open ooors
Summer/Fall 2004
Information Bulletin produced by the Environmental Justice Program
Is EJ Incorporated into the Region's
Everyday Practices? - A Message from the
Director
Inside this
•issue:
Is EJ Incorporated
Into the Regions
Everyday Practice?
An EJ Approach to
developing SEPs
Colorado's
Turning Point
Initiative
Brownfields and EJ
EJ Interns
Grant Writing
Environmental
Outreach in Pueblo,
Colorado
EJ & Childhood Lead
Poisoning
Interviews with EJ
Stars
Special
points of
interest:
• Play Ej eopardy
and win a Mug.
• New EJ Website
Launched.
• EJ Program
Interns, the
cream of the
crop!
• "Inside Out" /
"Outside In"
Interviews
As the Environmental Justice Program Director, I've
often heard the following: "environmental justice is
not mentioned in the statutes or regulations, so there
is no need for me to be concerned with it." I've also
been asked the following: "Exactly what is
environmental justice?" and "Why should I care about
it?"
What is EJ?
I will address the "What is environmental justice"
question first. To state it simply, environmental justice
means that EPA should take into account the racial
and/ or socioeconomic makeup of the community(ies)
likely to be affected by the environmental or health
risks of a proposed or on-going activity.
Why should I care?
Health data indicates that Hispanics, African
Americans, and Native Americans consistently
experience poorer health than other racial and ethnic
groups in the areas of chronic disease, infectious
disease, injury, and maternal and child health.
Furthermore, environmental and health risks that
appear acceptable in isolation may be unacceptable
when combined with social impacts. Historically,
environmental justice communities have not had the
resources to bring citizen suit enforcement actions or
to monitor the compliance of polluting facilities.
Why is it important to consider the demographics of
the community?
The process is a simple one, it involves the
identification of the environmental justice community,
and any potential
disproportionate impacts, and consideration of
the community's concerns. Our inquiry into
these factors is necessary to give us the
information to make a more informed decision
regarding the actual environmental and health
effects of a facility's activity(ies). Does this
mean that the Agency should deny a permit, for
example, solely because the affected area is a
low-income or minority community? No, it does
not. What it does mean is that the Agency
could, as part of its permit conditions, provide
communities with greater capacity to
participate in permit development and
compliance. This can be accomplished by
enhancing the community's participation early-
on in the permitting process and by making
monitoring reports more readily available to the
community. Early engagement of the
community can be an effective tool to ensure
community acceptance of a proposed action.
This is being done now by the Colorado
Department of Health and Environment's
Hazardous Materials and Waste Management
Division with respect to the Pueblo Chemical
Depot permitting process.
Is EJ in the statutes or regulations?
Now I turn to a statement that I keep hearing:
"If it is not in the statute or in the regulations, I
do not need to address it." While it may be
correct to say that the various environmental
statutes (except (Continued on page 2)
"It is important for the Environmental Justice
Program to form partnerships with our
Regional programs and our State and local
partners to achieve future
environmental justice successes."
An Palomares, EJ Director
-------
Is EJ addressed in the Statutes and/or Regulations?
for the National Environmental Policy Act and the Toxic Substances
Control Act, Section 305), do not specifically highlight or mention
environmental justice, EPA's Office of General Counsel conducted an
analysis of various statutes and determined that a significant number of
statutory and regulatory authorities are available to address
environmental justice. Several Environmental Appeals Board opinions
have supported addressing environmental justice in Agency actions.
And finally, the document titled: "Opportunities for Advancing
Environmental Justice: An Analysis of U.S. EPA Statutory Authorities,
November 2001," by the Environmental Law Institute provides an in-
depth analysis of how the Agency can use its statutory authorities to
address environmental justice concerns. Therefore, there are tools
available to address environmental justice concerns through the
permitting processes, the compliance processes, and the enforcement
processes.
environmental and
health concerns alone. We need the collaboration and participation
of our Regional environmental programs. To accomplish our
mission we have formed partnerships with various program
offices, including the Pollution Prevention, Pesticides and Toxics
Program and the Air Program. Participation by the program offices
has been a key element in ensuring the success of the above
mentioned projects.
Is EJ incorporated into the Region's everyday work practices?
In closing, Region 8 is addressing and incorporating environmental
justice principles into our everyday work. Future success will come
from strengthening our partnerships with the permitting programs
and our State and local partners.
