U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Air and Radiation
FY 2009 OAR ACTION PLAN TO INTEGRATE
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
OAR EnvironmentalJustice Action Plan Page 1
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Table of Contents
Page
OAR Environmental Justice Contacts 3
Background: Environmental Justice in the Office of Air and Radiation 4
The Office of Air and Radiation's Environmental Justice Policy 8
The Office of Air and Radiation's Environmental Justice Action Plan 9
Section 1: Organizational Infrastructure 9
Section 2: Management Support 10
Section 3: Operational Resources 11
Section 4: Program Support 12
Section 5: Government Performance and Results Act Alignment 18
Section 6: Internal Organizational Engagement 19
Section 7: External Stakeholder Engagement 20
Section 8: Data Collection, Management, and Evaluation 27
Section 9: Professional and Organizational Development 29
Section 10: Environmental Justice Assessment 31
Section 11: Program Evaluation 31
Environmental Justice Strategies and Activities Matrix
Appendix
OAR Environmental Justice Action Plan
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OAR Environmental Justice Contacts
Office of Air and Radiation Environmental Justice Coordinator:
J. Wil Wilson
Office of Air and Radiation Tribal Coordinator:
Barrel Harmon
Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards Contacts:
Gregory Green
Candace Carraway
Lena Epps-Price
Laura McKelvey
Office of Transportation and Air Quality Contacts:
Victor R. McMahan
Kathryn Sargeant
Richard Baldauf
Karen Orehowsky
Jim Blubaugh
Office of Atmospheric Programs Contacts:
Brian McLean
Erika Wilson
Office of Radiation and Indoor Air Contacts:
Elizabeth Cotsworth
Michael Holloway
Anna Duncan
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Background: Environmental Justice in the Office of Air and Radiation
For nearly two decades, Office of Air and Radiation (OAR) has been committed to
addressing environmental justice issues. In 1992, OAR developed its first Environmental Justice
Action Plan which followed the recommendations of the Environmental Equity Work Group in its
report to the Administrator entitled, "Environmental Equity: Reducing Risks for All
Communities". OAR's efforts to date, have been consistent with the Agency's Environmental
Justice Strategy and are characterized by the following four major themes which underscore our
environmental justice efforts:
1. Improve assessment methodology (targeted towards populations suffering
disproportional impacts) regarding exposure to air pollution
Example Activities: Characterization of populations relative to pollutants; Defining and
understanding important determinants of exposure, dose, and effect in different
populations who are at high risk from air pollution exposure.
2. Expand outreach, communication and consensus building efforts to low income and
minority communities
Example Activities: Risk communication model; Cooperative outreach and educational
programs; Public informational materials, public service advertising; and information
collection activities.
3. Support and enhance existing and future regional and community-based
environmental justice initiatives
Example Activities: Cooperative monitoring sites between the U.S. and Mexico to collect
pollutant and meteorological data; The study of air toxics through the Mickey Leland
Center
4. Enhance the relationship between OAR and its four adopted institutions in the
academic relations program and explore new opportunities to expand this effort
Example Activities: Memorandum of Understanding with North Carolina Agricultural and
Technical State University which assists in curriculum development, strengthening
research capability and promotes the development and training of students/faculty;
Memorandum of Under standing with Northern Arizona University to strengthen research,
training and public service programs focusing on Native American people and their lands.
Improvements in public health result from OAR programs to (1) reduce emissions of criteria
pollutants (i.e., ozone, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and
lead), (2) reduce emissions of air toxics, (3) address issues of climate change, (4) require cleaner
vehicles and cleaner fuels, and (5) improve indoor air quality which benefit all citizens (including
low income and minority communities and sensitive populations such as those with respiratory
illnesses, the elderly, and children).
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Since 1970, steps taken under the Clean Air Act have reduced air pollution in the United
States by more than 30 percent, producing dramatic health benefits for all Americans. Many of
these emission reductions and health benefits have occurred in both urban and rural areas with
environmental justice concerns. Everyday, clean air programs across the nation prevent roughly:
600 premature deaths;
2,000 cases of chronic illness such as asthma and bronchitis;
300,000 cases of minor respiratory illness such as aggravated asthma, and;
75,000 people from missing work.
Over the past 35 years, the air has become healthier to breathe in more of our cities. Between
1970 and 2005, gross domestic product increased 195 percent, vehicle miles traveled increased
178 percent, energy consumption increased 48 percent, and U.S. population grew by 42 percent.
During the same time period, total emissions of the six principal air pollutants dropped by 53
percent.
Since 1991, we have significantly reduced the number of areas not meeting air quality
standards. Even though we have made great progress in improving air quality, approximately 122
million people nationwide lived in counties with pollution levels above the National Ambient Air
Quality Standards in 2005.
Between 1980 and 2005, average ozone levels decreased 28% as measured using 1-hour data
and 20% using 8-hour data. For the same years, ambient concentrations of nitrogen dioxide
(NO2) dropped by 37% while sulfur dioxide (SO2) concentrations declined by 63%. Between
1990 and 2005, PM10 levels have gone down by an average of 25%.. PM2.5 levels, which we
have been tracking since 1999, decreased 7% from 1999-2005.
In recent years, EPA has acted to dramatically improve America's air quality by providing
national programs that when fully implemented will achieve significant reductions in air
emissions, such as the NOX Budget Trading Program. During the 2005 ozone season, NOX
emissions were 57% lower than in 2000 (before the program was implemented). The Clean Air
Interstate Rule (CAIR) adopted in 2005 addresses power plant emissions in 29 eastern states plus
the District of Columbia. When fully implemented, CAIR will reduce SO2 emissions in these
states by over 70 percent and NOX emissions by over 60 percent from 2003 levels. A closely
related action is the EPA Clean Air Mercury rule, the first ever federally-mandated requirements
that coal-fired electric utilities reduce their emissions of mercury. Together the Clean Air Mercury
Rule and the Clean Air Interstate Rule create a multi-pollutant strategy to reduce emissions
throughout the United States. The associated air quality benefits will lead to improved health,
longevity and quality of life for all Americans
Clean Air Act requirements for cleaner vehicles/engines and cleaner fuels are one important
reason that the nation's air quality is improving. The average new car is over ninety percent
cleaner than in 1990. The Tier II program will allow 120 million Americans now living in areas
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with dangerous pollution levels to enjoy clean air. Other fuel programs already in place provide
additional benefits. For example, 30 percent of the gasoline consumed in the U.S., in 18 states, is
cleaner-burning reformulated gasoline. Buses, trucks and non-road engines (e.g., bulldozers,
locomotives, industrial engines, etc.) also are getting cleaner. Emission standards for
locomotives, whose first phase of implementation took effect in 2000-2002, will result in
approximately a two-third reduction in NOx emissions (about 650,000 tons per year) and 50
percent reduction in hydrocarbon (HC) and particulate matter emissions. Most of these
reductions will be achieved by 2010. In 2002, the Agency promulgated new standards for trucks
and buses and diesel fuel, which take effect in 2007. As a result of this program, each new truck
and bus will be more than 90 percent cleaner than current models, resulting in a reduction of 2.6
million tons of NOx emissions by 2030. The level of sulfur in highway diesel fuel will be
reduced by 97 percent by mid-2006. The Agency recently published regulations to control
emissions from a range of unregulated non-road sources, including industrial engines (e.g,
forklifts, and generators). The new standards are expected to reduce HC + NOx emissions by
approximately 80 percent. In addition, EPA's Clean Air NonRoad Diesel program will reduce
emissions from heavy-duty nonroad diesel engines (e.g., agricultural and construction
equipment), including new sulfur requirements for non-road diesel fuel.
Toxic emissions are of particular interest to the environmental justice community because of
the proximity of many low-income and minority communities to the generators of toxic emissions
(e.g., industrial facilities, waste transfer stations, roadways, and bus terminals). EPA rules issued
since 1990 are expected to reduce toxic emissions by 2.5 million tons a year from chemical
plants, oil refineries, aerospace manufacturing and other industries. As for motor vehicles,
programs put in place since 1990 will reduce total air toxics from passenger vehicles in 203Oto
approximately 80 percent below 1999 levels, as well as reducing pollutants subject to air quality
standards. EPA is now working to implement an integrated strategy that is aimed specifically at
reducing toxic air pollution in urban areas.
To date, the U.S. and other developed countries have virtually ceased production of CFCs
and the other chemicals most damaging to the stratospheric ozone layer, which protects us from
ultraviolet radiation that causes skin cancers and cataracts. The Clean Air Act also has achieved
significant health benefits by cutting annual SO2 emissions more than 5 million tons from the
1980 level, largely through the market-based acid rain program.
The 1990 Clean Air Act specified in §301(d) that EPA is authorized to treat tribes as 'states'
for the purposes of the Act, and that EPA should promulgate regulations specifying how that
would be accomplished. In 1995, EPA provided increased funding to tribes in anticipation of the
February 1998 promulgation of the Tribal Authority Rule (TAR). In recognition of the unique
status of tribes, regulatory authority for Indian country remains the responsibility of the federal
government, but under the TAR can be delegated to tribes requesting such authority.
Since 1995, OAR has supported the development of professional and programmatic capacity
among tribes to develop and implement air quality management programs to protect resources
within the exterior boundaries of the reservation. Tribes have responded with great interest,
growing from 7 programs in 1995, to 120 tribes currently receiving grants to develop air
programs. In support of those programs, EPA has provided funding to Northern Arizona
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University to develop a tribal training program that has trained more than a 1000 tribal
environmental professionals in various aspects of air quality since 1992. All of OAR's program
offices have participated in the rapid growth of the tribal program, providing monitors for all
kinds of pollutants from acid rain and mercury to ozone and particulate matter, retrofitting diesel
buses, providing training and outreach on indoor air and radiation (there are some housing units in
the southwest made from uranium mine waste), and by providing extensive technical support and
assistance to tribal nations. OAR initiated efforts to support tribes in Indian country to assess and
address risk in areas. We have a pilot effort to conduct Woodstove Changeout and monitor
exposure changes on the Nez Perce Nez. We are working with Pleasant Point Passaquatry to
conduct fish studies exposure. In addition, OAR proposed a rule to support permitting in Indian
country.
Since 1998, OAR staff has worked closely with the National Environmental Justice Advisory
Council's (NEJAC) and other grassroots organizations to ensure the integration of environmental
justice into our programs, policies, and activities in a manner which is consistent with existing
environmental laws and implementing regulations. Our interaction with the NEJAC has proven
to be a valuable learning experience. We have learned, for example, that it is important to
develop more straightforward approaches to dealing with the community on toxic issues and we
have learned that many environmental justice communities have concerns about diesel emissions,
bus and truck idling, and emissions trading programs. As a result, we are becoming more able to
address the perceptions and concerns of many environmental justice communities. While we are
still learning, we are now better equipped to engage in more meaningful dialogue and work with
individuals and communities to address environmental justice issues.
Although we have made great strides in improving air quality over the past decade, we
realize that additional work must be done to ensure continued public health protection. We are
therefore currently pursuing initiatives related to reducing diesel-related emissions, enhancing our
diesel retrofit program, reducing mercury emissions, reducing emissions from power plants,
reducing air toxics, identifying toxic "hotspots," developing and supporting voluntary programs to
reduce emissions, and addressing global climate change. OAR plans to continue our history of
developing programs which provide all citizens cleaner air and an opportunity to meaningfully
participate in the decision-making processes which may affect their health and well-being.
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The Office of Air and Radiation's Environmental Justice Policy
All Americans deserve to be protected from pollution. The Office of Air and Radiation
recognizes that, in some instances, minority and low income communities face a higher level of
environmental risk than the majority population. OAR is committed to addressing this issue by
incorporating environmental justice into its activities and decision-making processes. The goal of
the Office is to achieve environmental justice by decreasing the burden of environmental risks to
all communities as a result of improved air quality.
OAR staff is encouraged to consider environmental justice as a meaningful part of our
programs and decisions. As decisions are made about the design of new programs or how to
implement existing ones, our policy is to consider environmental justice principles very early in
the process. OAR management believes this to be important in the process of ensuring that
environmental justice concerns are appropriately addressed.
OAR is also committed to increasing the awareness of our staff working on issues which may
affect environmental justice communities. All OAR staff is expected to have a basic knowledge
of environmental justice and how they can incorporate the principles of environmental justice into
their daily work. Our staff is encouraged to participate in the Fundamentals of Environmental
Justice workshop developed by the Environmental Justice Training Collaborativea voluntary,
multi-stakeholder, national network initiated in the fall of 1999 by EPA Regional Offices and the
EPA Office of Environmental Justice. OAR actively participated in the development of this
workshop and continues to support the work of the Collaborative by assisting in the development
of advanced training modules, facilitating training classes, and continuing to provide resources to
support this effort.
The Office of Air and Radiation is committed to ensuring good public participation
processes. Staff is expected to provide the opportunity for all stakeholder groups which may be
affected by our programs to have an opportunity for early and meaningful involvement in the
decision-making process. Collaborative efforts to promote the concept of environmental justice
are also encouraged. Staff is encouraged to promote effective outreach efforts to communities
which may be affected by our regulations, policies and guidance.
We attempt to make every effort in identifying areas where minorities and low income
populations are being disproportionately exposed to environmental hazards or where there are
potential benefits to minority and low income communities (i.e., through transportation and air
quality improvements, mass transit policies, and voluntary programs). Once areas of
disproportionate impacts are identified, appropriate corrective remedial steps and mitigation
procedures should be evaluated.
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The Office of Air and Radiation's Environmental Justice Action Plan
The Office of Air and Radiation's Environmental Justice Action Plan is designed to support
efforts to develop and implement strategies and activities to integrate environmental justice into
existing programs, to further highlight the valuable work we continue to do in the area of
environmental justice and to develop a more coordinated environmental justice implementation
strategy.
The plan addresses the following areas:
Section 1: Organizational Infrastructure
Section 2: Management Support
Section 3: Operational Resources
Section 4: Program Support
Section 5: Performance and Results Act Alignment
Section 6: Internal Organizational Engagement
Section 7: External Stakeholder Engagement
Section 8: Data Collection, Management, and Evaluation
Section 9: Professional and Organizational Development
Section 10: Environmental Justice Assessment
Section 11: Program Evaluation
Appendix A: Environmental Justice Strategies and Activities Matrix
Section 1: Organizational Infrastructure
How does your organizational structure promote the integration of environmental justice
within all program areas?
The Office of Air and Radiation (OAR) consists of four major program areas: The Office of
Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS), the Office of Atmospheric Programs (OAP), the
Office of Radiation and Indoor Air (ORIA) and the Office of Transportation and Air Quality
(OTAQ). The Office of Policy Analysis and Review (OPAR) is also an integral part of OAR.
OPAR consists of policy staff who undertakes diverse activities to ensure that OAR policies are
consistent, effective in protecting health and the environment, and economically efficient.
OAR has designated a lead Environmental Justice Coordinator in OPAR. Each of OAR's
four program offices has also designated environmental justice points of contact (see list in front
of this plan) who are responsible for communicating environmental justice-related information
to/from the staff in their perspective offices to the lead Environmental Justice Coordinator. This
organizational structure promotes the integration and coordination of environmental justice
activities within all four of OAR's program areas.
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Section 2: Management Support
How does your Regional/Headquarters office's management communicate expectations
about the Environmental Justice Program, review tangible/intangible outcomes, and
evaluate performance?
OAR management has clearly communicated to staff that environmental justice
considerations will be an integral part of our day-to-day work. OAR has developed
Environmental Action Plans since 1992. In the past, OAR has conducted annual monitoring of
the environmental justice program to ensure that the Office is achieving our environmental justice
goals. However, as part of the implementation of this Action Plan, OAR has developed a
mechanism to review progress on a more frequent basis. The goal is for the OAR Environmental
Justice Coordinator to hold monthly meetings with the Environmental Justice Contacts from each
OAR program office to evaluate progress on the projects described in this Action Plan.
Furthermore, the OAR Environmental Justice Contacts will brief the Director of the Office of
Policy Analysis and Review Air on a quarterly basis on the progress being made in implementing
the Action Plan. The Director of the Office of Policy Analysis and Review is an active member
of EPA's Environmental Justice Steering Committee. He provides information from these
Steering Committee meetings to staff through the lead Environmental Justice Coordinator.
Generally, this type of information is communicated through a series of memorandum to staff.
OAR's management is committed to ensuring that the goal of environmental justice is
achieved. To affirm this commitment, OAR sometimes redirects resources from other projects to
projects specifically designed to address environmental justice issues. One example is ORIA's
Indoor Environments Program. The Indoor Environments Division (IED) annually issues budget
guidance emphasizing the importance of environmental justice by strongly encouraging projects
that address this issue. This ongoing guidance includes the following:
OPERA TING PRINCIPLES
Incorporate the values of environmental justice in our work; make sure we are addressing the
needs of those who bear disproportionate risk from indoor air as a result of their
socioeconomic status.
UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES WORKGROUP
This is a new group that will consolidate several activities currently housed in
Integrated/Multi-Priority and will facilitate plans and services to underserved communities.
These projects would be cross-Divisional and would aim to increase the effectiveness and
efficiency of the work done by the Teams to meet the needs of groups who are typically hard to
reach with our public-health messages.
