oEPA OSWER
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Environmental Justice
Success Stories Report
(FY 1999-2001)
N
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OSWER Environmental Justice
Success Stories Report
(FY 1999-2001)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response
Washington, DC 20460
September 2002
United States Office of EPA 500-F-02-118
Environmental Protection Brownfields Cleanup and www.epa.gov/oswer
Agency Redevelopment (5105T) September 2002
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Note From OSWER's Assistant Administrator
It is with great pleasure that I share this report of successful projects that demonstrate the
progress we have made in addressing environmental justice in the Office of Solid Waste and
Emergency Response (OSWER) of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It has been,
and continues to be, OSWER's policy that programs administered by OSWER demonstrate fair
treatment and meaningful involvement of people from all cultures, races, and incomes, without
exception.
In the past, OSWER published "Waste Programs Environmental Justice Accomplishments Re-
ports," which only listed accomplishments in environmental justice. This time, we have devel-
oped a new report titled "OSWER Environmental Justice Success Stories (FY 1999-2001)," which
not only lists OSWER's accomplishments, but also shows how OSWER promotes environmental
justice by advocating revitalization/reuse projects to help foster economic development, as well
as training and outreach projects to educate communities about environmental justice issues.
In an effort to continue and maintain OSWER's commitment to environmental justice, it is our
responsibility to build the capacity of OSWER personnel, foster and grow existing initiatives,
ensure coordination between the OSWER headquarters office and the EPA Regions to identify
and address issues of environmental justice, and to evaluate programmatic subject matters, as
well as our new initiatives, for the possibility of disproportionately high and adverse impacts on
minority populations and/or low income populations. In addition, documentation of our efforts
is vital to the success of our waste program.
I hope that you enjoy the success stories included in this report. While we are proud of our
accomplishments, we recognize that more must be done to address the health and well-being
of all communities, including low income and minority communities, and to help ensure that
they play a meaningful role in decisions that affect them.
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Table of Contents
About This Report 4
What Is Environmental Justice 5
OSWER's Commitment to Environmental Justice 5
OSWER's Environmental Justice Action Agenda 6
Environmental Justice Success Stories Included in this Report 7
Environmental Justice Success Stories:
Brownfields Job Training and Revitalization 9
Su perf u n d 29
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act 47
Environmental Justice Awareness Training 59
Community Involvement, Outreach, and Planning 63
G lossa ry 70
Index of Projects by Office or Region 73
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About This Report
This OSWER Environmental Justice Success Stories Report for fiscal years 1999 through 2001 is different than
the environmental justice accomplishments reports developed in past years by the Office of Solid Waste and
Emergency Response (OSWER). This time, the report is structured to demonstrate and promote OSWER's efforts
to incorporate environmental justice into its programs by documenting not only accomplishments, but also the
lessons learned and benefits derived from OSWER's experiences. There are 48 success stones included in this
report and they are organized into five different sections: (1) Brownfields Training and Revitalization; (2)
Superfund; (3) Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA); (4) Environmental Justice Awareness Training;
and (5) Community Involvement, Outreach, and Planning. These stories highlight projects that best demon-
strate OSWER's success in integrating environmental justice into its programs.
The success stories in this report present an important lesson learned: EPA needs to include environmental justice
communities in the decision-making process to ensure successful projects. In addition, it is critical for EPA to
provide these communities with the tools to help them sustain themselves after EPA's role in their communities
ends. Other lessons presented in the different stories include the importance of: developing effective partner-
ships with all stakeholders; tailoring outreach tools to the needs of the communities (e.g., Spanish translations,
evening and weekend meetings, and toll-free information hotlines); ensuring that job training efforts are pro-
vided in areas where sustainable employment will be available to graduates; ensuring frequent and effective
communication among all stakeholders; providing a central information center that is accessible by all commu-
nity members; and soliciting the views of all community residents, not just the views of one community group.
The compilation of these projects also represents an example of OSWER's continued support, commitment, and
accountability in addressing the issue of environmental justice and its integration into all activities sponsored by
OSWER's waste programs according to EPA's definition of environmental justice and consistent with existing
environmental laws and their respective implementing regulations.
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What is Environmenta! Justice?
Environmental Justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color,
national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental
laws, regulations, and policies. Fair treatment means that no group of people, including a racial, ethnic, or
socioeconomic group, should bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences
resulting from industrial, municipal, and commercial operations or the execution of federal, state, local, and
tribal programs and policies.
Environmental justice communities are minority and/or low income group communities that often are excluded
from the environmental policy setting and/or decision-making process and are subject to a disproportionate
impact from one or more environmental hazards. These communities experience a disparate implementation of
environmental regulations, requirements, practices, and activities.
Environmental justice is about real people facing real problems and designing practical solutions to address
challenging environmental issues. The environmental justice movement advocates programs that promote
environmental protection within the context of sustainable development. Utilizing various methods, including
traditional knowledge about the ecosystem and community mobilization, the environmental justice community
has become a formidable force in the protection of both urban and rural environments.
OSWER's Commitment to Environmental Justice
In her memorandum, dated August 9, 2001, EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman expressed the
Agency's firm commitment to the issue of environmental justice and its integration into all EPA programs in
order to ensure that environmental justice is achieved for all communities and persons across the Nation. The
Administrator also stated in that memorandum that "environmental justice is achieved when everyone, regard-
less of race, culture, or income, enjoys the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards
and equal access to the decision-making process to have a healthy environment in which to live, learn, and
work."
OSWER ensures that environmental justice is considered in all of its daily programmatic activities. For example,
OSWER evaluates the environmental risks and hazards in minority communities and low income communities
and takes proactive efforts to ensure that all people living in these communities are given the opportunity to
play an equal and meaningful role in the decision-making process before, during, and after the evaluation,
cleanup, and redevelopment of sites identified as posing environmental risks and hazards.
OSWER has a history of providing leadership, issuing guidance documents, and leading initiatives to address
the environmental justice issue. In 1 994, for the first time, OSWER announced its policy on environmental
justice. The following year, OSWER issued guidance pertaining to prospective purchaser agreements, recog-
nizing the important role that communities should play when environmental justice is an issue. A day later,
OSWER directed that special efforts be taken when identifying the reasonable anticipated future use of land for
remedy selection purposes at sites where environmental justice concerns may be present. In 2001, OSWER
issued a directive on early and meaningful community involvement to ensure a meaningful role by impacted
communities in EPA cleanup actions. In addition, OSWER made available technical assistance grants to
community-based organizations, integrated environmental justice issues into its Brownfields initiatives, continu-
ously participated in the Federal Interagency Working Group on Environmental Justice through its Demonstra-
tion Projects, and actively participated in the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council by sponsoring the
Waste Facility and Siting Subcommittee.
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"ER's
nmental Justice Action Agenda
On February 11,1 994, Executive Order 1 2898, "Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority
Populations and Low-Income Populations," was signed to focus the attention of federal agencies on the
environmental and human health conditions of minority and low-income communities. This Executive Order
directed federal agencies to develop environmental justice strategies that identify and address disproportion-
ately high exposure and adverse human health or environmental effects of their programs, policies, and
activities on minority populations and low-income populations. The Executive Order also required that agencies
conduct activities that substantially affect human health or the environment in a nondiscriminatory manner.
In response to this Executive Order, EPA released "Environmental Justice Strategy: Executive Order 1 2898" in
May 1 995. This strategy described environmental justice efforts in six cross-cutting mission areas: health and
environmental research; data collection, analysis and stakeholder access to information; enforcement and
compliance assurance; partnerships, outreach, and communication with stakeholders; Native American,
indigenous, and tribal programs; and integration of environmental justice into all agency activities.
OSWER was the first EPA Program Office to develop an environmental justice strategy as part of the
Agency-wide effort to address environmental justice issues. This strategy was laid out in OSWER's Action
Agenda, which supplements and enhances the Agency's strategy. This Action Agenda, which was developed
with input from the National Environmental Justice Advisory Committee (NEJAC), describes an ongoing process
of addressing environmental justice, provides a concise summary of OSWER's current strategy, and describes
an implementation process for ensuring that major issues, identified by the NEJAC and others, continue to be
recognized and addressed.
OSWER's Action Agenda establishes a "living process" through which action items are continuously enhanced
and solutions are developed for evolving environmental justice issues. Prior reports, current implementation
plans, and future reports all play a part in the process to continuously address environmental justice concerns.
The Action Agenda describes the key action items organized by OSWER-wide and program-specific issues and
action items. The process of implementing these action items and the reporting of progress is the subject of the
final chapter.
At the same time EPA announced the release of its Action Agenda, OSWER released its first "Waste Programs
Environmental Justice Accomplishments Report," which described the progress made by EPA's waste programs in
implementing environmental justice initiatives. This report described over 250 environmental justice projects
initiated by both EPA Headquarters and the Regional offices. Updates to this report were published twice by the
Agency; one in June 1 997 and another in May 2000. These reports provided updates to past projects and
information on new projects. All three reports were divided into two sections: cross-cutting issues, which pre-
sented initiatives in areas that have implications for all waste programs, and program-specific issues, which
presented initiatives that focused on a particular waste program. Individual entries in each section generally
reflected actions taken since March 1 995.
On August 21, 2001, EPA Administrator Christine Whitman issued a memo reaffirming EPA's commitment to
environmental justice. Administrator Whitman stressed that the Agency needs to conduct its programs and
activities that substantially affect human health and the environment in a manner that ensures the fair treatment
of all people, including minority populations and/or low-income populations. She said the Agency should
ensure greater public participation in the Agency's development and implementation of environmental regula-
tions and policies.
In support of this memo, OSWER continues to promote environmental justice by advocating revitalization and
reuse programs that help foster economic development. It also supports training and outreach programs to
educate communities about environmenta justice issues. Through successful training and commitment of
management and staff, environmental justice is and will continue to be a significant program in OSWER.
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Environmental Justice Success Stories Included Jn this Report
Brownfields Job Training and Revitalization
Brownfields Job Training
The New Bedford, Massachusetts, Brownfields Environmental Job Training Program (Region I) 9
Brownfields Job Training and Development Pilots (Region 2) 10
The Superfund Job Training Initiative (SuperJTI)'s Minority Worker Training Program and the
Brownfields Showcase Community Minority Worker Training Grants Program (Region 6) 13
Brownfields Job Training and Development Demonstration Pilots (Region 7) 1 4
15
Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, North Dakota: San Haven
Redevelopment Brownfields Project and Brownfields Job Training Grant (Region 8)
Brownfields Revitalization
Returning Vacant Lots in Providence, Rhode Island, to Productive Reuse (Region I] 1 7
Brownfields Program Development in Puerto Rico (Region 2) 19
Brownfields and Waterfront Development (Region 2J 20
PECO Remediation and Redevelopment Project, Chester, Pennsylvania (Region 3.) 22
Environmental Justice Demonstration Pilot in Spartanburg, South Carolina (Region 4) 23
Protectinq Children's Health and Reducing Lead Exposure through
Collaborative Partnerships (Region 5) 25
Weliston, Missouri, Brownfields Redevelopment With Habitat for Humanity (Region 7) 26
South Westminster Brownfields Project, City of Westminster, Colorado (Region 8) • 27
Superfund
2001 Superfund Job Training Initiative (SuperJTI) Project at the
Newmark Contamination Superfund Site in San Bernadino, California (OERR and Region 9] 29
Eastern Surplus Company Superfund Site: Cleanup and Cultural Resource Protection (Region 1) 30
The 76-80 Pliny Street Superfund Site Removal Action (Region 1) 31
Superfund Cleanups Conducted in Massena, New York, With Tribal Assistance (Region 2) 32
The Anacostia River Initiative (Region 3; 33
Logan Removal Site: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Region 3) 34
Community Involvement at Two Superfund Sites in Anniston, Alabama (Region 4) 35
Escambia Treating Company Superfund Activity Update (Region 4} 36
Supplemental Environmental Project for Emergency Preparedness and Response and
Community Right-to-Know (Region 6) 37
Kennedy Heights (Region 6) 38
Overcoming Community Mistrust and Opposition During the Implementation of a
Removal Action at the Agriculture Street Landfill Superfund Site (Region 6j 39
Residential Mercury Cleanups (Region 7,1 40
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Dynamite Removal Near the Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux Tribe's Village in
Sisseton, South Dakota (Region 8) 41
Newmark Superfund Site, Muscoy Operable Unit (Region 9) 42
Purity Oil Sales Superfund Site (Reg/on 9) 44
Navajo Abandoned Uranium Mine Project, Water Data Outreach Effort (Region 9) 45
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
Development of Waste Transfer Station Guidance Documents (OSWER) 47
CBS Corp./'Viacom Site in Bridgeport, Connecticut (Region 1) 48
Community Involvement in Setting RCRA Program Priorities (Region 2) 49
Improving Solid Waste Management on Tribal Lands (Region 2) 51
Environmental Justice Analysis in Northwest Indiana (Region 5] 52
RCRA Corrective Action Success in South Omaha (Region 7) 53
FY 2001 Hamilton Sundstrand Corrective Action in Denver, Colorado (Region 8) 54
Making Siting Decisions fora Corrective Action Management Unit ai the BP-Amoco Site in
Casper, Wyoming (Region 8) 55
Alaska Native Health Board Solid Waste Demonstration Project (Region JO) 55
Hansville Landfill and the Pt. Gamble S'Kiallam Tribe (Reg/on 10) '.. 56
Environmental Justice Awareness Training
Environmental Justice Training in Region 4 (FY1 999) (Region 4) 59
Mississippi Statewide Environmental Justice Summit (Region 4) 60
All-Indian Pueblo Council's Pueblo Office of Environmental Protection (POEP)
Dip Vat Bioremediation Pilot Project (Region 6) 61
Environmental Justice Awareness Training in Region 7 (Region 7) 62
Community Involvement, Outreach, and Planning
Collaborative Model of the People of Color and Disenfranchised Communities (POC/DC)
Environmental Health Network and Federal Agencies (Region 4) 63
Teachers Environmental Institutes (Region 4) 64
Metro East Lead Collaborative Partnership (Region 5) 66
Community Involvement in Environmental Justice Communities (Region 6) 68
Outreach to Schools in Environmental Justice Communities (Region 7) 69
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D
Brownfields Job Training and Revitalization
OSWER's Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative is designed to empower states, communities, and
other stakeholders to work together to cleanup abandoned properties that bring blight and decay to their
surrounding communities. Many of these sites are brownfields, which means, by definition, that all or a
portion of them have actual or perceived contamination and a real potential for reuse after cleanup. Through
this initiative, OSVVER provides grants of up to 5200,000 for assessment demonstration pilots and job training
pilots. The assessment demonstration pilot grants are used to assess brownfields sites and to test cleanup and
redevelopment models. The job training pilot grants provide training for residents of communities affected by
brownfields to facilitate cleanup of brownfields sites and prepare trainees for future employment in the
environmental field.
Region 1 : Brownfields Job Training
The New Bedford, Massachusetts, Brownfields Environmental Job
Training Program
Project Activity
Since 1 998, the City of New Bedford, in partnership
with New Directions and Bristol Community College,
has offered a Brownfields Environmental Job Training
Program (the Program). The Program is partially
funded with a 5200,000 EPA Brownfields Job Train-
ing grant. The Program offers a 1 7-week Environ-
menta Tech Aide training course twice each year to
provide underemployed area residents with the tools
necessary to assess, remediate, and redevelop
brownfields and hazardous waste-related sites, and to
provide a local labor force that can be employed in
assessing and remediating such sites. The training
program includes the study of sampling, analysis, and
site remediation using innovative technologies. The
Program provides an education in both technical
expertise and professional and life skills development
to residents living in communities impacted by
brownfields.
Project Participants
The City of New Bedford, New Directions, and Bristol
Community College worked together to develop the
technical curriculum and to provide educators and
facilities for the Program. Founded in 1 993, New
Directions is an administrative entity that manages Job
Training Partnership Act and Welfare to Work funds
for the Greater New Bedford Service Delivery Area.
New Directions provides educational, training, and
placement services to over 5,000 economically
disadvantaged and dislocated workers annually.
Project Benefits
• As of June 2001 , 39 students completed the
Program. Twenty-seven are employed in the
environmental field, six are working outside the
field, and one is continuing his/her education.
• Many of the students were unemployed, underem-
ployed, participating in a welfare-io-work pro-
gram, or otherwise disadvantaged prior to
entering the Program. A number of the graduates
are now employed full-time and earning living
waqes with full benefits. Many graduates will
have opportunities tor further education through
their employers. Some graduates reported the
desire and means to earn an Associates or
Bachelors degree based on the skills and confi-
dence gained through their experience with New
Directions.
• Due to the project's success, EPA awarded the New
Bedford Job Training Pilot an additional 575,000
in FY 2001 to further their Program.
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D
Lessons Learned
Collaborative efforts among state and local
governmental entities, local businesses, and non-
profit community-based organizations to imple-
ment and manage Job Training Programs help to
make these Programs successful.
Project Contacts
Theresa Carroll
EPA Region 1, Brownfields Program
(617) 918-1305
carroll. theresa@epa.gov
Scoff A/fonse
C/ty of New Bedford
(508) 979-1487
Trainii
Region 2: Brownfields Job
Brownfields Job Training and Development Pilots
Project Activity
Brownfields Job Training and Development Pilot
grants of up to 5200,000 are awarded to community
colleges and non-profit organizations through a
nationwide competition. The grants are used to
provide unemployed and underemployed residents of
Brownfiefds Assessment Pilot communities with envi-
ronmental technician training that emphasizes alterna-
tive and innovative remedial technologies. Approxi-
mately ten job training grants are awarded each year.
Grant applicants must demonstrate a need, their
institutional capacity to provide environmental techni-
cian training in alternative and innovative technolo-
gies, and the ability to establish appropriate partner-
ships that provide ancillary job and life skills training
and job placement and tracking.
Each of the grantees must recruit, screen, train, place,
and track trainees using a locally appropriate strategy.
EPA Region 2 provides hands-on technical assistance to
the grantees through an assigned project manager who
maintains ongoing contact with the grantee.
Project Participants
FY 98-00 NJ Youth Corps, Camden and
Newark, New Jersey
FY 99-01 Sistema Universitario Ana G. Mendez,
Puerto Rico
FY 00-02 NJ Youth Corps, Middlesex County and
Phillipsburg, New Jersey
FY 00-02 State University of New York at
Buffalo, New York
FY 01-03 Troy Rehabilitation and
Improvement Program, New York
FY 99-01 STRIVE, Massachusetts (Region 1 grantee
working with Region 2 institutions)
Since 1 998, Region 2 has worked with six Brownfields
Job Training and Assessment Pilots. The grantees, their
primary partners, and their respective roles are
described briefly below. It should be recognized that
each of these projects has numerous additional
partners ranging from churches and tenants associa-
tions to private-sector environmental firms and unions
that assisted with trainee recruitment, provided expert
advice on the curriculum, hosted field trips, and
considered trainees for employment.
Job Training Partnerships
FY 98-00 NJ Youth Corps, Camden and
Newark, New Jersey
New Jersey Youth Corps partners included Camden
Youth Corps and Newark Youth Corps, which are part
of the international Youth Organization of Newark.
The Youth Corps sites provided career exposure and
job readiness programs, attitudinal training, GED
preparation, counseling, linkage to social services,
internship placement, and tracking support. Trainees
had to complete 120 community service hours prior to
enrolling. The training partner was the New Jersey
Institute of Technology (NJIT), which provided the
1 50-hour environmental technician training. The
curriculum emphasized alternative and innovative
remedial technologies. Most of the training was held
at community centers by NJIT instructors and included
technology demonstrations.
FY 00-02 NJ Youth Corps, Middlesex
County and Phillipsburg, New Jersey
This training also was provided by NJIT and was held
in the communities at the local Youth Corps program
centers. The local Youth Corps programs provided
the services isted above, as well as crew leaders who
provided support throughout the training. Trainees
had to complete a 1 20-hour community service
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project priorto enrolling. Rotherthon internship
placement, trainees were provided job placement
support.
FY 99-01 Sistema Universitario Ana G. Mendez,
Puerto Rico
The Universidad Metropolitana (UMET), which is part
of the Sistema Universitario Ana G. Mendez, imple-
mented this job training program by partnering with
Peninsula de Cantera, a community organization
serving the Cantera area outside of metropolitan San
Juan (population 1 1,500). Residents in this Hispanic
community suffer from an 82 percent poverty rate and
a 35 percent unemployment rate among adults
participating in the labor force. Less than one-quarter
of the residents have finished high school.
Peninsula de Cantera provided recruitment, screening,
and basic job training and placement support. UMET
instructors provided the training in the communities
during evening sessions in space made available by
Peninsula de Cantera. EPA and the Environmental
Quality Board of Puerto Rico were among the agencies
that provided technical support, guest speakers, and
technology demonstrations.
FY 00-02 State University of New York at
Buffalo, New York
The Western New York Brownfields Training Initiative
was designed to help improve the environmental and
economic conditions of the brownfields-impacted
communities of western New York by providing a high
quality educational experience to disadvantaged
residents. The western New York program includes
unemployed, welfare to work, environmental justice
communities, and other disadvantaged populations.
The State University of New York at Buffalo, the City
of Buffalo, and Niagara County have teamed with
community organizations, private sector firms, and
local workforce development and training programs
to provide environmental technician training. This
initiative targets residents living in brownfields-affected
neighborhoods in Niagara County, a community with
a significantly higher than average unemployment
rate.
This initiative has helped trainees master a difficult
and complex course of study, which included 240
training hours. Most graduates have taken advan-
tage of this opportunity and used their training to go
into jobs that are considerably better than any they
have held in the past.
FY 01-03 Troy Rehabilitation and Improvement
Program (TRIP), Troy NY
The Troy Rehabilitation and Improvement Program is
partnering with the Hudson Valley Improvement
Program, Hudson Valley Community College
Workforce Development Institute, Rensselaer Polyiech-
nic Institute, the North Central Neighborhood Associa-
tion, and the private sector. TRIP will coordinate the
program and partners will help with recruitment,
curriculum design and delivery, and job placement.
FY99-01 STRIVE, Massachusetts (Region 1 grantee
working with Region 2 institutions)
The nationwide STRIVE career development program
received a Job Training grant to train unemployed
residents of Chelsea, Massachusetts, and to seed a
program in New York City. EPA Region 2 provided
technical assistance to the Harlem STRIVE and
Brooklyn STRIVE programs, which established an
advisory network comprised of labor unions, public
sector agencies, community organizations, and the
private sector. Ultimately, the Brooklyn STRIVE center
took on the program and contracted io Clean
Harbors for the environmental technician training.
Project Benefits
The Brownfields Job Training Pilots provide unem-
ployed and underemployed persons living in
brownfields-impacted communities with the skills
needed to secure employment in the environmental
field. The pilots support municipal efforts to employ
local community members as trained technicians.