EJ Successes
The Environmental Justice Program, by collaborating with Agency
environmental programs, has been successful in implementing some of
the tools I have mentioned. Some of our achievements include: the
Northeast Denver initiative, where we are working to reduce exposure to
toxic pollutants; the Colorado and North Dakota blood lead level
projects, where we are working to address high blood lead levels in
children; the migrant farm worker project where we are working to
reduce exposure to pesticides, and where we are collaborating with
external stakeholders to ensure a safe drinking water supply; the
Toxics Release Inventory project, where we are identifying sources
which may be located in environmental justice communities; the blood
lead levels project on Tribal Lands, where we are working to determine
if Tribal children are being exposed to lead dangers; and our review and
comments on National Environmental Policy Act projects to ensure
that environmental justice principles are incorporated into the process.
These are all examples where the Environmental Justice Program has
been successful at identifying at risk populations and addressing their
environmental and health concerns.
ART PALOMARES, DIRECTOR
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE PROGRAM
U. S. EPA-Region8
Opportunities for
Advancing
EiwlronillLJIll.il
Justice:
EPA
Collaboration with Agency Programs
http://www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/publications/ej/ej_annual_project_reports. html
The Environmental Justice Program cannot address the community's
Famous Environmental Quotes
"He who knows what sweets and
virtues are in the ground, the
waters, the plants, the heavens,
and how to come at these
enchantments, is the rich and
royal man."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
(1803-1882), Essays, Second Series, 1844
COLORADO
UTAH
WYOMING
MONTANA
NORTH DAKOTA
SOUTH DAKOTA
DID YOU KNOW?
ACCORDING TO 2000 CENSUS
Population
4,301,261
2,233,169
493,782
902,195
642,200
754,844
% Minority
25.5
14.7
11.1
10.5
8.3
12.0
% Low Income
9.3
9.4
11.4
14.6
11.9
13.2
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Page 3
An EJ Approach to developing SEP's
A Supplement Environmental Project (SEP) is part of an enforcement settlement connected
with the violation of an environmental statutory or regulatory requirement. As part of the
enforcement settlement, a party voluntarily agrees to undertake an environmentally
beneficial project in exchange for a reduction in the penalty. A SEP furthers EPA's goal of
protecting and enhancing the public health and the environment, and does not include the
activities that must be taken to return to compliance.
The Environmental Justice program is fully committed to the use of SEPs in settlements.
We are working with EPA staff at all stages of the settlement process where we can
contribute to the successful inclusion of SEPs in any given settlement. This effort results in
the application of money from settlements to environmentally beneficial projects in
Environmental justice communities across the Region.
The example which follows, the settlement with Rocky Mountain Steel Mills (RMSM), demonstrates how resources from SEPs benefit
a community. RMSM agreed to include Supplemental Environmental Projects in the settlement of a case for Clean Air Act violations.
The challenge was how to develop projects which met the needs of the community, were acceptable to the company and complied
with the EPA SEP Guidance. $432,000 was agreed to for SEPs which would directly benefit the communities surrounding the mill.
The 14 projects included an investigation of lead in homes, asthma education for school children, restoration of habitat along the
Arkansas River and environmental improvements in the Bessemer neighborhood.
These projects and those included in other settlements will bring revitalization and environmental improvements directly to the
communities. The Environmental Justice Program is continuing to work with our government, corporate and community partners to
encourage the development of SEPs for the benefit of communities in all Region 8 states. For more information contact: Michael
Wenstrom, Environmental Justice Coordinator, 303-312-7009.