The Team would be charged with coordinating IED's access to underserved communities,
such as Tribes, ethnic minorities, and low-education/low-income families. The group will serve
as a central resource to consider strategy and tactics for including such communities in our
outreach as a Division. The work group will consider the needs of each community from the
recipient's perspective. This will help the Division, to the extent reasonable, approach each
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community with a cohesive plan or strategy and not as multiple teams with differing messages
on multiple occasions.
IED has identified the following groups to receive initial attention:
Tribal/Native American
Head Start
WIC (Women Infant Children)
Ethnic-specific events (i.e. Congressional black Caucus, Hispanic Heritage Month)
This budget guidance was also distributed to all regional offices.
Section 3: Operational Resources
Identify the aggregate full-time equivalents (FTE) in your Regional/Headquarters office
that specifically focus on environmental justice issues. If responsibilities and duties are
parceled out as collateral duties to one or more employees, please compute what the FTE
equivalent would be.
What are the functions and day-to-day responsibilities of your Environmental Justice
coordinator(s) and/or team?
Approximately six (6) full-time equivalents (FTEs) in OAR specifically focus on
environmental justice issues. Most of these FTEs are performing environmental justice-related
work as a collateral duty. The primary responsibility of the OAR environmental justice contacts
is to ensure that environmental justice is being considered in all of the work we do and to
maximize the use of OAR's statutory authority under the Clean Air Act to address environmental
justice issues.
Specifically, OAR's lead Environmental Justice Coordinator:
Serves as the office's representative during Office of Environmental Justice Monthly
Coordinator meetings.
Develops and manages a multi-disciplinary approach for the Office of Air and
Radiation's Environmental Justice Program; provides broad administrative, technical,
and program direction and guidance to all environmental justice staff; plans and
directs the flow of work for the Environmental Justice Program; assigns priorities and
makes work arrangements in response to critical work activities; and develops teams
to address the various issues as they are presented.
In coordination with other programs and offices, develops and implements an
Environmental Justice Program which focuses on communication to management and
staff of environmental justice issues; communication with internal and external
stakeholders; consultation, advocacy, and problem-solving activities; and,
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coordinating activities with the other environmental justice contacts in OAR to provide
the most effective program feasible.
In conjunction with other offices, develops and implements strategies for achieving the
Agency's environmental justice goals.
Develops and recommends to the senior management, budgets and staffing plans to
meet the resource needs of the Environmental Justice Program.
Represents the headquarters and regional offices in a variety of settings to
communicate Environmental Justice Program activities; participates on national
environmental justice workgroups; serves as the focal point on coordination of
Environmental Justice issues; represents the office in highly visible and controversial
discussions with a diverse public; facilitates the maintenance of effective relationships
between the Environmental Justice Program and the diverse stakeholders impacted by
implementation of OAR regulations and guidance.
Each of the four program offices in OAR has also identified environmental justice contact
persons (see list at front of plan). These contacts make up the Environmental Justice Coordinating
Council (EJCC) for the Office of Air and Radiation. The mission of the Coordinating Council is
to provide cogent and practical recommendations to senior management on how OAR can
incorporate environmental justice into day-to-day operations and programmatic responsibilities.
The OAR lead Environmental Justice Coordinator will have the responsibility of chairing the
EJCC. The responsibilities of the members of the EJCC include, but are not limited to: (1)
disseminating information to staff on environmental justice-related issues, (2) ensuring that rules
which may affect an environmental justice community are highlighted and that the appropriate
staff are assigned to address any issues which may arise, (3) ensuring that citizens have early and
meaningful involvement in the decision-making process, (4) promoting the integration of
environmental justice, (5) providing consultation and assistance to promote and implement this
Action Plan in OAR; and (6) gathering, analyzing, interpreting and providing an environmental
justice perspective on relevant information associated with activities conducted by our program
office.
Section 4: Program Support
Does your Regional/Headquarters office have any ongoing mechanisms for focusing on
environmental justice issues, such as teams and workgroups? If yes, please list and
describe. Also, state how these mechanisms are tied to other programs and activities in
your regional/Headquarters office.
Are there any specific programs/initiatives for which environmental justice are (or should
be) listed as a funding priority? If yes, please list or attach.
OAR staff are actively involved in a number of activities designed to make progress in
achieving our environmental justice goals. For example, OAR is assisting in (1) the development
of better tools to conduct environmental justice analyses, (2) the development of tribal air
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programs, and (3) the development of environmental justice training. In addition, OAR provides
technical and financial support to the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council's Air and
Water Subcommittee.
Below is a list of the teams and workgroups serviced by OAR staff which focus on
environmental justice-related issues:
Atmospheric Mercury Initiative
Mercury is a neurotoxin that is emitted from many sources domestically and internationally. The
primary exposure pathway is through fish consumption, putting tribal members and subsistence
fishermen at potential risk from elevated mercury levels. Publicly accessible mercury monitoring
data is an important part of helping people better understand the atmospheric contributions to
mercury problems in their communities. EPA is collaborating with the National Atmospheric
Deposition Program (NADP) membership of federal agencies, states, tribes, and other
organizations, and the broader mercury research community to establish a new atmospheric
mercury monitoring network. In addition, as part of this effort, EPA and NADP are collaborating
with the Cherokee Nation to establish a new mercury monitoring site on tribal lands.
ENERGY STAR Residential Programs
EPA's Office of Atmospheric Programs has numerous ENERGY STAR outreach programs and
has collaborated with other agencies and organizations to help provide low income families with
energy savings and opportunities for energy efficiency through the ENERGY STAR residential
programs and other partnerships.
For example, EPA provides funding to support a workgroup consisting of the Ford Foundation as
well as state energy offices and housing finance agencies. This workgroup is developing a new
energy efficient mortgage that will offer a subsidized interest rate to low income homeowners to
allow them to purchase an energy efficient home or finance efficiency improvements to their
existing home.
EPA has also provided funding for outreach and analytical support to state housing finance
agencies (HFAs) to help them in their decision to incorporate ENERGY STAR-related measures
as part of their criteria for evaluating applications for public funds to develop affordable rental
housing for low income families. As of the end of 2007 ENERGY STAR had contacted 30 state
HFAs. Nine state HFAs have awarded extra points to projects that meet ENERGY STAR's
guidelines for new construction, and five state HFAs have made ENERGY STAR guidelines a
threshold requirement to qualify for low income housing tax credit funding. There were about
7,700 ENERGY STAR qualified homes built in FY07 using some form of public funding either
from HUD, other Federal agencies, state/local agencies, or tax-exempt bond proceeds. EPA has
also partnered with Habitat for Humanity's (HFH) U.S. affiliates to promote the construction of
ENERGY STAR qualified homes. ENERGY STAR's residential construction standards have
been included as part of HFH's U.S. construction standards. To date there are 75 HFH affiliates
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that have become ENERGY STAR partners. Together, HFH affiliates have built more than 3,500
ENERGY STAR qualified homes.
In 2007, as a result of more targeted EPA outreach to the manufactured homes industry, there was
a 17% increase from 2006, and a 66% increase from 2005 in the number of ENERGY STAR
qualified manufactured homes produced and completed in the U.S. In total there are over 26,000
ENERGY STAR qualified manufactured homes.
EPA works with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in helping them
implement their Energy Action Plan, which has the main goal of reducing energy use in all HUD
funded housing. Part of this effort has included developing a benchmarking tool to allow
developers of affordable housing to measure the energy efficiency of their housing projects.
Finally, EPA conducts presentations about the ENERGY STAR residential programs at
conferences sponsored by affordable housing groups such as Neighborworks, the Miami-Dade
Housing Finance Agency, and the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority.
Tribal Air Monitoring Service (TAMS)
EPA participates on the TAMS Climate Change Subcommittee in order to raise awareness within
the TAMS community of the interaction of climate change and air quality issues.
Climate Change Tribal Impacts, Communication and Outreach Cooperative Agreement
The cooperative agreement entitled "Climate Change Tribal Impacts, Communication &
Outreach" has been awarded to the Arizona Board of Regents for and on behalf of Northern
Arizona University, Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP). The goal of the
cooperative agreement is to communicate climate change impacts on, and adaptive responses in
Indian Country, and develop a communications plan for transmitting the information to tribes,
policy makers and the public.
OAR Tribal Workgroups: OAR has supported the National Tribal Air Association (NTAA),
a tribal air quality organization dedicated to ensuring that tribes set priorities and determine
mechanisms for interacting with other governments on air issues. The mission of the NTAA is to
collectively advance air quality management policies and programs, consistent with the needs,
interests, and unique legal status of American Indian Tribes, Alaska Natives, and Native
Hawaiians. The NTAA policies include cooperation with other tribal organizations and
workgroups on air-related policies and issues.
In addition, OAQPS has provided support to tribes in applying for CARE grants. And, in
conjunction with ORD, OAR is supporting efforts with the Pleasant Point Passamaquoddy Tribe
and the Sprit Lake Tribe to conduct risk assessments and develop template guidance for other
tribes in conducting risk assessments
OAR's Office of Radiation and Indoor Air staff work closely with representatives from the
Navajo Nation to develop a strategy for identifying homes with elevated radiation levels. Some
homes may have been built using uranium mill tailings in the mortar, or uranium bearing rocks or
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building materials from the abandoned mines. When completed, we expect to distribute this
strategy for promotion and possible adoption by other tribal nations with similar issues.
Additionally, ORIA works cooperatively with the Institute for Tribal Environmental
Professionals (ITEP) at Northern Arizona University. ITEP is developing and implementing
outreach and educational efforts to improve community knowledge about radiation science, the
hazards of exposure to radiation, and the potential risks associated with abandoned uranium
mines.
Office of Environmental Justice Workgroups: A number of OAR staff participates on
workgroups formed by the Office of Environmental Justice. These include the Clean Air Act
Permitting Training Module Workgroup, the Environmental Justice Coordinator's Workgroup
and the newly formed Environmental Justice Coordinating Council.
OAR also provides funding for a number of specific projects which have environmental
justice-related issues (refer to matrix in back of plan for more details):
Baltimore Region Environmental Justice and Transportation Project. EPA's Office
of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ), the Baltimore Urban League, Baltimore
Metropolitan Council, and Morgan State University propose to identify and develop
practices and tools to undertake a comprehensive analysis of environmental justice and
transportation-related issues in the Baltimore region. The goal of this project is to integrate
environmental justice into transportation planning as an on-going and daily activity with
meaningful community involvement throughout the process.
Hotspot Exposure Assessment Program. OAR's Office of Transportation and Air
Quality, Air Toxics Center has participated in a number of studies that specifically
investigated impacts from mobile sources in select microenvironments , including
environmental justice communities. These projects included: (1) Fresno Asthmatic
Children's Environment Study, (2) Baltimore Traffic Study, and (3) Los Angeles School
Bus Exposure Assessment. This and other research has helped quantify impacts from
mobile source-generated toxics (for example , in the context of the national mobile source
air toxics rule ) Ongoing research in other parts of EPA will continue to inform model
development and the application of assessment tools (see item immediately below)
Predicting Localized Toxics Impacts of Transportation Projects: OTAQ is developing
guidance on how to use models to predict the concentrations of toxic pollutants in the
immediate vicinity of proposed transportation projects. This would provide a planning
tool for communities and the public when selecting among transportation alternatives and
developing mitigation for proposed transportation facilities.
Air Toxics Community-based projects: OAQPS is continuing to assist Regions with the
implementation of community-based air toxics programs. The goal is to work with the
community, our state and local partner agencies, and other stakeholders to identify
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solutions to toxic hotspot issues. Since 2000, OAR has provided funds for over 40
community-based projects that are led by the EPA Regional offices. Many of these
projects have been used to assess the problems and develop plans for reducing emissions
within minority and low-income communities. For example, Oakland, California, is an
environmental justice community which is adversely affected by multiple factors,
including truck traffic to and from a nearby port, and multiple stationary sources including
one major source which produces yeast. Funding was provided to study the communities'
issues and produce a mitigation strategy. In addition, the State and port have also
provided funding for mitigating some of the problems in the area. The community has
been actively involved in determining priorities for these initiatives.
Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE): CARE is a new initiative,
founded in OAR, involving cross-Agency collaborative partnerships. In December 2006,
the Office of Air and Radiation transferred Agency management lead for the CARE
program to the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics Substances. OAR Immediate
Office staff members, Larry Weinstock and Marva King, continue to lead CARE activities
on the cross-Agency headquarters administrative team. Through CARE's community-
based, community-driven, multiple environmental pollutant cooperative agreement
program to reduce toxics, EPA works with state, local and tribal government agencies and
various local organizations, including non-profits, citizens, businesses, and schools
helping create collaborative partnerships to address toxics in their local environment.
CARE empowers communities to improve their environment through local action,
providing technical support and federal funding directly to these collaborative partnerships
working at the local level.
Through CARE, EPA solicits proposals for two different types of competitive grants to
tribal and local governments, community organizations, and NGOs. The smaller grants
support the development of community based stakeholder groups to assess local toxics
risks. The larger grants are for communities that have already organized and assessed
risks and are ready to select risk reduction activities. From 2005-2006, the CARE
program awarded twenty-nine community projects and held two annual national training
workshops. In 2007, the program anticipates awarding between ten to fifteen community
projects and holding its third annual national training workshop. Twenty-seven of the
twenty-nine CARE projects are located in economically distressed project areas.
Guidance to Reduce Toxics in Local Communities. EPA has also produced a draft
guidance which describes a method that State, Tribal and Local governments can use to
work with their communities in developing a plan that lays out multimedia sources of
pollution (air, water and hazardous waste), specific activities and goals for reducing
pollution and a framework for strong public participation. OAR and OSWER are currently
funding a pilot project in Phoenix, Arizona to demonstrate the use of the guidance.
Region 9, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and multiple local organizations
have developed a stakeholder group of all interested parties to discuss their issues and how
to best address them. In addition, the State and EPA have conducted inspections at
facilities of concern in the community and are working on pollution prevention options for
several industries.
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National Clean Diesel Campaign. OAR will continue to support diesel retrofit programs
as a cost-effective solution for lowering emissions from diesel exhaust in communities
across the nation. This Program is a non-regulatory, incentive based, innovative program
designed to pursue reductions in hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and
paniculate matter from existing diesel vehicles and equipment by the installation of
pollution-reducing technology.
As part of this program, OAR and the regions have established diesel retrofit projects in
hundreds of communities nationwide. In addition, EPA's Clean School Bus USA
program, started in 2003, has addressed school bus fleets across the nation, including
many located in areas of disproportional environmental impacts. These programs
promote the use of advanced emission control equipment reducing pollution from
existing fleets.
Congress has provided approximately $30 million for clean diesel projects from FY 2003
through FY 2006. In addition, it is expected that FY 2007 funds (approximately $12
million) will result in similar clean diesel projects; the vast majority will benefit children
and other sensitive populations.
A menu of tribal options for grants is also being developed to stimulate proposals from
tribal organizations for funding projects.
Competitive proposals for funding which address environmental justice issues in the
areas served by the projects are required. Thirty-five Clean School Bus (CSB) grants and
10 NCDC projects were awarded with FY 2005 funds. All (100%) of the CSB projects
targeted children. Thirty (86%) of those CSB projects involved areas with higher than
average poverty levels for children less than 18 and/or were in areas in non-attainment for
PM and/or Ozone. 17 (49%) of the CSB projects are in areas with higher than average
poverty levels for children. Nine (9) of the 10 (90%) NCDC projects targeted areas in
ozone and/or PM non-attainment areas or had a higher than the national average poverty
rate for children less than 18 years old. 70% of the NCDC projects were in areas with
either PM or Ozone non-attainment concerns. For FY 2008 and beyond, as provisions in
the Energy Policy Act of 2005 are implemented, priorities for clean diesel projects will
include alleviating disproportional environmental impacts on sensitive populations.
Clean School Bus USA In April 2003, EPA launched "Clean School Bus USA," a
children's health program aimed at reducing air pollution from school buses. This
program is part of EPA's National Clean Diesel Campaign.
Across the country, 25million children ride school buses spending between 20 minutes
and several hours per day on these vehicles. Unfortunately, older school buses can
pollute up to sixty times more than the newest buses using clean technology. Children
are especially vulnerable to the effects of diesel emissions which can cause respiratory
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disease and exacerbate long term conditions such as asthma. Reducing pollution from
school buses will help improve local air quality and reduce children's exposure to diesel
exhaust. Children in environmental justice areas who suffer from asthma caused by
diesel exhaust will benefit by the removal of one more asthma trigger.
Clean School Bus USA has three primary goals:
Reduce unnecessary school bus idling 100% by 2010.
Retrofit and upgrade 100% of the existing 1990-2003 diesel school buses by
2010.
Replace 100% of pre-1990 school buses with new clean buses.
To financially support this effort, Congress provided almost $25 million from FY 2003-
FY 2006 for a cost-shared grant program designed to assist school districts in upgrading
their bus fleets. Congress also included $7 million in EPA's FY 2007 budget for clean
school bus projects. In solicitations for Clean School Bus USA projects, disproportional
environmental impacts on the local population is listed as one of the factors that EPA
considers in evaluating proposals. OAR strongly indicated that one of our goals is to
improve the health of communities that are considered low-income, have high asthma
rates, and/or receive a disproportionate amount of pollution from diesel vehicles.
