?
 This Roundtable will be structured to bring discussion
 and attention to the pressing issues of environmental
 justice in Indian Country,  including addressing
 negative perceptions of current federalI policies. The
 specific tasks associated with this objective are as
 follows:

• Conduct research in orderto produce a source book
 on  environmental justice  in Indian Country.  The
 source book will be a compendium of news articles,
 statutes, treaties, books, and other works of differing
 opinions, positions, and philosophies;
• Distribute findings and recommendations  of the
 Roundtable to the elected or appointed official of all
 tribes and tribal colleges;
• Design an implementation strategy for a research
 agenda, communication strategy, and tribal capacity-
 building program as identified in the roundtable;
• Create a working group composed of tribal leaders,
 tribal colleges, and other interested parties to develop
 research issues set out in the roundtable;
• Develop tribal college  capacity to  become  a
 clearinghouse for environmental justice issues  in
 Indian Country; and
• Use recommendations  and findings from the
 Roundtable  for the development  of resource
 management,   environmental   protection,
 environmental  restoration, and  cultural  risk
 management curricula for workshop training and
 future tribal college courses.

 PARTNERS AND THEIR COMMITMENTS
• DHHS Indian Health Services will provide information
 on  barriers they face in building infrastructure and
 howthey handle waste disposal of their own facilities
 in tribal areas.
• DHHS Administration for Native Americans will
 provide financial assistance  for the Roundtable.
• DoD will provide information on their Indian policy
 and howtheir Department is implementing that policy
 in the course of cleanups on Indian lands. DoD will
 also provide information on how they manage waste
 disposal facilities in Indian Country to comply with
 federal laws.
• DOE will assist with the planning and implementation
 of  the roundtable, provide  information on their
 programs and how they have worked to increased
 tribal capacity through their activities, and provide
 personnel to assist in IWG's Tribal Outreach Plan.
• DOI Bureau of Indian Affairs will play a major role
 in the planning of the roundtable and assist with
 ensuring follow-up and  implementation of action
 items identified during the roundtable. DOI will also
 provide  expert  knowledge  of the federal trust
 responsibility to tribes,  give  insights to how
 environmental justice impacts the trust responsibility,
 and explain how they manage their facilities on tribal
 land to comply with all federal environmental laws.
• DOI Bureau of Reclamation will provide information
 on how the Bureau implements DOI's Indian policy
 during projects that may impact tribes.
• EPA will assist with the communication and tribal
 capacity-building component of the  roundtable,
 provide technical  and  policy expertise  on
 environmental laws and regulations in Indian Country,
 and explain the difficulties associated with enforcing
 federal environmental laws on tribal lands.
• HUD will provide information on their Indian programs
 and how they have assisted tribes with economic
 development.
• USDA will  provide information on how their rural
 development programs assist economic development
 in Indian Country. They will also  discuss potential
 grant programsfortribal infrastructure development,
 and howthe Department implements its Indian policy.
 Contacts:


  Derrick Watchman
  DOE
  (202)586-0211


  JessicaAlcorn
  DOE
  (202) 586-0798


  Danny Gogal
  EPA
  (202) 564-2576
Clifford Mahooty
DOI - BIA
(505) 346-7507


Roy Miller
DHHS-IHS
(301)295-1522

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       SECTION III
 FEDERAL INTERAGENCY
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
    WORKING GROUP
     KEY CONTACTS
            43

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Intentionally Left Blank




          44

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 FEDERALINTERAGENCY
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
    WORKING GROUP
     KEY CONTACTS
AGENCY
EPA/OEJ
DOC/NOAA
DOD
DOE
DOJ
DOI
DDL
DOT
HHS/ATSDR
NAME
Charles Lee,
Associate Director, OEJ
Environmental Protection
Agency
Roan Conrad, Director
Office of Sustainable
Development
Department of Commerce
Len Richeson
Environmental Protection
Specialist
Department of Defense
Robert Moore
Environmental Justice
Coordinator
Department of Energy
Quentin C. Pair, Attorney
Department of Justice
Willie Taylor, Director
Office of Environmental
Policy and Compliance
Department of Interior
David Demers, Director
Office of Research and
Technical Support
Department of Labor
Wendell Stills, Team Leader
Federal Highway
Administration
Department of
Transportation
Dr. Rueben Warren
Asst. Adm. for the Office of
Urban Affairs, ATSDR
Health and Human Services
TELEPHONE
202/564-2515
Fax: 202/501-1163
202/482-3384
Fax: 202/482-2663
703/604-0518
202/586-4758
Fax: 202/586-9260
202/514-1999
Fax: 202/514-2583
202/208-3891
Fax: 202/208-6970
202/219-6197x184
Fax: 202/212-9216
202/366-2052
Fax: 202/366-3409
404/639-5060
Fax: 404/639-5063
E-MAIL
lee.charles@epa.gov
roan, con rad@hdq.noaa.qov

richeslh @acq.osd .mil

robert.moore@hq.doe.qov

quentin.pair@usdoi.gov
willie tavlor@os.doi.qov

demers david@dol.gov
wendell.stills@fhwa.dot.gov
RCW4@cdc.gov
           45

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 AGENCY
         NAME
  TELEPHONE
          E-MAIL
HHS/HRSA
Jeanean Willis, MPH
Senior Health Advisor
Health and Human Services
301/443-0943
iwillis@hrsa.gov
HHS/NIEHS
Dr. Charles Wells, Director
Environmental
Justice/Health Disparities
and Public Health, NIEHS
Health and Human Services
301/496-2920
Fax:301/496-0563
wells1@niehs.nih.gov
HUD
Antoinette G. Sebastian
Community Planning and
Development
Housing and Urban
Development
 202/708-0614
X4458
antoinette sebastian@hud.gov
OMB
Carol Dennis
Environmental Justice
Contact
Office of Managementand
Budget
202/395-4822
Fax: 202/395-5836
cdennis@eop.omb.gov
USDA/US
Forest
Service
Carol Wettstein
Environmental Justice
Coordinator, USFS
US Department of
Agriculture
202/205-1588
Fax: 202/205-1174
cwettstein@fs.fed.us
                                         46

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