Colorado's Turning Point Initiative
Colorado Turning
Point Initiative (TPI)
"Building Capacity
Toward Health
Equality"
Colorado is one of the healthiest states in the
country. However, not all demographic groups
have equal health status. There are dispari-
ties in health among different populations
groups. Health disparities can be defined as a
specific group bearing a disproportionate
share of negative health outcomes compared
to the general population, i.e. disease, disabil-
ity, and death. People of color (minority
groups) experience poorer health outcomes in
almost every area of health then the rest of
the state's population. As researchers, advo-
cates and collaborative leaders, the
Colorado Turning Point Initiative has worked to
create systems change in policies and practices
of agencies, organizations and communities to-
ward the pursuit of health equity and elimination
of health disparities. The Colorado Department
of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), in
recognition of the critical need to address health
disparities, has created an Office of Health Dis-
parities. The two principal roles of the office are
(1) advocate for attention to the health-related
resources for disproportionately affected popula-
tions and (2) to reach out to and
(continued on page 4)
Brownfields and Environmental Justice
EJ communities may want to take note of the Brownfields programs that are managed by EPA. Brown-
fields are defined as "real property, the expansion, development, or reuse of which may be compli-
cated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant." In
either case, developers tend to avoid such property, so these worn-out properties remain un-
redeveloped. Brownfields programs can help a community assess the extent of contamination
(Brownfields Assessments) before a property is actually purchased by a developer. Other brownfields
programs can pay to clean-up existing contamination (Brownfields Clean-up) from a property so the prop-
erty will be attractive to developers. Some of these programs are low-interest loan programs with mini-
mal qualification requirements. EPA manages these programs directly, and some are managed by our
partners in state governments in the region. Cities and other municipal governments are eligible to receive grants or loans, as are tribal gov-
ernments. Community-based not-for-profit organizations can also receive these funds. There are several programs; for further information,
contact Kenneth Cotton (SEE), EPA-R8 Environmental Justice Coordinator, 303-312-6726 or email at: cotton.kenneth@epa.gov.
-------
"The most important
thing I have learned from
my Internship is that even
if you think you're doing
your part as a citizen of
the world, there is always
more to be done; and if
you work with others you
have a better chance
accomplishing something"
Tamara Toles, EJ ECO Intern,
Summer 2004
"I have learned that the
Environment and its
management are
intrinsically connected to
every facet of
government, industry
and public life and that
good environmental
management depends on
input from members of
all three of these
sectors."
Kevin Tohill, STEP Intern Prg.
Fall 2003—Fall 2004
"Basically, I learned what
EJ is. It's one thing to read
about it in school or in a
newspaper, but to actually
get out into the community
to see and hear from those
actually experiencing EJ
issues is something that
will forever be ingrained in
me."
Andrea Marafino, ECO Intern
Summer 2004
Environmental Justice Interns, the Cream of the Crop !
The Environmental Justice Pro-
gram in Region 8 has been very
fortunate in attracting very capa-
ble, smart and hard working
interns. Each summer, fresh new
faces appear in our hallway and
each has his/her own story to tell.
Comingfrom South Ozone Park in
New York, Tamara Toles is cur-
rently working on a project that
will serve as a pilot for outreach
to children in Indian Country who
are or have been exposed to lead.
She is a Political Science major
attending City College of New
York.
Andrea Marafino is from Tucson,
Arizona and is seeking a Master's
of Public Administration Degree
with a concentration in Natural
Resources, at the University of
Arizona in Tucson. Andrea is
working on the redesign of the
Region 8 EJ Program Website and
has been involved in con-
ducting Geographic Infor-
mation System (GIS) Map-
ping of Toxic Release
Inventory (TRI) regulated
facilities located minority
and low income communi-
ties that exceed the state
average for these catego-
ries.
Kevin Tohill is from Den-
ver, Colorado and attends
Metropolitan State College
of Denver. Kevin is major-
ing in Environmental Sci-
ence with a Water Quality
emphasis and a minor in
Spanish. Kevin is working
on a Colorado lead poison-
ing prevention project. He
has been involved in draft-
ing a statewide strategic
plan to eliminate child-
hood blood lead poison-
ing. He has also assisted with
case screening activities to
help the EJ program deter-
mine if communities sur-
rounding facilities where en-
forcement actions are being
Andrea, Kevin, and Tamara
taken might include EJ identi-
fied communities.
EJ Interns, ECO & STEP
Both Tamara and Andrea are
interns who come to us from
an organization called the
Environment Careers Organi-
zation or ECO. ECO has been
called the most respected
environmental internship
program in the United States.
ECO provides prospective
Interns with a database of
available internships, and
provides EPA with a list of
available ECO associates.