OAR is also working directly with tribes to reduce children's exposure to diesel exhaust
from their commute to school on buses. For example, OAR awarded a grant to the
Puyallup tribe in the state of Washington to establish a clean diesel retrofit project. This
project involved installing advanced emission control technologies on their school bus
fleet that will reduce particulate levels of the bus's exhaust by over 90 percent. An
objective of this project was to address the disproportionate exposure risk for minority
children that live in this tribal community.
SmartWay Transport Partnership. The movement of goods or freight involves the use of
large diesel engines and areas with high concentrations of diesel truck and engine activity can
have significant concentrations of air pollutants. The goal of EPA's SmartWay Transport
Partnership is to create incentives for the transportation industry to adopt cleaner and more
fuel efficient vehicles. We accomplish this goal through a variety of methods. For example,
we:
o Recruit shipping companies (e.g., Ikea) to commit to ship 50% or more of their
goods on SmartWay qualifying trucking companies
o Recruit trucking companies to adopt technologies and strategies that will achieve
greater fuel economy and reduce emissions
o Award grants to evaluate and deploy technologies and strategies that assist
partners with achieving their goals
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o Provide public recognition and brand/logo recognition for cleaner and more
efficient transportation
o Educate the public and transportation industry about methods to save money and
improve air quality
When it comes to identifying and improving air quality in areas with potential
environmental justice-related concerns, the SmartWay program has two strategies. First,
we issue grant awards to evaluate and deploy technologies that will reduce emissions and
conserve fuel. Our solicitations for proposals typically include a ranking or general
consideration of environmental and compliance-related factors to assist in making fair
and efficient decisions. Based on the proposals received, we apply all ranking factors and
considerations in our selection of grant recipients. In many cases, we have awarded
projects in communities with potential environmental justice related concerns.1
However, grant awards are subject to EPA appropriations and may not occur every year.
The second strategy, and mainstay of the program, is deploying "SmartWay Upgrade
Kits" on trucks and promoting the "SmartWay Truck." The SmartWay Upgrade Kit and
Truck involve converting a truck into a cleaner and more energy efficient vehicle. The
upgrade kit consists of an idle reduction device (e.g., auxiliary power unit), wide-based
tires, tractor-trailer aerodynamics, and an emissions control device. Combined, these
components will achieve up to a 19% reduction in oxides of nitrogen and a 50-80%
reduction in particulate matter. The SmartWay Truck is similar, in that, we have created
a certification for a truck that meets specific fuel saving and emission reduction criteria.
To deploy the SmartWay Upgrade Kit or Truck, we create financial opportunities for
truck owners to purchase these technologies. For example, working with the Small
Business Administration, US Department of Agriculture, and others, we have created
various loan packages for truck owners. The loan packages all provide lower cost loans.
The USDA program involves working with community development banks to assist
trucking companies located in rural areas, defined as having a population less than 25,000
which may also include low income or minority areas.
SmartWay selects pilot projects that bring together certain key components.
Availability of lower cost loans through community development banks, as
determined by the banks ability and willingness to participate in the SmartWay
program.
Presence of truck dealerships and service centers capable and willing to install
SmartWay Upgrade Kits
Counties designated by EPA as nonattainment or maintenance for ozone and/or
particulate matter, and
1 In FY 05 and '06, EPA awarded several grants that benefit EJ areas. For example, EPA awarded $60K to a
project (total project cost with partner support - $200K) to evaluate idle reduction equipment on 7 locomotive
engines in a low-income, minority neighborhood in Chicago.
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Other relevant environmental and compliance related factors, including an
analysis of relevant potential EJ-related concerns and demographic information.
Taking the four components identified above, SmartWay will be better able to enact a
uniform, fair and efficient plan to recruit truck owners who reside in areas with: (1)
readily available funding mechanisms, (2) nonattainment/maintenance designation and
other relevant environmental and compliance factors, (3) proximity to truck dealerships
and service centers, and (4) a consideration of potential environmental justice-related
concerns.
SmartWay is also developing a program to reduce diesel emissions from drayage and
regional trucking operations. These trucks are frequently older, travel through areas with
potential EJ-related concerns and emit higher levels of emissions. Again, SmartWay is
working in public and private partnerships to develop low cost financing options to help
small and medium sized trucking companies purchase trucks equipped with after-
treatment exhaust devices. OTAQ expects to use some of the funds authorized by
Congress as part of the Diesel Emission Reduction (DERA) program to help leverage
some of these options. SmartWay is also developing an assessment tool that can be used
by marine and rail terminals to estimate local drayage emissions. This tool will allow for
the evaluation of different operational strategies, like improved gate operations and
chassis pools, that can help reduce truck idling and total vehicle miles driven.
EPA's SmartWay Transport Program includes an initiative to reduce air pollution and
Conserve fuel from idling trucks and locomotives. As part of this program, OTAQ is
organizing a regional coalition of communities, state and local governments, and trucking
and truck stop companies to install idle reduction systems along major interstate
corridors, (such as 1-65 in the Midwest and 1-95 in the Northeast). The criteria for
identifying locations include areas with low-income, minority populations in proximity to
a disproportionate number of facilities. Two such locations include a large truck stop in
Gary, Indiana which received a $125,000 grant for the installation of truck stop
electrification infrastructure, and a locomotive switch yard which received a $60,000
grant for anti-idling devices.
Major and Minor New Source Review (a.k.a Tribal NSR rule). On August 21, 2006,
OAR proposed the Tribal NSR rule to address significant regulatory gaps in the
protection of air quality in Indian country. The Tribal NSR rule will address new and
modifying stationary major and minor air pollution sources. Currently, minor sources in
Indian country are unregulated. In addition, we do not currently have a permitting
mechanism for major sources in non-attainment areas in Indian country. Tribes have
expressed concerns about the potential for cumulative impacts and un-level playing fields
for economic development. This a pilot project for tribal consultation. OAR hopes to
develop this new rule with sensitivity to the needs and culture of tribes and with attention
to the impact of our actions on tribal sovereignty. After proposal, we held a number of
outreach activities on the content of the proposal including web training and face-to-face
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meetings in Chicago, Phoenix, Temecula CA, and Seattle. We expect to complete the
rulemaking this fall.
Asthma Initiative. Since indoor environmental pollutants are important asthma triggers,
it is the goal of OAR's indoor environmental asthma initiative to integrate indoor
environmental management into medical and health care asthma management practices.
This initiative is targeted to reach nearly 7 million children living with asthma,
particularly those in low income families that are disproportionately affected by the
disease. The initiative establishes a national public education and prevention program in
response to the asthma epidemic in the United States. The goal of the education and
prevention program is to raise public awareness of indoor environmental asthma triggers
(e.g., secondhand smoke, dust mites, mold, pet dander, and cockroaches) and recommend
actions that can be taken to reduce children's exposure to the triggers in homes, schools
and child care settings. OAR is working to insure that environmental management is
fully incorporated into all asthma education and disease management programs.
In New Haven, CT, OAR funded the Community Clean Air Initiative, which is co-
managed by the New Haven Health Department and the City Plan Department. The
project developed and implemented a risk reduction strategy for prioritized air toxics
sources. The local inventory provided credibility and a firm basis for the workgroup to
focus on areas of concern in a 3-prong approach: transportation, industrial sources such
as surface coaters, and degreasers, and fossil fuel reduction and indoor air sources.
Specific projects include the purchase of ultra low sulfur diesel fuel for the entire
municipal fleet of about 120 school buses, garbage trucks, maintenance equipment and
fire trucks; pollution prevention workshops for surface coaters and degreasers; a Smoke
Outside asthma reduction initiative that focused on school and public health nurses,
health and day care centers
OAR funded a monitoring study and risk assessment which found unacceptable screening
levels of air toxics in Jefferson County, Kentucky, which relied on collaboration among
the community (including industry), local and state air agencies, University of Louisville,
and EPA. This led to negotiations between the greatest sources of some of the most
serious pollutants and the local government (mayor's office and air program) to reduce
those emissions. It has also supported the development of risk based air toxics
regulations for Jefferson County, Kentucky.
The St. Louis Community Air Project is a broad-based collaborative effort that has
focused on 1) indoor air toxics 2)diesel emission reductions 3) improved emissions
inventory and pollution prevention assistance for small businesses and 4) efforts to focus
on "greener buildings" by working with the St. Louis Chapter of the U.S. Green Building
Council. Early successes included retrofitting diesel school buses, an idling reduction
initiative, and community capacity building on air toxics reduction practices.
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The Great American Woodstove Change-out is primarily a voluntary partnership
approach that addresses the challenge of motivating homeowners and communities to
replace their old, polluting woodstoves with new, safer, more efficient and cleaner
burning technology (e.g., EPA-certified woodstove) and to educate them to burn more
cleanly. The project furthers both of the Agency's National Environmental Justice
Priorities by reducing the number of asthma attacks caused by exposure to particulate
matter and reducing exposure to air toxics.
Along with EPA Region 8, OAR partnered with, Lincoln County, MT, Hearth Patio and
Barbecue Association (HPBA), and the State of Montana to begin replacing up to 1200
woodstoves with cleaner burning hearth appliances in the Libby, Montana area. As part
of the larger EPA-led Great American Woodstove Change-out campaign, this partnership
has worked to garner resources and to educate the public about clean wood burning
techniques and about the importance of proper woodstove and chimney maintenance.
The Libby, Montana woodstove change-out campaign was kicked off in June of 2005.
We expect that by the end of the 2007, there will be 950 change-outs. The partners
developed replacement criteria and a program schedule, and the industry jumpstarted the
program by contributing $1 million in woodstoves, chimneys and installation - enough to
replace old stoves for about 300 low-income Libby families. Other resources were
leveraged from EPA, the state of Montana and Congress. Monitors for both PM2.5 and
air toxics were purchased and installed along existing monitors. Additional outcomes
include: improved indoor air quality as new stoves will be properly vented and sealed, a
50% improvement in energy efficiency, use of 1/3 less wood, and a reduction of the risk
of chimney fires due to a cleaner burn and less creosote build-up. Water quality will
likely improve because of lower pollutant deposition (benzo(a)pyrene) into nearby
waters, including the Kali spell River.
Section 5: Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) Alignment (link to mission
and priorities):
How is your Regional/Headquarters office's environmental justice program linked
to your Regional/Headquarters office's main GPRA priorities?
How are your Regional/Headquarters office's environmental justice strategies and
activities integrated into specific programmatic areas/functions? (e.g., permitting,
community outreach, etc.)
Does your Regional/Headquarters office utilize Performance Partnership
Agreements (PPAs) and Performance Partnership Grants (PPGs) to specifically
address environmental justice issues? If yes, please list and describe.
The Office of Air and Radiation does not have GPRA goals which separately address
environmental justice. OAR's current GPRA goals focus on protecting human health and the
environment through implementation of our criteria pollutant and toxics programs. Consistent
with the information provided in this plan, OAR's goal is to provide clean air for everyone,
regardless of their race or socioeconomic background. Therefore, environmental justice
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considerations are an integral part of all of OAR's GPRA goals. The following three examples
illustrates OAR's efforts to integrate environmental strategies into our ongoing programmatic
activities.
Under one of OAR's current GPRA goals, ORIA is responsible for overseeing the safe
disposal in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) of radioactive waste from approximately 20
sites around the country. The Department of Energy (DOE) manages waste disposal operations
related to the WIPP. The removal of waste from surface storage, and its isolation in a single,
underground location, will facilitate the cleanup and closure of DOE sites contaminated with
radioactive materials. ORIA is sensitive to the interests and concerns of communities affected
by WIPP, and have taken action to solicit input from communities and minority groups. This
helps address many of the environmental justice-related concerns associated with the placement
and operation of DOE sites.
ORIA's Las Vegas laboratory facility provides direct support toward increasing the number
of indoor radon gas measurements in the homes of economically-disadvantaged residents.
ORIA's laboratory provides a large supply of no-cost home radon test kits to individuals and/or
organizations that work with targeted populations in local communities. Under this program,
ORIA assists with the laboratory analysis of the home radon tests, sends final test results, and
maintains a database on the number and location of kits that were analyzed during each fiscal
year.
To better assist tribes, OAR is working to provide technical assistance and program support
to build tribal capacity in addressing indoor and outdoor air concerns. OAR is working to
develop federally based programs which would enable EPA to address air quality problems of
Indian Nations where tribes may be unable to do so themselves.
Section 6: Internal Organizational Engagement
Does your Regional/Headquarters office's environmental justice program have
any ongoing mechanisms to communicate with, receive input from, and otherwise
consistently engage with other programs in your Regional/Headquarters office? If
yes, please list and describe.
Has your Regional/Headquarters office developed any related guidance to the
staff regarding the integration of environmental justice in areas such as
authorization/delegation, environmental education, grants and contracts,
inspection, enforcement and compliance assistance, permitting, performance
partnership, public participation, waste site cleanup/brownfields, etc.? If yes,
please list and describe.
Staff from the Office of Air and Radiation engages in frequent meetings with staff from the
Office of Environmental Justice to ensure that OAR's environmental justice program is
consistent with Agency policy and direction. Because the Agency is moving toward a multi-
media approach to addressing environmental issues, OAR consistently collaborates with other
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media offices to ensure that our program goals are consistent when issues related to air pollution
are raised. Specific issues/projects may require more frequent communications with other
programs. Listed below are a number of collaborative efforts in which OAR staff are involved:
EPA's Children's Health Initiative
Agency Asthma Initiatives;
Community for a Renewed Environment (CARE) Program Policies on mercury
emissions;
The National Environmental Justice Training Collaborative. Through the work of the
collaborative, OAR is kept up-to-date on the latest environmental justice training
initiatives;
Regularly scheduled meetings with other Headquarters and Regional EJ
Coordinators;
Involvement with the EPA Environmental Justice Steering Committee
Policies on near-roadway exposure assessment (this includes work with the Office of
Federal Activities on NEPA Policy as well as coordination with the North American
Commission for Environmental Cooperation).
OAR proactively pursues opportunities to integrate environmental justice into our program.
This expectation has been consistently communicated to staff through our action plans and
memorandums.
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Section 7: External Stakeholder Engagement
Does your Regional/Headquarters office have any processes in place to receive
input on environmental justice issues from external stakeholders, such as
workgroups, advisory bodies, or listening sessions? If yes, please describe the
process and explain how the input gathered may be (or has been) used by your
Regional/Headquarters office.
Does your Regional/Headquarters office have any ongoing mechanisms to share
information to external groups regarding environmental justice such as websites,
faxback system, printed outreach materials, etc.? If yes, please list and describe.
Also please mention the specific stakeholder group(s) which benefit from these
outreach mechanisms.
How does your Regional/Headquarters office identify stakeholders who could
benefit from increased awareness about environmental justice and being more
engaged in the collaborative problem-solving process?
How does your Regional/Headquarters office promote collaborative problem-
solving among stakeholders?
Does your Regional/Headquarters office have any special initiatives or provisions
to address issues for persons with limited English proficiency? If yes, please
describe or attach.
In the course of your environmental justice outreach, does your
Regional/Headquarters office utilize any informational materials translated in
languages other than English? If yes, please list and describe.
Are there any specific grant programs for which environmental justice was listed
as funding priority? Please list and describe.
The Clean Air Act requires that the public have the opportunity to participate in the
regulatory process. Therefore, OAR staff meets frequently with external stakeholders who may
be affected by or who may have a vested interest in the rules and guidance the Office develops.
With respect to environmental justice groups, OAR works closely with Office of Environmental
Justice staff to identify such stakeholders. This interaction with external stakeholders may take
many forms including, but, not limited to the following: (1) a meeting with industry or an
environmental group, (2) a public hearing or public listening session, (3) through the public
comment period required for all rulemakings, or (4) through workgroups formed under the
Federal Advisory Council Act (FACA). OAR also engages in dialogue with groups such as the
Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management and the National Association of Clean
Air Agencies, to get a better understanding of how states and local air quality control agencies
may be affected by the actions of our office.
OAR works closely with two Federal Advisory Groups, the National Environmental Justice
Advisory Council (NEJAC) and the Clean Air Act Advisory Committee (CAAAC). Staff is
always present at NEJAC meetings and provides support as needed. When appropriate, OAR
also brings environmental justice related issues to the attention of the Clean Air Act Advisory
Committee (CAAAC). The Office of Air and Radiation is sensitive to the public health and
environmental concerns of affected tribal and other communities through its radiation activities.
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For example, two of ORIA's regulatory programs are the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) and
Yucca Mountain. Both of these facilities are designed, owned, and operated by the Department
of Energy. ORIA develops the public health and safety standards for WIPP, conducts audits and
inspections, and serves as the regulator for WIPP. Public health and safety standards were also
developed for Yucca Mountain. ORIA's laboratories have performed public consultation and
developed a communications needs assessment to understand 1) what the public's concerns were
about the WIPP project, 2) what their informational needs were, and 3) how best to communicate
with them. Notices advertising the public hearings were placed in English and Spanish
newspapers. Additionally, the services of a Spanish translator were provided at WIPP public
hearings. During the development of our Yucca Mountain standards, ORIA met with state and
local representatives and representatives from many Native American tribes to explain roles and
regulations and listen to public concerns.