As of the end of fiscal year 2001, the Region 2 pilots
have enrolled a iota of 1 48 students. Of these, 1 04
graduated from the program and 78 were piaced
into jobs:
• NJ Youth Corps, Camden & Newark
This pilot enrolled 25 people, graduated 23, and
placed 21 in internships or higher education.
• Sistema Universitario Ana G. Mendez, Puerto Rico
This pilot enrolled 30 people; 1 5 completed the
trainina and five are currently employed.
• NJ Youth Corps
In Middlesex, 1 3 people were enrolled in the
training, six graduated, four are still in training,
and two of the graduates are employed with an
average hourly wage of 58. In Phitiipsburg, 20
people were enrolled in the program, and all
graduated and were able to find employment with
an average hourly wage of S1 0.
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• State University of New York (SUNY)-Buffalo
This pilot enrolled 16 people, graduated 12, and
placed 8 into jobs. The graduates were placed as
environmental technicians for contractors firms in
Western New York. Their wage rates range from
$ 10 per hour to $25 per hour. The Western New
York Brownfields Training Initiative is in the process
of starting its second training cycle.
• TRIP
This pilot has developed an advisory board and is
designing the curriculum.
• STRIVE Brooklyn and St. Nicholas Community
Development Corporation
This pilot enrolled 1 5 people. Fourteen graduated
from the program and 1 2 were placed in jobs. St.
Nicholas screened 72 clients for 20 positions as
'Ground Zero' World Trade Center responders.
Project Contacts
Chelsea A/bucher
Brownfields Pro/ecf Manager
EPA Region 2
(212) 637-4291
albucher.chelsea@epa.gov
Schenine Mitchell
Brownfields Project Manager
EPA Region 2
(212) 637-3283
mitchell.schenine@epa.gov
Lessons Learned
Early and ongoing community involvement with
neighborhood organizations, public agencies,
and the private sector helps to ensure a successful
program that includes the design of an appropri-
ate curriculum and the provision of a support
system.
Pilots that formed advisory groups early on and
kept them engaged had a higher rate of job
placement than those without advisory boards or
networks.
Pilots that included a training monitor had a much
lower rate of attrition than those without. The
training monitor attended each training session,
which provided continuity among the rotating host of
instructors (often contractors). The training monitor
also provided support to the instructors, tutored the
trainees and, when necessary, provided social
service referrals to enable trainees to complete the
program.
Environmental technician positions are often a new
career sector for job placement specialists. There-
fore, job placement specialists should be involved
in the curriculum design and included on the
advisory board to help them become acquainted
with the field, potential employers, and the range
of potential placements. In turn, the placement
specialists often provide valuable input to the job
readiness strategy and curriculum design.
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Region 6: Brownfieids Job Training
The Superfund Job Training Initiative (SuperJTI)'s Minority Worker
Training Program and the Brownfieids Showcase Community
Minority Worker Training Grants Program
Project Activity
Both the SuperJTI Minority Worker Training Program
and the Brownfieids Showcase Community Minority
Worker Trainina Grants Program have two main
goals: 1) to work in partnership with unions via
apprenticeship programs, local community-based
organizations, and local academic institutions to
implement a comprehensive education and job
training program that will address cleanup and
redevelopment in the target areas; and 2) to assist the
local community colleges and Historically Black
Colleges and Universities in promoting worker health
and safety through education and training delivered
by these academic institutions.
Below is an update on six projects that were imple-
mented under one of these two programs:
Dallas, Texas—A two-year Brownfieids Showcase
Community grant awarded in FY99 for 5220,572
provided training for residents living in the entire west
Dallas community. The grant helped the community
implement an outreach and recruitment strategy that
identified training participants for FY99 and FYOO.
Bernalillo County, New Mexico—Bernalilio County-
was awarded $200,000 in FY99 to implement a two-
year program to train 60 students. Four out of 1 0
students finished the first training cycle.
Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX)/
McCommas Bluff Job Training Project, Dallas,
Texas—TEEX was awarded 5200,000 in October
1 998 to implement a two-year program. The training
was completed for six groups of students, and 43
students completed the course.
Houston Community College (HCC), Houston,
Texas—HCC was awarded 5200,000 in October
1 999 and committed to training 1 00 students. Due
to technical and administrative difficulties, HCC
trained only approximately 1 8 students and tried to
rework their entire program.
RSR Smelter Site, Dallas, Texas—In FY99, the RSR
Smelter Site was awarded a one-year National
Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
SuperJT! grant for S1 50,000 to train 1 5 residents
living near the RSR Smelter Superfund site in west
Dallas. Classes included study skills, life skills, math
skills, lead/asbestos abatement and HAZMAT train-
ing, and brownfieids related pre-apprenticeship
technical training in construction and environmental
remediation. The grant also helped students with job
development and job placement. The traininq started
on Apri 1 9, 1 999, and all students graduated in the
early summer.
Many Diversified Interests, Inc. (MDi), Houston,
Texas At the request of community residents living
near the MDI site, EPA worked with Laborers AGC,
Houston Works, SEARCH, and Make Ready, nc. to
recruit 32 students for two sessions of SuperJTI classes
that started in January 1 999. Classes included study
skills, ife skills, math skills, lead/asbestos abatement,
and HAZMAT training. Twenty-eight students gradu-
ated from the program and received certifications in
lead asbestos abatement and HAZMAT. As a follow-
up, the community requested that EPA Region 6 offer a
second round of SuperJTI classes, which it did in early
2000. The original group of community supporters
helped ensure that the classes continued.
Project Participants
The most important participants were the students
taking the classes. However, the project would not
have been possible without multiple partners, includ-
ing:
• The National Institute for Environmental Health
Sciences (NIEHS)
• Xavier University in New Orleans
• Clark Atlanta University, which received two
Minority Worker Training Program grants to
develop and implement the training under two
cooperative agreements
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D
Other partners included:
• Bernalillo County government
• Laborers AGC
• Houston Works
• SEARCH
• Make Ready, Inc.
• The Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service
• Houston Community College in Texas
Project Benefits
The combined training grants:
• provided environmental remediation training to
more than 1 00 students and gave environmental
justice community groups and other stakeholders
the opportunity to enhance their job skills; and
• allowed Region 6 SuperJTI staff to interact with
environmental justice communities and learn
techniques applicable to other minority training
pilots.
Lessons Learned
Always ensure that community partners are knowl-
edgeable about community residents.
Immediately involve city social structures in projects
when training is first considered.
Know the job market in a community before
introducing an opportunity for training.
Ensure that training participants are aware that EPA
is not promising jobs; EPA can only provide job
training opportunities.
Track the number of participants being trained in
your programs.
Bring prospective employers into the picture before
training begins.
Project Contact
Beverly Negri
Community Involvement Team Leader
EPA Reg ion 6
(214) 665-8)57
,'iegri. beverly@epo.gov
Region
Brownfieids Job Training
Brownfields Job Training and Development Demonstration Pilots
Project Activity
Since 1 998, the Region 7 Brownfields Job Training
program has trained residents living in and around
four brownfields pilot communities for employment
related to waste management, site assessment,
cleanup, and redevelopment of brownfields proper-
ties whose reuse has been impeded by contamina-
tion.
Many brownfields properties are located in
communities with low income, a high percentage
of minorities, or both. A number of these commu-
nities are located in or near an Empowerment
Zone/Enterprise Community.
The brownfields grant recipients are colleges and
universities, nonprofit training centers, job training
organizations, states, cities, towns, counties, and
Indian tribes. The grant recipient receives $200,000
over a two-year period to train residents.
Project Participants
• Mineral Area College, Park Hills, Missouri
• St. Louis Community College, St. Louis, Missouri
• Western Iowa Tech Community College, Sioux City,
Sowa
• Metropolitan Community College, Kansas City,
Missouri
Project Benefits
"The Brownfields Job Training pilot is about dramatic
human impact—redeveloping families. It isn't just about
redeveloping contaminated land."
Shawn Grindstaff, Director Rural Brownfields Center,
Mineral Area College
Participants in the Brownfields Job Training program
are taught the skills needed to obtain better jobs and
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enhance their lives. Participants also receive life skills
training in areas such as time-management, persona!
marketing, presentation skills, and money manage-
ment, thereby giving them basic knowledge that will
help them in their daily work activities.
One hundred forty-one participants of these pro-
grams have completed alt training requirements.
Eighty-six participants obtained employment that
earned them an average of $13.46 per hour.
Two additional Region 7 communities that have
recently applied for job training pilots include
Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo, Iowa, and
Ozarks Technical Community College in Springfield,
Missouri. The announcement ot this year's
Brownfields Job Training grant recipient will be made
at the end of December 2001.
Project Contact
Tina Lowery
Environmental Protection Specialist
EPA Region 7
(913) 551-7964
lowery. tin a <£>epa. go v
Lessons Learned
Every year the Brownfields Job Trainina Pilots meet to
discuss the program and exchange information on
potential pilot communities. Lessons learned discus-
sions help to produce guidelines and expectations for
tuture pilots.
Lessons learned include:
• Multi-focused courses that teach life and environ-
mental skills is advantageous.
• Developing relationships overtime with students,
employers, and other colleges opens doors for
students.
• Recognizing that ail students need to be valued for
what they do, and that each student has his/her
own personal reason for lack of employment,
fostered a healthy learning environment.
• Advertising the trainina by word of mouth is the
best way to get the community interested.
• Preparing for setbacks and working through them
with perseverance and endurance is critica for
success.
• Knowing specifically what the grant money wii be
used for avoids future internal problems.
• Building strong partnerships with community
leaders and other local, state, and federal agen-
cies is helpful.
• Strong partnerships with the Brownfields Assessment
Pilot Manager helps to make these programs run
more smoothly.
Region 8: Brownfields Job Training
Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, North Dakota:
San Haven Redevelopment Brownfields Project and Brownfields Job
Training Grant
Project Activity
The Job Trainina grants are intended to train disad-
vantaged populations affected by brownfieids sites to
facilitate cleanup of the sites and prepare tor future
employment in the environmental field.
As part of this project, the Tribe purchased the former
State Mental Rehabi itation Hospital in 1 992, which is
located on 600 acres near the Reservation, not far
from the Canadian border and the Internationa!
Peace Garden. The state performed remedial
activities for asbestos contamination, underground
storage tanks, and contaminated soi and water
removal. By the late 1 990s, 31 structures remained,
and many of them had been vandalized and sal-
vaged. The Tribe received a Brownfields Site Assess-
ment arant from EPA in 1 998 to determine the extent
of potential contamination from several sources to the
soil, groundwater, wetlands, and septic system.
15
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Additional contamination resulted from the release of
asbestos and lead-based paint to the environment,
open dumping, and two landfills. During the assess-
ment process, Turtle Mountain Community College
competed for and received the first Brownfields Job
Training grant to be awarded from EPA to a tribe.
Project Participants
The Brownfields Site Assessment grant is managed by
the Tribal Planning Office. The Site Assessment
Project Manager coordinates with the Job Training
Project Manager at Turtle Mountain Community
College. The college hopes to capitalize on other
environmental employment opportunities that may
arise during the training and to prepare the students
for future livable wage employment in the environ-
mental sector with a two-year environmental technical
degree. During student training, an issue arose on
the Reservation related to black mold contamination.
Plans are underway to train a number of students and
supervisors to clean up black mold where it poses a
health risk to people.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) conducted a
contaminant survey and decided not to bring the
property into the Tribal Trust until the possible con-
tamination issues are investigated and resolved. EPA's
Region 8 Emergency Response Program removed the
asbestos from the abandoned and salvaged build-
ings.
The project became part of the ten-year strategic plan
for Roulette County, which has been designated a
Champion Community by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture and an Underutilized Business Zone by the
U.S. Department of Commerce. These designations
will be beneficial when the Tribe applies for federal
redevelopment and cleanup grants.
As the Tribe, the North Dakota State Health Depart-
ment, the Tribe's contractor under the brownfields
grant, and EPA started holding meetings and confer-
ence calls, it became apparent that the costs to clean
up and refurbish the buildings would be very high. A
new and exciting vision evolved that centered around
1 60 recently discovered teepee rings, a burial site,
and the foundations of an old Scandinavian settle-
ment village. Over 250,000 tourists visit the Interna-
tional Peace Garden (just north of the property) each
year and might be enticed to visit an information
center or an artist studio and be led past an elk herd
while going on tours of the recreated Tribal and
Scandinavian villages. Additional activities, such as
Pow Wows, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, and
overnighting at a recreational vehicle park, could
attract other visitors.
The group explored the possibility of hiring a salvage
company to dismantle and sell historic brick, other
marketable items, and salvageable debris. The
group also considered using students trained under
the Brownfields Job Training grant to support the
salvage operations in addition to their environmental
cleanup jobs. But an accident at San Haven resulted
in a decision to demolish the property in a more
timely manner. During this period, the U.S. Depart-
ment of Justice (DOJ) became a new partner, and
brought to the project the possibility of obtaining
grant to refurbish two buildings on the San Haven
property where Tribal youth can be rehabilitated for a
variety of problems.
The Tribal Brownfields Project Manager and the North
Dakota State Health Department are exploring
potential grants for cleanup and redevelopment
activities from the Economic Development Administra-
tion and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development. The Tribe is also working with the
state's Congressional staff and the University of North
Dakota Law School and applying for funding from
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services'
Administration for Native Americans.
Project Benefits
• The project is reestablishing 600 aesthetically
pleasing, cleaned up, and productive acres.
• It is creating new and sustainable jobs for tribal
residents who have been negatively impacted by '
the environmental contamination, while offering
opportunities to be part of a safe solution to
cleaning up and redeveloping the property. Also,
other environmental jobs or employment may be
created as a result of the property's reuse.
• The project is addressing health and safety
concerns related to the contamination, vandalism,
and structural issues at the San Haven site.
• The project provides an opportunity for the Tribe to
share its cultural history and values with a much
larger population.
• The project establishes better partnerships with the
Tribal Planning Office and Turtle Mountain
Community College, Bureau of Indian Affairs,
EPA, the State Health Department, Roulette County
Redevelopment Empowerment Board, historical
organizations, Congressional staff, and others that
will become invo ved later in the process.
16
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Lessons Learned
Most of the funding to address the contamination
problems and redevelop the property needs to
come from sources outside of the Tribe. All of
these funding efforts are complicated by the tact
that the resources available to a rural North
Dakota Tribal community are very limited. By
combining the knowledge, skills, expertise, and
resources of as many stakeholders as possible, the
original vision is changing, but a viable reuse of
the property is being developed.
The incident related to physical safety at San
Haven focused attention on the project and
resulted in more Tribal administration and commu-
nity involvement, accelerating the decision-making
process.
Project Contacts
Kathie Afencio
Brown fields Coordinator
FRA Region 8
(303) 312-6803
atencio. kafhie@epa.gov
Mary Ah Is from
Brovvnfi'e/c/s Project Manager
EPA Region 3
(303.) 3/2-6626
ah/strom. mary@epa.gov
Region 1 : Brownfields Revitalization
Returning Vacant Lots in Providence, Rhode Island, to Productive
Reuse
Project Activity
The City of Providence (population 1 50,000) is a
major commercial, financial, and industrial center
located in southeastern New England at The nead of
Narragansett Bay on the Atlantic sea coast. The city-
contains nearly 4,000 vacant lots, each posing
significant environmental and public health risks to
residents. Most vacant lots are littered with illegally
dumped trash and other solid and hazardous waste,
serve as breeding grounds for rats, and provide
unsafe and potentially dangerous conditions to
children. In 1 995. EPA Region 1 launched a pilot
program called the Urban Environmental Initiative
(DEI) to address environmental and public health
problems in three New England cities, including
Providence. Residents of these three cities suffer from
a disproportionate leve of environmental health risks.
One in every three children has elevated blood lead
levels.
The goals of the multi-year initiative were to:
• Restore and revitalize urban neighborhoods and
improve public health by building local capacity.
• Deal with environmental and public health prob-
lems related to vacant lots and leverage available
technical and financial resources to improve the
quality of life for urban residents.
• Eliminate illegal dumping and residential exposure
to contamination and public health threats.
• Return vacant lots to beneficial use.
Project Participants
• Direct Action for Rights and Equality (DARE)
• Rhode Island Department of Health
• City of Providence, Department of Planning and
Development
• City of Providence, Office of Neighborhood
Environmental Affairs
• Southside Community Land Trust
• Childhood Lead Action Project
• Brown University, Center for Environmenta Studies
• EPA New England [Urban Environmental Initiative,
Environmental Justice Program, and Office of
Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER)]
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Project Benefits
• Vacant Land Task Force Report:
DEI, City of Providence, DARE and over 70
community stakeholders worked together to
produce a set of comprehensive recommendations
to return Providence's 4,000 vacant lots to pro-
ductive use. This effort included follow-up
activities that engaged Brown University's Center
for Environmental Studies to use GIS mapping
technology to identify and plot vacant lots across
Providence neighborhoods.
• Providence Environmental Strike Team:
UEI provided funding and assistance to form the
City of Providence's Environmental Strike Team
(PEST) to remove debris, trash, and waste from
over 600 lots throughout the city. The PEST
proa ram also created a series of multi-lingual
public service announcements (PSA's! addressing
vacant lots that were played regularly on television
and publicized through mailings by the City of
Providence Mayor's Office.
• Soil Sampling for Lead:
UEI, OSVVER, and an EPA Laboratory responded
to our partners' request to sample soil on targeted
vacant lots for lead poisoning. UEI worked with
OSVVER to create a sampl-ing protocol for screen-
ing the vacant lots quickly and effectively for the
presence of lead and other heavy metals in soil.
To date, EPA has sampled over 250 lots and has
shared this data with its partners and with local
residents through public meetings. EPA, Rl Depart-
ment of Health, City of Providence Department of
Planning, Childhood Lead Action Pro|ect, and
DARE created and distributed multi-lingual (English
& Spanish) fact sheets to interested community
residents outlining local lead laws, what the
sampling results mean for families and children,
options for mitigating risk through planting and
gardening, and contact information.
• Special Vacant Lot for SI Program:
UEI, DARE, and the City of Providence Department
of Planning created a first-of-its kind policy for
qualified local residents to purchase vacant lots for
the cost of S1 in exchange for taking care of the
property. The program has resulted in many
formerly vacant properties being transferred to the
public so residents can return the lots to productive
and safe use. The City of Providence Department
of Planning was able to secure funding to
remediate vacant lots that contained over 2,000
ppb of lead in soil so the lots could be safely sold
through the Special Vacant Lot for $1 Program.
Alice Hicks Mini-Grants Program:
UEI worked with DARE, Southside Community Land
Trust, and the City of Providence Department of
Planning to create the Alice Hicks Mini-Grants
Program, which provides grants up to 55,000 to
qualified new owners of formerly vacant lots to
mitigate risks from lead in soil and to rehabilitate the
lots. These grants can be used for landscaping,
creating urban gardens and elevated flower beds, or
creating other safe reuses of the property.
Lessons Learned
Residential vacant lots pose significant environmental
and public health threats to residents in urban areas
and need special attention. EPA's efforts helped
support the initiatives of community partners (like
DARE and Childhood Lead Action Project) and
brought needed technical assistance to the City of
Providence, enabling them to return vacant lots to
productive reuse. After EPA became a participant at
the table, the coalition was able to develop ways to
move forward and build upon accomplishments to
create a sustainable infrastructure. This project has
given the City of Providence the framework to con-
tinue to eliminate vacant lot dangers to its residents in
the future.
Project Contact
Kris?/ N. Rec, Teem Leader
Urban Enw'ronmenfa/ Initiative
EPA Region 1
;617) 9I8-J595
reo.kr/sf/C^epa.gov
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Region 2: Brownfields Revitalization
Brownfields Program Development in Puerto Rico
Project Activity
More than 40 stales have developed Voluntary-
Cleanup Programs (VCPs) to facilitate brownfields
cleanup. Community stakeholders, as well as munici-
palities, developers, investors, and property owners in
Puerto Rico have expressed the need for a clear,
predictable, and efficient hazardous waste site
voluntary cleanup program with iabi ity relief. Under
this project, the Puerto Rico Environmental Quality
Board (PREQB) is implementing a V'CP TO stimulate
the remediation and reuse of brownfields sites with
low to moderate levels of contamination, such as
former industrial properties and adjacent sites.
EPA brownfields funding includes support for the core
program activities of VCPs. The recipient of these
funds in Puerto Rico, the Environmental Quality
Board, used this money to research VCPs and create
the framework for a program that is being developed
through a participatory process.
To identify best practices for Puerto Rico, PREQB met
with representatives from several states TO earn from
other VCPs and received consultation from
brownfields policy experts. Based on this research,
PREQB developed a VCP program outline. Subse-
quently, legislation was passed authorizing PREQB to
implement a VCP program and to develop cleanup
standards for the island of Puerto Rico.
The actual VCP program structure, which includes
regulations, financial incentives, and liability relief
measures, is being developed through an anticipator,
process with legislators, state agencies, and the
regulated community. Community organizations were
fully involved in the decision-making process. The
goa is to provide private parties and others with a
streamlined hazardous waste site cleanup process in
Puerto Rico.
Currently, PREQB is forming an interagency committee
to draft regulations and develop technical guidelines.
The goal is to coordinate the activities of all appropri-
ate offices and to ensure that there are no conflicts
with other regulations.
PREQB is gathering public input by conducting
structured interviews with municipalities, banks,
insurance companies, private owners, and environ-
mental groups throughout the island. The results of
this study wi I be presented at several broad stake-
holder meetings. The first meeting for key stakeholders
and legislators is planned for fall 2002. The meetings
will explain the VCP program and solicit suggestions
on program implementation.
Under a related project funded by EPA's Brownfields
Program, PREQB is working with municipal officials to
conduct an inventory of potential brownfield sites. The
PREQB will select two to three of these sites for
investigation with EPA funds. The PREQB wi! obtain
stakeholder input, ensure the coordination of Com-
monwealth agencies, and test programmatic ap-
proaches.
Project Participants
• Region 2 Environmental Protection Agency
• Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board
• North East Hazardous Substance Research Center
• Brownfields stakeholders from the public and
private sectors
• Environmental groups and community based
organizations
• Other Commonwealth agencies
Project Benefits
• Regulatory Authority for Brownfields
Based in part on EPA funded research, the Puerto
Rico legislature recognized the need for
brownfields legislation and amended the Puerto
Rico Environmental Public Policy Act (Law # 9) to
give the PREQB the authority TO establish a VCP
• Streamlined Program
The outcome of This effort will streamline
brownfields redevelopment by providing policy
programs and tools for public and private sector
participation in hazardous waste site cleanup.
• Brownfields Reclamation
Ultimately, this effort will allow Puerto Rico to
reclaim brownfields for a variety of uses, including
open space, housing, and economic develop-
ment.
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Lessons Learned
Research into a variety of state VCPs and best
practices has helped the PREQB avoid "reinventing
the wheel" and has provided policy and proce-
dural models and lessons that can be adapted
into a program that best fits Puerto Rico's needs.