You can find more about the
ECO program by visiting their web
site at: www.eco.org. On the
other hand, Kevin has a year long
internship through the Student
Temporary Employment Program
(STEP). So, these are the "Cream
of the Crop." If you know of some-
one who is interested in learning
about the environment through a
program focus on Environmental
Justice, please contact Jean Be-
lille, Environmental Justice Coor-
dinator, at 303-312-6556 or
email at: beille.jean@epa.gov.
eco.org
Colorado Turning Point Initiative Continued—
work with these communities
to improve health. The EPA
Region 8's Environmental
Justice Program has been
working with the Turning Point
Initiative for the past several
years to provide an EJ per-
spective to this ongoing work.
Now, with the creation of the
Office of Health Disparities,
the EJ Program will work with
the office to find opportunities
to collaborate on issues of
common concern. To see
more on this Initiative visit
their web site at:
www.cdphe.state.co.us.tpi/
or Contact Michael Wenstrom,
EPA-R8,Environmental Justice
Coordinator 303-312-7009.
EPA Region 8 El Website .'
www.epa.gov/regionOS (Click on EJ)
Web Design created by Intern:
Andrea Marifino
-------
Page 5
If you would like to learn about
writing a federal grant, then
this is the workshop for you. It
is a one-day workshop sched-
uled from 8:30am-4:30pm on
Wednesday, October 27, 2004 at EPA Denver Office, 999 18th
Street, EPA Conference Center. There will be a number of different
competitive grant programs giving details about their grants as well
as a comprehensive grant writing presentation given by the Envi-
ronmental Justice Program and Grant Office.
For more details on how to register visit our website at
http://www.epa.gov/region8/ej/ejgrants.html or contact
Nancy Reish, Environmental Justice Coordinator at
303-312-6040.
"No Disproportionate
Impacts on any person(s)
or communities"
Recognizing Environmental
Outreach in Pueblo, Colorado
For the past five years, Margaret
Barber has worked tirelessly to
improve the quality of the air
and water throughout Southern
Colorado. To more effectively
address her concerns, she
formed Citizens for Clean
Air/Water in Pueblo and South-
ern Colorado (CCAP). Through
CCAP, Margaret addresses vi-
tally important community con-
cerns about development and
activities in southern Colorado
which affect the quality of the
air and water. In recognition of
this critical work on behalf of
Pueblo's residents, the
Environmental Justice
Program nominated Mar-
garet and CCAP for the
Agency's "Friend of EPA"
award. The award was
presented to Margaret
and the CCAP Board
on July 20th.
Margaret works full-
time (and then some)
as a Professor of Eng-
lish at Colorado State
University in Pueblo.
She is an outstanding
(—Continued on pg 6—)
eed Help in Reducing
oxic Pollution in your
ommunity?
This fall, EPA will solicit proposals for a
new grant program: Community Action
for a Renewed Environment (CARE) Pro-
gram. Eligible entities are non-profit
community-based organizations, other
non-profits, states, locals or tribal gov-
ernment agencies or education institu-
tions. CARE is a community-based, mul-
timedia program designed to help local
communities address the cumulative
risk of toxics exposure. The goal of the
CARE program is: to empower commu-
nities to reduce risks from exposure to
toxics, and to create self-sustaining
community-based organizations that will
continue to improve local environments.
This is a competitive grant program and
for more information and other grants
available from EPA, please visit EPA's
website at: www.epa.gov/ogd.
Environmental Justice and Childhood Lead
II
Outstanding progress has been made in reducing the occurrence
of childhood lead poisoning over the last several years. The Cen-
ters for Disease Control (CDC) had been instrumental in coordi-
nating the most recent initiative to end childhood lead poisoning,
the Healthy People 2010 goal to eliminate lead poisoning nation-
wide. As part of the initiative, CDC has enlisted the involvement
of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and
the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
EJ Intern, Kevin Tohill took a lead role in this project by interacting
with other governmental agencies to identify lead exposure
sources and to educate communities on avoiding lead exposure
and securing needed resources. The most recent activities began
in September of 2003, when the Environmental Justice Program
conducted outreach in South Dakota to educate the public on
lead poisoning prevention. Also, the Colorado Department of
Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) has partnered with EPA
by providing data from various labs across the state in order to
integrate into a Geographic Information System for mapping.
These maps are being used to target areas for outreach and re-
search in areas of older housing, low-income, and minority status.