Currently, the Office of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ) and the NEJAC are undertaking
a collaborative effort to examine the impacts to communities from the transportation of freight -
also known as goods movement. Freight transportation, the movement of goods using trucking,
rail and ships, is an integral part of the U.S. economy. However, freight movement involves the
use of large diesel engines which are a major source of air pollutants including oxides of nitrogen
(NOx), paniculate matter (PM), greenhouse gas emissions, and fuel use. OTAQ employs several
innovative public private efforts to address freight issues including the SmartWay Transport
Partnership (SWT) and National Clean Diesel Campaign (NCDC). OTAQ's goal is to achieve
reductions of up to 19% in NOx 50-80% in PM, and by 2012, reduce CO2 emissions by 33-66
million metric tons and save 150 million barrels of oil (equal to 12 million cars off the road).
Since an initial meeting in September 2007, OTAQ and the NEJAC are forming a working group
with representatives from various interests including business, science, and community to
examine how to further facilitate current and identify innovative ways to address the complex
issues involved in the movement of goods. For example, SmartWay Transport is working
closely with the NEJAC to identify and expand financial and market-based incentives that
challenge the freight industry to improve its environmental performance while reducing
operating cost and providing greater energy security. SmartWay Transport's goal is to develop
sustainable financing strategies to provide truck companies and owner-operators access to
financing options to help pay for technologies that not only reduce fuel use and air pollution but
also subsequent impacts to communities. Upgraded trucks financed with SmartWay's low
interest program are less expensive and more environmentally efficient than the same truck not
upgraded and many of these trucks are drayage and regional trucks which are frequently older,
emit more air pollutants, and often driven by low-income and minority drivers.
As the result of a nationwide grants competition, ORIA's Indoor Environments Division funds
many formal cooperative agreement partnerships with external stakeholders which are focused
on one-on-one public education regarding asthma and other indoor air issues in low-income
communities. The competition guidance required applicants to address environmental justice in
their proposals. The guidance criteria that were issued clearly stated:
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"EPA strives to improve indoor air quality (IAQ) and reduce associated human health
risks (such as asthma attacks) posed by pollutants in indoor environments/building
types. This is accomplished by increasing awareness and understanding of indoor air
quality principles and risks as well as by promoting appropriate voluntary practices
and risk reduction actions to improve indoor air quality by the public and key
stakeholders. EPA is also committed to working with disproportionately impacted
populations and tribes to reduce risks from poor IAQ."
ORIA's Indoor Environments Division (IED) has recognized the need to reach diverse
audiences in order to effectively reduce health risks and uses a wide variety of approaches and
techniques including the following:
All major publications are translated bilingually, including Spanish and other major
languages.
The IED home page contains a "Recursos en Espanol" button that can be "clicked," and
directs the user to all available Spanish publications.
The national media campaigns are developed and aired bilingually in both Spanish and
English languages
The development of low literacy and bilingual educational and resource brochures for
national distribution.
In addition to the activities listed above, ORIA works with a wide variety of other federal
partners and public national organizations that have extensive regional and local networks and
share mutual goals with the program such as the protection of public health and establishment of
local efforts to stimulate public action through media and grassroots efforts. ORIA supports
national organizations with extensive regional and local networks to help establish local
environmental justice outreach programs. This support is accomplished by encouraging
involvement with organizations that have the unique ability to reach special populations. OAR
meets regularly with these groups in order to create new opportunities for achieving significant
risk reduction. Funding is provided to cooperative partners in support of developing new tools
for building community-based programs that are flexible enough to be responsive to the needs of
residents in local communities. Some examples of activities include the following:
National Safety Council - work with low-income homeowners to make
discounted radon test kits available.
Association of Clinicians for the Underserved - provide asthma education to
low income families
Intertribal Council of Arizona - "Circuit rider" to do asthma education National
Association Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan - educate Native American
mothers and caregivers to reduce second hand smoke exposure to children Wake
Forest University-train health educators to work with migrant and seasonal
workers and educate Head Start families
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Center for Ecological Technologies - collaborate with health care professionals
and social service providers to educate low-income or economically-
disadvantaged parents to reduce children's incidence of asthma
U.S. HHS Office of Head Start - conduct national campaign to educate parents
of children enrolled in Head Start and Early Head Start programs about reducing
children's exposure to secondhand smoke and asthma triggers.
Thousands of urban and rural schools have implemented indoor air management plans as
a result of OAR's Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools program resulting in thousands of
students and staff working and attending school classrooms each day with improved
indoor air quality. Furthermore, OAR staff has worked with other organizations and
developed and piloted courses for school officials and facility managers which help
explain the benefits of Performance Contracting in improving building conditions and
reducing energy use by improving indoor air quality.
As a result of the work of OAR's radon risk reduction program - there are about 788
thousand homes with an operating mitigation system and about 1.5 million homes have
been built with radon-reducing features.
OAR continues to support tribal programs in many ways by including tribal
representatives on policy groups like the CAAC and the National Monitoring Strategy
Workgroup, ensuring that they are involved in ongoing Regional Planning Organizations
to address regional haze and other issues. Notably, where tribes choose not to participate,
OAR takes seriously its obligation to implement federal programs on reservations where
it is necessary and appropriate to protect human health and the environment.
OAR has recognized the need to both educate and inform the public on the work we are
doing to improve public health and the environment. To this end, OAR has developed
outreach materials geared toward informing communities of many of the programs that
are underway. A number of our informational brochures have also been translated to
Spanish. Copies of most of these materials can be found through the EPA website at
www.epa.gov. Below is a list of some of the environmental justice-related outreach
resources which are available:
National Radon Hotline [l-SOO-SOS-RADON (1-800-767-7236)1 and National Hispanic
Indoor Air Quality Hotline 866-528-3187
The Office of Radiation and Indoor Air (ORIA) is providing a grant to the National
Safety Council to reach culturally-diverse populations through the staffing and operation
of the bilingual hotlines which respond to public requests for IAQ information and
referrals. The hotlines supports increasing radon testing and mitigation in Hispanic
communities through follow-up with consumers requesting the radon test kit coupons,
and providing information about many other indoor air quality health issues (e.g.
mercury, secondhand smoke exposure to children, etc.).
Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Website (http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/)
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The Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools website is designed to strengthen and expand
EPA's national outreach program that is designed to create healthier indoor environments
for children in our nation's schools by providing tools and resources to spur the use of the
Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Kit.
Asthma Website (http://www.epa.gov/iaq/asthma/). ORIA' s Indoor Environments
Division has launched a national public and prevention program in response to the
asthma epidemic in the United States. The website is designed to raise public awareness
of indoor environmental asthma triggers and actions that can be taken to reduce children's
exposure in homes, schools and child care settings. The website provides public
information about tools and resources, primary contacts, asthma triggers, and answers to
other frequently asked questions.
Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) National Information Hotline. Based on feedback
from stakeholders ORIA has addressed the communications needs of culturally-diverse
communities by developing a toll-free (1-800) information line. The general public can
access the line 24 hours per day and 7 days per week to hear recorded messages about
current and planned EPA activities and opportunities for public involvement. Because
New Mexico and other affected states have a large Hispanic population, the WIPP
Information Line message is available in both English and Spanish. Many of our public
information brochures and materials are also available in both English and Spanish.
Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) National Website (www.epa.gov/radiation/wipp)
and (www.epa.gov/radiation/yucca). The ORIA website provides the general public
with access to important information about WIPP and Yucca Mountain.
TribalAIR Website (http://www.epa.gov/oar/tribal/airprogs.html) The TribalAIR
web site is designed to strengthen EPA and Tribal air quality programs in Indian Country
by: providing timely and user-friendly access to key information; promoting the
exchange of ideas; and making available relevant documents to all environmental
professionals who live and work in Indian Country.
The TribalAir Newsletter is a quarterly newsletter produced by OAR's Office of Air
Quality Planning and Standards as one of our tools to make Tribal air professionals aware
of our air pollution control activities early enough allow tribes to participate in their
development. This newsletter provides information on upcoming activities (e.g.,
workshops and training) as well as, a place to report progress.
Air Quality Index Booklet and Air NOW Website (http://www.epa.gov/airnow). OAR
is working to make information about air quality as available to the public as information
about the weather. A key tool in this effort is the Air Quality Index (AQI). EPA and local
officials use the AQI to provide the public with timely and easy-to-understand
information on local air quality and whether air pollution levels pose a health concern.
The AQI booklet tells you about the AQI and how it is used to provide air quality
information. It also tells you about the possible health effects of major air pollutants at
OAR Environmental Justice Action Plan Page 29
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various levels and suggests actions the public can take to protect their health when
pollutants reach unhealthy concentrations. The AQI focuses on health effects that can
happen within a few hours or days after breathing polluted air.
ENERGY STAR Website (http://www.energystar.gov) The ENERGY STAR website has a
large number of tools for consumers and ENERGY STAR partners. It includes a webpage
dedicated to energy efficiency in affordable housing:
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=bldrs lenders raters.pt affordable housing
In 2007, EPA launched the Recourses en Espagnol portion of the website. This section provides
Spanish language resources for homeowners, renters, small businesses, and congregations. In
addition, it has several "How We Saved" stories which profile Latino families around the
country who have saved energy through the ENERGY STAR program.
Acid Rain Website (http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/) EPA's Acid Rain Website provides
background information on acid rain as well as educational resources and links to the Acid Rain
kids site. All portions of the Acid Rain website are available in Spanish.
Data and Maps Website (http://camddataandmaps.epa.gov/gdm/) EPA's Data and Maps
website is a publicly accessible portal to a variety of data including national power plant
information, acid deposition and air quality data, and emissions and allowance data to query and
download by a particular source, state and time period.
Climate Change Website (http://epa.gov/climatechange/)
EPA's Climate Change website offers comprehensive information on the issue of climate change
in a way that is accessible and meaningful to all parts of society - communities, individuals,
business, states and localities, and governments.
[[edit Sunwise section as follows]]
SunWise ToolKit and Website (www.epa.gov/sunwise/es/home.html) The Sun Wise program
was developed several years ago to educate and inform communities about ozone depletion and
its adverse effects on the environment and health. The SunWise Tool Kit is an educational
activity kit aligned with national education standards that has been adopted by more than 18,000
schools and provides sun protection information to protect school children from excessive UV
exposure and cancer risk. The SunWise website includes an overview of ozone depletion, its
causes and what we can do to address the issue. Its primary focus is on preventing and
minimizing adverse health effects. The website is translated into Spanish.
Section 8: Data Collection, Management, and Evaluation
List your Regional/Headquarters office 's main data sets - the ways in which you collect
environmental justice information. Also, describe how this information is utilized by your
Regional/Headquarters office (e.g., environmental justice assessment, program
tracking/evaluation, etc.).
Does your Regional/Headquarters office have a method of identifying and highlighting
best practices and lessons learned? If yes, please describe.
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As part of the analysis of the annual National Awareness of ENERGY STAR survey, EPA
monitors the public awareness of the ENERGY STAR brand across the U.S. Census
demographic groups and income levels. In the most recent survey (2007) there were no
statistically significant differences in awareness levels amongst those groups. EPA also tracks
media stories mentioning ENERGY STAR in Spanish language print and television outlets.
EPA maintains a quarterly reporting process that tracks the number of ENERGY STAR qualified
manufactured homes built, and the number of homes built by Habitat for Humanity affiliates.
We also receive annual reports from HUD regarding the number of ENERGY STAR qualified
homes built using public funds. In addition, we keep track of outreach efforts to state housing
finance agencies.
Air Quality Trends "Fact Book" and Website (http://www.epa.gov/air/airtrends).
Shows air quality trends in metropolitan areas using the latest data.
Tier 2 Brochure Tier 2/Gasoline Sulfur Brochure ("Refineries and Cleaner Fuels:
reducing sulfur to improve the air"). OAR has developed a brochure designed to educate
communities living around refineries. The brochure describes the environmental benefits
of the Tier 2/gasoline sulfur program, why refineries may need to get permits to make
changes needed to reduce gasoline sulfur levels, and how community members can get
involved in the permitting process.
It All Adds Up to Cleaner Air (http://www.italladdsup.gov) is a unique public
education and partnership-building initiative developed collaboratively by several federal
agencies to help regional, state and community efforts to reduce traffic congestion and air
pollution. It All Adds Up emphasizes simple, convenient actions people can take to
improve air quality and reduce congestion. The voluntary initiative is sponsored by the
U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Federal Highway Administration, OAR's
Office of Transportation and Air Quality, and DOT's Federal Transit Administration.
Mobile Source Outreach Assistance Competition. Each year, OAR's Office of
Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ) manages a competition for state and local air
agencies which is designed to provide "seed" funding for innovative outreach projects
which can be replicated in like communities nationwide. Environmental Justice is one of
the primary areas of emphasis in the annual Request for Proposal.
OAR has also consistently promoted, supported, and provided resources to enhance
regional, state, and local environmental justice initiatives. Unlike the projects listed in Section
4: Program Support, OAR is not the lead for the projects listed below. However, OAR has
decided to support these efforts to build relationships and to foster a collaborative atmosphere to
more effectively achieve desired environmental results. OAR has found these efforts to be
tremendously successful partnerships. Some examples are:
OAR Environmental Justice Action Plan Page 31
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Environmental Justice Training Collaborative. OAR continues to support efforts to
centralize the continued implementation and further development of environmental
justice training in the Agency.
Reducing Air Emissions at Airports. Many of the nation's busiest airports are located
in urban areas which struggle to meet air quality standards. EPA shares concerns about
how airport-related emissions impact surrounding communities and recognizes the
challenges that airport activities pose on state and local efforts to achieve and maintain
healthy air quality. OAR is providing both technical support and financial resources to
ensure that air emissions from airports are being properly addressed and reduced. OAR
staff is currently participating as advisors for an activity appropriately characterized as a
federal-city partnership to enhance the lives of the residents of Los Angeles. EPA has
convened several interagency meetings to dialogue with organizations having
responsibility, authority, and technical expertise concerning issues involving airport
operations in order to develop the framework for a comprehensive study to determine the
contribution of air emissions from Los Angeles World Airport (LAX) to the surrounding
communities. However, airport-related environmental justice issues are not unique to
Los Angeles; this study also provides the opportunity for Federal interagency cooperation
to develop methodologies and guidance that could serve as a model for future studies
throughout the country.
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Air Quality and Source Apportionment Study of the Area Surrounding Los Angeles
International Airport
The Air Quality and Source Apportionment Study of the Area Surrounding LAX, a
technically complex, comprehensive study unprecedented in scope, involves
numerous issues of great importance to EPA and would not only benefit
stakeholders in the Los Angeles area, but would produce data to be used in future
assessments at other airports nationwide. The air toxics component of the air
emissions generated by airport-related activities is of particular importance in this
proposed study, and the results would also better position EPA and other relevant
agencies to respond constructively to airport-related health and environmental
concerns expressed by communities throughout the country.
Components of the study plan including the Technical Workplan, Emission
Inventory Protocol, Fuel Sampling Protocol, and Pilot Study Quality Assurance
Project Plan have been developed in draft by consultants contracted by LAX with
oversight and technical assistance provided by representatives of EPA, the
California Air Resources Board, and South Coast Air Quality Management
District. OAR staff is also providing guidance to LAX concerning development
of a meaningful community involvement plan, formation of a public advisory
committee, and related matters.
Maricopa County Risk Assessment. This is a partnership between the three tribes
located in the Phoenix area and the State of Arizona to identify and address air toxics
risks. This project will also address environmental justice-related issues for both
minority and disadvantaged communities within the Phoenix city limits.
Section 8: Data Collection, Management, and Evaluation
List your Regional/Headquarters office's main data sets - the ways in which you collect
environmental justice information. Also, describe how this information is utilized by
your Regional/Headquarters office (e.g., environmental justice assessment, program
tracking/evaluation, etc.).
Does your Regional/Headquarters office have a method of identifying and highlighting
best practices and lessons learned? If yes, please describe.
Traditionally, OAR does not collect environmental justice information in an isolated
manner. However, there are a number of air quality-related data resources which this Office
maintains and which are used to better characterize and assess the air quality in local
communities. This information is also used to evaluate program effectiveness and to identify
areas where additional attention may be needed.
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The AirData Web site provides access to yearly summaries of United States air pollution
data, taken from EPA's air pollution databases. The data include all fifty states in addition to the
District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U. S. Virgin Islands. AirData contains information
about pollution sources and monitoring levels.
Air quality data can mainly be found in the AIRS, National Emissions Trends, and the National
Emission Inventory for Hazardous Air Pollutants Databases. As a result of best practices and
lessons learned, OAR:
Established a new cooperative agreement with the University Of Michigan School Of
Public Health that will result in a broad review of community-based indoor
environmental asthma interventions to determine the best and most effective practices in
local communities around the country.
Section 9: Professional and Organizational Development
Does your Regional/Headquarters office plan to provide training on environmental
justice? If yes, please list and describe.
What methods do you utilize to promote shared learning, such as best practices and
lessons learned among staff? If yes, please list and describe.
OAR is offering voluntary training on the fundamentals of environmental justice to its entire
staff on a periodic basis. Personnel involved in permitting, urban air toxic initiatives, community
based initiatives, and those evaluating cumulative risk from toxic emissions are the primary
target audience. OAR management believes this is an important training which can benefit all
staff including OAR managers. OAR staff is also assisting the OEJ in providing the
fundamentals course to other internal and external constituents.