The expertise and resources from the Hazardous
Substance Research Center have been an asset to
PREQB's program development and a resource
for staff and other brownfields stakeholders.
Open communication and early and ongoing
broad stakeholder involvement has been a key
factor in the smooth development of this program.
Project Contact
Nuria Muniz
Puerto Rico Brownfields Project Manager
EPA Region 2
(212) 637-4302
muniz.Ruria@epa.gov
Brownfields and Waterfront Development
Project Activity
To address commitments made at the March 6, 1 999,
meeting of the Council on Environmental Quality
Federal Interagency Task Force on Environmental
Justice in New York City, EPA Region 2 worked with
federal, state, city, and community organization
partners to hold two interactive educational forums.
These forums were designed to enhance stakeholder
ability to engage in waterfront land use planning and
development, enhance stakeholder ability to promote
open space, and enhance stakeholder ability to
revitalize brownfields in New York City. The Forums
allowed participants to share information, experience,
and perspectives in order to proactively set the stage
for increased partnerships and community involve-
ment in decisions affecting the environment.
Together, the Subcommittee on Open Space, Water-
front Development, and Brownfields:
• held a series of working meetings from July 1 999
to July 2000;
• held a workshop in January 2000 titled "Water-
front Development: Reinventing the Working
Waterfront," which was attended by 1 60 people;
and
• held a Brownfields Roundtable for 60 key partici-
pants.
In response to commitments to provide technical
assistance about waterfront land use and open space,
the Subcommittee on Open Space Initiatives, Water-
front Development, and Brownfields was established
in June 1 999. The EPA Emergency and Remedial
Response Division Environmental Justice/Brownfields
contact was requested to share subcommittee facilita-
tion with two community organization representatives.
The EPA contact provided coordination and subcom-
mittee co-facilitation until agencies with relevant
authority came to the table. The National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National
Park Service, and the New York/New Jersey (NY/'NJ)
Ports Authority designated agency leads for the
Subcommittee in November 1 999.
The first Subcommittee meeting was held July 27,
1 999, and monthly meetings and intermittent confer--
ence calls continued through January 2000. Much
useful information was shared during the Subcommit-
tee meetings. For example, EPA distributed the
Brownfields Resource Directory, which is comprised of
fact sheets on resources from over 1 4 federal and
state agencies, including local contacts. NOAA
distributed a compilation of best practices for water-
front development. The city and state provided
insights and recommendations. Community represen-
tatives illustrated their experiential knowledge and the
interdisciplinary nature of the issues.
The consistent Subcommittee meetings culminated with
the January 26, 2000, workshop titled "Waterfront
Development in New York City: Reinventing the
Working Waterfront." This workshop successfully met
the intended goal of highlighting case studies of
community/city partnerships, illustrating the land use
planning regulatory framework, and highlighting
120
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citizen involvement tools toward realizing sustainable
waterfront development.
The event was the culmination of a collaborative
planning process that included community based
organizations, city, state, and federal agencies. To set
the stage, effective partnerships working to realize
healthy waterfront development in the Bronx, Brook-
lyn, and Harlem were showcased. Case studies
showed that manufacturing, housing, and recreational
facilities can coexist to meet the social, economic, and
environmental needs of waterfront users. The case
studies reminded the audience of the importance of
early, ongoing, and meaningful community involve-
ment. Presenters stressed the value or putting in the
up-front effort to develop a shared vision and, as
stated by Elizabeth Yeampierre of UPROSE '.Puerto
Ricans United for Sunset Park), the fundamental need
for partnerships based on a parity ot power, trust, and
respect.
The panel on visioning and planning tools provided
examples of community mapping and participatory
planning techniques. The panel on land use planning
and the waterfront reviewed the waterfront land use
planning and development processes and presented
the guiding principles of the New York City Waterfront
Revitalization program as a basis for discussion. Of
note, one presentation introduced "green port design"
principles and operations, which are informing the
Sunset Park Port design and have been successfully
applied e sewhere to mitigate the environmental
impacts of water-dependent industry.
The substantial contributions of the Subcommittee
members and the resources that contributed to the
event's success deserve mention, in particular, the
Department of Housing and Urban Development
(HUD) provided strong leadership and drove the
logistical coordination of the Waterfront workshop.
Community organizations provided leadership and
staff, who carried out the most of the outreach.
Resources leveraaed for the forum included:
• The NY Nj Ports Authority provided funding to a
non-profit for meeting materials
• The NY/NJ Ports Authority compiled a technical
resource book
• NOAA supported the travel of two case study
speakers
• EPA coordinated the exhibit hall, which included a
hands-on demonstration of available geographic
information system tools and applications.
Subcommittee members expressed interest in holding
a Roundtable Discussion on Brownfields Revitalization.
EPA and HUD worked with a planning subgroup and
convened a Brownfields Workshop for New York City
Community Organizations and Community Develop-
ment Corporations on August 8, 2000. The purpose
of the Roundtable was to provide brownfields basics
for community development corporations and
community based organizations that participated in
the Council on Environmental Quality-Environmental
Justice Initiative. The workshop provided a working
knowledge of current New York State and New York
City brownfields policies and relevant economic
development programs. The goal was to proactive!'/
support informed community participation and
engagement in brownfields redevelopment. The
Roundtable's discussion and resources should serve to
enhance the participants' abilities to assess local
brownfields proposals and participate in brownfields
projects in their own neighborhoods.
The workshop agenda was designed to provide an
interactive forum for federal, state, city, and commu-
nity organization representatives to discuss lessons
earned, challenges, and perspectives about
brownfields redeve opment. n addition, the
Roundtable served as a primer for the Brownfields
2000 conference.
Project Participants
• EPA, HUD, NOAA (co-leads) and more than six
other federal agencies
• New York City Environmental Justice Alliance (co-
lead)
• West Harlem Environmental Action Coalition (co-
lead!
• New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation and other State agencies
• NY/NJ Ports Authority
• Environmental Justice organizations from through-
out New York City
• City agencies
• Residents
• Private sector representatives including developers
and financial institutions
21
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D
Project Benefits
• The forums, designed under the co-leadership of
federal agency staff and community organization
staff, provided opportunities for both sectors to
gain greater understanding and insight into
brownfields issues and tools.
• The Waterfront Workshop provided information
and tools for public participation in brownfields
and waterfront development. The forum en-
hanced stakeholder capacity to navigate the
myriad of policies and programs governing
waterfront land use, open space, and brownfields.
• The overwhelming turnout for the Waterfront
Workshop addressed an information need and
helped to focus the attention of prominent New
York institutions on the challenges of the post-
industrial waterfront. A number of workshops have
been held since. Participants in the brownfields
workshop expressed that they learned information
applicable to their own projects and neighbor-
hoods.
Lessons Learned
To set the stage for effective informed public
involvement in brownfields, it is beneficial to bring
the various city and state agencies with relevant
jurisdiction together with community organizations
to share programmatic information and discuss
concerns in a neutral forum.
Community development corporations face
particular challenges in brownfields redevelop-
ment that can be addressed through partnerships
with the city, the state, and the private sector.
Even without direct funding, a significant public
education process can be accomplished through
the combined efforts of the public and private
sector.
Project Contact
Che/sea Albucher
Brownfie/ds Project Manager
EPA Region 2
(212! 637-4291
albucher.chelsea@epa.gov
Region 3: Brownfields Revitalization
PECO Remediation and Redevelopment Project, Chester, Pennsylvania
Project Activity
The PECO property is a 90-acre waterfront site in an
environmental justice community located on the
outskirts of Philadelphia in Chester, Pennsylvania.
Because of its potential for economic revitalization,
Chester has been designated a Pennsylvania Keystone
Opportunity Zone. This project is one part of a multi-
year, city-wide revitalization program. EPA's
remediation of past contamination on one portion of
the property is proceeding while Preferred Real Estate
Investment is converting the Art Deco-era, coal-fired
power plant into a high-tech office building. One goal
of this project is to streamline the RCRA corrective action
process in order to accelerate redevelopment while
implementing a remedy that protects human health
and the environment.
Project Participants
EPA is responsible for the cleanup of a 1 7-acre
portion of the property under a 1 993 RCRA Consent
Order. EPA, in conjunction with the Pennsylvania
Department of Environmental Protection (under the
Land Recycling and Environmental Remediation
Standards Act) is overseeing the investigation and
remediation of the rest of the property. PECO (now
part of the Exelon Corporation) recently sold most of
the site to Preferred Real Estate Investments and
retained the responsibility for remediation and
environmental responsibility. In addition, PECO
donated 7 acres to the City of Chester to create a
park next to a boat ramp. Preferred Real Estate
Investments is renovating the 350,000-square-foot
power plant into a modern office building.
Project Benefits
The first phase of redevelopment is in progress.
Preferred Real Estate Investments plans to spend
about S50 million to renovate the power plant.
Synygy, a software company, probably will be able to
move its first 500 employees into the building in
November 2002. The building will eventually house
between 700 and 1,000 employees. The State of
Pennsylvania contributed 52.5 million in job creation
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and training grants, provided tax credits to Synygy,
and ioaned or granted $2.6 million to Preferred Real
Estate Investments for infrastructure development, land
reclamation, and fiber-optic cable installation.
Future redevelopment plans in Chester will include a
marina, other office buildings, and commercial
development for a projected total of 3,000 new
permanent jobs in the next few years.
Project Contact
Renee Ge/fa/af
RCRA Project Manager
EPA Region 3
(215: 814-3421
Gelbiot.Renee@epa.gov
Lessons Learned
This project has run very smoothly because of frequent
communication among regulators, public officials,
community groups, and the general public. There
were multi-party information meetings before major
decisions were made. Because of EPA's corrective
action activities and the PA Act 2 program investiga-
tion requirements, the potential environmental site
liabilities were fully characterized before the property
was offered for sale. Therefore, interested parties
were able to make fully informed decisions and were
confident that there would not be any unforeseen
environmental issues uncovered during construction.
Keeping the community fully informed has allowed
them to be part of the decision-making process.
Region 4: Brownfields Revitalization
Environmental Justice Demonstration Pilot in Spartanburg, South
Carolina
Project Activity
This designated national Environmental Jus*;ce
Demonstration Project aims to bring the community
and different organizations together for the purpose
of revitalizing disadvantaged neighborhoods in South
Sparianburg, South Carolina. The revHalizotion
objectives for this project cover seven major areas: 1)
Redevelopment Design and Brov%ntields; 2)
Remediation; 31 Public Safety, Education, end Life
Skills; 41 Health; 51 Transportation: 6' Green Intro-
structure; and 7) Housing.
Project Participants
Spartanburg, has taken the ea
necessary partnerships for revitalization. The overall
project committee, which ReGenesis chairs, consists ot
the City of Spartanburg, the County of Spartanburg, -
and more than 40 other partners, including local,
regional, state, and federal agencies, ccademia,
business and industry', non-governmental organiza-
tions, and elected officials.
As the lead federal agency, EPA Region 4's role has
been to coordinate the effort, provide assistance with the
remediation of the site, conduct necessary work related
Project Benefits
Since its Environmental Justice Demonstration Project
designation in May 2000, this project has tocusea on:
11 conceptualizing revirclization goals; 2) enhancing
resources; 3) increasing collaboration among part-
ners; and 4) remediating contaminated sites.
This project's revitalization goals include the creation
of housing, basic retail services, a technology center,
a regional health clinic, ana o job training center. To
conceptualize these goals, the community has held
lour major redevelopment meetings, as well as many
smaller meetinas.
5200,000 US EPA Brownfields Assessment grant;
5100,000 US EPASuperfund Redevelopment
initiative grant;
pan of a SI .3 million US EPA Brownfields Revolv-
ing Loan Fund grant issued to the State of South
Carolina;
S20.000 US EPA Environmental Justice grant;
525,000 Technical Assistance Project grant awarded
to ReGenesis by the City of Spartanburg; and
23
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• $50,000 Technical Assistance Project grant
awarded to ReGenesis by Vigindustries.
The project also is waiting to hear whether it has been
awarded the following grants:
• $ 125,000 Weed and Seed grant from the U.S.
Department of Justice;
• Community Development Block grant from the
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Develop-
ment and the City and County of Spartanburg;
and
• $650,000 New Start Health Center grant from the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
In building collaboration among its partners, the
project committee has benefitted from new partner-
ships with 14 local agencies, 4 state/regional agen-
cies, 1 6 federal agencies, 1 1 businesses and indus-
tries, 10 non-governmental organizations, 7 aca-
demic institutions, and some elected officials.
The remediation process has brought many different
benefits to the project as well. These include:
• Partnering with former workers to determine the
locations of contamination to assist with the
environmental assessment, and discovering
potentially responsible parties (PRP) for the two
Superfund sites (IMC Fertilizer Site and Arkwright
Dump Site).
• Partnering with known PRPs to develop an innova-
tive approach for identifying other PRPs.
• Establishing an ongoing conflict resolution process
to improve relations between ReGenesis and a
local chemical manufacturing facility.
• Providing training to community members on the
Superfund process.
• Creating a forum with 60 diverse stakeholders to
discuss "responsive revitalization."
Project Contacts
Brian Ho/fzc/aw
Environmental Justice Program
EPA Region 4
(404) 562-8684
holtzdaw.brian@epa.gov
Cynfhia Peurifoy
Office of Environmental Justice
EPA Region 4
(404) 562-9649
peurifoy. cynthia @epa. gov
Lessons Learned
Local leaders who have the talent, willingness, and
perseverance to build collaborative relationships
can help bring all parties together for constructive
problem solving and the development of holistic
community revitalization. Providing support to
these local leaders is critical, and includes provid-
ing a framework around which such leaders can
operate.
Revitalization projects should include a process for
bringing together all stakeholders to build a
project around the common goal of bettering the
environment, economy, and quality of life for
communities.
Monthly coordination meetings that include staff
from various EPA programs serve a very useful
role.
EPA should have encouraged a conflict resolution
process between the community groups and
representatives from the chemical plant that
operated in the redevelopment area earlier during
the revitalization project. The Federal Interagency
VVorking Group on Environmental Justice is
developing a project evaluation related to this
issue that should be available soon.
Rosalind Brown
Economic Redevelopment and
Community Involvement Branch
EPA Region 4
(404) 562-8633
brown.rosalind@epa.gov
La Tonya Spencer
Community Involvement Coordinator
EPA Region 4
(404) 562-8463
spencer.latonya@epa.gov
Ralph Howard
Remedial Project Manager
EPA Region A
(404} 562-8829
howard.ralph@epa.gov
Bill Joyner
Remedial Project Manager
EPA Region 4
(404) 562-8795
joyner.william@epa.gov
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Region 5: Brownfields Revitalization
Protecting Children's Health and Reducing Lead Exposure through
Collaborative Partnerships
Project Activity
This project targets East St. Louis, Illinois, and other
communities in St. Clair County. The county has
numerous abandoned, contaminated lots that serve
as play lots for the communities' youth and as illegal
dumping havens.
EPA's goal is to collaborate with various local, state,
and federal partners to implement a comprehensive
strategy to improve children's health by reducing lead
poisoning. EPA's role in the project is to address
uncontrolled lead re eases to surface soil and to
promote opportunities for redevelopment.
Project Participants
• EPA Region 5 awarded a grant to the Illinois
Department of Public Health (IDPH) to conduct
lead soil sampling to characterize the uncontrolled
releases of lead in the soil near defunct industrial
sources. The sampling locations were on the
outskirts of industrial facilities and in residential yards
and neighborhoods. The soi samples had elevated
levels of lead in numerous areas above 400 ppm.
This phase of the project was completed last year.
• EPA entered into an Interagency Agreement with
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to perform
further assessments on 1 3 of the industrial and
residential sites identified by IDPH.
• Using the initial IDPH data, the Emergency Re-
sponse Branch (ERB) began a series of residential
cleanup activities on several high priority sites in
September 2001. ERB is also plotting select data
on GIS maps to assist with the evaluation of further
investigation needs. These maps will help deter-
mine cleanup priorities by combining blood lead
levels, soil sample results, and industrial locations.
• St. Mary's Hospital is providing free blood level
screening for children aged 0-1 2 years old and
pregnant mothers. The hospital is working closely
with the East St. Louis School District to identify
children in this age group and promote the
program throughout the area.
• Other partners include the City of East St. Louis, St.
Clair County Intergovernmental Grants Department,
Illinois EPA, HUD, and several community groups.
Project Benefits
The most important benefit is the improvement of
children's health in East St. Louis. The elimination of
contaminated soil, reduced exposure, and increased
knowledge of the dangers of lead will benefit current
and future generations. The removal actions will
potentially ignite renewed interest in the city and
remove the barriers surrounding economic develop-
ment in the area.
Lessons Learned
Early and meaningful involvement by local organiza-
tions was the most important asset to the project. The
collaboration of various departments within EPA, as
well as many local and state organizations, to identify
sites that might need further investigations and
possible cleanup actions helped ensure the success of
the project.
Project Contacts
Dion Novak
Project Manager
EPA Region 5
(312) 886-4737
novak.dion@epa.gov
Kevin Turner
On-Scene Coordinator
EPA Region 5
(618) 997-0115
furner.kev/n@epa.gov
Linda Morgan
Project Officer
EPA Region 5
(312) 886-4747
morgan.linda@epa.gov
N'oemi Emeric
Gateway Team Leader
EPA Region 5
emeric.noemi@epa.gov
25
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D
Keqson
Brownfields Revitaiization
Wellston, Missouri, Brownfields Redevelopment With Habitat for
Humanity
Project Activity
The St. Louis County Economic Council, through the
Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority of the
County of St. Louis (LCRA), is working in cooperation
with the City of Wellston to implement a comprehen-
sive redevelopment plan that calls for light industrial,
commercial, and residential redevelopment. Weliston
is a low-income community with a large minority
population. As part of the Wellston redevelopment
process, council staff identified close to 400 aban-
doned, tax delinquent, publicly-owned properties in
the city. The return of these abandoned properties to
productive use is integral to Wellston's economic
revitalization. The role of LCRA is to facilitate the
redevelopment process, in part by acquiring/clearing
title to such properties and taking the necessary steps
to prepare them for redevelopment in accordance
with the redevelopment plan. A joint Wellston/County
board authorizes LCRA to take these properties
through the condemnation process and to clear title
so that they are available for redevelopment. LCRA
has initiated five such suits, with the properties then
being transferred to developers for new housing.
EPA's Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot
grant and Supplemental Assistance grant have
provided the resources necessary to perform environ-
mental assessments on these properties. These site
assessments ensure that there are no environmental
conditions of concern that will impede redevelopment,
or that if such conditions exist, they can be properly
addressed.
Project Participants
EPA's Office of Community Development
St. Louis County Economic Council, Land Clear-
ance for Redevelopment Authority City of Wellston
Habitat for Humanity-St. Louis
AG Edwards
Commerce Bank
City-County Ecumenical Partnership
Home Builders Association
Herman Miller Huttig Building Products
Christian Brothers College
Disciples of Christ
Missouri American Water Company
United Church of Christ
Congregations
West County Churches
ARCO Construction
Rubicon Foundation
WIL Radio
Project Benefits
One of the developers that LCRA has worked with in
Wellston is Habitat for Humanity-St. Louis. Habitat
recently completed its first phase of housing in
Wellston to commemorate the St. Louis chapter's 1 5-
year anniversary. Habitat constructed its first phase in
a "blitz build" of 1 5 houses in 1 5 days (from April
28-May 12, 2001). Habitat plans to build up to 25
more houses in Wellston over the next two to three
years. LCRA assisted in the acquisition, environmental
assessment, and demolition of properties used by
Habitat in the blitz build. Habitat's first phase included
LCRA-owned properties that underwent environmental
assessment under the Demonstration Pilot.
Numerous personal testimonials highlighting the
positive impacts of these activities within the commu-
nity are on file.
Lessons Learned
Partnerships that include a variety of organizations
can produce very good results.
Coordination with partners is an important compo-
nent to the success of the program.
Opportunities to link with partner themes and
objectives for mutual benefit should be explored.
Project Contact
Susan Klein
Environmental Scientist
EPA Region 7
(913) 551-7786
Wein.susan@epa.gov
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^^^^^^^m^^^mm^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^m^^^^m^mm^mmfjj^f^fg^^^ggfgfl^jl^^^^^^f^fi^gfg^^^^^^^^^^mmm^^^^ftf^^''^^^^'^ """ '
South Westminster Brownfields Project, City of Westminster, Colorado
Project Activity
The project area encompasses 260 commercial, lighi
industrial, and residential properties centrally situated
in the South Westminster Revitalizotion Area. 1 his was
the location of the original downtown neighborhood
and business district. Today, the area harbors the city's
most ethnically, socially, and economically diverse
neiahborhood, which is characterized by significant
Hispanic and Asian populations. Overtime, existing
businesses relocated and new ventures were estab-
lished in suburban growth areas. Rundown, aban-
doned, and underused buildings and properties were
left behind. Given the neighborhood s age, popula-
tion, and economic migration pa^erns over the last
30 years, the residents and businesses have witnessed
declining economic conditions and a related decline
in the quality of lite. Through the cay's community
outreach activities, a vision evolved of revitalizing this
declininq area into a thriving comnvjniiy that offers a
variety of opportunities for diverse populations while
preserving its historical identity. Rather tnan follow the
trend of big box retail, residents supported *he
redevelopment of smaller town squares that serve as
local gathering places. In a community survey, over
90% responded that the redevelopment of rundown
or abandoned commercial property was an important
element in revitalizing the community. One significant
obstacle that blocked private development was the
uncertainty of property contamination. The city
applied for and received a brownfields grant from
EPA and conducted environmental site assessments tor
many of the 260 identified properties.
Project Participants
Westminster's Brownfields project was jointly imple-
mented by the Community Development Department
and the Environmental Compliance Program Office.
It built upon the city's proactive approach to address-
ing ethnic population issues through bi ingual and
cultural programs, identification of entrepreneurial
opportunities, and identification of low-income
housing. It incorporated extensive public outreach to
existing businesses, homeowners, and citizen interest
groups. In an effort to activate the community, a
strategy was developed to create an urban gardens
program. The goal was to restore pride within the
Hispanic and Hmong populations by providing job
Project Benefits
Contaminants that may negatively impact human
health and the environment on 260 properties m
the targeted area were identified.
Extensive community outreach placed substantial
emphasis on the minority participation.
The project identified opportunities, issues, and
resources relative to instituting an urban/commu-
nity garden network and supporting enterprises.
and development opportunities. Potentially, a
"farmer's market" could evolve. The city initiated and
provided support to the School Outreach Program to
promote involvement from the local elementary school
to pilot an urban community garden protect.