I
Areas where low-income and minority communities are dispro-
portionately impacted by childhood lead poisoning are targeted
for outreach. Kevin distributed brochures in English and Spanish
explaining what parents should do concerning lead hazards and
poison prevention. Also, Kevin's interaction with other agencies
has led to the development of a statewide strategic plan to elimi-
nate childhood lead poisoning by 2010. This plan (in accordance
with CDC's Healthy People 2010 Initiative) is currently being
drafted and will serve to align the goals of various agencies, lev-
erage federal funding, and identify needs and resources to all
organizations involved. Furthermore, Kevin worked to identify all
possible stakeholders and in return, these stakeholder will be
invited to a conference to be held in early 2005. It is the hope of
the Environmental Justice Program that drafting this plan will
solicit the involvement of any organization that can contribute to
this effort, and solidify their commitment to stop childhood lead
poisoning. For Further information on Kevin's work please Con-
tact Nancy Reish at 303-312-6040 or email:
reish.nancy@epa.gov.
-------
Page
Recognizing Environmental Outreach in Pueblo, Colorado
continued —
published author. Margaret brings a finely-tuned environmental
sensibility to her teaching and focuses the teaching of English
through environmental issues. During the balance of her waking
hours, Margaret, together with her husband, David, fights for a bet-
ter environment in Pueblo and Southern Colorado.
Margaret works in an area of the state where the population is heav-
ily Hispanic and environmental justice issues abound. Many of the
citizens who are the poorest and most heavily impacted by environ-
mental contamination have little knowledge of how to address their
environmental problems. Margaret and her group have been an
invaluable resource to these communities in helping them to voice
their concerns, questions and grievances.
In addition to the direct work relating to air and water quality, Mar-
garet finds time to mentor community members who want to leam
how to be more effective in addressing environmental problems.
Her legacy will be a better-informed and active group of community
members who will work to make Southern Colorado a better place
to live.
Margaret Barber (far left) and CCAP Board receiving "Friend of
EPA" award. Michael Wenstrom, Environmental Justice Coordi-
nator, EPA Region 8 (far right)
Ej
Play LI eopardy & Win a Mug
The 1st Four planers who answer all six Jeopardy Questions correctly,
will win an Environmental Justice Mug. (Competition is open to EPA
Employees Only) Email your answers to: thomas-burton.tami@epa.gov.
3.
This provides financial assistance to eligible community-
based or organizations working on or planning to work on
projects to address local environmental and/or public health
concerns.
(What are ?)
A. Results-Oriented Funding Grants
B. Government Match-Funding Grants
C. Collaborative Problem-Solving Grants
D. Community Action for Financial Assistance Programs
According to 2000 Census, the United states has a popula-
tion of 281,421,906. What percentage of families are below
the poverty level in the United States? (What is..... ?)
A. 28%
B. 9.2%
C. 12.4%
D. 25.5%
EPA defines Environmental Justice as: (WhatIs..... ?)
A. the Fair Treatment, Meaningful Involvement, & No
Disproportionate Impact on any group of people.
B. the Fair Treatment, Environmental Compliance, &
Equity for all Tribal Populations.
C. the Fair Treatment of Low-income populations that
live near polluting facilities.
D. the civil rights movement for people of color as
related to environmental injustices.
When conducting an Environmental Justice
Analysis of a community, what software tool is
often used to produce maps? (What is. ?)
A. a Geographic Information System
B. a Geospatial Information Monograph
C. a Global Positioning Tracking System
D. a MapQuest Query
The memorandum accompanying the Executive
Order (EO) identifies [how many ?] important
ways to consider Environmental Justice under
NEPA?
(What are....?)
A. the seven principles of EJ and NEPA
B. the four ways to consider EJ in NEPA
C. the 1-step approach to EJ and NEPA
D. the 2 step 1 focus approach to NEPA and
EJ
What are the 3 key dimensions to EO 12898?
(Whatis ?)
A. the IWG, Additional Research Obligations
& Using existing Laws and Legal
Authorities to address EJ.
B. the IWG, the National Alliance of EJ, the
Federal Housing Authority.
C. the Interagency Working Group, the EPA,
the Department of Defense.
D. the IWG, NEJAC, National Minority Caucus.
-------
Hello Reader,
In this issue of OPENDOORS,
our interview is with a Region
8 staffer of nineteen years
and a representatives from
the Refinery Industry and
State Government. We inter-
viewed Cynthia Reynolds who
works as an Enforcement
Inspector in the ECEJ Office.