In order to identify new methods to help promote shared learning and best practices in
local communities, ORIA's Indoor Environments Division (IED) continues to fund a
number of projects that are targeted at diverse and under served populations. The
objective is to create a system for identifying new methods in a consistent and most
effective manner.
Section 10: Environmental Justice Assessment
Does your Regional/Headquarters office have a process by which an environmental
justice assessment is conducted? If yes, please describe.
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Does your Regional/Headquarters office rely on any information resources with which to
conduct an environmental justice assessment, such as the Environmental Justice Mapper,
Environmental Justice Toolkit, etc.? If yes, please list and describe.
To date, OAR's environmental justice assessments have generally consisted of a review of
demographic data (including socioeconomic status, minority populations and educational
background) and the generation of GIS maps of the area of impact.
Radiation Ambient Monitoring Systems (ERAMS) Project. This initiative (also
entitled the National Radiation Monitoring Program) supports the provision of emergency
response in the event of a large scale national incident (such as that of a Chernobyl or
similar incident). Major goals of the initiative are to provide good baseline data and to
generate good decision making data to help protect public health. Some specially
selected sites, for example, with respect to tribes in Prairie Island, Minnesota have been
in place for several years. These air sites help to provide ongoing special monitoring for
tribal lands. The project is being implemented on population basis, whereby NAREL is
adding air monitoring stations in many communities which include EJ-related
communities.
Section 11: Program Evaluation
Each Program Office and Region will identify 1-2 activities for EJ reviews and establish
a schedule for this first round of reviews in their FY09 EJ Action Plans. The EJ reviews
should be described in the Program Evaluation Section of the Narrative as well as
documented in the performance measures matrix.
EPA's Office of Atmospheric Programs conducted an environmental justice assessment of its
Acid Rain Program in 2005. This was the first EPA EJ review of a program in EPA and analyzed
the impacts of the Acid Rain Program (ARP) on people of different races, ethnicities and income
levels. This staff analysis showed that at full implementation of the program in 2010, each racial,
ethnic, and income-level group studied received similar average improvement in PM2.5 in the
eastern U.S. (where the vast majority of the emission reductions took place) as a result of the
ARP. No disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects of the Acid
Rain Program were found for any minority, low-income, or other population.
Building on this staff analysis of the environmental justice impacts of the ARP, EPA will
develop the format and analytical questions to periodically assess the impact of the Clean Air
Interstate Rule (CAIR), with implementation starting in 2009, on EJ communities.
In FY2009, OAR will conduct an environmental justice review of the Major and Minor New
Source Review (described in Section 4) using the Agency's Protocol for Conducting
Environmental Justice Reviews for the Standard Setting and Rulemaking/Regulatory
Development Function. The purpose of the review will be to highlight achievements, lessons
OAR Environmental Justice Action Plan Page 3 5
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learned, and potential improvements of the manner in which OAR has integrated environmental
justice considerations in the rulemaking process.
Success with OAR Environmental Justice initiatives is measured by the extensive number of
ongoing projects and their effectiveness in addressing far reaching issues which are important to
the environmental justice community. As mentioned earlier in this Action Plan, OAR plans to
review progress on implementing the Environmental Justice Action Plan on a frequent basis. If
OAR management determines that sufficient progress is not being made in a timely manner, a
determination will be made on how to strengthen or improve the Office's performance.
Key personnel, with specific responsibility to coordinate environmental justice-related
issues for the Office, have performance measures which are specifically related to environmental
justice.
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OFFICE OF AIR AND RADIATION
FY 2009 Environmental Justice Action Plan
Section 2: Performance Measures Matrix
Definitions of terms used in the Performance Measures Matrices:
Goal - any of the 5 major goals identified in the EPA Strategic Plan FY 2006-2011 and the Cross Cutting Strategy.
Objectives - any of the 8 national environmental justice priorities or other priorities identified by the Headquarters Program Office or Region to
accomplish a goal.
Activity - any action undertaken in order to address an Objective. Please list each activity only one time even if it applies to multiple Objectives or
consider including it under Cross Cutting Strategies.
Output - the direct results of an Activity. "Output measures" answer, quantitatively, the question: What will be accomplished under each activity?
Outcome - description of the impacts (i.e., changes in condition) resulting from an Activity. "Outcome measures" answer the question: What
impacts will the output/activities make relevant to public health and/or the environment? Note that in identifying outcomes you will need to establish
a baseline (i.e., starting point) from which progress is measured. If the starting point or baseline condition is unknown, state an assumption and
provide a short rationale supporting your assumption. As identified by the Office of Policy Economics and Innovation's Evaluation
As identified by the Office of Policy Economics and Innovation's Evaluation Support Division, outcomes can be:
Short-term (awareness) - changes in learning, knowledge, attitude skills, understanding
Intermediate (behavior) - changes in behavior, practice or decisions
Long-term (condition) - changes in condition1
Office of Policy, Economics and Innovation. National Center for Environmental Innovation. Evaluation Support Division, "Introduction to Performance Measurement."
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OFFICE OF RADIATION AND INDOOR AIR (ORIA)
2009 Environmental Justice Action Plan
Section 1: Performance Measures Matrix Highlights
FY 2009 Robust-Results Oriented Activity
Description: ASTHMA PROGRAM STRATEGY
Asthma is a serious, sometimes life-threatening respiratory disease that affects the quality of life for millions of Americans. Over 22 million people,
including 6.8 million children, have asthma and prevalence is higher among families with lower incomes. African-Americans continue to have
higher rates of emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and deaths than do Caucasian-Americans. Approximately 2 million Hispanic-
Americans have asthma and Puerto Ricans are disproportionately impacted. The rate is 125% higher than non-Hispanic Caucasian-Americans.
Native Americans have more symptoms and more severe symptoms than other groups. Although there is no cure yet, asthma can be controlled
through medical treatment and management of environmental triggers. Some common triggers include dust mites, molds, cockroaches, pet dander,
secondhand smoke, and ozone and particle pollution.
The Asthma Program Strategy outlines EPA's effort to help reduce or prevent asthma-related deaths and morbidity, including asthma attacks,
resulting from exposure to indoor and outdoor air pollutants and reach our long term goal: "By 2012, 6.5 million people will be taking essential
actions to manage environmental triggers. We will make progress toward this goal by mobilizing and equipping communities to deliver quality
asthma care."
Activities/ Resources/
/Partners
Output
Short-term
(awareness)
Applicable Outcome Measure
Intermediate
(behavior)
Long-term
(condition)
Point of Contact
Raise Awareness -fund
partnership with Ad Council
to deliver the Goldfish
Public Service Advertising
Campaign, no attacks
hotline and no attacks
website; - support Asthma
Awareness Month activities
nationwide.
Educate parents and
caregivers of children with
- New media campaign
materials; Regional
media trainings and
outreach to urban
communities; Quarterly
newsletter to website
viewers
Cooperative partners
educating thousands of
children, parents and
-Increased public
awareness as measured
by Ad Council tracking
studies, web hits and
hotline calls.
-Increased
understanding of
parents and caregivers
about asthma health
risks and prevention
actions.
- State, regional, and
community coalitions will
adopt campaign and
provide local education
and outreach.
More parents and
caregivers taking
essential actions to
manage trigger
exposures, estimated
Children with asthma
have fewer asthma
attacks, and other
improved asthma
health outcomes,
including reduced ER
visits, reduced
hospitalizations,
increased symptom-
free days, and other
quality-of-life
improvements, as
Dave Rowson
Indoor
Environments
Division (IED)
Tel: 202-343-9449
E-mail:
rowson.david@epa.
gov
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Activities/ Resources/
/Partners
Output
Applicable Outcome Measure
Short-term
(awareness)
Intermediate
(behavior)
Long-term
(condition)
Point of Contact
asthmaincluding health
care professionals- (gather
knowledge, develop and
promote educational
brochures, fund
partnerships to deliver
validated educational
programs)
Support comprehensive
Community based asthma
care (- Gather knowledge,
Develop & promote tools &
guidance materials; hold
National Asthma Forum;
run Awards and
Recognition Program; host
online Network; fund
partnerships to provide
health care provider
training, and regional
pacing events.
caregivers about asthma
management and triggers
in homes, schools, child
care centers; and training
health care professionals
about environmental
controls.
State-of-the art best
practices housed online;
web-based assessment
tool; knowledge transfer
through webinars and
discussion forums led by
peer faculty and mentors.
- National Asthma Forum
and Awards Program
- Regional pacing events
for community- based
programs
- Increased knowledge
of health professionals
about effective
education and
prevention approaches,
as documented by
National Environmental
Leadership in Asthma
Award applications and
Exemplary Award
applications; training
program assessments.
- Increased number of
Community programs
accessing best practices
through online Network,
as measured by number
of programs registered
on Network, number of
representatives
attending the National
Asthma Forum and
webinars.
from national indicators
of asthma morbidity.
-Increased number of
community programs
implementing effective
strategies into their
asthma programs as
measured by number of
programs using the
online assessment tools.
measured through
national indicators of
asthma prevalence,
morbidity and
mortality.
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OAP Environmental Justice Action Plan
Section 1: Performance Measures Matrix Highlights
FY09 Robust-Results Oriented Activities
Description: ENERGY STAR Residential Program
Energy efficiency has been proven to be a very cost effective strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and combating the problems related to
global climate change, in addition to improving our energy security and reducing our energy bills. Since 1992 the ENERGY STAR program has
helped consumers and businesses find cost-effective, energy-efficient solutions. To address the fact that much of the U.S.'s greenhouse gas
emissions are generated by the residential sector, ENERGY STAR formed the ENERGY STAR Residential Program. This program forms voluntary
partnerships with groups like homebuilders and utilities to leverage resources and provide whole-house solutions for improving the energy-efficiency
of new and existing homes. ENERGY STAR offers energy-efficiency guidelines for builders who want to construct ENERGY STAR qualified
homes. For existing homes there is Home Performance with ENERGY STAR, which is a systems-based, whole-house approach to assessing and
improving an existing home's energy efficiency.
A component of ENERGY STAR'S efforts in the residential sector is focused on improving access to energy-efficient homes for lower-income
families, whose household income is often disproportionately spent on paying for utilities compared to upper-income families.
Activities/ Resources/
/Partners
Output
Short-term
(awareness)
Applicable Outcome Measure
Intermediate
(behavior)
Long-term
(condition)
Point of
Contact
Activities
- Promote ENERGY STAR
residential new construction
guidelines to affordable
housing stakeholders
- Promote Home Performance
with ENERGY STAR
- Promote energy efficiency
financing
- Promote ENERGY STAR
construction guidelines for
manufactured housing
-Coordination with HUD
and its implementation of
its Energy Action Plan
- Outreach to state housing
finance agencies
-Outreach to and
partnership building with
Habitat for Humanity and
their affiliates
- Technical assistance
- Through the existing
weatherization program
- More state housing
finance agencies will
recognize energy
efficiency as a desirable
component of new
affordable housing.
- More HUD grantees will
be aware of ENERGY
STAR for homes and add
ENERGY STAR as a
voluntary component to
their HUD grant
application requirements.
- More affordable housing
1
- More state housing
finance authorities (HFA)
will award points in the
competitive process for
allocating low income
housing tax credits to
housing projects that
include an energy
efficiency component.
States that currently offer
points for efficiency
components will increase
their level of commitment
to efficiency in new, state-
funded affordable housing
- Greater comfort, health,
and income savings for
residents
- Reduced energy
consumption
- Greater value given to
homes that are energy
efficient
- Reduced GHG emissions
David Lee,
Chief
ENERGY
STAR
Residential
Branch
(202) 343-
9131
Lee.davidf(@,e
pa.gov
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Activities/ Resources/
/Partners
Output
Short-term
(awareness)
Applicable Outcome Measure
Intermediate
(behavior)
Point of
Contact
Long-term
(condition)
- Promote use of ENERGY
STAR Bulk Purchasing Tool
Resources
Incorporation of ENEGY
STAR related measures as
part of existing Federal, State,
and Private Funding Programs
(i.e. HUD grant programs,
state low income housing tax
credits, foundation funding)
Partnerships:
State housing finance
agencies, HUD, Habitat for
Humanity affiliates, housing
authorities, community
development corporations,
affordable housing unit
owners, foundations, lenders,
energy efficiency program
sponsors (such as utilities,
states, municipalities, and
non-profit organizations), and
other affordable housing
stakeholders
infrastructure, bring the
benefits of the whole house
retrofit approach of Home
Performance with
ENERGY STAR
- EPA, working with the
Ford Foundation and others,
is developing and piloting a
new energy efficient
mortgage that will monetize
the value of energy savings
so that low income families
can own energy efficient
homes or afford to make
efficiency improvements to
their current home, thereby
reducing the cost of
homeownership.
- Outreach to energy
efficiency program sponsors
(such as utilities, states,
municipalities, and non-
profit organizations). This
includes providing sponsors
with online access to an
EPA-developed guidebook
(http: //www .energy star, gov/
index.cfm?c=home improv
ementhpwes sponsors dev
elop step2) which contains
information on how
program sponsors can
develop and implement
special financial programs
targeted at low income
families that are in need of
efficiency improvements to
stakeholders such as state
housing authorities and
community development
corporations will recognize
energy efficiency as a
desirable and necessary
component of existing
affordable housing.
- More owners of
affordable housing units
will have access to energy
efficiency services and
products, especially those
who aren't poor enough to
qualify for weatherization
services and aren't wealthy
enough to purchase
efficiency services and
products on the open
market.
- Greater access to energy
efficiency financing
products for low-income
homeowners and renters.
- More lower-income
homebuyers have greater
access to energy efficient
homes and products.
projects.
- More efficient affordable
housing projects will be
constructed
- More low income
homeowners and renters
will be able to secure
funding (loans, grants,
rebates, etc.) for efficiency
improvements.
- Existing homes will be
retrofitted to be more
efficient.
- Increased production and
sale of ENERGY STAR
qualified manufactured
homes.
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Activities/ Resources/
/Partners
Output
Short-term
(awareness)
Applicable Outcome Measure
Intermediate
(behavior)
Point of
Contact
Long-term
(condition)
their homes.
- Targeted EPA outreach to
the manufactured homes
industry
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EJ ACTION PLAN PERFORMANCE MEASURES MATRIX
Office of Transportation and Air Quality Environmental Justice Action Plan
Section 1: Performance Measures Matrix Highlights
FY09 Robust-Results Oriented Activities
Description: National Clean Diesel Campaign / SmartWay Transport Program
Reducing emissions from diesel engines is one of the most important air quality challenges facing the country. Even with EPA's more stringent
heavy-duty highway and nonroad engine standards set to take effect over the next decade, millions of diesel engines already in use will continue to
emit large amounts of nitrogen oxides, particulate matter and air toxics, which contribute to serious public health problems. These emissions are
linked to thousands of premature deaths, hundreds of thousands of asthma attacks, millions of lost work days, and numerous other health impacts
every year. Diesel engines impact environmental justice areas because many such areas are located near major highways, truck terminals, truck
stops, ports and construction sites where substantial diesel traffic and diesel idling occur. The National Clean Diesel Campaign aims to reduce
emissions from existing diesel engines by retrofitting them with emission control devices and by reducing idling. Additionally, EPA's SmartWay
Transport Program works to reduce air pollution by specifically helping shippers and freight companies reduce fuel consumption. Reducing idling
emissions is a key component of the SmartWay program.
OTAQ's National Clean Diesel Campaign and SmartWay Transport Program outline a strategy for reaching the goal of reduced asthma attacks in
areas where low-income and/or minority groups are exposed disproportionately to diesel emissions. These two programs provide a robust strategy,
involving regulatory and voluntary efforts and partnerships with industry, agencies, and communities to help achieve EPA's EJ goals and objectives
including reducing the number asthma attacks, exposure to air toxics and collaborative problem-solving to address environmental justice issues.
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Activities/ Resources/
/Partners
Output
Short-term
(awareness)
Applicable Outcome Measure
Intermediate
(behavior)
Long-term
(condition)
Point of Contact
Activities
- Enhance outreach &
education to existing
stakeholder groups including
state agencies,
municipalities, MPOs, and
construction, port, agriculture
and trucking sectors to
promote opportunities to
reduce emissions in areas
where low-income and
minority populations are
particularly impacted by
diesel exhaust.
- Develop additional materials
including relevant success
stories.
- Fund clean diesel grant
proposals
Resources
- Potential FY09 DERA
Funding $49.2 million
- State and municipal bonds
- Private sector financing
Building Partnerships:
OAQPS, NEJAC, American
Lung Association, National
Association of Clean Air
Agencies, Environmental
Defense, NRDC, Office of
- Summary of EJ-
related projects
implemented from
National Clean Diesel
Database
- Emissions reductions
achieved calculated by
the Diesel Emissions
Quantifier
- Enhancements made
to NCDC Website with
EJ focus
- Participate in
stakeholder meetings
to discuss the benefits
of clean diesel and
reduced idling
- Identify top priority
areas to target diesel
emissions reduction
efforts
- Increase awareness of
all stakeholders
regarding solutions
available for reducing
emissions from diesel
engines through retrofit
and idle reduction
- Partners/stakeholders
are more aware of
opportunities to
implement diesel
emission reduction
activities in areas where
low-income and minority
populations are
particularly impacted by
diesel exhaust.