The city worked in partnership with the Institute for
Policy Implementation at the University of Colorado,
Denver and has attracted interest from over 40
representatives from the development and investment
community. A dialog was initiated with developers
that attracted interest in transforming 80 acres into a
unique, diverse living and working environment. A
non-profit Redevelopment Corporation is in the
process of being formed. This corporation will consist
of a coalition of local financial institutions and lenders
interested in financing site acquisition, development,
and redevelopment in South Westminster, and will
initially be capitalized at several million dollars. Over
1 7 partnerships have been established with local,
state, and federal agencies and the private sector.
Within two years of grant implementation., the city had
leveraged SI 70,000 for cleanup activities and 52.25
million for redevelopment protects.
The city is in the final stages of producing an educa-
tional and promotional video, informational brochure,
and a web site. They will facilitate communication
amona the involved city departments and consultants
and provide information to the general public, inter-
ested parties, potential investors, and developers.
The city recently received a $1 million Brownfields
Revolving Loan Fund Pilot to join the Colorado
Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund Coalition. In the
future, they plan to apply for Supplemental
Brownfields Site Assessment funding and a
Brownfields Job Training grant.
27
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The project prepared a database and created a
tool to disseminate property information to
prospective investors and developers.
Lessons Learned
Identifying and including stakeholders with expertise
and resources enhanced the end results of the
project. For example, when the need to communi-
cate more quickly with prospective developers about
the actual planning phase arose, the city purpose-
fully created the Brownfields Redevelopment web
page and held intermittent meetings to achieve the
goal of enticing developer and investor participa-
tion.
it is important to have support from the city adminis-
tration because they approve and fund projects and
can commit resources from other city departments.
Including local community groups in the pre-
planning and decision-making process helps
address the needs and concerns of impacted
residents and keeps the project moving forward.
Project Contacts
Kathie Atencio
Brownfields Coordinator
EPA Region 8
(303) 312-6803
atencio.kafhie@epa.gov
Mary Ahlstrom
Brownfields Project Manager
EPA Region 8
(303) 312-6626
afifetrom.mary@epa.gov
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Superfund
In 1 993, EPA announced reforms for its Super-fund program that addressed concerns expressed by affected
members of the public. These reforms fundamentally changed Superfund. Through partnerships with states,.
tribes, other federal agencies, local governments, communities, land owners, lenders, developers, and
potentially responsible parties (PRPs) for contamination, EPA has improved the cleanup process. Now, clean-
ups are being done faster without compromise to the principle that those responsible for pollution are held
accountable.
Several of these reforms enhance public participation and prevent minority and low-income populations from
bearing the brunt of pollution. This section of the report highlights environmental justice projects being con-
ducted under the Superfund program to improve communication with stakeholders and to encourage greater
involvement of all communities in the Superfund process. It includes projects where EPA is working in partner-
ship with local governments, communities, developers, and others to rethink the reuse value of cleaned up
Office of Emergency and Remedial Response (With Region 9)
2001 Superfund Job Training Initiative (SuperJTi) Project at the
Newmark Contamination Superfund Site in San Bernadino,
California
Project Activity
In April 2001, EPA Region 9 nominated the Newmark
Site for SuperJTi training, a new training initiative of
the National Institute of Environmental Health Sci-
ences' (NIEHS) Worker Education and Training
program. SuperJTi provides residents living nearer
around Superfund sites with environmental health and
safety training, and encourages the employment of
trainees in the cleanup of their communities.
In May 2001, Laborers-Associated General Contrac-
tors Education and Training Fund (Laborers-AGC)—in
partnership with the Neighborhood Housing Services
of the Inland Empire, Inc. (NHSIE)'s Youthbuild
program and the Office of Community Involvement in
EPA Region 9—agreed to conduct lead and asbestos
abatement and hazardous waste worker training.
During the training, the Youthbuild program was
tasked with the recruitment and pre-quaiification of
students interested in the training and the retention of
those students selected for the training. This training,
which included information on health and safety,
environmental justice awareness, and construction
issues, was completed in June 2001. Region 9's
Community Involvement Coordinator, Jackie Lane,
was instrumental in contacting the project participants;
gauging their commitment to the training; and staying
in contact with the partners making sure employment
opportunities were identified for students when training
was completed.
NHSIE's Youthbuild program is a comprehensive job
training, education, and leadership initiative for low-
income young people ages 1 7-24, who have not
completed high school. While studying for a high
school diploma or General Equivalency Diploma
(GED), the students learn valuable employment skills
whi e constructing new homes for low-income citizens.
Employment needs in the community were accessed
early on in the project so the partnership with
Youthbuild was ideal. Youthbuild hopes that this
training will provide its participants with new employ-
ment opportunities for remediating houses in the City
of San Bernadino and its surrounding areas.
Project Participants
• Laborers-Associated General Contractors Educa-
tion and Training Fund (Laborers-AGC), a Na-
tional Institute of Environmental Health Sciences'
(NiEHS) EPA Hazardous Waste Worker Training
Program grantee
29
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• Neighborhood Housing Services of the Inland
Empire, Inc. (NHSIE)'s Youthbuild program
• EPA Region 9's Office of Community Involvement
Project Benefits
• The project recruited 22 community residents; 1 8
of these residents successfully completed the
training.
• Many of the students returned to complete a
vocational program in the construction trade.
• Eight of the students are presently employed in the
environmental or construction field.
• The train-the-trainer program made prospective
instructors aware of ways they can train their
students to protect themselves from on-the-job
injury.
• Community residents who completed the training
now have the skills to acquire higher-paying,
entry-level environmental or construction jobs.
• The local workforce was trained to participate
safely and actively in the cleanup of local hazard-
ous waste sites and their communities.
Due to the project's success, NHSIE is looking to
partner with other interested organizations to fund
additional training. This additional funding will
help in sustaining the environmental training at
NHSIE.
Lessons Learned
Shorter class times would have benefitted those
students who have difficulties concentrating for long
periods of time.
It is important for training programs to assist partici-
pants in looking beyond their first job to future
opportunities and understanding how they can build
a career, not just a job, out of the skills they learned
from the training program.
Project Contact
Pa1 Carey
US EPA/OERR
703-603-8772
carey.pot@epa.gov
Eastern Surplus Company Superfund Site: Cleanup and Cultural
Resource Protection
Project Activity
This project involved the cleanup of an abandoned
junkyard filled with hazardous materials. One aspect
of the cleanup was the mitigation of impacts to
cultural resources, including Native American artifacts
that were more than 9,000 years old. To protect the
cultural resources at the junkyard, EPA hired profes-
sional archaeologists to excavate a portion of the site
to document the cultural resources, funded a cultural
study of the artifacts by the Passamaquoddy Indian
Tribe, provided internships for several members of the
Passamaquoddy Tribe to participate in the archaeo-
logical investigations and studies, and agreed to
develop outreach exhibits to educate the local
community and the Passamaquoddy about the
environmental cleanup and cultural resources at the site.
Project Participants
• US EPA
• Passamaquoddy Indian Tribe (Pleasant Point and
Indian Township)
• Maine Department of Environmental Protection
• Maine Office of Historic Preservation
Project Benefits
• The project resulted in the discovery and documen-
tation of an important cultural site belonging to the
Passamaquoddy Indian Tribe, and the develop-
ment of a preservation agreement for the site.
• Tribal members were taught archaeological
investigation and interpretive techniques.
130
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D
The project provided employment opportunities for
several members of the Passamaquoddy Tribe,
including employment to perform the cultural
study.
The project increased the awareness about the
significance of the cultural resources at the site and
involved state agencies and the local community
in understanding the environmental and cultural
resource issues.
EPA trained several members of the
Passamaquoddy Indian Tribe in groundwater and
soil sampling techniques.
The project resulted in collaborative efforts be-
tween EPA, the state agencies, the
Passamaquoddy Indian Tribe, and the local
residents regarding future site use and educa-
tional/outreach activities.
Lessons Learned
Overall, the project activities have been successful.
The major lesson learned was to involve the Native
American community at the earliest possible time in
the cleanup process to allow them to be fully involved
in all phases of the cleanup.
Project Contact
Edward Hathaway
Super/und Remedial Program
EPA Region 1
(617) 918-1372
hathaway.edward@epa.gov
Region 1
The 76-80 Pliny Street Superfund Site Removal Action
Project Activity
The Pliny Street neighborhood, located in Hartford,
CT, is predominately low income and minority. The
area is typified by burned out, boarded up, and
abandoned buildings.
The 76-80 Pliny Street Site previously housed a metal
plating facility that included four interconnected
buildings on a 1.6 acre lot. In June 2000, the City of
Hartford demolished the abandoned buildings on the
site due to their state of neglect, structurally unsafe
condition, and the fact that they were used for illegal
drug activities. During the demolition, the city discov-
ered elevated levels of chromium and lead through-
out the site. At the request of the Connecticut Depart-
ment of Environmental Protection (CT DEP), EPA
conducted a Preliminary Assessment and Site Investi-
gation, which revealed elevated levels of chromium
and lead contamination in the soil. The elevated
levels of contamination in the soil supported a
Superfund removal action. EPA actions included:
• meetings to inform the residents about the sam-
pling efforts, survey results, the extent of the
contamination, and plans to conduct a removal
action;
• covering the site with an impermeable and tear
resistant polyethylene cover containing ultraviolet
inhibitors;
• securing the site by installing an eight-foot fence
on the portion of the site adjacent to Pliny Street;
• identifying and notifying the Potentially Responsible
Parties (PRPs) that the site posed a direct contact
threat to residents and trespassers and that addi-
tional interim measures were necessary to abate
the contract threat;
• overseeing the PRPs' installation of a cap that
consisted of placing geotextile fabric (non-woven
polypropylene) followed by six-inches of pro-
cessed gravel over the entire footprint of the
former facility; and
• working with and assuring that the PRPs sign an
Administrative Order with the CT DEP to develop
and implement a remediation plan for the entire
site.
Project Participants
The success of this project was due to the formation of
a partnership with the following parties: the Mayor's
Office; the City's Brownfields Coordinator; the Pliny
Street Block Association; Clay Arsenal Neighborhood
Revitalization Zone; CT DEP; and EPA's Brownfields,
Urban Initiatives, and Removal Programs.
31
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Project Benefits
The site has been the subject of a long campaign
by the neighborhood to have the city demolish the
existing building. The site borders a battered
women's shelter and is located less than 50 feet
from multi-family houses and a neighborhood
convenience store. The city and the neighborhood
hope that once the cleanup work is completed by
the PRPs under CT DEP oversight, the property can
be redeveloped to the betterment of the community.
EPA's activities motivated the community to come
together, influence significant change, and improve
the neighborhood. With the buildings demolished
and the contamination cleaned up, the community
feels protected.
Lessons Learned
EPA's involvement influenced the PRPs to negotiate
in good faith, when, for some time, the city and
CT DEP had been trying to negotiate with PRPs
without resolution.
The success of this project was due, in part, to the
effective formation of a partnership with numerous
stakeholders, which included members of the
neighborhood and municipal, state, and federal
agencies.
It is important to make sure that a central informa-
tion repository is established, and that information
is disseminated in a unified manner, not from
several sources.
Project Contact
Afhanosios Hatzopoulos
Super-fund Removal Program
EPA Region 1/OSRR
(617) 918-1284
hatzopoulos.athanasios@epa.gov
Superfund Cleanups Conducted in Massena, New York, With Tribal
Assistance
Project Activity
Massena, New York, which is located on the St.
Lawrence River, is home to two Superfund sites
located directly upstream from St. Regis Mohawk
Tribal Lands. The Reynolds Metals Company
Superfund site was subject to a large-scale
remediation project in 2001. The General Motors
Superfund site, which is immediately adjacent to Tribal
Lands, was subject to a large-scale removal of
contaminated sediments, soils, and sludges. Repre-
sentatives of the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe's Environment
Division, through a Support Agency Assistance grant,
have worked hand-in-hand with EPA's Project Man-
ager and EPA's field oversight team to monitor the
PRP's performance during both cleanups.
The St. Regis Mohawk Tribe has become a major
partner in the EPA's technical oversight team during the
cleanup of these sites. The Tribe provided support by
taking EPA inspectors on the Tribe's research and
enforcement boat, so that a joint inspection of the
dredging activities could be performed. The Tribe
has performed sampling and analysis of suspected
contaminants and coordinated the collection of air
samples on Tribal lands. The Tribe also has done
extensive community relations to inform local Tribal
residents of excavations near Tribal Lands on the
Raquette River.
Project Participants
• St. Regis Mohawk Tribe
• EPA Region 2
Project Benefits
Through daily contact and the development of a real
partnership in the field, decisions regarding cleanup
techniques and strategies can be made quickly. Day-
to-day coordination and team work can set the stage
for a trust-based relationship between EPA and the
Tribe. Having the Tribe's technical representatives as
a point of contact provides comfort to community
members who want their concerns represented and
voiced during the cleanup.
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While the Tribe still has concerns with some of the
larger issues related to EPA's cleanup policies, agree-
ing to move forward with portions of the cleanup
where controversy did not exist, and having the Tribe's
day-to-day support in the field, has allowed for the
removal of 1 70,000 tons of PCB-contaminated soils,
sediments, and sludges from areas in and around the
GM and Reynolds Metals facilities.
Project Contact
Sharon Jaffes
Remedial Project Manager
EPA Region 2
(212) 637-4396
laffes.sharon@epa.gov
Region 3
The Anacostia River Initiative
Project Activity
The Anacostia Watershed Alliance was formed in
1 999 under the premise that voluntary partnership to
address toxic sediment contamination of the
Anacostia River in Washington, DC, would offer a
more efficient and appropriate alternative for ad-
dressing contamination issues.
EPA, working with a number of federal and private
partners, helped promote cleanups at several sites
along the Anacostia River that may have impacted the
river's sediments. These sites include Camp Sims,
Barney Circle, St. Elizabeth Hospital, Washington Gas
and Light, Southeast Federal Center, and Boiling Air
Force Base.
Project Participants
Project participants included:
• US EPA
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA)
• Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR)
• PEPCO
• National Park Service
• Washington, DC, Dept. of Health
• US Navy
• US Air Force
Lessons Learned
The community's working relationship with EPA has
benefitted from the availability and participation
of a Tribal technical representative. A technical
representative from the community can help
facilitate a two-way flow of information and
ensure that community concerns are considered in
the remedial process.
The project explored potential controversies and
identified areas of agreement that allowed the
work to proceed.
• The Academy of Natural Sciences (Patrick Center)
• Anacostia Watershed Society
• Metropolitan Council of Governments
• Department of Interior
• US General Services Administration
• Washington Gas & Light
• Montgomery and Prince Georges Counties
• US Army Corps of Engineers
• Maryland Department of the Environment
• Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin
• University of the District of Columbia
Project Benefits
• EPA assisted in the cleanups of several sites and
was able to lend its expertise to other government
and private parties.
• The cleanups will benefit the community by
improving public health, helping to restore recre-
ational fishing and recreational water use, and
improving water quality in the Anacostia, Potomac,
and Chesapeake Bay watersheds.
• Such a large and magnanimous undertaking
demonstrates to community members that all levels
of government and the private sector are deter-
mined to improve a river that was once considered
the most polluted in the nation.
• The cleanups will make development and reuse of
the land more feasible.
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Lessons Learned
Expertise through partnering is essential for under-
taking a wide variety of tasks, including cleanup,
redevelopment, outreach, and community support.
Community support depends on a long-term
commitment by the partners.
Intelligent use of electronic media will expand the
reach of the partners to inform clients, persuade
backers, and acquire the tools to meet project
goals (e.g., the development of a website for all
parties to use and track the project activities, which
is available at:
http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/cpr/test/
Anacostia/start.htmi.)
Projects Contacts
Nicholas Dinardo
Federal Facility RPM
EPA Region 3
(215) 814-3365
dinardo.nicholas@epa.gov
Bill Hudson
Community Involvement Coordinator
EPA Region 3
(215) 814-5532
hudson.william@epa.gov
James Hargett
Site Assessment Manager
EPA Region 3
(215) 814-3305
hargett.james
Chris Ball
State Liaison Officer for Washington, DC
(202) 260-1687
Logan Removal Site: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Project Activity
EPA was brought into an ongoing situation between
an African-American and Hispanic community in
North Philadelphia and the City of Philadelphia. In
1 986, the city began to relocate residents and
demolish houses in the Logan section because many
dwellings had begun to sink. In 1 999, the Army
Corps of Engineers, working as a contractor for the
city, found lead contamination on several vacant lots
in the neighborhood. The community, under the
leadership of a local pastor, threatened to bring the
city's record to light during the upcoming Republican
National Convention in July 2000. Two U.S. Senators
and the district's Congressman were involved in the
ensuing media blitz. Ultimately, the City of Philadel-
phia signed a Memorandum of Agreement with EPA
and cleaned up the site.
Project Participants
• The City of Philadelphia
• EPA Region 3
• The Logan Community under the leadership of
Pastor Newkirk
• US Army Corps of Engineers
• Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR)
• The staffs of Senators Specter and Santorum and
Congressman Brady.
Project Benefits
• EPA, working with the city, was able to educate the
public about the hazards of lead and the differ-
ences between environmental cleanup and
redevelopment.
• EPA's involvement identified specific areas of
elevated lead and facilitated the development of
a feasible cleanup design, which aided the city in
its task of cleaning up the site.
• Because of a coordinated approach throughout
EPA Region 3, the Region was able to lessen
tensions between the city and the community.
• EPA improved its expertise for resolving sensitive,
local issues between national and local officials.
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Lessons Learned
By acting quickly, EPA can help defuse escalating
conflicts between a city and a community.
It is possible for EPA to serve the interests of local
and national officials and community leaders,
especially when competing sides want to back off
an issue and look for a third party to help solve a
problem.
EPA and the City of Philadelphia learned that poor
demolition practices (e.g., plowing over sinking
structures containing lead and lead-based paints)
were the likely causes of the lead found in the
vacant lots.
Because of its mandate to protect public health,
EPA may find itself drawn into other issues of
concern, such as community redevelopment, which
lies outside of the scope of the Superfund pro-
gram.
Project Contacts
Glen S. Lapsley
On-Scene Coordinator
EPA Region 3
(215) 814-3279
lapsley.glen@epa.gov
Hal Yates
Sr. Community Involvement Coordinator
EPA Region 3
(215) 814-5530
yates.hal@epa.gov
Cindy Yu
State Liaison Officer for Pennsylvania
(215) 814-5557
Samantha Fairchild, Director
US EPA/OECA
(215) 814-2627
fairchild.samantha@epa.gov
Community Involvement at Two Superfund Sites in Anniston,
Alabama
Project Activity
During this project, EPA has ensured meaningful
community involvement in the Superfund assessment,
removal, and remediation processes, and the RCRA
and TSCA oversight activities for two Superfund sites
with significant off-site residential PCB and lead
contamination in Anniston, Alabama. To do this, EPA
provided the funding to operate a local community
relations center on main street in Anniston, Alabama.
EPA community involvement coordinators, environ-
mental justice staff, technical staff, and EPA contrac-
tors operate the center. Since February 2000, the
center has served as a base for joint information,
data management, and site access agreement
activities.
Project Participants
The lead agencies for this project have been:
• EPA Region 4
• Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR)
• Alabama Department of Environmental Manage-
ment
• Alabama Department of Public Health
The lead community groups have been:
• Community Against Pollution
• Sweet Valley Cobbtown Environmental Justice Task
Force
• Citizens for Environmental Justice
Project Benefits
The benefits of the community involvement efforts
include the following:
• Since early 2000, EPA closely worked with commu-
nity representatives and citizens in the reconnais-
sance, access agreement, and sampling process
phases. As part of this effort, EPA sampled 900
properties for lead and PCBs. Results of this
sampling indicated that 1 28 properties were over
the 400 ppm removal level of concern for lead
and 1 9 properties were over the 1 0 ppm removal
evel of concern for PCBs.
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Five community results sessions, which were
specially designed for community residents to
confidentially discuss the results of the sampling
effort with agency representatives, were held.
The community was asked to provide feedback on
the design elements for the Removal Enforcement
Order, which is completed, and the Remedial
Enforcement Order, which is now in negotiations
with the potentially responsible party.
EPA staff hold regular public meetings to discuss
the project's progress. These meetings often are
attended by representatives from the community,
local government, and Chamber of Commerce.
EPA has contracted with Emory University's PEHSU
to work closely with key stakeholders in the
Anniston community to develop an Early Detection
and Intervention Program on pediairic develop-
mental, cognitive, and behavioral disorders.
A $200,000 US EPA brownfields grant was
awarded and community-based meetings on the
work plan are being held.
A small ATSDR grant to conduct a community-
based Health Survey and two EPA Environmental
Justice grants were awarded.
Lessons Learned
A Community Relations Center is an important tool
for providing the community access to EPA and
other officials conducting work related to the two
Superfund sites.
• Important communications are shared through
coordination calls with EPA staff from various
programs, and regular weekly and monthly
meetings with agency representatives.
• The multitude of toxic tort lawsuits against respon-
sible parties have posed challenges to EPA in
obtaining access agreements, conducting removal
actions, and gaining cooperation from some
residents.
Project Contacts
Angela Leach
Community Involvement Coordinator
EPA Region 4
(404) 562-8561
leach.angela@epa.gov
Brian Holtzclaw
Environmental Justice Technical Analyst
EPA Region 4
(404) 562-8684
holtzclaw.brian@epa.gov
Steve Spurlin
On-Scene Coordinator, Removal Program
EPA Region 4
(404) 562-8743
spurlin.steve@epa.gov
Katrine Jones
On-Scene Coordinator, Removal Program
EPA Region 4
(404) 562-8811
lones.katrina@epa.gov
Escambia Treating Company Superfund Activity Update
Project Activity
In June 1 995, the Escambia Treating Company
Superfund Site in Pensacola, Florida, was selected as
EPA's National Relocation Evaluation Pilot site. The
pilot was initiated in 1997 to test the extent of the
Agency's authority under CERCLA and to evaluate the
range of EPA's decision making and implementation
processes when conducting permanent relocations
under Superfund. The Pensacola community hoped
that EPA would consider broad social, economic
impact and environmental justice issues, as well as
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traditional quantitative risk assessment data in its
relocation decision.
As of September 2001, EPA's relocation activities
surrounding the Escambia Superfund site were nearly
complete. The federal government acquired 1 53 of
the 1 70 properties targeted for acquisition. Over 1 30
single family households were relocated to compa-
rable homes in the Pensacola area and e sewhere.
All of the households living in the Rosewood Terrace
and Oak Park subdivisions were relocated. Of the
original 200 families living in the Escambia Arms
Apartments, 1 93 families have been re ocated to
date.
Project Participants
• US EPA
• US Army Corps of Engineers
• Pensacola Housing Department
• US Department of Housing and Urban Develop-
ment
• Escambia County Government
• City of Pensacola, Florida
• Escambia County Brownfields Taskforce.
Project Benefits
Over 1 30 single family households were relocated to
comparable homes in the Pensacola area and
e sewhere. These relocations provided these families
with a safer place to live, and the peace of mind that
a Superfund is no longer located in their backyards.