We will hear her story con-
cerning collaboration with the
Environmental Justice Pro-
gram and we will meet Can-
dice (Tance) Walker of Suncor
Energy Incorporated (formerly
ConocoPhillips Inc.) and Jill
Cooper of the Colorado De-
partment of Public Health and
Environment (CDPHE).
In Each OPENDOORS publication,
we will highlight other projects
like this. If you would like to fea-
ture your Collaborative EJ Project,
please contact:
Tami Thomas-Burton at,
303-312-6581.
Tami: Ms. Reynolds, will you tell us a little bit about the work you do here at EPA and a brief summary of your
project and what was accomplished?
Cynthia: Sure, I have been an Environmental Engineer with EPA Region 8 since 1985. I am currently an enforce
ment coordinator in the Air and Toxics Technical Enforcement Program of the Office of Enforcement, Com-
pliance and Environmental Justice (ECEJ). My major responsibilities include: 1) overseeing Colorado's
stationary source compliance and enforcement program; 2) coordinating and participating in national
enforcement cases; 3) implementing the stratospheric ozone protection program; and 4) providingtechni-
cal assistance to the regulated industry and state agencies.
In 2000, EPA and the State of Colorado entered into a settlement agreement with Conoco, Inc. as part of
the national refinery initiative. The settlement included all four Conoco refineries one of which is located
in Commerce City, CO; an area containing a high percentage of low-income and minority residents. In that
settlement, Conoco agreed to spend approximately $517, 000 in Supplemental Environmental Projects
(SEPs). A team, consisting of State and Federal regulators and Conoco, was put together to develop a
process for selecting SEPs that would benefit the community. The Environmental Justice Program (EJ) was
included on the team because they had first hand knowledge of the environmental needs of the communi-
ties surrounding the refinery. The team held two public meetings in the affected communities to inform
residents about the SEP process and to obtain input as to which projects would benefit the neighbor
hoods. The team reviewed over 30 proposals and total of 20 projects were selected. The projects funded
included a study of air pollution, an environmentally friendly community center, health education, energy
efficiency projects, recycling, lead paint abatement and xeriscaping.
Tami: And last, Cynthia what message would you like to share with others on what you have learned by incorpo-
rating Environmental Justice into your EPA work?
Cynthia: During this project I learned that is important to reach out to the community in different ways. For exam-
ple, EJ had expertise in providing information in both English and Spanish, disseminating information
appropriately and contacting community leaders. Overall the success of this project was due to the col-
laboration of all the parties; EPA, state, industry and the community.
Tami:
Greetings Ms. Walker, will you tell us a little bit about your company, your position and the type of work you do?
Candice: Sure Tami, I am the Director of Environment & Regulatory Affairs at Suncor Energy (U.S.A.), Inc. In August 2003, Suncor bought the Conoco refin-
ery in Commerce City, Conoco pipeline in Wyoming & Colorado, and 43 Phillips 66 gas stations in Colorado from ConocoPhillips. My group provides
the environmental compliance support for all the Suncor Energy U.S. assets. I had a similar position with Conoco prior to the sale, and that is where
my connection with the EJ group started. Suncor is on the Dow Jones Sustainability index and is committed to the concept of sustainability by fo-
cusing on the "triple bottom line": financial (economic prosperity), environmental quality and social well-being.
Tami:
Tance, can you tell us about the project you worked on with the EPA and how you worked with Region 8's EJ Program?
Candice: In 2001, the then owner of the refinery, Conoco, entered in to a settlement agreement with the EPA and the 4 states in which it had refineries as
part of the EPA National Refinery Enforcement Initiative. For the refinery in Colorado, in lieu of any cash penalties, the EPA and Colorado Depart
ment of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) agreed to SEPs, and Conoco committed approximately 25% of the SEP amount for community
projects. The EJ group helped identify and organize activities, identify potential recipients, and hosted two large community meetings, one in Com-
merce City and one in Northeast Denver. Our company personnel worked with CDPHE and EPA to agree on certain criteria including selectingSEPs
that would keep the environmental and health benefits in the communities around the refinery. 20 projects were selected in 2002, totaling ap-
proximately $517,000. Approximately half the money was provided by Conoco, and Suncor will complete the funding. Over half of the community
projects will be finished by the end of 2004. The projects included asthma education and materials for the schools; various environmental educat-
ion resources and opportunities for youth; lead reduction, energy efficiency and xeriscaping for homes; retrofitting school buses; and supporting
parks and gardens in the communities.