- Actions taken to
reduce diesel emission
include:
Diesel equipment
replacements, retrofits,
repowers, idle
reduction
implementation, and
early use of ULSD fuel
Health of targeted
populations is improved
as measured by
reduction in number and
severity of asthma
incidents reported in
areas with low-income
and minority populations
Connie Ruth:
Tel: 734-214-4815
E-mail:
ruth.connie@epa.go
v
-------
Activities/ Resources/
/Partners
Output
Short-term
(awareness)
Applicable Outcome Measure
Intermediate
(behavior)
Long-term
(condition)
Point of Contact
Children's Health Protection
Advisory Committee, State
and City Governments,
Community Groups,
Academic Institutions, Clean
Diesel Collaboratives,
American Trucking
Association.
-------
OFFICE OF AIR QUALITY PLANNING AND STANDARDS 2009 ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ACTION PLAN
Section 1: Performance Measures Matrix Highlights
Robust-Results Oriented Activity
Description: COLLISION RERPAIR CAMPAGIN AND AUTOBODY RULEMAKING
EPA developed the Collision Repair Campaign to focus on meaningful risk reduction in the Collision Repair source sector to complement our
ongoing community air toxics work and attain reductions at a faster rate. The Campaign will also serve as an opportunity for shops to work towards
early compliance with the auto body rule. These shops are widespread in nature and tend to be clustered in minority, immigrant, and low income
neighborhoods.
Through implementing best practices, which include installing and maintaining control equipment and using safer paints and solvents, toxic
exposures are expected to be reduced by 90%. It is estimated that utilizing best practices in 1,000 shops will reduce HAP and VOC emissions by 3.5
million pounds annually.
Activities
Output
Applicable Outcome Measure
Short-term Intermediate Long-term
(awareness) (behavior) (condition)
Point of Contact
Enhance capacity of
overburdened communities to
identify and address issues of
exposure to air toxics by
supporting the Collision Repair
Campaign
Improvements to
Collision Repair
Campaign website and
outreach brochures
translated to Spanish
DVD on the Paint
Stripping Rule for small
repairs shop owners
Raise awareness of
all stakeholders,
particularly autobody
shop owners and staff
about toxics exposure
(measure persons
briefed or trained)
Autobody shop owners
implement best
practices
Emission reductions
from autobody shops
(track emission
reductions where
feasible)
Holly Wilson
OAR/OAQPS
919-541-5624
Wilson.holly@epa.g
ov
-------
OFFICE OF RADIATION AND INDOOR AIR
FY 2009 Environmental Justice Action Plan
Section 2: Performance Measures Matrix
Goal 1:
Objective:
Clean Air and Global Climate Change
Reduction in number of asthma attacks (e.g., reduce asthma triggers such as particulate matter)
Activities
Output
Applicable Outcome Measure
Short-term
(awareness)
Intermediate
(behavior)
Long-term (condition)
Point of Contact
Support the Regional Tribal Effective
Asthma Management Project
(TEAM) which is a program
designed to increase tribal capability
in assessing, understanding, and
reduce exposure to environmental
triggers of asthma.
Recent asthma prevalence studies
have shown some tribes within EPA
Regions have asthma rates up to 2.5
times higher than the national
average
The TEAM Project will
respond to tribal needs
with direct training,
outreach, education that
is culturally specific and
designed to reduce the
deleterious health
impacts of asthma to
Native American
communities using a
focused, systematic,
multi-disciplinary
asthma service, designed
to coordinate and
optimize the delivery of
asthma care.
Increase awareness
of at-risk
populations by
updating the
Asthma Register -
the Register is used
to identify the
patient population
for asthma clinic
services. The
Asthma Register
system is a
component of the
Indian Health
Service resource
and patient
management
system.
Increase the number
of asthma action
plans created; and
the number of IAQ
mitigations made in
the home
environment.
Home visit referrals
will be made to
"survey" to
determine if any
asthma triggers are
present and track
clusters of
occurrences.
Through training and
education, adults and children
with asthma, (particularly from
tribal/underserved
communities) will experience
fewer asthma attacks and have
improved quality of life and
result in a decrease in the
number of missed school days
and in emergency room visits.
Chris Griffin
Indoor Environments
Division (IED)
Tel: (202) 343-9421
E-mail:
griffin. chris@,epa. gov
-------
Activities
Output
Applicable Outcome Measure
Short-term
(awareness)
Intermediate
(behavior)
Long-term (condition)
Point of Contact
Support partnership with Association
of Clinicians for the Underserved
(ACU) to work on reducing indoor
asthma triggers for pediatric asthma
patients by improving clinicians'
ability to integrate the assessment of
environmental factors into a
comprehensive asthma management
plan and standards of care. The
ACU will target underserved
communities which demonstrate the
need for access to affordable, quality,
transdisciplinary health care, and
culturally-competent health care
professionals. ACU will work with
other organizations including the
National Environmental Education
Foundation and the American
College of Preventive Medicine to
integrate health care provider training
into their professional development
programs.
Train 600 health care
professionals on
environmental
management of asthma
triggers.
Complete curriculum on
asthma and indoor air
quality. The curriculum
is continuously reviewed
and improved to meet
the cultural and special
population needs of the
audiences receiving this
information.
Increased awareness
of 600 primary care
clinicians and health
care teams who
serve low-income,
uninsured, under-
insured, and
culturally diverse
patients.
An estimated
increase of 25% of
trained health care
professionals will
incorporate
strategies for
environmental
management of
indoor asthma
triggers into clinical
practice and
standards of care for
patients. The health
care professionals
will potentially
impact an estimated
110,000 pediatric
asthma patients in
low-income,
culturally-diverse
communities.
Support EPA's Goal 1: Clean
Air and Global Climate
Change; Objective
1.2 Healthier Indoor Air; Sub-
objective 1.1.1- More People
Breathing Cleaner Air
By 2012, 6.5 million people
with asthma will be taking all
essential actions to reduce
exposures to their indoor
asthma triggers (thereby
preventing about 90,000 ER
visits annually and producing
other positive health outcomes.
David Rowson
Indoor Environments
Division (IED)
Tel: (202) 343-9449
E-mail:
rowson.david@epa.gov
-------
Activities
Output
Applicable Outcome Measure
Short-term
(awareness)
Intermediate
(behavior)
Long-term (condition)
Point of Contact
Support partnership with U.S.
Department of Health and Human
Services, Office of Head Start (OHS)
to provide Early Head Start and Head
Start grantees and delegate agencies
with information, education, training
tools, and resources to help reduce
children's health effects from
environmental asthma triggers and
secondhand smoke. Head Start
programs provide comprehensive
child development services to nearly
one million low-income families
(including children from birth to five
and pregnant women).
The outputs will
promote effective
interventions for
reduction of secondhand
smoke exposure
environmental asthma
triggers on children and
will: (1) create and
promote education
materials; (2) increase
access to EPA's
websites, hotlines and
other resources; (3)
provide technical
assistance; (4) track and
share results
Workshops at Head Start
conferences
Educational tools and
resources and technical
assistance to parents and
staff
Support of National
Head Start Association
to reach grantees and
delegate agencies.
ETS training to Head
Start staff and parents.
Smoke-free homes
pledges and active
asthma management
plans for children
By December 2009,
an increase of at
least 500 Head Start
grantees will gain
greater knowledge
about ways to
prevent health risks
from exposure to
secondhand smoke
and asthma triggers
in their centers and
family home
environments, as
measured by post
evaluations, pledges,
and feedback.
By December 2009,
Head Start centers
and families
representing at least
3,000 to 5,000
children will
actively participate
to keep their homes
and vehicles smoke-
free and/or will
maintain a
management plan to
reduce asthma
triggers in their
home environments,
as measured by pre-
and post- activity
evaluations and
reports from
participating Head
Start grantees.
Support EPA's Goal 1: Clean
Air and Global Climate
Change; Objective
1.2 Healthier Indoor Air; Sub-
objective 1.1.1- More People
Breathing Cleaner Air
By 2012, 6.5 million people
with asthma will be taking all
essential actions to reduce
exposures to their indoor
asthma triggers (thereby
preventing about 90,000 ER
visits annually and producing
other positive health outcomes
By 2012, reduce the percent of
low-income and minority
children aged 6 and under
regularly exposed to
secondhand smoke in the home
to be equivalent with rates in
the general population
(estimated to be 11% in 2003)
Mike Holloway
Indoor Environments
Division (IED)
Tel: (202) 343-9426
E-mail:
holloway.mike@epa.go
10
-------
Activities
Childhood Asthma Public Service
Campaign
Implement "Goldfish" childhood
asthma media campaign targeted to
parents from underserved
communities (i.e. low-income, under-
represented, and medically-
underserved families) and inner-city
pediatric asthma patients. The media
campaign is designed to raise
awareness about asthma and generate
behavior change toward the
management of childhood asthma.
Output
Conduct 2-3 regional
media training events for
community coalitions
and community asthma
programs.
Distribute campaign
materials to media
markets serving urban
populations and
distribute campaign
materials to media
markets serving
Hispanic and Tribal
populations.
Applicable Outcome Measure
Short-term
(awareness)
Increase awareness
in the number of
parents of children
with asthma and
their capability to
manage asthma
triggers at home as
measured by:
a) Goldfish media
campaign awareness
at or above 20 %;
b) additional
250,000 unique web
hits
(www.noattacks.org)
c) increase in
donated media time
for Goldfish
campaign; d) two
communities will
localize the media
campaign
Intermediate
(behavior)
As a result of the
Childhood Asthma
Public Service
Campaign, more
parents caring for
children with
asthma are taking
more action to
manage their child's
triggers and reduce
attacks.
Long-term (condition)
Children with asthma will
experience fewer asthma
attacks and have improved
quality of life.
Point of Contact
David Rowson
Indoor Environments
Division (IED)
Tel: (202) 343-9449
E-mail:
rowson.david@epa.gov
11
-------
Activities
Communities in Action for Asthma
Friendly Environments Initiative
Implement a two day Asthma Forum.
Develop communication and
outreach tools to promote the Forum,
recruit participants (particularly from
programs providing care to low-
income, under-represented, tribal and
other medically underserved
communities), manage logistics and
conduct follow-up with attendees.
Support on-line Network of
Communities to foster real time
learning and information exchange
year round.
Implement a national awards program
highlighting outstanding programs
providing quality care to underserved
groups.
Output
1) Implement a Forum
event in Washington,
DC (May 1-2, 2008;
2009 dates TBD)
2) Support the Asthma
Community on-line
Network by hosting web
site, marketing, training,
and educational
opportunities through
the Network, and
posting unique tools and
resources.
3) Recognize quality
care efforts through
national awards
program.
Applicable Outcome Measure
Short-term
(awareness)
Annually,
representatives of
100 community
based asthma
programs will have
increased knowledge
and take action to
reduce exposure to
environmental
asthma triggers in
communities
disproportionately
impacted by asthma.
Up to 4 community
programs serving
people with asthma,
will deliver quality
4-1,
asthma care as
benchmarked by
Exemplary Award
criteria. Two
programs will be
recognized with
National Leadership
Awards.
Intermediate
(behavior)
250 community-
based asthma
programs
participating in
Communities in
A ction for Asthma
Friendly
Environments
Initiative will
deliver quality
asthma care that
includes
environmental
interventions, and
improve asthma
outcomes for those
they serve., as
measured by the
number of
participating
communities
Long-term (condition)
Adults and children with
asthma, (particularly from low-
income, under-represented, and
other medically underserved
communities) will have
decreased exposures and will
experience fewer asthma
attacks and have improved
quality of life.
Point of Contact
David Rowson
Indoor Environments
Division (IED)
Tel: (202) 343-9449
E-mail:
rowson.david@epa.gov
12
-------
Activities
Support the partnership with the
Aberdeen Area Tribal Chairmen's
Health Board to collaborate with
multiple partners within and across
regional boundaries in order to
provide environmental asthma trigger
management education and to
promote the capability and
development of tribal healthcare
professionals to assist their patients
identify and mitigate asthma triggers
in the home.
Output
Aberdeen's Board will
implement a Tribal
Asthma Prevention
Campaign which
provides education on
the management and
prevention of
environmental asthma
triggers to a population
of almost 200,000 tribal
members residing on
seventeen reservations
and in two urban Indian
service areas in North
Dakota, South Dakota,
Nebraska, and Iowa.
Applicable Outcome Measure
Short-term
(awareness)
The activity will
increase awareness
and education by
merging evidenced-
based practices with
culturally -competent
approaches.
In addition,
increased
knowledge of
in-home asthma
triggers and
methods of
trigger mitigation
among American
Indian tribal
members and
health
professionals.
Intermediate
(behavior)
An increased
number of
healthcare
programs will
commit to
conducting in-
home asthma
assessments,
as evidenced by
a 25% increase
in the rate of
in-home
assessments
conducted by
healthcare
programs.
Long-term (condition)
This project will contribute to
EPA's strategic goal: by 2012;
6.5 million people with asthma
will be taking all essential
actions to reduce exposures to
their indoor asthma triggers
(thereby preventing about
90,000 ER visits annually and
producing other positive health
outcomes.
Point of Contact
Chris Griffin
\^-lllll3 VJ1J_L_L111
Indoor Environments
Division (IED)
Tel: (202) 343-9421
E-TTlflil '
llldll .
griffin.chris@epa.gov
13
-------
OFFICE OF RADIATION AND INDOOR AIR
FY 2009 Environmental Justice Action Plan
Section 2: Performance Measures Matrix
Goal 1: Clean Air and Global Climate Change
Objective: Reduce exposure to air toxics (e.g., reduce releases of mercury)
Activities
Output
Short-term
(awareness)
Applicable Outcome Measure
Intermediate Long-term
(behavior) (condition)
Point of Contact
Support the partnership with tribes
and Northern Arizona University
Institute for Tribal Environmental
Professionals (ITEP) to increase the
capability of Tribal Nations to
address various environmental health
and other concerns on federally-
recognized tribal lands (i.e. the
capability to develop and implement
air monitoring networks). This
activity will be implemented in
partnership with OAQPS and will
continue providing technical training
through the Tribal Air Monitoring
(TAMS) Center.
Deliver 10 air monitoring
training courses to
approximately 100 tribal
air professionals. Course
topics include: paniculate
matter (PM), quality
assurance project plans,
data management, ozone,
meteorological stations,
air toxics, PM related
databases and radiation.
Provide direct technical
assistance via equipment
loans and gravimetric
laboratory services.
Increase awareness in:
(a) designing and
implementing
appropriate air
monitoring networks,
(b) improving data
quality and, (c)
improving ability to
include air data in EPA
national databases.
Also, assure that air
professionals are
properly trained in
network planning, data
handling, quality
assurance, and
technical
implementation.
Assist tribal
representatives in
implementing air
monitoring networks
that provide high quality
data. Assist in building
the capability to provide
this data to EPA's air
quality databases such
that tribal air data that is
used to implement tribal
implementation plans for
improving air quality.
By 2011, improve air
quality in an additional 50
tribal communities by
assisting the tribes, via
training, to implement air
monitoring networks and
have this data included in
EPA's air quality
databases
Emilio Braganza
Radiation & Indoor
Environments
National Laboratory
(R&IE)
Tel: 702-784-8280
Email:
braganza.emilio(@.ep
a.gov
14
-------
Activities
Output
Short-term
(awareness)
Applicable Outcome Measure
Intermediate
(behavior)
Point of Contact
Long-term
(condition)
(1) Continue indoor radon testing
support to residents of economically -
disadvantaged communities.
(2) Continue support to the Erie
County (NY) Tribal Community-
Toxics Air Pollutants Project.
(Project and budget periods continue
until 09/30/08)
Provide no-cost home
radon test kits and
analysis from the EPA
R&IE Laboratory to
partner groups and
organizations (i.e., Tribes,
nonprofit organizations,
and national coalitions)
that work directly with
residents from low-
income and/or tribal
communities.
Increase awareness of
indoor radon exposure
risk by providing radon
test kits and analysis
from EPA to low
income and/or tribal
populations. Radon
test kit distributed
within one week of
initial request; and
analysis upon receipt of
exposed test kits to the
R&IE Laboratory.
Increase the number of
residents actively taking
appropriate action to
reduce elevated radon
levels by providing test
results to partner groups
and organizations that
ultimately meet and
provide follow-up
education directly to the
target audience.
By 2009, continue to
reduce lung cancer risks
associated with exposure
to elevated radon levels
through increased
awareness and action in
the number of low-income
and/or tribal homes.
Increase the number of
homes to be tested through
partner groups and
organizations working
within economically -
disadvantaged and/or tribal
communities (as measured
by number and source of
test kit requests)
Baseline: 1714 homes
Evelyn Conerly
Radiation and Indoor
Environments
National Laboratory
(R&IE)
Tel: 702-798-2324
E-mail:
Conerly.evelyn(@,epa.
gov
15
-------
Activities
Output
Short-term
(awareness)
Applicable Outcome Measure
Intermediate Long-term
(behavior) (condition)
Point of Contact
Support the implementation of EPA
led activities in 5 year federal agency
plan submitted to Congress designed
to assist the Navajo Nation to
address protection from exposures to
uranium mine wastes and
uranium/radium contaminated
drinking water on Navajo lands. A
separate effort will be led to provide
training on radiation protection for
occupational workers at Navajo
drinking water plants which process
source water containing
radionuclides above the MCLs.