Lessons Learned
EPA should have addressed community stakehold-
ers' issues and concerns about deciding the fair
market value of their homes and how replacement
properties would be selected earlier in the reloca-
tion process.
EPA should have provided more educational
outreach to ensure that community residents better
understood the relocation program and how
property is acquired.
Project Contacts
Ken Lucas
Remedial Project Manager
EPA Region 4
(404) 562-8953
lucas.ken@epa.gov
Eddie Wright
Environmental Justice Coordinator
EPA Region 4
(404} 562-8669
wnghf.eddie@epo.gov
Region 6
Supplemental Environmental Project for Emergency Preparedness
and Response and Community Right-to-Know
Project Activity
As part of a settlement with Borden Chemical in
Geismar, Louisiana, which violated the Comprehen-
sive Environmental Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act (CERCLA) Section 1 03 and did not
properly report releases of hazardous substances to
the National Response Center, Borden agreed to fund
a Supplementa Environmental Project that would
benefit the community.
Project Benefits
• Borden set aside approximately $325,000 for the
local emergency planning commission (LEPC) and
local officials to establish and maintain a chemical
emergency response team within the community.
The money was used to purchase necessary
equipment for the team. This team will respond
throughout the community to mitigate the effects of
a release of a hazardous substance or oil product.
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Borden set aside approximately $75,000 for a
community information center where citizens in the
area may receive information about the facilities
and the chemicals used in the Geismar area. This
information assists citizens and local officials in
making decisions about their community.
Lessons Learned
In many situations, EPA can work with a facility that
has a violation and use that violation to improve the
preparedness or response capabilities within a
community, thus making that community a safer place
to live.
Kennedy Heights
Project Activity
Kennedy Heights is a ISO-acre predominantly
African-American residential subdivision in Houston,
Texas. From 1 921 -1 928, the property contained
three large earthen storage pits, two of which were
used for crude oil storage. In 1 968, the pits were
closed and homes were built over them. The residents
of Kennedy Heights believe they are suffering adverse
health effects from residual hydrocarbons left in place
when the storage pits were closed. In an effort to
coordinate their activist efforts, many of the concerned
residents formed a group called the Kennedy Heights
Civic Association (KHCA). The KHCA and other
residents asked EPA to investigate the subdivision and
determine if the residual hydrocarbons left in the soils
pose a health risk to the residents. EPA met with the
attorney representing the KHCA and agreed to allow
the association to comment on the work plan for the
site assessment prior to its finalization. EPA also held
two public meetings and conducted door-to-door
solicitations in an attempt to engage the residents and
obtain as much information as possible prior to the
sampling event.
Project Contacts
Steve Mason
CEPP Coordinator
EPA Reg ion 6
(214) 665-2292
mason.steve@epa.gov
Terry Sykes
Enforcement Attorney
EPA Region 6
(214) 665-2158
sykes.terry@epa.gov
Project Participants
EPA included both members of the KHCA and other
Kennedy Heights residents in pre-investigation plan-
ning. State and local agencies were also involved with
the site, including the Railroad Commission of Texas
and the City of Houston Public Works and Engineering
Department.
Project Benefits
Following the investigation, EPA held public meetings
to disseminate the findings and circulated a draft
report to the residents for comments prior to finaliza-
tion. The investigation found that the residual hydro-
carbons in the soils underneath Kennedy Heights do
not present a serious health threat to the residents.
There was a mixed reaction from the residents
following the release of the study. The majority of
KHCA members disagreed with the findings and still
believe that an inadequate investigation was con-
ducted. However, a number of residents were
relieved to hear that the site does not pose an immi-
nent health threat to the community. The interaction
between the residents and the government agencies
throughout the investigation has spurred further action on
the part of the City of Houston, which is currently moving
forward with plans to install new water distribution lines
throughout the subdivision.
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Lessons Learned
Government agencies must be careful when they are
working through intermediaries representing certain
entities, such as citizen groups. In this case, the
attorney representing KHCA worked closely with EPA
during much of the planning for the investigation.
Shortly before site activities were to begin, EPA was
told the attorney no longer represented KHCA's
interests. Site activities were then delayed as EPA
worked with new KHCA representatives to design a
work plan for the investigation. It a so became clear
that the position taken by KHCA did not necessarily
represent the views of the entire community of
Kennedy Heights. Therefore it was critical that EPA
solicited the views of the residents not affiliated with
the KHCA.
Project Contact
William Rhofenberry
Superfund Site Assessment Manager
EPA Region 6
(214) 665-8372
rhofenbeny.william@epa.gov
Region 4
Overcoming Community Mistrust and Opposition During the
Implementation of a Removal Action at the Agriculture Street
Landfill Superfund Site
Project Activity
The community located near the Agriculture Street
Landfill Superfund Site in New Orleans, Louisiana, is
predominantly minority. Prior to and during the
implementation of the removal action, EPA met with
community leaders who expressed the desire to see
the implementation of specific improvements on and
adjacent to the site. Although EPA had a rapport with
community leaders, the site was extremely controver-
sial and drew nationa attention. It was clear from the
residents that the Agency was not a welcomed partner
in the neighborhood. This was reinforced when the
community protested and picketed EPA's mobilization
to the site, pushed for congressional involvement, and
secured a temporary restraining order to stop the
cleanup. Even though the case was dismissed, it
further polarized the community. Local residents
believed that none of the property owners would
participate in the response action.
The challenge was to develop a cohesive internal
operations team and to work consistently and regu-
larly with the community and Congressional represen-
tatives to ensure that they had a stake and input in the
outcome. Team members looked for ways to deal
most effectively with various parts of the community
that had different interests and needs. For example,
members of a large senior community were unhappy
with long meetings that lasted until late at night. In
response, the team began holding separate meetings
in the morning at the senior citizens' facility. When
monthly meetings were not sufficient, the team
established a community outreach office onsite.
Other effective actions taken by the site team to be
responsive to and cooperate with the community
included:
• The use of a facilitator who was known and
respected by the community.
• Providing training that was focused on the specific
needs of different groups (i.e., National Institute
for Environmental Health Sciences Minority Worker
Training Program).
• Conducting regular meetings with community
representatives.
• Meeting with property owners and the Town Home
Association concerning the landscaping of the
properties.
• Bringing in guest speakers from other Superfund
sites to talk about their experiences.
• Approaching other government agencies for a
collective federal response to community proposals.
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• Establishing a toll-free number and monthly
bulletins.
• Developing daily summaries and e-mailing the
summaries to leaders and Congressional aides.
• Developing and maintaining a webpage for the
site.
• Implementing a 24-hour community response
number.
in addition to the above measures, a community
response module was integrated into the site's GIS
system to ensure that problems, concerns, and actions
were taken based on community input. The module
tracked all complaints from the community and the
actions taken to resolve the complaint. EPA con-
ducted weekly meetings with the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers and its contractor to ensure that all commu-
nity concerns were investigated and that a response
was provided to the complainant. These efforts
ensured that all potential information was available to
the public and that their problems would be heard
and addressed.
Project Participants
EPA U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, IT Corporation,
Concerned Citizens of the Agriculture Street Landfill,
Desire Florida Area Community Council, Inc., and the
City of New Orleans
Project Benefits
The community members who were the most satisfied
were those who understood the team's role, authority,
and limitations. At the conclusion of the project, which
took approximately two years to implement, EPA had
implemented the removal action over 99% of the site.
This was a tremendous success because it was initially
thought by the public that none of the property owners
would participate. Although the community did not
necessarily agree with the removal action, the rela-
tionship that developed was based on mutual respect
and an understanding that the Agency would at least
treat the individuals with understanding and respect.
Lessons Learned
Create a Cohesive Site Team: Getting EPA staff with a
variety of styles, skills, and experiences involved in
working with the community can be a tremendous
advantage for building relationships with community
members. Keeping the same staff throughout the
project creates understanding and trust. Make sure
the team members communicate and coordinate with
each other and are helping to support one another.
Develop Strong Relationships With Key Community
Members: Have stable points of contact with commu-
nity members who you are comfortable calling with
questions and can be trusted to convey the feelings of
the larger group.
Tailor Your Tools To Your Audience: Recognize that
different people in the community will have different
levels of understanding and interest. Develop
individualized relationships and communication
techniques to connect with different groups.
Project Contact
Ursula Lennox
Remedial Project Manager
EPA Region 6
(214) 665-6743
lennox.ursula@epa.gov
Residential Mercury Cleanups
Project Activity
Since 1 998, EPA Region 7 has had to conduct thirteen
mercury cleanups at residential properties. Four of
these cleanups occurred in environmental justice
communities. Some of the mercury spills resulted from
broken thermometers and releases from carburetor
calibration kits. Often, these mercury spills result in
mercury spreading from the original spill location into
vehicles and other homes via shoes, clothing, and the
transfer of personal property and cleaning supplies.
Region 7's response to these mercury spills in homes
consisted of gathering visible mercury with a special
vacuum, and heating and ventilating homes to
remove mercury vapors, in some instances, walls,
carpeting, and floors of houses had to be removed,
personal possessions had to be discarded because
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they were contaminated with mercur/ that could not
be removed, and residents have had to be evacuated
and provided with temporary housing during the
cleanup. Much of the discarded contaminated
material had to be sent to a special landfill or recycler
at a substantial cost to EPA.
Project Participants
EPA, in conjunction with the state health agencies and
the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry,
conducted outreach to the community. This outreach
included developing and distributing fact sheets,
posting information to the Internet, and holding public
meetings to inform the general public of the health
hazards associated with mercury. EPA a so provided
information about who to contact in the event that a
mercury spill occurred.
Project Benefits
The immediate reporting and resulting cleanup of
mercury spills prevents exposure and its associated
health hazards. Conducting outreach informs the
public about the health hazards associated with
mercury poisoning and educates the public about
preventing mercury contamination in homes, schools,
and churches.
Lessons Learned
An increased awareness and understanding of the
risks associated with mercury contamination will further
reduce the mercury poisoning incidents in disadvan-
taged communities.
Project Contact
Kenneth Buchholz, Branch Chief
Enforcement/Fund-Lead Removal Branch
ERA Region 7
(9)3,1 551-7473
buchhoiz.fcennefh@epc.gov
Region 8
Dynamite Removal Near the Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux Tribe's Village
in Sisseton, South Dakota
Project Activity
In 1 938, 1 46 cases of dynamite and 40 cases of
blasting caps were buried by workers in a field near
the town of Agency Village after a federal public
works construction activity ended. The site is located
near the homes of approximately 500 members of
the Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux Tribe. Since the 1950s,
this field has been cultivated, farmed, and harvested
by the tribe, even though they were aware of dangers
the buried dynamite posed.
In July 1 999, EPA's Emergency Response Program
tasked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to investigate
the site. Mr. Thompson, a tribal elder who was a
member of the crew that buried the material, was
interviewed, and geophysical surveys were conducted.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs interviewed witnesses and
requested assistance from a U.S. Air Force Explosives
Detection K-9 Unit in an attempt to locate the exact
location of the buried dynamite. Explosives and
blasting caps were found buried in three areas at the
site. A number of removal options were discussed; in-
place detonation was selected as the safest and most
appropriate method of disposal.
Only once before had such a detonation attempt
been made, which resulted in the death of eight
people. This attempt was undertaken by South African
bomb experts who thought that the construction of a
bunker for the bomb crew would protect the detona-
tion crew, but they did not foresee the threat that
migrating nitroglycerin underground would pose. In
light of this previous disaster, the parties had a very
daunting and technically challenging task, even by
Superfund standards. Through a methodical and
meticulous investigation, it was determined that any
effort to dig up and move the dynamite would be too
dangerous. Instead, it was decided that the entire
town of more than 500 residents would be evacuated
before any in-place detonations could take place.
The team worked with the Tribe on an evacuation
plan that would address numerous unusual circum-
stances faced by a low-income, minority population
and answer the following questions: How do you find
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lodging for a week for over 500 people in a rural
area of South Dakota? How do you protect homes
from damage and looting, especially homes that are
not protected by insurance? The team worked through
a myriad of administrative problems to ensure that the
Tribe would be safe and not financially burdened by
the cleanup.
EPA oversaw the dynamite elimination project and the
Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux Tribe took an active role
throughout the process in communicating with their
500 tribal members. The Red Cross provided the
evacuation shelter, food, and standby ambulance
service for the work force at all times.
Project Participants
• EPA Region 8
• Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux Tribe
• US Army Corps of Engineers
• Bureau of Indian Affairs
• US Air Force Explosives Detection K-9 Unit
• The Red Cross
Project Benefits
The benefits of this project include:
• The Sisseton-Walpeton Sioux Tribe now has a much
safer living environment, which includes safer crop
cultivation and harvesting.
• A significant mental burden was lifted since the
unstable "bombs" were eliminated.
• Teamwork and expertise were developed among
the various state and federal agencies and the
tribal members.
The team's sincere concern about the residents
reversed the community's perception of "big
government."
A template was created to facilitate the evacuation,
protection, housing, and feeding of an entire town,
while simultaneously making preparations to
eliminate an extremely hazardous situation.
The willingness of the federal team to rely on local
tribal knowledge greatly enhanced the success of
the project.
The project created employment opportunities for
about 20 tribal members, which helped saved EPA
money.
Lessons Learned
For such a complicated project, it is important to
coordinate the efforts and expertise of different
governmental and non-governmental entities.
Food preferences and temporary housing accom-
modations need to be flexible so that nobody is
forced to live where they do not want to.
Hiring local tribal maintenance persons helped
EPA gain the Tribe's support for the project.
Projects Contacts
Steve Hawthorn
EPA Region 8
(303) 312-6061
fiawfhorn.steve@epa.gov
Due Nguyen
EPA Region 8
(303) 3J 2-6509
nguyen.duc@epa.gov
Newmark Superfund Site, Muscoy Operable Unit
Project Activity
The purpose of this project is to implement an interim
groundwater cleanup system to stop the flow of
contaminated groundwater from reaching clean
drinking water wells south of Baseline Street in San
Bernardino, California. The source of the contamina-
tion is still under investigation. The operable units
(OUs) are Newmark (eastside) and Muscoy
(westside). The cleanup has been implemented at the
Newmark OU and includes five operating extraction
wells between residential homes that pump and treat
water contaminated with trichloroethylene (TCE).
When EPA Region 9 approached the community near
the Muscoy OU for the construction of the Muscoy
treatment system, the community became enraged.
This predominantly African-American and Latino
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community did not wont any wells located between
their residentia homes or in the westside area. They
told EPA Region 9 that what is good for the eastside is
not necessarily good for the westside. The community
expressed their concern that the city uses this area as a
dumping ground for all unwanted projects, and that
the wells will reduce property values. They then asked
EPA Region 9 to move one well location to a nearby
vacant property that they selected.
EPA Region 9 and the San Bernardino Municipal
Water Department partnered to develop a compre-
hensive community strategy to ensure meaningful
public involvement within this disenfranchised community.
This strategy included:
• Development of a list of grassroots neighborhood
leaders, local neighborhood organizations, local
officials, congressional officials, and media contacts.
• Briefings with many organizations.
• Posting of bulletin boards at each well site location.
• Participation in a roundtable talk show on public
television that explained the project.
• Development of a short video to be viewed at local
meetings.
• An engineering modeling study using the
community's alternative well site location.
• A real estate study of the eastside (Newmark OU)
project area to see if that project had affected the
value of homes in the area.
After implementing the study, EPA Region 9 held a
community meeting to report its findings on the engineer-
ing modeling study and explain why the well had to be
located where it was. During this meeting, EPA Region 9
explained that there was no change in property values
on the eastside due to the project that was implemented
there, the clean water produced from the project will
benefit the city in the long run, and to protect human
health, the drinking water wells needed to be protected
too. EPA Region 9 informed the community that it was
willing to design facade houses or build playgrounds at
the well locations so the structures would blend into the
neighborhood. After the community meeting, the Region
personally called each person who showed an interest in
the project and told them that it was moving ahead with
the project prior to making an announcement in the
local papers. EPA also conducted open house meetings
at each of the five well locations to get neighbors' input
on how they wanted the site to look. The Region then
nominated the site for a Superfund Jobs Training
Initiative (SuperJTI) grant, which it won. Three HAZMAT
classes were conducted at a community construction
company.
To date, EPA Region 9 has demolished two house
structures, drilled two extraction wells, and completed
Phase 1 of a five-phase pipe ine. The Region also
assigned a city engineer to be the liaison between the
community and the contractors to make sure construction
runs smoothly. Construction is expected to be com-
pleted in FY03.
Project Participants
• EPA Region 9
• San Bernardino Municipal Water Department
• San Bernardino Mayor's Office
• The local community living near the Muscoy OU
Project Benefits
• The project is moving forward as designed, ard
the treatment system will stop the contamination
from approaching clean drinking water wells.
• The project will produce affordable clean water for
the city.
• EPA helped bridge a gap and improve the
relationship between the Mayor's Office and the
Westside community.
• Community residents will see how their ideas
helped the project, once it is complete.
• NIEHS, through the SuperJTI grant, provided
training to community residents that would enable
them to gain entry- eve employment as environ-
menta construction workers.
• EPA Region 9 listened to the community and
developed a contractor workshop to encourage
community contractors to bid for project work. It
also developed a list of local professionals
interested in bidding on work when professional
services are needed.
• EPA Region 9 developed an effective communica-
tion process to keep the community updated on
the project.
• The well site locations, which were either vacant or
housed abandoned homes, were purchased by
the city, who plans to redevelop them with struc-
tures that will blend into the neighborhood.
• Having the city be a good neighbor is a benefit to
the community.
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Lessons Learned
Never assume that one neighborhood will receive
you in the same way as another nearby neighbor-
hood.
Educate the community about the project.
Learn about the community's needs and incorpo-
rate them into the cleanup to create ownership
and acceptance of a project.
A little more effort up front makes for a better
project in the end.
Project Contacts
Kim Hoang, Ph.D.
Remedial Project Manager
EPA Region 9
(415) 972-3147
hoang.kim@epa.gov
Jackie Lane
Community Involvement Coordinator
EPA Region 9
(415) 972-3236
lane.lackie@epa.gov
Purity Oil Sales Superfund Site
Project Activity
The Purity Oil Sales Superfund site in Malaga,
California, is located approximately one-half mile
south of Fresno. This seven-acre site was used to
process waste oils, which were then dumped in sludge
pits on the site. Under the Fresno County General
Plan, the Purity Oil Sales site is located in a zone
designated as heavy industrial However, the area is
a mixed-use area that houses the Tall Trees trailer
park. The trailer park residents are active and retired
farm workers with very low incomes. About half of the
families living there migrated to the United States from
Oaxaca, a Native American area of Mexico. These
residents speak primarily Mixtecan and some Spanish,
making communication in English difficult.
During April 1 998, EPA staff contacted residents living
in the trailer park about starting construction on the
cleanup remedy for the Purity Oil Superfund site. EPA
notified residents of upcoming field work and dis-
cussed the probability of temporary relocation while
construction occurred. EPA used Mixtecan and
Spanish translators and conducted a number of
community meetings between April and June 1 998.
Later that year, residents raised concerns about odors
and seepage from the site and requested that they be
permanently relocated. In addition, residents wanted
to be relocated together, as the Mixtecan community
is very tightly knit. Though EPA's authority to do
permanent relocations is limited, EPA agreed to
facilitate conversations between the County of Fresno
and the trailer park residents regarding permanent
relocation and to evaluate permanent relocation in
the Superfund process.
A task force was convened by County Supervisor Juan
Arambula during the fall of 1 998 to discuss perma-
nent relocation of the residents. This task force
struggled to find a way to combine all the available
resources. But with perseverance and patience, the
group created, developed, and implemented an
extremely creative and innovative relocation solution
that resulted in the Mixtecan community being relo-
cated as a group to new housing in the Fresno area.
Other options made available to residents of the
trailer park were to be relocated to HUD housing or
compensated for the loss of their trailer. The commit-
tee went above and beyond the standard ways of
doing business within their individual programs and
found a common sense solution. Funding for the
relocation was attained from private and public
sources and pooled to meet the needs of the entire
community.
Project Participants
The project partners included:
• EPA Region 9's Purity Oil Superfund Team
• US Department of Housing and Urban Development
• Federal and state elected officials, including staff
from the offices of Senator Barbara Boxer,
Senator Dianne Feinstein, Governor Gray Davis,
Congressman Calvin Dooley, and Congressman
George Radonovich
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Fresno County officials, including Supervisor Juan
Arambula and county staff
Potentially Responsible Parties, which were repre-
sented by Chevron
Non-profit organizations, including California
Rura Legal Assistance (CRLA) and National Farm
Workers Service Center
Lessons Learned
The success of this project was based on early and
constant community participation and good
collaboration between all the parties involved.
EPA alone cannot always achieve what is best for
the community, the environment, and public
health. By partnering with other agencies and
groups who can help, the Agency was able to
develop and implement a creative, effective
solution.
The more minds at the table, the more creative
solutions the team can come up with.
Without continued pressure from the community
and its advocates, permanent relocation of the
trailer park would not have been achieved.
Project Benefits
• An entire environmental justice community of
immigrant farm workers was relocated.
• The health of trailer park residents was protected.
• The Purity Oil Sales site is being cleaned up.
Project Contacts
Rosemarie Caraway
Remedial Pro/ecf Manager
EPA Reg/on 9
(415) 972-3158
caraway, rosernarie@epa.gov
Angeles Herrera
Community involvement Coordinator
EPA Region 9
(415) 972-3242
herrera.angeles@epa.gov
Region 9
Navajo Abandoned Uranium Mine Project, Water Data Outreach
Effort
Project Activity
The re a re mo re than 1,150 abandoned uranium
mine sites on the Navajo Nation, which are remnants
of widespread mining and milling of uranium ore for
Cold War defense purposes. These sites have created
heavy metals contamination in soil and water, raising
health and environmental concerns for the Navajo
Nation.
In the summer of 2001, a team of federal and tribal
representatives traveled to 30 ditferent Navajo
chapters to provide information about abandoned
uranium mines and their potential impact on water
quality. Over a three month period, the team
reached 1,028 individuals, most of whom lived near,
or had family living near, abandoned uranium mine
sites. Outreach activities were conducted in both
English and Navajo.
The primary objective ot the outreach team was to
relay information from an EPA water sampling event
where non-regulated water sources, including livestock
wells and stockponds, were tested to determine if they
were impacted by mining activity. The outreach
consisted of discussing the water data and methods to
reduce exposure to contaminated water sources. In
addition, the team provided general information
about abandoned uranium mine sites, including
discussions about physical hazards and miner com-
pensation claims.
Navajo communities generally were very interested in
the presentations and many participated in one-on-
one discussions with outreach team members. It was
clear that residents, particularly in mine-impacted
communities, were in great need of information about
these mine sites. In particular, people were surprised
to learn that local unregulated water sources may
have been impacted by mining operations.