Tami: And last question Tance, as an Industry representative, what message would you like to share with others in the community concerning your organi-
zation's commitment to the community & the environment?
Candice: In 2001, one of the reason's Conoco entered and completed the negotiations on the Refinery Enforcement Initiative is because it believed it was
the right thing to do for the community and the environment. I am very pleased that Suncor, as the new operator of the refinery is committed to
this community and the environment. Suncor has celebrated the purchase of the refinery and the one year anniversary with contributions to com-
munity environmental and education organizations, includingthe Adams 14 Education Foundation and the Sand Creek Regional Greenway Suncor
is also Investing $300 million in the Refinery by early 2006, which means the refinery will produce the required low sulfur diesel on time, lower
sulfur gasoline, and finish the requirements in the Refinery Enforcement Initiative Consent Decree early. It is good to see the investments in the
community and investments to reducing the environmental impacts from our operations and products.
( Continued on page 8)
-------
U.S. EPA-Region 8
999 18th Street
Suite 300
Denver, CO 80202-2466
inzon:
"Garbage Wars: The Struggle
for Environmental Justice in
Chicago (Urban and Industrial
Environments)"
by David Naguib Fellow
(October 2004)
"Diamond: A Struggle for Envi-
ronmental Justice in Louisiana's
Chemical Corridor (Urban and
Industrial Environments)"
By Steve Lerner
(November 2004)
"Poisoned Places: Seeking
Environmental Justice in a
Contaminated World"
by Michael R Edelstein
(November 2004)
Region 8 EJ Staff Contacts
Art Palomares, Program Director
303-312-6053
palomares.art@epa.gov
Jean Belille
303-312-6556
belille.jean@epa.gov
Nancy Reish
303-312-6040
reish.nancy@epa.gov
Stephanie Gordon, Administrative Assistant
303-312-6845
gordon. stephanie@epa. gov
Tami Thomas-Burton
303-312-6581
thomas-burton.tami@epa.gov
Michael Wenstrom
303-312-7009
wenstrom.michael@epa.gov
Kenneth Cotton (SEE)
303-312-6726
cotton. kenneth@ep a. gov
Look for Our Next Issue Spring/Fall of 2005
Inside Out / Outside In
(Continued from page 7)
Tami:
Jill:
Tami:
Jill:
Tami:
Jill:
Hi Jill, can you tell me a little bit about the work you do and your organization?
I have worked at CDPHE since 1996, first in the Air Division as the Legal Administrator and about two years ago, I moved
into the position of Director of the Sustainability Program and Senior Advisor to the Office of Environmental Programs. My
responsibilities include advising the directors on cross media and sustainability, directing CDPHE's Environmental Justice,
Pollution Prevention, Environmental Leadership TRI/SARA, and Self-Audit programs, acting as SEP Coordinator, and in-
volvement in various cross media teams.
Jill can you tell us a about the project you worked on with EPA and how you worked with Region 8's Environmental Justice
Program?
Through a settlement agreement with EPA Region 8 and Conoco (now Suncor) we worked with CDPHE's EJ Program and
EPA's EJ Program to craft a community-based SEP effort to provide about $517,000 in funding to community projects in
the northeast Denver metro area. We worked closely with the EJ programs to establish a community outreach approach
that allowed to us to most effectively determine the needs and interests of the community. The projects Conoco ulti-
mately selected and CDPHE and EPA approved, were tailored to what the community needed thanks to the assistance of
the state and federal EJ programs. We at CDPHE recognize that each of us are responsible to ensure the state's environ-
mental justice goals are carried out and that we need to continually utilize the expertise of the EJ program staff in achiev-
ing these goals.
And last Jill, what message would you like to share with others concerning your organization's commitment to the com-
munity & the environment?
This year, CDPHE developed a new strategic plan. Our environmental goal is to "create a sustainable Colorado by pro-
tecting, preserving and improving the quality of life, environment and ecosystems through performance-based environ-
mental programs." We are committed to continuous improvement in the quality of our air, water and land, in order to
protect and enhance the quality of life for current and future generations of Coloradoans.
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