Uranium and radium wastes result in
direct exposures to radiation and
radon (including indoor environment
exposure) throughout the reservation.
This activity will
a)identify ways in which
EPA could assist in a)
lessening impacts of
abandoned uranium
mines and
uranium/radium
contaminated drinking
water wells; b) plan for
implementing additional
culturally-appropriate
educational materials for
adults and children on
uranium mine wastes,
uranium/radium
contaminated drinking
water, and radiation
protection basics in
Navajo and English
languages.
As a result of the
efforts: 1) a more
comprehensive plan
will be developed on
how the Navajo
agencies and EPA will
work together to
alleviate problems
associated with
uranium mine wastes
and houses constructed
with uranium mine
waste; 2) assistance
will have been
provided to the Navajo
Nation on developing
methods to alleviate
health impacts
associated with
unregulated
uranium/radium
contaminated drinking
water sources; and 3)
planning for health and
safety training of
occupational workers at
Navajo drinking water
treatment plants which
process radionuclide
contaminated drinking
water will have been
undertaken.
By the end of 2009, the
Navajo Nation will 1)
identify responsible
parties for locating
funding sources and
procedures to mitigate
financial and other
issues associated with
uranium contaminated
houses; 2) a measurable
outreach effort will have
been established to
advise the Navajo public
on the dangers of
drinking from
unregulated water
sources contaminated
with uranium/radium; 3)
training materials will
have been developed for
health and safety of
occupational workers
which process source
water containing
radionuclides above the
MCLs.
By end of 2010, the
Navajo Nation and EPA
will help reduce health and
environmental impacts of
abandoned uranium mines
and uranium/radium
contaminated drinking
water on Tribal members
as measured by the: (a)
Tribe's remediation of
contaminated houses; (b)
completion of educational
and other outreach
materials for children and
adult members of the Tribe
on uranium and radiation
protection basics including
avoiding contaminated
sources of drinking water.
The success of this effort
will be measured by the
number of follow-up
activities for successfully
remediating houses,
reduced numbers of
members of the Navajo
public using unregulated
drinking water sources,
and training of
occupational workers at
Navajo drinking water
treatment plants in
radiation health and safety
practices.
Loren Setlow
Radiation Protection
Division
Tel: 202-343-9445
E-mail:
setlow. lorenfgepa. go
v
16
-------
Activities
Output
Short-term
(awareness)
Applicable Outcome Measure
Intermediate
(behavior)
Point of Contact
Long-term
(condition)
Prepare the public access portion of
RadNet data in bilingual
Spanish/English language format.
This activity will target audiences
with limited English proficiency.
This activity will provide
public access of
information to residents
with limited English
proficiency about ambient
and incident levels of
airborne radioactive
material. Bilingual
information will be
available to both Spanish
and English speaking
citizens.
A higher percentage of
the general public will
be informed about
potential radiation risks
and educated on
background radiation
levels.
N/A
The health risks associated
with ambient and incident
levels of airborne
radioactive material will
be reduced to both Spanish
and English speaking
citizens, as measured by
information request.
Rhonda Sears
National Air and
Radiation
Environmental
Laboratory (NAREL)
334-270-3413
Sears.Rhonda
@epa.gov
17
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Activities
Output
Short-term
(awareness)
Applicable Outcome Measure
Intermediate
(behavior)
Point of Contact
Long-term
(condition)
Support partnership with Wake
Forest University School of
Medicine (WFUSM) and the East
Coast Migrant Head Start Program
(ECMHSP) to train health educators
to work with families of migrant
farm workers to increase their
knowledge and change behaviors
that will reduce the impact of
secondhand smoke related disease
among children in the ECMHSP
Head Start centers.
The ECMHSP Head Start centers are
located in eleven states along the east
coast and services approximately
8,500 infants, toddlers and
preschoolers.
(Budget and Project Periods continue
until 9/30/09)
Complete six Focus
Groups with a total of
ninety participants.
Develop educational
materials for ECMHSP
core staff, teachers, and
parents.
Implement training
program.
Provide Train-the-Trainer
module to ECMHSP staff
at 50 Centers. In turn,
staff will train teachers
and parents and all will
incorporate an
educational, outreach, and
training program aimed at
reducing the risk of
exposure to residential
indoor air pollution
among Head Start
children.
Increased awareness
among ECMHSP core
staff, teachers and
parents.
The program would
become part of
ECMHSP's standard
staff training and
standard health
disability services
coordinator health
programs.
Baseline: Estimates of
baseline from data
provided by ECMHSP
for
2005 - 0% of core staff,
teachers, and parents
trained in residential
ETS. Because it is
possible that some core
staff and teachers will
have obtained training
in environmental health
prior to program start,
updated data will be
obtained.
An estimated increase of
30% of parents will
more knowledge on the
dangers of secondhand
smoke exposure to
children; (2) more
knowledge on ways to
prevent secondhand
smoke exposure to
children and; (3)
actively commit to
creating a smoke-free
environment for their
children.
By 2012, reduce the
percent of low-income and
minority children aged 6
and under regularly
exposed to secondhand
smoke in the home to be
equivalent with rates in the
general population
(estimated to be 11% in
2003)
Sheila Brown
Indoor Environments
Division (IED)
Tel: (202) 343-9439
E-mail:
brown.sheila@epa.go
18
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Activities
Output
Short-term
(awareness)
Applicable Outcome Measure
Intermediate
(behavior)
Point of Contact
Long-term
(condition)
Center for Ecological Technologies
(CET) will collaborate with health
care professionals and social service
providers to educate parents
(especially new mothers from low-
income or economically -
disadvantaged backgrounds) to
protect their children from
environmental tobacco smoke (ETS)
exposure and potentially reduce the
incidence of asthma through
prevention, education, training, and
outreach. CET will provide
environmental health assessment
training to health care professionals
on how to assess homes and
lifestyles for ETS risks. The health
care professionals will counsel
parents about practical approaches to
reduce their children's risks to ETS
exposure.
Budget and budget periods continue
until 9/30/09.
CET will develop an
environmental health
assessment tool,
educational materials, and
resource books.
CET will train nurses,
other health care
professionals and social
service providers on how
to use the environmental
health assessment tool to
access and counsel
parents and caregivers on
behaviors and lifestyles
that can reduce their
children's incidence of
exposure to ETS and
asthma episodes.
Increase awareness of
health care
professionals and social
service providers on
how to assess homes
and lifestyles for ETS
risks and how to
counsel parents on
practical approaches to
reduce their children's
risks from ETS
exposure.
Nurses, health care
professionals and social
service providers will
provide ETS
management education,
training, and outreach to
over 600 families
utilizing the
environmental health
assessment and other
resources provided.
Reduce the percentage of
low-income and/or
minority children (aged 6
and under) who are
regularly exposed to health
risks associated with
secondhand smoke in their
homes.
Increase (by 30%) parental
knowledge on (a)
children's health risks to
ETS; (b) ways to prevent
exposure to children and;
(c) creating a smoke-free
environment for their
children.
Sheila Brown
Indoor Environments
Division (IED)
Tel: (202) 343-9439
E-mail:
brown.sheila@epa.go
19
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Activities
Output
Short-term
(awareness)
Applicable Outcome Measure
Intermediate
(behavior)
Point of Contact
Long-term
(condition)
Support partnership with the Inter-
Tribal Council of Michigan (ITCM)
to develop and implement
environmental tobacco smoke (ETS)
training materials, program
curriculum and assessment tools in
accordance with current EPA
materials.
(Project and budget periods continue
until 09/30/09)
The project will make
accessible outreach
materials and tools that
are designed to train
parents and caregivers of
children enrolled in
Tribal Head Start
programs (including Head
Start staff) on the dangers
of ETS by providing
specific and culturally-
competent ETS-related
information
By the end of year
two, increase (by 75%)
the number of parents
and caregivers of
children enrolled in the
Tribal Head Start
programs with
knowledge of the
dangers of
environmental tobacco
smoke in each of the
eight tribal
communities, as
measured by training
agendas and pre/post
assessments.
By the end of year three,
increase (by 25%) the
percentage of Head
Start parents who
implement new
smoke-free homes
policies, within the
eight tribal
communities, as
measured by post
follow up Head Start
parent assessments.
By the end of the project
period in September 2009,
the project will reduce the
total number of children
regularly exposed to
environmental tobacco
smoke, within the Native
American homes of eight
tribal communities.
Chris Griffin
Indoor Environments
Division (IED)
Tel: (202) 343-9421
E-mail:
griffin.chris(@,epa. go
v
20
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OFFICE OF RADIATION AND INDOOR AIR
FY 2009 Environmental Justice Action Plan
Section 2: Performance Measures Matrix
Cross Cutting Strategies:
Objective: Collaborative problem-solving to address environmental justice issues
Activities
Output
Applicable Outcome Measure
Point of Contact
Short-term
(awareness)
Intermediate
(behavior)
Long-term
(condition)
Build knowledge and capability
of tribal representatives on
indoor air health risk reduction
through providing hands-on
indoor air training to tribal
environmental professionals
and by working cooperatively
with nonprofit partners
including the American Lung
Association of Minnesota and
Northern Arizona University's
Institute for Tribal
Environmental Professionals
(ITEP).
Deliver 11 courses to
increase capability in
targeting ASHRAE
climatic zones. Courses
focus on 1) investigating
indoor air problems in
homes and building
science; 2) remediation
and; 3) establishing an
IAQ program. Training
will be for approximately
220 environmental
professionals.
Build tribal knowledge
and awareness of IAQ
health related issues
through hands-on
training. Provide two
Tech I/II courses in Hot
and Hot/Humid climates
in FY07.
Provide environmental
professionals with the
resources and training to
develop, implement, and
maintain an IAQ
program within tribal
communities, thereby
enabling them to
determine the level of
contamination and
remediation which may
be required.
By 2009, reduce indoor
air quality (IAQ) health
risks in tribal
communities by
increasing the number
of individuals trained
and educated on
assessing and
remediating IAQ
problems in homes, and
increasing the number
of IAQ community
programs. (No baseline
identified)
Alejandra Baer
Radiation and Indoor
Environments National Laboratory
(R&IE)
Tel: 702-784-8281
E-mail: baer.alejandra@epa.gov
21
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Office of Transportation and Air Quality FY09 Environmental Justice Action Plan
Section 2: Performance Measures Matrix
Goal 1: Clean Air and Global Climate Change
Objective: Reduction in number of asthma attacks (e.g., reduce asthma triggers such as particulate matter)
Reduce exposure to air toxics
Activities
Output
Applicable Outcome Measure
Point of Contact
Short-term
(awareness)
Intermediate
(behavior)
Long-term
(condition)
22
-------
Activities
-Enhance outreach &
education to existing
stakeholder groups: state
agencies, municipalities,
MPOs, and construction,
port, agriculture, freight and
trucking sectors to promote
opportunities to reduce
emissions in areas where
low-income and minority
populations are particularly
impacted by diesel
exhaust.
- Develop additional
materials including relevant
success stories.
- Fund clean diesel grant
proposals
- Promote anti-idling
education, policies,
strategies and projects
-Promote innovative
financing tools and
strategies to help owners
retrofit their trucks with
emission and idling
reduction devices.
- Summary of EJ projects
implemented from
National Clean Diesel
Database
- Enhancements made to
NCDC Website with EJ
focus
-Case studies of benefits
of anti-idling strategies
- Increase
awareness of all
stakeholders
regarding solutions
available for
reducing emissions
from diesel engines
through retrofit and
idle reduction.
- Partners and
stakeholders are
more aware of
opportunities to
implement diesel
emissions reduction
activities in areas
where low-income
and minority
populations are
particularly
impacted by diesel
exhaust.
- Actions taken to
reduce diesel
emission include:
Diesel equipment
replacements,
retrofits, re powers,
idle reduction
implementation, and
early ULSD fuel use
Health of targeted
populations is improved as
measured by reduction in
number and severity of
asthma incidents reported
in areas with low-income
and minority populations.
-Emissions reductions
achieved calculated by the
Diesel Emissions Quantifier
Connie Ruth:
Tel: 734-214-4815
E-mail:
ruth.connie@epa.gov
23
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Office of Transportation and Air Quality FY09 Environmental Justice Action Plan
Performance Measures Matrix
Cross Cutting Strategies:
Objective: Collaborative problem-solving to address environmental justice issues
Activities
Coordinate among
stakeholders including:
OAQPS, NEJAC, American
Lung Association, National
Association of Clean Air
Agencies, Environmental
Defense, NRDC, Office of
Children's Health Protection
Advisory Committee, State
and City Governments,
Community Groups,
Academic Institutions,
Clean Diesel Collaborative,
American Trucking
Association and other
organizations of freight and
shipping companies
Output
- Participate in
stakeholder meetings to
identify opportunities for
coordinated effort to
reduce diesel emissions
including idling
emissions in low-income
and/or minority areas.
-Identify top priority
areas to target diesel
emissions reduction
efforts
Applicab
Short-term
(awareness)
Increased awareness of
opportunities to coordinate
environmental justice and
diesel emissions reductions
efforts.
le Outcome Measure
Intermediate
(behavior)
An increase occurs in
number of
coordinated efforts
undertaken to reduce
diesel emissions
including idling
emissions that
disproportionately
impact low income
and minority
populations.
Long-term
(condition)
The health of
low-income and
minority
populations
impacted by
diesel emissions
is improved as
demonstrated by
reduction in
number and
severity of
asthma incidents
in areas where
coordinated
efforts have been
implemented.
Point of Contact
Connie Ruth:
Tel: 734-21 4-481 5
E-mail:
ruth.connie@epa.gov
24
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OFFICE OF AIR QUALITY PLANNING AND STANDARDS
FY 2009 ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ACTION PLAN
Section 2: Performance Measure Matrix
Goal 1: Clean Air and Global Climate Change
Objective: Reduction in number of asthma attacks (e.g., reduce asthma triggers such as paniculate matter)
Activities
Output
Applicable Outcome Measure
Point of Contact
Short-term
(awareness)
Intermediate
(behavior)
Long-term
(condition)
Provide regulatory
mechanism and implement
permit programs for minor
stationary sources located
in Indian country and for
major sources located in
areas of Indian country not
attaining the National
Ambient Air Quality
Standards (NAAQS)
OAQPS will complete an
EJ review of the proposed
Tribal/New Source Review
(NSR) rule using the
Agency's Standard Setting
and
Rulemaking/Regulatory
Development protocol
final Tribal/New Source
Review (NSR) permit
rules
training for permit writers
and Regions on final rule
and evaluation of training
Tribal training on NSR
rules
Model delegation
package for Tribes to
facilitate delegation of the
federal program
Tribes, Regional
Offices and
stakeholders
increase their
knowledge of NSR
permitting process
(measure number of
persons briefed or
trained)
Regulated entities
learn who is
responsible for
issuing permits
Regional offices and
Tribes issue permits
in a timely manner
consistent with
regulations
(measure permits
issued, measure
number of Tribes
that issue permits)
Industry complies
with permits
Emissions are reduced and
level playing field is created
due to regulatory gap being
filled by this program
Jessica Montanez
OAR/OAQPS
919-541-3407
montanez.jessica@epa.go
25
-------
Activities
Output
Applicable Outcome Measure
Point of Contact
Short-term
(awareness)
Intermediate
(behavior)
Long-term
(condition)
Incorporate distributional
analysis into the
rulemaking process for
selected regulations
Identify and determine the
additional capabilities
required to enhance and
refine BenMap or other
resources to more
accurately perform impact
analysis
Analysis of projected air
quality impacts and
associated distributions
for selected OAQPS
regulations
Enhanced BenMAP
software which
incorporates additional
socioeconomic and
demographic variables
(e.g. mortality rates by
race, and other CIS
enhancements to
facilitate analysis and
display of exposure
distributions)
(PENDING RECEIPT of
ADDITIONAL FUNDING)
Rule development
teams and decision
makers have better
information about
impacts of rules and
rules options on
related population
distributions
Decision makers
consider
distributional
implications during
option selection.
Distributional
analysis results
considered as a part
of the rule
development
process.