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Project Participants
• EPA Region 9's Superfund Division Staff
• Navajo Nation Environmental Protection Agency
• Dine College
Project Benefits
This project is an excellent example of how collabora-
tive partnerships between the Navajo Nation and EPA
can benefit a project. EPA Region 9 facilitated this
effort, but most of the credit belongs to the Tribe and
non-governmental organizations such as Dine
College and the Abandoned Mine Lands Reclama-
tion Project, which provided the essential expertise
and manpower to plan and implement the project.
The Navajo Nation specifically benefitted from this
project by being provided with critical information
about water quality and how to reduce exposure to
contamination and being able to build a strong
partnership with EPA and Dine College.
Lessons Learned
• By conducting outreach during ongoing local
events, such as health fairs and food distribution
events, EPA can reach more residents.
• Maps that conveyed data results through both
location and photographs were much more useful
to Navajo residents than a location-based map
alone.
• Conducting outreach in the Navajo language was
necessary to reach many residents.
• A collaborative approach using the expertise of
several different groups was necessary to create
an effective, culturally sensitive outreach program.
Project Contacts
Wenona Wilson
Community Involvement Specialist
EPA Region 9
(415) 972-3239
wflson.vvenona@epa.gov
Andrew Bain
Remedial Project Manager
EPA Region 9
(415) 972-3167
bain.andrew@epa.gov
Stanley Edison, Project Manager
NNEPA
(928) 871-6861
pasi swa@hotmail.com
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Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
Many environmental justice communities are located in areas with operating hazardous waste facilities that are
regulated under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). RCRA's primary goals are to protect
human health and the environment from the potential hazards of waste disposal, to conserve energy and
natural resources, to reduce the amount of waste generated, and to ensure that wastes are managed in an
environmentally sound manner.
This section of the report highlights EPA's environmental justice activities related to RCRA in the areas of correc-
tive action, brownfields, and training. The RCRA corrective action projects include projects being addressed by
the RCRA Corrective Action Program, which allows RCRA facilities to address the investigation and cleanup of
hazardous releases themselves. The RCRA brownfields projects include projects that address RCRA facilities that
are not in full use, where there is redevelopment potential of the site, and where reuse or redevelopment of the
site is slowed due to concerns about actual or potential contamination, liability, and RCRA requirements. The
RCRA training projects include training for Native Americans to develop or improve solid waste management
practices on their reservations.
OSWER
Development of Waste Transfer Station Guidance Documents
Project Activity
Increasing reliance on the use of remotely located
municipal solid waste disposal faci ities has led to an
increase in the construction of waste transfer stations, if
not properly sited, designed, and operated, munici-
pal solid waste disposal facilities can have significant
impacts on their surrounding communities. In response
to concerns that these impacts most often affect poor
or minority communities, EPA has undertaken a multi-
faceted effort to address this issue.
Project Participants
Guidance for this project was received from a special
workgroup established by the National Environmental
Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC) and a focus group
of state, local, tribal, and environmental representa-
tives convened by the Solid Waste Association of
North America (SWANA).
Project Benefits
As a result of this effort, the following tools were
developed:
• A Citizen's Guide to Waste Transfer Stations
(EPA 530-K-01 -003), which helps the affected
public understand the role that waste transfer
stations play in their community, the potential
benefits and impacts that might be expected, and
the steps they can take to ensure that their own
concerns are understood and addressed.
• A Decision Maker's Manual to Waste
Transfer Stations (EPA 530-D-01-001), which
provides specific guidance for waste management
officials on siting, designing, and operating waste
transfer stations, including how to address the
specific challenges encountered in densely popu-
lated, urban areas and small, rural communities.
• Training for waste transfer station designers
and operators, which was developed by modify-
ing SWANA's waste transfer station training course to
incorporate issues of environmental justice, and to
put a greater emphasis on reducing impacts on
adjacent communities.
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Lessons Learned
Ordinary citizens tend to fear and distrust any environ-
mental project if they do not understand it and the
role they can play. By providing straightforward
information they can understand and a means for
their concerns and questions to be heard, they can
provide constructive input that will help improve the
project and address their needs.
Project Contact
Steven Levy
Environmental Engineer
US EPA/OSWER/OSW
(703) 308-7267
levy.sfeve@epa.gov
Reqion 1
CBS Corp./Viacom Site in Bridgeport, Connecticut
Project Activity
The former VVestinghouse Electric Corporation Bryant
Electric site in Bridgeport, Connecticut, has been
transferred to the City of Bridgeport by its current
owner, CBS Corp./Viacom. The property, which
housed an electrical wiring manufacturing facility that
operated from 1888 to 1998, has contaminated soil
and groundwater. Through a joint effort between the
City of Bridgeport and EPA, this site is being cleaned
up for future redevelopment under Bridgeport's "West
End Redevelopment Project." The project is aimed at
revitalizing economically depressed sections of the
city.
To ensure the cleanup is environmentally safe for
planned use, the requirements of various state and
federal environmental programs—including the
Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection
(CT DEP) Property Transfer Act program, the
Brownfields program, and the Resource Conservation
and Recovery Act Corrective Action (RCRA CA)
program—must be achieved. However, the require-
ments of these programs contain criteria that differ in
both breadth and scope, presenting issues and
obstacles that may inhibit redevelopment of the site.
Considering this issue, the site provides an example of
how EPA can work cooperatively with non-delegated
state programs, such as the CT DEP Property Transfer
program, to achieve the goals not only of the EPA
RCRA CA program, but the goals of non-delegated
state program as well.
The City of Bridgeport has identified a local manu-
facturer with interest in redeveloping the site into a
light manufacturing facility. This manufacturer has
contracted with a construction management firm,
outside counsel, and an architectural firm to evaluate
the legal and financial issues associated with the
property's redevelopment. The manufacturer is
proposing to build a manufacturing plant that would
be greater than 1 80,000 square feet and would be
located on 7.6 acres. The city has provided the
company with a draft Land Disposition Agreement
that defines the rights and obligations of the seller (the
city) and the buyer.
EPA Project Goals:
• Provide timely technical and regulatory assistance
to CBS Corp./Viacom, CT DEP, and the City of
Bridgeport concerning the RCRA CA program
requirements that must be met to reach a Final
Remedy Decision under the RCRA CA program.
• Identify substantive differences between the
requirements of the CT Property Transfer Act and
EPA RCRA CA that have the potential to impede
the progress of either program by focusing on
issues that may delay the remedy selection process
or the property transfer to the City of Bridgeport.
• Achieve the RCRA CA goals of "current human
exposure under control" and "migration of
contaminated groundwater under control."
This project identified the importance of enhanced
stakeholder involvement and assembling a stake-
holder team to assist in problem solving. The City of
Bridgeport has a significant minority community
comprised of African-Americans, Latinos, and Asians.
During the stakeholder team meetings, obstacles were
identified that impede the progress of CT DEP and
EPA program requirements, or delay a remedy
selection and the transfer of the property to the City of
Bridgeport. From these meetings, EPA worked with the
City of Bridgeport to develop a fact sheet to inform
the local community of the state and federal site
requirements, and the status of the ongoing investiga-
tion. In addition, a schedule was developed for
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completion of the "RCRA Facility investigation" and
"Corrective Measures Study" phases of the RCRA CA/
Property Transfer.
Project Participants
• Bridgeport Office of Planning and Economic
Development
• CBS Corp./Viacom.
• CT Department of Economic Development
• CT Department of Environmental Protection
• EPA Region 1
Project Benefits
CT DEP and EPA have been working together to
ensure that the site is investigated and remediated in
compliance with the Connecticut Department of
Environmental Protection's Remediation Standards (CT
D'EP RSRs) and applicable RCRA CA requirements.
This project demonstrates the need for empowering
states, communities, and other stakeholders to work
together to develop economic redevelopment and
sustainable reuse plans. In addition, the project
demonstrates how EPA can work cooperatively with a
non-delegated state program (in this case, the CT DEP
Property Transfer) in transferring property to achieve its
goals and those of the EPA RCRA CA program.
Culmination of the joint stakeholders effort allowed for
the achievement of RCRA CA Environmental Indicators
and future sustainable reuse of the site.
The success achieved at CBS Corp./Viacom site can
help other communities in modeling future innovations
for cleanup and redevelopment at RCRA properties. It
demonstrates innovative approaches that better
integrate reuse considerations into the cleanup
process, as well as expedite the cleanup activities of
properties subject to RCRA CA.
Lessons Learned
This site successfully demonstrated that EPA can work
cooperatively to achieve the goals of a non-del-
egated state program, CT DEP Property Transfer, and
RCRA CA. By directing special efforts toward remov-
ing regulatory barriers without sacrificing protective-
ness, the project has built an enduring capacity at the
state and local levels for encouraging cleanup and
redevelopment, within a potential environmental
justice area, by bringing together the various stake-
holders in order to protect the environment and public
health.
Project Contacts
Raymond Frigon
CT DEP
(860) 424-3797
Edward Lavernoich
City of Bridgeport, CT
(203) 576-3975
Robert O' Meara
RCRA CA Program
EPA Region 1, OSRR
(617) 918-1360
omeara.robert@epa.gov
Community Involvement in Setting RCRA Program Priorities
Project Activity
On November 20, 1 999, Region 2 and the Depart-
ment of Justice hosted an enforcement workshop titled
"Enforcing Environmental Law in New York City."
About 90 citizens of New York City attended. The
workshop was held in fulfillment of a commitment
made by the Region at the March 6, 1 999, White
House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ)'s
forum on environmental justice in New York City. In
addition, the Region expressed its commitment to
environmental justice in New York City through many
compliance evaluation inspections, which were
conducted in FY99 and FYOO.
On September 1 4, 2000, EPA Region 2 hosted a
public meeting with representatives of environmental
justice and community groups to solicit their sugges-
tions for the Region's enforcement program priorities
for the five boroughs of New York City. This effort,
also part of a larger, multi-media effort, was not
limited to the RCRA program. Where appropriate, the
Region's intention was to incorporate public comments
received during this meeting, along with any written
49
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D
comments receix'ed before or after the meeting, into
its program priorities beginning in FY01. This forum,
designed to give the community the role they had
requested in setting enforcement priorities, was the first
of its kind in Region 2 and possibly the first such
meeting in the nation. Prior to the CEQ initiative, the
RCRA program completed a very successful commu-
nity-based environmental protection program in the
South Bronx.
Project Participants
• EPA Region 2's Division of Enforcement and
Compliance Assistance
• EPA Region 2's Division of Environmental Planning
and Protection
• EPA Region 2's Environmental Justice Coordinators
• New York State Department of Environmental
Protection
• Local elected officials
• New York City Mayor's Office of Environmental
Coordination
• Various local community groups, including: We
Stay/Nos Quedcmos; North Brooklyn Asthma
Action Alliance; Healthy Schools Network, Inc.;
Lower Washington Heights Neighborhood Asso-
ciation; New York City Environmental Justice
Alliance; Consumers Union; and CB #6
• Local citizens
Project Benefits
Listed below are some of the benefits of this project:
• Members of various environmenta justice and
community groups and other members of the
public were able to meet and get to know indi-
viduals at EPA Region 2 who could assist them in
meeting their goals.
• Interested citizens of New York City gained empow-
erment through their involvement in setting EPA's
program priorities and through the involvement of
the programs in their communities. They gained a
knowledge of the various agencies involved and a
more detailed knowledge of what the issues are.
This helped them to begin to articulate their
concerns more effectively and to address them to
the appropriate agency.
• There was an obvious EPA presence in New York
City, especially in communities that are potential
environmental justice areas.
Lessons Learned
The Region was successful in providing useful infor-
mation to the public and in advocating the concerns
raised by the public with other federal, state, and
local agencies. The Region documented an evenly
distributed enforcement presence, which included
inspections by the state that affirmed a "level playing
field" with respect to environmental justice concerns.
The people who attended the public meetings
listened, were comfortable in voicing their concerns,
and identified some areas that needed a higher level
of inspection and enforcement (though not necessarily
by EPA) and areas that might improve the quality of
life in potential environmental justice areas throughout
New York City. This success was due to an increased
awareness of environmental justice issues and more
attentive oversight of the New York State Department
of Environmental Conservation and the New York City
Department of Environmental Protection. An en-
hanced familiarity by the public with the RCRA
program and individual staff members also played a
role, as well as the Region's willingness to involve the
community in the process of setting its enforcement
priorities.
On the other hand, opportunities for improvemen"
were also apparent. The Region did not limit expecta-
tions of individual citizens and citizen groups by
making clear at the outset what EPA can and cannot
do (e.g., EPA cannot shutdown waste transfer stations
without having compelling reasons to do so and EPA
cannot make asthma go away). Since it was difficult
to communicate the limits of EPA's authority and
influence, some of the New York citizens who attended
the public meetings used the meetings as an opportu-
nity to vent their frustrations and dissatisfaction with the
response of various governmental entities to their
situation. Many of these citizens had a problem
accepting that EPA faces regulator/ constraints or
limited authority (and, in some cases, no authority)
over some of the adverse situations that affect their
communities. They seemed convinced that such
limitations could be overcome through creative
approaches on the part of EPA. Although EPA can,
perhaps, put greater effort into collaborating with
other federal, state, and local agencies in developing
creative approaches to protecting the environment in
New York City and ensuring enforcement of the
environmental laws, especially in potential environ-
mental justice areas, challenges in maintaining
credibility will likely continue.
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EPA Region 2 had a clear enforcement presence in
the city. About 1 50 RCRA compliance evaluation
inspections were conducted in potential environ-
mental justice areas. Forty-five percent of the
facilities were no longer operating, 50% of them
were in compliance with the relevant regulations,
and 5% of them were the subject of informa;
enforcement actions.
EPA Region 2 gained a better understanding of the
effectiveness of its compliance monitoring of
hazardous waste handlers in potential environmental
justice areas. Although more facilities were inspected
in potential environmental justice areas than in the
city as a whole, the hazardous waste facilities in
potential environmental justice areas were found to
have compliance records that were the same or
better than those for the city as a whole. This
indicates that inspection targeting was not skewed
away from potential environmenta justice areas.
Though not exclusively related to enforcement
concerns, oral and written comments were pro-
vided to the Region that were useful in setting
enforcement priorities and in countering, to the
extent possible, public perceptions of the Agency.
As a result of the September 2000 meeting, the
following waste-related inspection targets were
identified (but none of them were hazardous waste
facilities that could be included in the FY 2001 RCRA
targets): waste transfer stations, underground storage
tanks in District 27 of Queens and the Lower West
Side, and the Ferry Point landfill in the Bronx where it
was claimed that cancer rates are higher in the
vicinity of the landfill. Joint EPA/OSHA inspections
of waste transfer stations were suggested.
• Region 2 benefitted from learning that some
citizens have the impression that EPA is more
concerned with protecting industry from the
public than it is from protecting the public from
industry and that EPA is not living up to its
mandate. In addition, some citizens said that
better communication with EPA is needed. For
example, some project participants believed that
EPA should notify them of proposed settlements
before they are finalized, even though the
decision to settle is the Department of Justice's.
Some citizens said that the New York City Police
Department should be more involved in the
enforcement of environmental regulations. By
knowing that these perceptions exist, EPA is in a
position to address them.
Project Contacts
George Pavlou, Division Director
Division of Enforcement and Compliance Assistance
EPA Region 2
(212) 637-4000
pa v/ou. george@epa.gov
George Meyer, Branch Chief
Division of Enforcement and Compliance Assistance
EPA Region 2
(212) 637-4144
meyer.george@epa.gov
Region
Improving Solid Waste Management on Tribal Lands
Project Activity
This project used grant money from EPA's RCRA program
to provide training for the Indian Nations of Region 2 to
initiate or improve solid waste management practices.
Project Participants
The project was conceived and developed by the St.
Regis Mohawk Tribe (SRMT) to provide easy access
and inexpensive training on the latest technical
information in solid waste management to all Indian
nations within EPA Region 2.
Project Benefits
The SRMT polled all federally recognized Indian
nations in EPA Region 2 to determine which topics
were of greatest interest to them and then developed
specialized workshops to address these topics. Topics
selected included composting, management^and
prevention of tire piles and open dumps, waste
transfer stations, regulation writing and program
development, and resources. The workshops featured
presentations by national tribal experts. Through these
workshops, the SRMT was able to share technical
information in an atmosphere of trust. Because only
local travel was involved, the workshops had maxi-
mum participation. As a result of the workshops,
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severe Indian nations are working to improve their
solid waste management practices. A solid waste
management handbook is expected to be the final
deliverable for this project.
Lessons Learned
Having the material developed and delivered by a
trusted Indian nation was an important element in
encouraging participation.
Preliminary polling for relevant topics and the local
setting of the workshops made the project a
success.
Project Contact
Lorraine Graves
RCRA Program Project Officer
EPA Region 2
(212) 637-4099
graves.lorraine@epa.gov
Environmental Justice Analysis in Northwest Indiana
Project Activity
From July 1 998 to February 1 999, the Waste Man-
agement Branch (WMB) of EPA Region 5's Waste,
Pesticides, and Toxics Division developed an environ-
mental justice study to support a permit decision for
the Rhodia, Inc., hazardous waste combustion facility
located in Hammond, Indiana. Since WMB had no
experience in this area, WMB studied EPA and other
federal guidance and examples of ongoing environ-
mental justice projects in other Regions. The WMB
then held a briefing for Division management to
discuss possible options for an environmental justice
study for the Rhodia, Inc., site.
Based on management comments and recommenda-
tions, a second briefing was held to explain the
methods of the proposed study and the expected
report format. After obtaining management approval,
the WMB formed a workgroup of five Regional staff
members who conducted the technical work on the
study. Dr. Mario Mangino of XVMB was the major
author for the final report, "Analysis of Population
Demographics and TRI Air Emissions to Address
Environmental Justice Concerns for a RCRA Permit at
Rhodia, Inc. (Hammond, IN)." This report was delivered
to Division managers in the Region.
Project Participants
• Waste Management Branch of EPA Region 5's
Waste, Pesticides, and Toxics Division
• Workgroup of five Regional staff members
Project Benefits
The report provides an analysis of population demo-
graphics and Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) air
emissions in Northwest Indiana, and compares these
factors for Northwest Indiana with tne rest of the state.
It contains information that was used to formulate
additional permit conditions for the Rhodia, Inc.,
combustion facility. This report was EPA Region 5's first
formal Environmental Justice Report to accompany a
regulatory decision. It was added to the facility's
administrative file and became a public document.
Lessons Learned
When developing Agency guidance, ensure that
the approach is straightforward and agreeable to
management, and can employ readily available
data.
When conducting an environmental justice analy-
sis, address citizen concerns. For example, the
analysis conducted for the Rhodia, Inc., did not
include a complete cumulative risk assessment for
all facilities operating in the vicinity of Rhodia,
which was a concern for some of the citizens iving
near the facility. To address this concern, site-
specific risk assessments for stack emissions and
accidental releases were performed to address
citizen concerns about the safe operation of this
facility.
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Project Contact
Dr. Mario Mongino
Waste, Pesticides and Toxics Di\isi-
EPA Region 5
(312) 886-2589
mangino. rnarlofcDepa.gov
D
Region 7
RCRA Corrective Action Success in South Omaha
Project Activity
EPA Region 7's RCRA Corrective Action Prog ran- has
been addressing the environmental concerns 01
residents living near the VOPAK iacilivy in South
Omaha, Nebraska. South Omana is a iow-to-
rnoderate income area with a significant number ot
Hispanic residents. Environmenroi justice principles
were applied throughout the project to ensure mean-
ingful public input.
The VOPAK facility is made up of two termer RCRA-
regulafed facilities: the Van Waters and Rogers *cc;li:v
and the Univar facility. Results from an EPA investiga-
tion show no evidence of contaminant releases on the
Van Waters and Rogers part of the properly. However,
contaminant releases of chlorinated solvents, such as
trichloroethyiene, to soils and groundwater ha\e
occurred on the Univar property ana grounawcrer
contamination has migrated to Soring Lake Park,
which is located about 1 .5 miles from the site.
The South Omaha residents belong to several
neiahborhood organizations, rnanv ol which ore
subgroups of the South Omaha Neighborhood
Association (SONA). Residents have worried that tiuck
spills and general plant operations o\er the years have
left them vu nerable to hazardous material exposures.
Project Participants
Project Benefits
EPA Region /'s RCRA program has maintained an
ongoing relationship with SONA since 1 997. The
Region has provided information on EPA's investiga-
tive and remedial processes, along with periodic
updates on our progress and findings, h has
sampled the soi s of several nearby residences and
invited some of the SONA officers to watch the
installation ot monitoring weiis on the facility property.
Tne Region also has established a specific EPA
contact tor SONA.
in fiscal year 2001, a series of groundwater monitor-
i'-c wells to monitor contamination between the facility
end Spring Lake Park were installed. No contamina-
tion was detected at the park, and EPA believes that
me contaminant plume is attenuating naturally.
Region 7 soon will be proposing a final remedy for
this site and accepting input from the community on
the proposed remedial alternatives.
Lessons Learned
Communicating with surrounding communities
early ond often helps to allay fears and allows for
RCRA cleanup results in a more expeditious
manner.
Working cooperatively with SONA allowed EPA to
achieve its cleanup goats faster and more effi-
ciently.
Project Contact
3i!i Lowe, Geologist
.•Mr, RCRA, and icxics Division
EPA Region 7
'913) 551-7547
ic we. bi // (crepe. QOV
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Region 8
FY 2001 Hamilton Sundstrand Corrective Action in Denver, Colorado
Project Activity
EPA Region 8 is overseeing environmental
investigation and cleanup activities at the
Hamilton Sundstrand facility, which is located in
Denver, Colorado, in a neighborhood that is
comprised of Anglo, Hispanic, and Asian
residents, some of whom do not speak English
well or at ail. The facility stores and handles oil
and chlorinated solvents. Chlorinaied solvents
and other chemicals were found to have
contaminated the soils and groundwater at the
site. It was also found that contaminated
aroundwater had migrated beyond the facility
boundary' into the neighborhood. EPA Region 8
and the facility were concerned that the migra-
tion of
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Region 8
Making Siting Decisions For a Corrective Action Management Unit
at the BP-Amoco Refinery Site in Casper, Wyoming
Project Activity
An area adjacent to the Midwest Heights neighbor-
hood in Casper, Wyoming, was the location for oil
refining operations from 1 91 3 to 1 991. As part of
facility closure under a RCRA consent decree, the
current refinery owner, BP-Amoco, proposed to locate
a corrective action management unit (CAMU) within
1,000 feet of Midwest Heights, a low-income resi-
dential area. The CAMU would serve as a landfill for
waste derived from the facility cleanup. These wastes
would include hazardous substances and construction
debris. The State of Wyoming requested consultation
with EPA Region 8's Environmental Justice Program.
