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

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                           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.

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     "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

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                                                                                                                 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)

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      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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