The Environmental Justice Program provided a
number of consultation and guidance activities,
including demographic and environmenta justice
analyses, consultation with the state and Amoco
directly regarding environmenta justice and the
connection to Title VI of the Civi Rights Act, guidance
on community involvement, participation in pub ic
meetings, and provision of an environmental justice
workshop tor the community group involved with the
cleanup effort at the former refinery location.
Project Participants
The State of Wyoming participated via the Wyoming
Department of Environmental Quality. The Environ-
mental Justice Program provided a number of
consultation and guidance activities. The RCRA
Region 10
Alaska Native Health Board Solid Waste Demonstration Project
Program provided insights and guidance to the
Environmental Justice Program and the state. BP
Amoco sought information to respond appropriately
to the environmenta! justice concerns.
Project Benefits
Asa result of the environmenta justice consultation
activities and community feedback, BP Amoco chose
another location for the CAMU that fit well with the
overall goals for corrective action at the site.
Lessons Learned
When interested parties work in a collaborative
fashion and industry is responsive to community
concerns, positive results can be achieved.
Project Contacts
Felix Flechos
Environmental Engineer
EPA Region 8
(303) 312-6014
fiechas.felix@epa.gov
Elisabeth Evans
Environmental Justice Program
EPA Region 8
(303) 312-6053
evans.elisabeth@epa.gov
Project Activity
Many Alaskan Native Villages are suffering with large
solid waste problems that they cannot address with
their current capabilities. In many cases, this is be-
cause of the Cold War. During the 1 950s, the Depart-
ment of Defense (DoD) constructed the "DEW Line,"
which was a series of radar installations along the
"top of the world" to provide the United States with
"Distant Early Warning" of missiles coming from
Russia across the Polar seas. Airports were built near
many small, remote villages to transport men and
material for these radar installation projects. Signifi-
cant quantities of wastes that were generated from
these radar installation projects—including shipping
materials, excess lubricants, paints and solvents, and
worn-out equipment—were often dumped next to
these airports, which were often located adjacent to
Alaskan Native Villages.
EPA Region 1 0 has been supporting efforts to deal
with these solid waste problems by issuing grants up
to 5220,000 over the last five years to the Alaska
Native Health Board (ANHB). The ANHB in turn
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makes smaller grants of $8,000 - $1 5,000 to
12-15 different villages each year for public
education, design, planning, and training for a
variety of projects related to these solid waste
problems. EPA Region 1 0 has also helped
establish recycling and other waste-reduction
programs, promoted household hazardous
waste round-ups, trained dump operators and
planned dump closures.
Project Benefits
The ANHB Program has awarded more than
100 small grants since 1 966 and funded the
annual Alaska Tribal Environmental Conference.
The benefits to the Alaska tribal community are
many. They have received training in all facets of
integrated solid waste management and have
had an opportunity to apply what they have
learned in small, grassroots efforts to reduce,
recycle, plan, educate, and reach community
members. The effect has been that solid waste
and the understanding of solid waste manage-
ment in Alaska has reached a very high profile,
despite the vast distances in Alaska.
Project Participants
One-hundred Alaska tribal communities have
been directly involved in this project as recipi-
Region
ents of solid waste pass-through grant funds. This
represents nearly one-half of Alaska's 227 tribes. The
planning/selection committee for the Alaska Tribal
Environmental Conference, also funded by this
project, includes the Alaska State Department of
Environmental Quality, EPA, tribes and tribal consor-
tia, and RuralCap.
Lessons Learned
Providing one large grant to an umbrella organi-
zation, which then provides subgrants to smaller
entities, is an efficient way of distributing resources
to small organizations.
The Native villages and organizations who re-
ceived these grants showed great creativity and
resourcefulness and accomplished important work.
Given the resource constraints on EPA for travel in
Alaska, providing small grants to local entities is
an efficient use of resources.
Project Contact
Grover Portee
Solid Waste Program
EPA Region 10
(206; 553-6697
partee.grover@epa.gov
Hansville Landfill and the Pt. Gamble S'Klallam Tribe
Project Activity
This project was part of an ongoing effort to help
residents of the Pt. Gamble S'Klallam tribal commu-
nity better understand the risks to their health and their
reservation environment from a groundwater plume
that is migrating downslope from the closed Kitsap
County Landfill. In 1 989, tribal habitat biologists first
discovered elevated levels of arsenic, cadmium,
chromium, and vinyl chloride in an upper level,
perched aquifer on the reservation and identified vinyl
chloride in an on-reservation wetland and in Middle
Creek, which is a fish-bearing stream near the
reservation.
Until the mid 1 990s, EPA Region 10 and the Bureau
of Indian Affairs provided grant funding and some
technical assistance to the Tribe to address the
contamination from the landfill. Between 1 996 and
1 999, Washington State Department of Ecology (VVA
DOE) identified the landfill as a Model Toxics
Cleanup Act site. VVA DOE worked with Parametrix,
Inc., and Kitsap County to complete a remedial
investigation and feasibility study (RI-FS) of the Kitsap
County Landfill. Beginning in 1 999, EPA Region 1 0
provided technical assistance for reviewing the RI-FS
and helped the tribe participate in an arsenic me-
tabolism study, which was conducted EPA's Office of
Research and Development.
Project Participants
The project partners included:
• Pt. Gamble S'Klallam Tribal community
• EPA Region 1 O's Office of Water, Office of Waste
and Chemicals Management, and Office of
Environmental Assessment
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• EPA's Office of Research and Development
• Bureau of Indian Affairs' Natural Resources Dam-
age Assessment Officer
• Epidemiologists from the Indian Health Service
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAAj Trust Assessment Officers
• Washington State Department of Ecology
• Parametrix, Inc.
• Kitsap County
Project Benefits
This project will benefit the tribe in the following ways:
• The tribe will learn to what extent each individual is
being impacted by arsenic from all sources.
• The tribe will be able TO find OUT if shellfish from
the popular tribal shellfish bed at the mouth of
Middle Creek is contaminated with arsenic.
• The tribe, through use of their consultant, \vl! be
able to readdress some sampling issues they felt
were not adequately accomplished by the 1 9°9
RI-FS.
• The tribe will receive assistance in developing a risk
assessment that is appropriate to their geographic
locaticn and their culture.
Project Contact
Al La Tourefre
EPA Region 10
Solid Waste Program
(206; 553-8202
LaToureffe.A/@epa.gov
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Environmental Justice Awareness Trainin
As part of EPA's strong commitment to implement effective practices for addressing the needs of environmental
justice communities, EPA gives training to its staff regarding environmental justice issues. This training focuses
on environmental justice policies and learned and practiced tools for managing environmental justice issues
effectively. It also addresses the need for staff to be aware and sensitive to environmental justice issues that
may arise in the communities in which they work. This section highlights the projects that involve environmental
justice training of EPA employees.
Region 4
Environmental Justice Training in Region 4 (FY1999)
Project Activity
A strong commitment to implement effective practices
for addressing the needs of em ironrnental justice
communities led EPA Region -4's Waste Management
Division (WD) to schedule an intensive week of
training and skills development. WD conducted a
week-long series of environmental justice seminars
specifically designed for its employees. WD employ-
ees attended classes focused on environmental justice
policy and learned and practiced tools for managing
environmental justice issues effectively. Additionally, a
special seminar for the senior managers of WD will
be offered. Effectiveness of *he training was greatly
enhanced because internal WD emoioyees and an
external community review team with expertise in
environmental justice issues assis'ed in the design of
the training.
Project Participants
The project was sponsored by:
• EPA Region 4's Waste Management Division-
Customer Service Branch
• EPA Reaion 4's Community Involvement Coordina-
tors
• EPA Region 4's cross-divisional Environmental
Justice Team
• The Marasco Newton Group. Ltd. \an EPA contrac-
tor)
Other EPA Region 4 components provided input to the
training outcomes.
Project Benefits
he qoa! of this training was to provide students with
information on how to respond to environmental
justice claims and situations. To do this, the training
included information on:
• how the environmental justice movement has
evolved over time;
• a review of the authorities for implementing
environmental justice programs and activities;
• the ability to recognize indicators of environmental
injustice;
• the tools, skills, and suggestions for responding to
or addressing environmental justice claims and
situations; and
• opportunities to practice the above mentioned skills
and tools.
Lessons Learned
Due to the success of this training, EPA Region 4
can use the training's framework to develop
ongoing training opportunities at the state and
local levels.
All regional components need to provide resources
to similar training efforts in order to meet long-
term training goals.
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Project Contacts
Eddie Wright
Environmental Justice Coordinator
EPA Region 4
(404) 562-8669
wright.eddie@epa.gov
Rosalind Brown
Chief, ER&OB,
EPA Region 4
(404) 562-8633
brown. rosa/ind@epa.gov
Region 4
Margaret Crowe
Training Coordinator
EPA Region 4
(404) 562-8687
crowe.margaref@epa.gov
Mississippi Statewide Environmental Justice Summit
Project Activity
The "Mississippi Statewide Environmental Justice
Summit: Environmental Planning, Community Health,
end Just Solutions'' was a multi-stakeholder partner-
ship and conference on environmental justice compli-
ance and health issues. The Summit was the first of its
kind for the State of Mississippi and one of a few ever
held in the region. The Summit and its sponsors
focused on promoting the following issues:
• public/private partnerships in Mississippi that foster
community empowerment;
• environmental justice compliance and environmental
health education; and
• linkages between brownfields revitalization and
economic progress, coalition building, and network-
ing.
Funding for the summit was made available by the
following groups:
• Mississippi contributed 525,000 and EPA Region 4
matched this amount through a grant to Jackson
State University;
• Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR) awarded a $5,000 grant to Jackson State
University;
• the Ford Foundation contributed $50,000; and
• the National Library of Medicine contributed
$10,000.
EPA Region 4 expects to receive a final report and
evaluation of the summit from Jackson State University
and plans to have several follow-up meetings with all
of the sponsors.
Project Participants
Sponsors, supporters, and participants of the Summit
included:
• Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
(MDEQ)
• Jackson State University
• EPA Region 4
• Jesus People Against Pollution (JPAP)
• National Library of Medicine
• Mississippi Manufactures'Association
• Mississippi Municipal League
• Malcolm Pirnie, Inc.
• Mississippi State Department of Health
• ATSDR
• Ford Foundation
Project Benefits
The Summit was held August 2-4, 2001, in Jackson
Mississippi. The event began with a brownfields
seminar and workshop and included breakout
sessions on the environment, health concerns from
Mississippi community groups and private industry
working in 'he state, and how we can have both a
healthy and sustainable community. There was a tour
of the environmental justice community in Columbia,
Mississippi, which has a brownfields pilot near a
Superfund site. This tour focused on how economic
redevelopment and environmental justice groups can
work together to create jobs, address health concerns,
educate the public, rebuild abandoned and contami-
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noted properties into reusable and productive areas,
and form collaborative partnerships. The state
explained how its different departments work together
and which MDEQ, City, and County departments are
responsible for certain issues.
Project Contacts
Eddie Wright
EPA Region 4
(404) 562-8668
wrighf.edd/'e@epa.gov
Cynthia Peurifoy
EPA Region 4
(404) 562-9649
peurifoy.cynfhia@epa.gov
Rosalind Brown
EPA Region 4
(404) 562-8633
brovvn.rosalindvcrepa.gov
Kelly Riley and Chuck Bar/ow
Mississippi Department of Environmental Qualify
fMDEQj
Lessons Learned
At the Summit, EPA Region 4 learned that MDEQ's
Director met with ail of the parties who had concerns.
In response to these concerns, he appointed an
Environmental Justice Coordinator, established a toll-
tree number to receive complaints, developed a
tracking system for these complaints, and recom-
mended that environmental justice become part of
Mississippi's annual pollution prevention meeting and
that another environmental justice summit be held in
2003. Thus far, the feedback from the participants
has been very positive.
EPA Region 4 also learned that contacting community
stakeholders and involving them earlier in the Summit
planning process could have resulted in more open
dialogue, and that representatives from more federal
agencies and city and county departments should
have been presented at the Summit.
Region
All-Indian Pueblo Council's Pueblo Office of Environmental
Protection Dip Vat Bioremediation Pilot Project
Project Activity
Under EPA Region 6's initiative to enhance the role ot
states and tribes in Superfund, EPA Region 6 spon-
sored a pilot project to train staff members ot the Zun;
Environmental Protection Ottice and the Acorna
Environmental Office to bioremediate sheep dipping
vats that are contaminated with the pesticide tox-
aphene. The objective of this pilot project was to
enable the Pueblos to effectively bioremediate other
sheep dipping vats belonging to the Pueblos.
Project Participants
The project partners included:
• Pueblo of Zun.i
• Pueblo Office ot Environmental Protection
- US EPA
• Bureau of Indian Affairs
• Agency for Toxic Substances Disease Registry
• Pueblo ot Acoma
Project Benefits
• The project trained four staff members from the
Zuni Environmental Protection Oftice and two staff
members trom the Acoma Environmental Office in
the bioremediation process. These trained staff
members will use their training to clean up addi-
tional sheep dipping vats within their own Pueblos.
• Members of the community, including school
children, were educated in environmental concerns
at one bioremediation project site.
• A guidance document on this process has been
drafted.
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Lessons Learned
Projects move smoothly when all involved parties
communicate and plan well in advance.
Project Contact
LaDonna Walker
Site Assessment Manager
EPA Region 6
(214) 665-6666
walker.ladonna@epa.gov
Environmental Justice Awareness Training in Region 7
Project Activity
The objective of this training was to develop an
awareness and sensitivity to potential environmental
justice issues among staff working at CERCLA sites. To
meet this objective, personnel were trained in environ-
mental justice awareness and taught the appropriate
response to the emergence of environmental justice
issues at their project sites. Bach project manager used
Geographic Information System (GIS) tools to evalu-
ate whether their project sites would need a more in-
depth environmental justice evaluation due to low
income and/or minority populations. Region 7 used a
25% minority population for its threshold in the
evaluation process.
Project Participants
The project participants included:
• The Regional Environmental Justice Program
Manager
• Data Integration and Support Operation (GIS)
personnel
• Superfund Division Environmental Justice coordina-
tor
• CERCLA project managers in the division
Project Benefits
Every CERCLA site in Region 7 was analyzed for its
potential to have environmental justice issues. Every
site manager conducted an environmental justice
screening on all of their sites. Every CERCLA site had
an environmental justice GIS map produced for its
files. The sites that met the Region's threshold require-
ments were flagged and brought to the attention of
the Environmental Justice Program Manager and the
Region's External Affairs Office (for outreach and
analysis of emerging environmental justice issues and
environmental justice-focused public interest groups).
Those sites that proved to have potential or existing
environmental justice issues were identified and
appropriate resources were committed to them.
Lessons Learned
Environmental justice awareness can be built into a
CERCLA project without consuming a significant
portion of the project manager's time and re-
sources.
A preemptive, proactive approach to environmen-
tal justice ultimately saves time and resources while
diminishing frustration for the Agency and those
communities that become involved with the
program.
Environmental justice briefings were conducted at
the State Directors Meeting, which increased
understanding of the program at the state level.
Project Contact
Tom Lorenz
Remedial Project Manager
EPA Region 7
(913) 551-7292
lorenz.tom@epa.gov
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Community Involvement, Outreach, and Plannin
OSWER is committed to improving communications with communities and establishing trust of EPA in those
communities. To do this, OSWER works in partnership with community representatives, states, cities, and
federal agencies to develop strategies for promoting public participation and community involvement in its
decision-making processes. Part of this process includes the development of communication and outreach
tools that are effective in reaching the environmental justice communities that EPA serves. This section highlights
EPA's environmental justice projects that focused on the development of partnerships with communities and other
entities to develop effective communication and outreach materials.
Region 4
Collaborative Model of the People of Color and Disenfranchised
Communities (POC/DC) Environmental Health Network and Federal
Agencies
Project Activity
On November 22, 1 998, the POC'DC Network—a
national network of community-based groups im-
pacted by Department of Energy (DOE) and Depart-
ment of Defense (DoD) federal facility environmental
health-related issues—and Agency representatives met
in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, to follow-up on a 1 997
summit meeting, which was held in Waveland,
Mississippi. At this meeting, participants focused on
responses to the summit's "Implementation Plan/'
which included 1 7 community-based recommenda-
tions. After the meeting, EPA Region 4 staff coordi-
nated face-to-face meetings in December 1999,
August 2000, and December 2000 to coincide with
the National Environmental Justice Advisory Counci
(NEJAC) and federal Interagency-related meetings.
Federal agencies shared invitational travel expenses.
Many regular conference calls with representatives
from the POC/DC Network and the federal agencies
also were held to maintain communications and
discuss progress being made on action items.
Project Participants
The POC/DC Network is a national network of
community-based groups impacted by DOE and
DoD federal-facility, environmental-health-related
issues. Members of its steering committee represent
grassroots groups from all over the country. The
federal agencies who participated in this effort include
representatives from EPA's Office of Solid Waste and
Emergency Response, EPA Region 4, Agency for Toxic
Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDRj, DOE,
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH), and the Radiation Studies Branch of the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Project Benefits
The benefits of this collaborative effort between the
POC/DC Network and the federal agencies included:
• helping impacted communities, such as those in
Oak Ridge, Tennessee, directly address environ-
mental justice issues;
• increasing the understanding of federal agency
missions, management and staff, resources, and
services;
• building partnerships between DOE and local
communities with DOE facilities;
• holding independent face-to-face meetings with
upper management of DOE's environmental
programs, DoD, the Pentagon, and EPA Head-
quarters to help effectuate a higher level of
agency commitment to environmental justice and
build relationships for responses; and
• providing a platform at EPA NEJAC meetings and
other forums for POC/DC Network's voice to be
heard by federal agencies to better address
environmental issues. This helped lead to the
development of the NEJAC Federal Faci ities
Working Group.
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Lessons Learned
Over the past three years, the POC/DC Network
learned how to work collaboratively with federal
agency representatives. The Network also learned the
importance of developing a strong relationship with
higher-level Agency managers who can make
decisions that affect impacted communities. It is
believed that face-to-face opportunities to educate
upper-level managers about the POC/DC Network
and the patterns of environmental justice that commu-
nities face helped raise the level of awareness and
commitment to the issue among these agencies, and
helped to better ensure follow-through on commit-
ments made by these agencies. In addition, the
Network and Agency partnership enabled communi-
ties affected by federal facility issues to present a
stronger, more unified voice on the need to address
and resolve environmental health impacts.
Project Contact
Brian Holtzdaw
Environmental Justice Technical Analyst
EPA Region 4
(404) 562-8684
holtzdaw. brian@epa.gov
Teachers Environmental Institutes
Project Activity
Teachers Environmental Institutes (TEls) were held
during three consecutive summers (1 999-2001) using
grants awarded by EPA Region 4's Waste Division.
The participating colleges developed and hosted ten
TEls for middle and high school teachers who live in
the Southeast near waste management sites that are
addressed by the Resource Conservation and Recov-
ery Act (RCRA), or by the Comprehensive Environmen-
tal Response, Compensation and Liability Act
(CERCLA).
The TEls were designed to inform, promote, facilitate,
and expand middle and high school teachers'
knowledge of environmental issues and research. The
primary goals of these grants were to promote the
exchange of information and ideas and to develop
strategies for integrating environmental perspectives
into curricula, research, and community outreach.
The TEls offered middle and high school teachers an
opportunity to learn about recent environmental
research data collected by EPA and state environmen-
tal agencies. The program gave teachers access to
the data and provided practical suggestions for
involving students and community members in using
this new information for pollution prevention and
environmental protection. The colleges distributed an
EPA-designed CD-ROM containing the new environ-
mental research data and layered it with other
databases [e.g., Geographic Information System
(GIS) visual representations of the environmental
data]. As a result, the teachers received actual
site-specific environmental data for their respective
states.
Another goal of the TEls was to promote environmen-
ta education by providing training and instructional
material to a group of middle and high school
teachers. The programs were designed to help
teachers incorporate environmental themes and
concepts into their curricula and classroom activities.
The TEls offered stimulating sessions that included
hands-on activities on a wide range of topics, includ-
ing GIS, Toxic Release Inventory, Superfund site tours
in Anniston, Alabama, Risk Assessments, Public
Participation, Pollution Prevention, and environmental
justice. Specific attention was focused on waste
management issues. The colleges also assisted in
editing the teachers' newly developed lesson plans.
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Project Participants
More than 500 teachers, selected from communities
that lived near hazardous waste sites, participated in
the project. Participating colieges included:
• Spelman College 2000,2001
• North Carolina State University 1 999, 2000, 2001
• Mississippi Delta 2001
• Medical University of South Carolina 1999
• Florida A&M University 1 999
Project Benefits
In all, more than 500 participating teachers were
instructed in environmental education and given
access to EPA's environmental research data. These
teachers collectively reach more than 37,000 students
every year.
Each teacher developed lesson plans that incorpo-
rated the environmental research data specific to
areas where the teacher/students lived, as well as
educational material presented during the workshops.
The participating teachers have applied for more than
25 grants, and have received more than 14 small
grants to do environmental education in their class-
rooms.
Over a dozen teachers have made presentations at
educational conferences in this country and overseas
that are based on lesson plans they generated during
the TEI workshops.
North Carolina State University (NCSU) has published
a booklet containing teachers' lesson plans on
hazardous waste activities. NCSU conducted a
telephone survey of more than 1 50 teachers that
attended their environmental workshop and found:
• 34% are now or expect to be enrolled in a gradu-
ate program. Two-thirds of these teachers will use
the environmental research data provided in the
workshops for their graduate studies;
• 98% of the teachers used the lesson plans they
developed in the workshops; and
• 61% of the teachers had shared hazardous waste/'
GIS information and/or ideas with other teachers
more than twenty times.
Lessons Learned
The TEI workshops successfully familiarized teachers
with recent hazardous waste research data using GIS
as a visual representation of the environmental data.
The teachers were subsequently able to share this
information with students and other teachers.
The teachers were asked about the greatest barrier to
using the hazardous waste and GIS data in their
classrooms. Approximately 25% indicated thai a lack
of computers in the classroom was the greatest
barrier. Lack of time and problems with hardware
were identified by 1 8% of the teachers. Other barriers
that were mentioned include the lack of training in
environmental education and lack of experience in
environmental education since college.
While lack of computers in the classroom was identi-
fied as a barrier by 25% of the teachers, NCSU has
noted that, after going through the environmental
workshop, the teachers learned how to use computers
in environmental education. More than half of those
teachers acquired computers for their classrooms
within 1 8 months.
Project Contact
Margaret Crowe
Training, Contracts and Granf Project Officer
Waste Division, Economic Redevelopment and
Community Involvement Branch
EPA Region 4
(404} 562-8687
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Region
Metro East Lead Collaborative Partnership
Project Activity
The Metro East Lead Collaborative Partnership includes
local community groups, local hospitals, and federal,
state, and local agencies in East St. Louis and St. Clair
County, a predominantly minority and low-income
community. The Partnership was awarded a National
Federal Interagency Environmental Justice Demonstra-
tion Project in July 2000 to implement a comprehensive
strategy to improve children's health by reducing lead
exposure and lead poisoning in East St. Louis. This
project addresses both lead-based paint hazards and
uncontrolled lead releases to surface soil due to past
industrial practices. Included in this project are removal
actions that will promote opportunities for redevelop-
ment in neighborhoods and will help eliminate illegal
dumping.
Many federal, state, and local partners were involved
in this project at various levels. EPA provided several
grants and contracts to this project. Some of these
grants were used to conduct lead soil sampling in East
St. Louis near many defunct, bankrupt industrial areas
and implement community education and outreach
efforts. EPA also awarded a grant to the Illinois
Department of Public Health (IDPH) to implement a
study to characterize the uncontrolled releases of lead
in surface soils. This study included mapping of
historical blood lead data and evaluating blood lead
trends in the area. Another EPA grant was awarded to
the East-West Gateway Coordinating Council for
conducting lead soil sampling and landscaping efforts
in approximately 30 residential yards. The Council
plans to continue its implementation of rigorous
awareness and prevention efforts in both St. Louis,
Missouri, and East St. Louis, Illinois. An EPA grant was
awarded to Neighbors United for Progress, a local
community based organization, to conduct lead-based
paint assessments to approximately 25 homes and to
assist with community outreach and education. An EPA
Brownfields Job.Training grant was awarded to St.
Louis Community College to provide environmental
technician training to over 50 residents in St. Louis,
Missouri, and East St. Louis, Illinois.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Develop-
ment (HUD) provided a $2.8 million dollar grant to St.
Clair County through its Lead Hazard Control Pro-
gram. This grant funded St. Clair County to conduct
blood lead screenings and assessments, manage
cases, conduct prevention and awareness information
workshops, and implement lead hazard control and
landscaping activities in the county. While this grant
ends in 2002, the County plans to apply for additional
funding and will continue to provide technical assis-
tance and lessons learned from other grantees with
similarchallenges.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources
and Conversation Service, through its Urban Resources
Partnership, awarded a grant to a local organization to
implement landscaping and bioremediation projects in
the community. Another bioremediation project is being
implemented by Southwestern Illinois RC&D on an old
industrial site in East St. Louis. The Neighborhood
Technical Assistance Center provided landscaping and
technical assistance to residents and local not-for-
profits
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers assisted with
project coordination and technical assistance, and
conducted site assessments on abandoned lots. They
also provided oversight during the majority of the
brownfields assessment efforts in the Enterprise
Community.
The East St. Louis Community Development Block
Grant Office provided $ 1 0,000 in grants to improve
homes identified through the partnership. The office
also will continue to provide prevention, education,
and awareness assistance.
St. Mary's Hospital Corporate Health Center
screened over 3,000 children for blood lead and will
continue to provide case management, conduct
prevention awareness training, and provide educa-
tional assistance. School District 1 89 works with St.
Mary's Hospital to ensure access to the students and
to provide outreach and education to parents. The
District is planning to build nine new schools by 2003
in East St. Louis. Southern Illinois University and the
Edwardsville Institute for Urban Research is conducting
a research study to determine the cause and effect of
lead poisoning with particular emphasis on educa-
tional achievement, diagnosis of learning disabilities,
and other physical and mental illness.
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To date, the project has met the following milestones:
• The Project leveraged more than $6 million in
funding support from several Federal agencies,
including HUD, EPA, USAGE, and USDA. ($3
million from US EPA for removal work, S2.8 from
HUD for the Lead Hazard Control grant).
• USAGE awarded a $250,000 Planning Assistance
grant to East St. Louis to assist with brownfieds
efforts. The city matched the amount with another
$250,000.
• USAGE awarded a S1 00,000 Planning Assistance
grant to the Village of Brooklyn to assist with
planning efforts. The Michael Jones Foundation
matched the amount with another S1 00,000.
• EPA Region 5 awarded a 550,000 grant to St.
Glair County to address lead contaminated
abandoned buildings in Washington Park.
• EPA Region 5 awarded a 515,000 grant to ST.
Glair County's Lead Hazard Contro for a Com-
prehensive Lead Outreach and Education Cam-
paign
• EPA Region 5 awarded two grants totaling
560,000 to St. Mary's Hospital to conduct lead
and mercury outreach.
• More than 3,000 infants and children under the
age of 13 were screened for blood lead.
• Projects to sample and map areas with lead in soil
and to make lead-blood data correlations were
initiated.
• Educational materials, such as a video, newsletter,
collaborative brochure, and children's coloring
book, were developed.
• A comprehensive communications strategy for
outreach and education was developed.
• More than 30 contractors and St. Clair County
staff members were trained as lead risk assessors
and lead supervisors.
• An EPA Superfund Job Training Initiative (SuperJTI)
grant was awarded to the Sauget Superfund site,
which is located outside of East St. Louis. More
than 20 East St. Louis residents will receive training
under this grant.
• East St. Louis (ESL) was selected as a Brownfields
Showcase Community in conjunction with City of
St. Louis, Missouri. Three specific project areas
within ESL, the Central Business District, Riverfront
and downtown, were identified as part of this
project.
Project Participants
• US EPA
• US Army Corps of Engineers
• US Housing and Urban Development
• US Dept. of Agriculture's Natural Resources and
Conversation Service
• Southwestern Illinois RC&D
• Illinois Department of Public Health
• East-West Gateway Coordinating Council
• Neighborhood Technical Assistance Center
• St. Clair County Intergovernmental Grants Depart-
ment
• East St. Louis Community Development Block
Grant Office
• East Side & St. Clair County Health Departments
• Neighbors United for Progress
• St. Mary's Hospital Corporate Health Center
• School District 189
• St. Louis Community College
• Southern Illinois University and Edwardsville Institute
for Urban Research
Project Benefits
The project intends to provide the following benefits to
the community:
• improve children's health by reducing lead poison-
ing through a comprehensive strategy.
• Conduct blood lead screening of infants, pre-
school-aged children and children in grades K-8,
and pregnant mothers.
• Provide appropriate medical care service referrals
to people identified with high-lead blood levels.
• Conduct lead-based paint hazard assessment and
remediation throughout the county.
• Assess uncontrolled lead releases to surface soils in
residential and school yards and parks.
• Conduct housing rehabilitation along with land-
scaping efforts and weatherization.
• Conduct site assessments on abandoned lots and
follow up with removal actions and demolition
activities when necessary.
• Assist in building community capacity to recognize
lead hazards and ways to reduce the threats to
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children's health, as well as avenues to better
communicate and make environmental decisions.
• Promote a healthy environment for the environ-
mental justice community by offering a greater
avenue for residents to become more involved in
environmental issues in their community.
• Conduct public meetings, availability sessions,
lead outreach parties.
• Participate in neighborhood and church meetings.
• Distribute a quarterly newsletter.
Project Contact
Noemi Emeric
EPA Region 5
i'312.) 886-0995
emeric.noemiyrT'epa.gov
Lessons Learned
Strong partnerships among federal, state, and
local government, loca health care institutions,
schools, and neighborhood organizations can
take a project beyond its primary activity. In this
example, the project evolved from one that only
addressed lead as a major contaminant to one
with two major working groups—one focused on
health and communication concerns and the other
on lead remediation and brownfields.
Strong leadership can ensure effective strategic
planning, coordination, and constant communica-
tion among project partners. The key is to ensure
that one partner takes the lead; otherwise the
project will not move forward.
Region
Community Involvement in Environmental Justice Communities
Project Activity
In FY99, FYOO, and FY01, EPA Region 6's Commu-
nity Involvement Team mailed out fact sheets and
notices concerning multiple Superfund sites to over
300,000 community residents, elected officials, and
other interested parties, and conducted approximately
1 00 public meetings and open houses per year. In
the communities with many Hispanic residents, all
community involvement materials, including public
notices and fact sheets, were translated into Spanish.
More than 1,900 information calls were received by
EPA staff.
Project Participants
• EPA Region 6's Community Involvement Team
• Elected officials
• Community leaders
• Union officials
• School officials
• Community residents
Project Benefits
The sooner an impacted community is involved with
and knowledgeable about a Superfund site in their
community, the better the EPA decisions and actions
will be. Often neighborhood residents can provide
more input and information about site activities. An
informed community will be better participants in site
activities.
Lessons Learned
Involve community participants early and often.
Ensure that fact sheets are written with simple, easy
to understand language.
Provide Spanish fact sheets with graphics, as well
as translations.
Mail invitations and fact sheets out to the commu-
nity no later than two weeks in advance of site
activities.
Provide a toll-free telephone number to the
community so they can call to have their names
added to the mailing list.
Project Contact
Beverly Negri
Community Involvement Team Leader
EPA Region 6
(214! 665-8?57
negri.beveriy@epa.gov
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Region
Outreach to Schools in Environmental Justice Communities
Project Activity
In February and March 2001, EPA Region 7 staff
visited five schools—both high schools and middle
schools—in the Kansas City metropolitan area as part
of Black History Month. They also spoke to more
than 500 metropolitan children on Earth Day 2001.
A week later they moderated a session on "Economic
Development for Rural Communities'" as part of the
Latino Civil Rights Summit at Penn Valley Community
College. The presentations focused on chemical
accident awareness and the importance of community
involvement. Students and teachers learned how to
locate chemicals in their neighborhood using EPA's
Toxics Release Inventory database. They also dis-
cussed community involvement activities related to
emergency planning.
Project Participants
• High school and middle school students and
teachers
• Community college students
• Environmental justice communities
Project Benefits
Students and teachers learned how to identify hazard-
ous chemicals in their community, thereby increasing
their understanding of chemical hazards and empow-
ering them to take steps to prevent possible accidental
releases and react to such releases should they occur.
At the community college, students from diverse
communities in Kansas and Missouri learned how to
address pressing issues concerning their community's
economics and environmental sustainability.
Lessons Learned
It is relatively easy to get students interested in learning
about chemical hazards in the community. They enjoy
working with computer databases and mapping
programs. In turn, this empowers them to influence
their families and friends in decreasing their levels of
risk from chemicals in the community.
Project Contact
Mark Smith
CEPP Coordinator
EPA Region 7
(913) 55/-7876
smifh.marlc@epa.gov
69
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D
Glossar
Ambient Air Quality - The quality of the air all
around us.
Antidegrodation - A policy banning any discharges
that would "degrade," or make worse, the existing
water quality of a water body, or degrade its current
ability to serve specific uses, such as drinking water,
fishing, or recreation.
Bioaccumulation - The retention or storage of
chemical substances in the body, usually in fatty
tissues, for long periods of time, with the total amount
of chemicals in the body increasing the longer a
person is exposed to them.
Brownfields - Contaminated areas, usually within a
city or urban area, that are being cleaned up for
future industrial use. Areas cleaned up under a
brownfields program often are subject to different
requirements than sites cleaned up under the
Superfund program.
Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) -
Commonly known as Superfund, this Act established
prohibitions and requirements concerning closed and
abandoned hazardous waste sites, provided for
liability of persons responsible for releases of hazard-
ous waste at these sites, and established a trust to
provide for cleanup when no responsible party could
be identified.
Contaminants - Pollutants in air, water, soil, or food.
A contaminant could be chemicals released by a
facility, household products used incorrectly, car
exhaust, stream discharges, or other materials that
could cause harm to humans or the environment.
Corrective Action - A change in procedure or
method to correct deviations form permit require-
ments, or to clean up preexisting contamination.
Under some statutes, EPA can require corrective
action at existing sites as a condition of receiving a
permit to continue operations.
Cumulative Health Impacts - Combined effect of
multiple pollutants on an individual or individuals.
Some statutes require that the government consider
cumulative health impacts before allowing additional
sources of pollution. This is an important consider-
ation in neighborhoods with multiple sources of
potentially hazardous substances.
Delegation - The arrangement under which a state
government assumes the lead role in running a federal
program. To receive delegated authority, the state must
meet certain minimum requirements.
Discretionary - Optional or non-mandatory.
Emergency Response Plan - Guidelines devel-
oped by state and local governments to protect the
community in the case of a catastrophic event, such as
a facility fire, tornado, or hurricane. Under the
Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know
Act (EPCRA), Local Emergency Planning Commissions
prepare and provide these plans to citizens. Certain
facilities that produce, use, or store chemical sub-
stances must have site-specific emergency response
plans.
Environmental Assessment (EA) - A preliminary
analysis required by the National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA). The EA is used to determine whether an
activity supported by the federal government would
significantly affect the environmental impact assess-
ment. Public comments on the draft EA can be
instrumental in convincing an agency that a federal
action is required.
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) - An
evaluation that considers all harmful effects of a
proposed action on humans and ecosystems, and
determines whether there are other, less harmful, ways
of accomplishing the same goal, including taking no
action. The public has the right to comment in this
process. As part of its EIS review process, EPA is
supposed to identify environmental justice communities
and meet with affected groups to try to identify and
understand environmental justice concerns that should
be addressed in the NEPA process.
Environmental Justice - the fair treatment of people
of all races, cultures, and incomes.with respect to the
development, implementation, and enforcement of
environmenta laws and policies, and their meaningful
involvement in the decision-making processes of the
government.
Environmentally Burdened Community - A
community that has disproportionate, or unequal,
exposure to pollutants or polluting facilities.
Federal Facility - Any building, structure, installation,
or equipment owned, operated, or funded by the
federal government.
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n
Federal Register - The publication in which EPA and
other federal agencies publish their notices to the public
about proposed actions, and advertise public com-
ment periods. The Federal Register is searchable online
at: www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/
Groundwater - The supply of fresh water found
beneath the earth's surface, usually in aquifers, that
supply wells and springs. Because groundwater is a
major source of drinking water, there is growing
concern over contamination from leaching agricultural
or industrial pollutants or leaking underground storage
tanks.
Guidance - Recommendations on how laws should
be put into action, as opposed to formal regulations
or law.
Hazardous Substances - EPA defines this in two
ways: 1) any material that poses a threat to human
health and/or the environment. Typical hazardous
substances are toxic, corrosive, ignitable, explosive, or
chemically reactive; or 2) any substance designated
by EPA to be reported if a designated quantity of the
substance is spilled in the waters of the United States
or is otherwise released into the environment.
Hazardous Waste - Waste materials that contain
certain hazardous chemicals. RCRA sets out standards
for the handling, storage, transportation, treatment,
and disposal of hazardous wastes.
Local Emergency Planning Commission - A
committee appointed by the state emergency re-
sponse commission, as required by SARA Title III, to
formulate a comprehensive emergency plan for its
jurisdiction. LEPCs are notified by facilities that store or
use toxic chemicals and the LEPCs develop emer-
gency plans based on this information.
Local Information Repository - A location where
public information about a Superfund cleanup is kept.
Major Federal Action - Any federal activity with
substantial potential impact, as determined on a
case-by-case basis.
Non-discretionary - Mandatory. Citizens are entitled
to sue EPA and other agencies for failing to perform
non-discretionary duties.
Nonpoint Source - Pollution sources that do not
have a single point of origin or are not introduced
into a receiving stream from a specific outlet. These
pollutants are generally carried off the land by storm
water. Common non-point sources are agriculture,
forestry, urban, mining, construction, dams, channels,
land disposal, saltwater intrusion, and city streets.
Pollution - The contamination of air, water, soil, or
food supplies by toxic and other pollutants.
Pollutant - Any substance introduced into the environ-
ment that negatively affects the usefulness of a
resource or the health of humans, animals, or ecosys-
tems. A pollutant could include chemicals released by
a facility, household products used incorrectly, car
exhaust, or other materials that could cause harm to
humans orthe environment.
Polluter - One who releases pollutants or conducts
other activities without the required permits, or in
violation of those permits.
Primacy - Having the primary responsibility for
administering and enforcing regu ations. For ex-
ample, a state can have primacy to run a federal
program. To receive primacy the state must meet
certain minimum requirements.
Regulations - The rules developed by agencies that
contain the details needed to implement the general
requirements found in laws. Regulations are devel-
oped in draft first. The public has an opportunity to
comment on regulations before they are finalized.
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
(RCRA) - This Act was enacted be Congress in
1 976. RCRA's primary goals are to protect human
health and the environment from the potential hazards
of waste disposal, to conserve energy and natural
resources, to reduce the amount of waste generated,
and to ensure that wastes are managed in an envi-
ronmentally sound matter.
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
(RCRAJ Brownfie/d - A RCRA facility that is not in
full use, where there is redevelopment potential, and
wnere reuse or redevelopment of that site is slowed
due to real or perceived concerns about actual or
potential contamination, liability, and RCRA require-
ments.
Right to Comment - The opportunity for citizens or
citizen groups to provide input or express concerns
about proposed activities or plans. The public has the
right to comment under a number of different environ-
mental laws.
Risk Assessment - A study or evaluation that
identifies, and in many cases quantifies, the potential
harm posed to health and the environment by
contamination. Risk assessments may make assump-
tions about the affected community that may not be
accurate.
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Risk Management Plan (RMP) - A summary of a
facility's Risk Management Program that is required of
some facilities under the Clean Air Act. The RMP
provides state and local governments with information
about the risks of a chemical accident at a facility and
what the facility is doing to prevent such accidents.
Sens/five Populations - Groups of people who are
more at risk for illness or disease than the general
population. This could be because they are already in
poor health, or because they had more exposure to
certain pollutants than other people in similar situa-
tions.
Solid Waste - Any waste that is not hazardous. This
generally includes municipal garbage and nonhaz-
ardous industrial wastes.
Sfofe Emergency Response Commission - A
formal group required by EPCRA and appointed by
the Governor of the state.
Subsistence - What is required to maintain life.
Superfund - The program operated under the
legislative authority of CERCLA that funds and carries
out EPA solid waste emergency and long-term
removal and remedial activities. These activities
include establishing the National Priorities List, investi-
gating sites for inclusion on the list, determining their
priority, and conducting and/or supervising cleanup
and other remedial actions.
Supplemental Environmental Pro/ecf - In some
cases, EPA has allowed or required companies to pay
for and implement "supplemental environmental
projects," or SEPs, which do not benefit the company
in any way. This could include restoration of other
environmental resources in the area, funding of a
community environmental organization, a community
cleanup or beautification project, or citizen monitoring
program.
Total Maximum Daily Load - A process through
which states or EPA divide or share the amount of
pollution that is allowed in a water body among
various pollution sources in order to implement water
quality standards.
Variance - A procedure by which someone can ask
the government for an exception to an environmental
requirement due to unique circumstances.
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Index of Projects by Office or Region
OERR (with Region 9)
Superfund:
200] Superfund Job Training Initiative (SuperJTJ) Project of the
Newmark Contamination Superfund Site in Son Bernad/no, California 29
OSWER
RCRA:
Development of Waste Transfer Station Guidance Documents 47
Region 1
Brownfields Job Training:
7he New Bedford, /Massachusetts, Brownfields Environmental Job Training Program 9
Brownfields Revitaiizotion:
Returning Vacant Lots in Providence, Rhode Island, to Productive Re-Use 7 7
Superfund:
Eastern Surplus Company Superfund Site, Cleanup and Cultural Resource Protection 30
The 76-80 Pliny Street Superfund Site Removal Action 31
RCRA;
CBS Corp./Viacom Site in Bridgeport, Connecticut 48
Region 2
Brownfields Job Training:
Brownfields Job Training and Development Pilots ' 0
Brownfields Revitalization:
Brownfields Program Development in Puerto Rico ' "
Brownfields and Waterfront Development ^
Superfund:
Superfund Cleanups Conducted in Massena, New York, With Tribal Assistance
RCRA:
Community Involvement in Setting RCRA Program Priorities
Improving Solid Waste Management on Tribal Lands
32
49
51
73
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Region 3
Brown fie Ids Revita lization:_
PECO Remediation and Redevelopment Project Chester, Pennsylvania 22
Superfund:
TheAnacostia River Initiative 33
Logan Removal Site: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 34
Region 4
Brown fields Re vita liza tion:
Environmental Justice Demonstration Pilot in Spartanburg, South Carolina 23
Superfund;
Community Involvement at Two Superfund Sites in Anniston, Alabama 35
Escambio Treating Company Superfund Activity Update 36
Environmental Justice Training:
Environmental Justice Training in Region 4 (FY1 999) 59
Mississippi Statewide Environmental Justice Summit 60
Community Involvement, Outreach, and Planning:
Collaborative Model of the People of Color and Disenfranchised Communities (POC/DQ
Environmental Health Network and Federal Agencies 63
Teachers Environ mental Institutes 64
Region 5
Brownfields Revitalization:
Protecting Children's Health and Reducing Lead Exposure through Collaborative Partnerships 25
RCRA:
Environmental Justice Analysis in Northwest, Indiana 52
Community Involvement, Outreach, and Planning:
Metro East Lead Collaborative Partnership 66
174
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Region 6
Brpwnfields Job Training:
The Superfund Job Training Initiative (SuperJTI's 'Minority Worker Training Program and the
Brownfields Showcase Community Minority Worker Training Grants Program .............................................. '3
Superfund:
Supplemental Environmental Project for Emergency Preparedness and Response and
Community Right-to-Know [[[
Kennedy Heights [[[ 38
Overcoming Community Mistrust and Opposition During the Implementation of a
Removal Action at the Agriculture Street Landfill Superfund Site [[[ 39
Environmental Justice Training:
All-Indian Pueblo Council's Pueblo Office of Environmental Protection (POEP)
Dip Vat Bioremediation Pilot Project Under the Initiative to Enhance the Role of
States and Tribes in Superfund [[[
Involvement, Outreach, and_P!a_nn
Outreach to Schools in Environmental Justice Communities
Community Involvement in Environmental' Justice Communities
Region 7
Brownfields Job Training;
Brownfields Job Training and Development Demonstration Pilots
Brownfields Revitalization :
O /
Wellston, Missouri, Brownfields Redevelopment Habitat for Humanity [[[ zo
Superfund;
40
Residentia I Mercury Cleanups [[[
RCRA;
53
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D
Region 8
Brownfields Job Training:
Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, North Dakota:
San Haven Redevelopment Brownfields Project and Brownfields Job Training Grant ..................................... 15
Brownfiefds Revitolization:
South Westminster Brownfields Project, City of Westminster, Colorado [[[ 27
Superfund:
Dynamite Removal Near the Sissefon-Wahpeton Sioux Tribe's Village in S/ssefon, South Dakota ................... 4 1
RCRA:
FY 200] Hamilton Sundstrand Corrective Action in Denver, Colorado [[[ 54
Making Siting Decisions for a Corrective Action Management Unit at the
BP-Amoco Refinery Site in Casper, Wyoming [[[ 55
Region 9
Newmark Superfund Site, .Muscoy Operable Unit [[[ 42
Purity Oil Sales Superfund Site [[[ 44
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