Lillian Bradley
OAR/OAQPS
(919)541-5694
bradley.lillian@epa.gov
26
-------
Activities
Output
Applicable Outcome Measure
Point of Contact
Short-term
(awareness)
Intermediate
(behavior)
Long-term
(condition)
Continue to support
states/locals/tribes in their
efforts to minimize
exposure to wood smoke,
through education/outreach
and wood stove
changeouts, including low
income and tribal
communities
educational outreach
materials (e.g., Burn
Clean fact sheet,
posters), program
support,
trainings/workshops for
states/local/tribes trying
to address wood smoke
indoors and out doors
EJ community
professionals/leader
s (e.g., Tribal
officials) increase
awareness on
health effects of
wood smoke and
options for
addressing the
problem (measure
the number of EJ
community
professionals/leader
s that receive
information about
the program)
low income or
disproportionately
effected
communities
engage in education
and outreach and/or
implement wood
stove changeouts,
(measure number of
communities
involved)
households learn to burn
smarter and cleaner and
changeout their old, dirty
wood stove to a cleaner,
more energy efficient wood
stove. (Measure number of
households and number of
estimated tons of emission
reductions from
changeouts)
Larry Brockman,
OAR/OAQPS
919-541-5398
Brockman.larry @epa.gov
Develop white paper on
how States can use SIPs
and related programs to
encourage emission
reductions in overburdened
communities Regulated
community increases
awareness of emissions
standards and
requirements
white paper that focuses
on how States can use
SIPs and related
programs to encourage
emission reductions in
overburdened
communities
Increase awareness
of regulatory
partners and
stakeholders of
best practices
States
explore/adopt
targeted strategies
for reducing
emissions in
overburdened
communities
(measure number of
states
exploring/adopting
these strategies)
Risk or emissions
reductions in overburdened
communities (measure
reductions to the extent
feasible)
Nancy Mayer
OAR/OAQPS
919-541-5390
Maver.nancv@epa.gov
27
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Activities
Output
Applicable Outcome Measure
Point of Contact
Short-term
(awareness)
Intermediate
(behavior)
Long-term
(condition)
Identify areas violating the
new 2006 24-hr PM2.5
NAAQS and the new 2008
ozone NAAQS
finalized designations for
Pm2.5 NAAQS by Dec
2009
proposed designations
for ozone NAAQS by
December 2009
assistance to Regions in
providing nonattainment
status information to
affected communities and
Tribes
Increased
awareness of Tribal
areas and
overburdened
communities of their
attainment status
and State plans for
improving air quality
Residents in Tribal
areas and
overburdened
communities
participate in State
rule making process
with respect to
ozone and PM2.5
Increased effectiveness of
participation by residents of
Tribal areas and
overburdened communities
in state planning process
Amy Vasu
919-541-0107
OAR/OAQPS
vasu.amy@epa.gov
Carla Oldham
OAR/OAQPS
919-541-3347
oldham.carla@epa.gov
Work with Regions to
support tribal governments
in effectively participating in
development of SIPs
one or more Tribal
trainings to improve
technical capacity to
assess off-reservation
sources and participate in
SIP implementation
Tribes are more
aware of how they
can participate in
SIP process and
assess impacts of
off-reservation
sources (track
number of people
trained)
Tribes identify
opportunities to
work with State
partners in planning
process (track
number of Tribes
engaging in State
planning process)
Increased effectiveness of
Tribal participation in state
planning process
Kimber Scavo
OAR/OAQPS
919-541-3354
scavo.kimber@epa.gov
Melissa McCullough
OAR/OAQPS
919-541-5646
Mccullough.melissa@epa.
gov
28
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Activities Output Applicable Outcome Measure Point of Contact
Improve internal capacity
to respond appropriately to
EJ issues
EJ fundamentals course
tailored to OAQPS needs
Presentations from EJ
community members and
EJ advocates
initial screening tool that
identifies rules that need
a more detailed EJ
review
staff training on use of
screening tool
Short-term
(awareness)
Increased
awareness of
OAQPS staff
regarding EJ policy
and perspectives of
EJ communities
(measure number of
participants)
Increase
understanding of
rule development
teams regarding
when an action
requires a more
detailed EJ review
(measure number of
employees briefed
or trained on use of
screening tool)
Intermediate
(behavior)
Integration of
OAQPS EJ policy
and affected
community
perspectives into
analysis of new and
existing projects
Staff applies
screening to all
actions and
identifies rules that
require a more
detailed analysis
(measure number of
rules that go
through screening
process)
Long-term
(condition)
Lena Epps-Price
OAR/OAQPS
919-541-5573
Epps-price.lena@epa.gov
Nancy Mayer
OAR/OAQPS
919-541-5390
Mayer.nancy@epa.gov
29
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OAQPS FY09 Environmental Justice Action Plan
Performance Measures Matrix
Goal 1: Clean Air and Global Climate Change
Objective: Reduce exposure to air toxics (e.g., reduce releases of mercury)
Activities
Output
Applicable Outcome Measure
Short-term Intermediate Long-term
(awareness) (behavior) (condition)
Point of Contact
Enhance capacity of
overburdened communities to
identify and address issues of
exposure to air toxics by
supporting the Collision Repair
Campaign
Improvements to
Collision Repair
Campaign website and
outreach brochures
translated to Spanish
DVD on the Paint
Stripping Rule for small
repairs shop owners
Raise awareness of
all stakeholders,
particularly autobody
shop owners and staff
about toxics exposure
(measure persons
briefed or trained)
Autobody shop owners
implement best
practices
Emission reductions
from autobody shops
(track emission
reductions where
feasible)
Holly Wilson
OAR/OAQPS
919-541-5624
Wilson.holly@epa.g
ov
30
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Activities
Output
Short-term
(awareness)
Applicable Outcome Measure
Intermediate
(behavior)
Point of Contact
Long-term
(condition)
Enhance capacity of
overburdened communities to
identify and address issues of
exposure to air toxics by
improving communication with
communities on air issues,
developing a community air
monitoring portal, encouraging
Sustainable Skylines projects to
address overburdened
communities, co-sponsoring a
conference/workshop for
communities, providing permit
training, improvements to EJAIR
website
Community-friendly
Agency websites on air
toxics and community
air monitoring
Periodic Community-
driven conference calls
on air toxics and other
air pollution issues
EJ Criteria for
Sustainable Skylines
project selection
Community workshop
on multi-media impacts
for overburdened
communities (pending
available funding)
Training for
communities on how to
participate effectively in
the permitting process
(pending available
funding)
5-10 new information
pages on EJAir website
for use by EPA staff,
community members,
and air quality planners
increased marketing
and visibility of EJAir
website which will result
in increased use of site
Communities are
more aware of
resources for toxics
assessments and
strategies for
addressing toxics that
have worked on the
ground
Sustainable Skylines
stakeholders are
more aware of
options for targeting
emissions reductions
in overburdened
communities
(measure persons
briefed or trained)
Communities have
better understanding
of best practices for
addressing multi-
media environmental
issues and how to
participate in air
permitting process
(measure customer
satisfaction and
number of
participants)
Community members
and others have
better access to web
resources on EJ via
EJAir website
(measure hits on
website)
Communities
implement improved
strategies for
addressing toxics and
multi-media impacts
Sustainable Skylines
cities target emission
reduction strategies in
overburdened
communities (measure
number of cities that
adopt targeted
strategies)
Communities use
workshop and training
information to
implement best
practices and to
improve comments
and participation in
permit programs
Ingrid Ward
OAR/OAQPS
919-541-0300
Ward.ingrid@epa.g
ov
Lena Epps-Price
OAR/OAQPS
919-541-5573
Epps-
price.lena@epa.gov
Nancy Mayer
OAR/OAQPS
919-541-5390
Mayer. nancy@epa.
gov
Yvonne Johnson
OAR/OAQPS
919-541-3921
Johnson.yvonnew
@epa.gov
Tom Link
OAR/OAQPS
919-541-5456
link.tom@epa.gov
31
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Activities
Output
Applicable Outcome Measure
Short-term Intermediate Long-term
(awareness) (behavior) (condition)
Point of Contact
Continue to implement a risk-
based air toxics program for
stationary sources by
promulgating area source rules
Complete development
of all area sources rules
(except 2 rules that are
under litigation)
Emission reductions in
areas affected by new
area source rules
Continue to implement a risk-
based air toxics program for
stationary sources by
promulgating residual risk rules
Continued development
of residual risk (RR)
rules
Regulated community
increases awareness
of RR emission
standards and
requirements.
Regulated community
complies with air toxics
RR emission
standards
Emissions are reduced
from applicable source
categories to provide an
ample margin of safety
to protect public health
John Bosch
OAR/OAQPS
(919)541-5583
Bosch.john@epa.g
ov
David Solomon
OAR/OAQPS
(919)541-5375
Solomon.david@ep
a.gov
32
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Activities
Output
Applicable Outcome Measure
Short-term Intermediate Long-term
(awareness) (behavior) (condition)
Point of Contact
Develop and refine analytical
tools for performing EJ
analysis
Aggregate air quality
trends (Ozone and
PM2.5) in EJ
Communities (using air
monitoring data and/or
the CDC-PHASE
project's fused model-
monitor ambient
concentration surfaces
at the 12 km scale in
the Eastern US, along
with Census data)
EJ analysis of the
results of the Detroit
MultiPollutant Study
OAQPS staff
develops expertise in
developing new
approaches for
presenting and
analyzing information
relevant to EJ
communities
OAQPS adds to and
refines its available
analytical approaches
Phil Lorang
OAR/OAQPS
919-541-5463
Lorang.phil@epa.g
ov
33
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OAQPS FY09 Environmental Justice Action Plan
Performance Measures Matrix
Cross Cutting Strategies:
Objective: Collaborative problem-solving to address environmental justice issues
Activities
Output
Applicable Outcome Measure
Short-term Intermediate
(awareness) (behavior)
Point of Contact
Long-term
(condition)
Encourage Air Quality
Management Plan (AQMP)
pilot areas to develop
strategies for addressing EJ
concerns
Framework for
developing AQMP
plans provided to
AQMP pilots, which
includes identification
of EJ concerns
Workshop for pilot
areas on potential EJ
initiatives
increase knowledge of
AQMP pilot teams
and stakeholders on
options for improving
public involvement
and addressing EJ
issues (measure
number of persons
briefed or trained)
OAQPS AQMP pilot
project leads consider
and promote initiatives
to address EJ issues,
including meaningful
public involvement
(measure number of
pilots that consider
and/or pursue EJ
initiatives)
By end of FY 09, EJ
strategies are
integrated into
conceptual models
for AQMP pilot
projects
Liz Naess
OAR/OAQPS
919-541-1892
Naess.liz@epa.gov
Leigh Herrington
OAR/OAQPS
919-541-0882
Herrington.leigh@epa.gov
34
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Activities
Output
Applicable Outcome Measure
Point of Contact
Short-term
(awareness)
Intermediate
(behavior)
Long-term
(condition)
Implementation of the
Memorandum of
Understanding with North
Carolina Agricultural and
Technical State University
(NC A&T SU)
Provide students with
information about careers
at EPA
Provide support to the
university staff
Provide learning
opportunities to students
through the annual intern
program
EPA will visit NC A&T
SU twice per year to
provide information to
students about careers
at EPA
EPA will offer 2 to 3
lectures per year to NC
A&T SU classes on
various environmental
issues, including
environmental justice
specifically
EPA will teach one
class per year on
environmental issues
EPA will provide
internship opportunities
to10-15NCA&TSU
students per year
Increase awareness
of environmental
careers to NC A&T SU
students
Increase awareness
of environmental
issues, including
environmental justice,
to students at NC A&T
SU
Increase awareness
of EPA, its mission,
and the mission of the
Office of Air Quality
Planning and
Standards (OAQPS)
to students at NC A&T
SU
Increase the number
of students from NC
A&T SU who can
articulate various
environmentally
related career
opportunities
Increase the number
of students at NC A&T
SU who can
comprehensively
articulate various
environmental issues.
Increase the number
of students at NC A&T
SU who can
comprehensively
articulate the EPA
mission and the
mission of OAQPS
Increase the number
of NC A&T SU
students who seek,
get offered, and
accept employment
with EPA (measure
number of students
who seek, get offered
and accept
employment)
Phyllis Wright
OAR/OAQPS
919-541-5369
Wright.phvllis@epa.gov
35
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Office of Atmospheric Programs
Fiscal Year 2009
Goal 1: Clean Air and Global Climate Change
Objective 1.1 Healthier Outdoor Air, Ozone andPM2.s (e.g., reduce asthma triggers such asparticulate matter)
Activities
Output
Outcome
Short-term
Intermediate
Long-term
Contact
Development of
Clean Air Interstate
Rule (CAIR)
Environmental
Justice Assessment
Questions
Building on existing staff analysis
of the environmental justice impacts
of the Acid Rain Program, EPA will
develop the format and analytical
questions to periodically assess the
impact of CAIR (implementation
starting in 2009) on EJ
communities.
One or more assessment
concepts to present and
evaluate available data on
emissions, air quality,
and/or health effects of
SO2, NOX, andorPM25
emissions from power
plants on EJ communities.
NA
These analyses will be periodically
included in EPA program progress
reports and will enable us to determine
how our programs are affecting air
quality in the East.
Rick Haeuber, Chief
Assessment and
Communications Branch
(202) 343-9250
haeuber. richard(@,epa. gov
Continue to
implement the Acid
Rain Program
(ARP) SO2 program
By 2011, reduce national annual
emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2)
from utility electrical power
generation sources by
approximately 8.45 million tons
from the 1980 level of 17.4 million
tons, achieving and maintaining the
Acid Rain statutory SO2 emissions
cap of 8.95 million tons.
NA
NA
Analysis has shown that all people,
regardless of race, color, national
origin or income receive health
benefits from the Acid Rain Program.
Continuing to implement the ARP SO2
Program will reduce emissions of
pollutants that form fine particles and
cause human health problems for
many communities, including
environmental justice communities.
Rick Haeuber, Chief
Assessment and
Communications Branch
(202) 343-9250
Haeuber.richard(@,epa. gov
36
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Activities
Output
Outcome
Short-term
Intermediate
Long-term
Contact
Continue to
implement the NOX
Budget Trading
Program (NBP) and
NOX SIP Call
By 2011, reduce total annual
average nitrogen deposition and
mean total ambient nitrate
concentration by 15 percent from
1990 monitored levels of up to 11
kilograms per hectare for total
nitrogen deposition and 4.0
micrograms per cubic meter for
mean total ambient nitrate
concentration.
NA
NA
Continuing to implement the NBP and
NOX SIP Call will reduce emissions of
pollutants that form fine particles and
ozone which cause human health
problems for many communities,
including environmental justice
communities.
Rick Haeuber, Chief
Assessment and
Communications Branch
(202) 343-9250
Haeuber.richard@,epa. gov
Provide Spanish
language
information on the
CAMD website
Translate portions of the CAMD
website, including the the Acid Rain
website and the section on cap and
trade, into Spanish.
NA
NA
Translating informational portions of
the updated website into Spanish will
broaden access to the data and
background on acid rain, air quality,
health and ecological benefits, as well
as information on cap and trade
programs and current and future
regulations.
Rick Haeuber, Chief
Assessment and
Communications Branch
(202) 343-9250
Haeuber.richard(q),epa. gov
Data and Maps
website and
databases
The Clean Air Markets Division's
Data and Maps website is a publicly
accessible portal to a variety of data
including national power plant
information, acid deposition and air
quality data, and emissions and
allowance data to query and
download by a particular source,
state and time period.
Maintain Data and Maps website
and the several databases housed
within.
NA
NA
Access to the data in the Data and
Maps portal is free and allows all
people to better understand the air
quality and emissions data in their
communities.
Janice Wagner, Chief
Market Operations Branch
(202)343-9118
Wagner.i anice(fl),epa. gov
37
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Goal 1: Clean Air and Global Climate Change
Objective 1.3 Protect the Ozone Layer
Activities
Output
Outcome
Short-term
Intermediate
Long-term
Point of Contact
Re-translation of
the SunWise
Program Tool Kit
into Spanish
The SunWise Tool Kit is an
educational curriculum aligned
with national education standards
that has been adopted by more
than 18,000 schools and provides
sun protection information to
protect school children from
excessive UV exposure and cancer
risk. The Spanish version was last
printed in 2002. Since that time,
the English version of the Kit has
been updated. Through this
activity and if resources allow, the
Kit would be re-translated into
Spanish so it includes the updated
material found in the English Kit.
More activities will be
provided in Spanish, and
facts will be updated from
2002, increasing
awareness of the
importance of sun
protection among Spanish
speakers.
NA
Reduced UV exposure and cancer
risk among Spanish speakers.
Ross Brennan, Chief
Stratospheric Program
Implementation Branch
(202) 343-9226
Brennan.ross(@.epa. gov
Development of a
sun safety fact
sheet for
individuals with
darker skin
A fact sheet providing sun safety
information for individuals with
darker skin types will be
developed if resources allow.
Individuals with darker
skin, who may mistakenly
think they are not at risk,
will have access to an
easy-to-understand fact
sheet that describes
pertinent information on
skin cancer, cataracts and
the other health effects
from UV radiation.
NA
Reduced UV exposure and cancer
risk among individuals with darker
skin.
Ross Brennan, Chief
Stratospheric Program
Implementation Branch
(202) 343-9226
Brennan.ross(g),epa.gov
38
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Activities
Output
Outcome
Short-term
Intermediate
Long-term
Point of Contact
Proposed rule on
N-Propyl Bromide
The proposed rule will protect
users of spray adhesives
containing N-propyl bromide, a
substitute for ozone-depleting
substances. EPA is currently
seeking comment on two proposed
approaches to addressing exposure
to n-propyl bromide by either 1)
banning use of n-propyl bromide
and requiring an alternative
adhesive or 2) requiring users to
reduce exposure to acceptable
levels of n-propyl bromide and to
monitor exposure of workers.
Spray adhesives containing N-
propyl bromide are used by several
industries. Most workers in these
industries are low-wage hourly
workers, many of whom are
Hispanic and female.
NA
NA
The proposed N-Propyl Bromide
rule will affect approximately
12,000 people, reducing their
exposure to this harmful solvent.
Many of the affected industry
workers are Hispanic and female.
Jeff Cohen, Chief
Alternatives and Emissions
Reduction Branch
(202) 343-9005
Cohen.ieff(@,epa.gov
39
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Goal 1: Clean Air and Global Climate Change
Objective 1.5 Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Activities
Output
Outcome
Short-term
Intermediat
e
Long-term
Contact
40
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Activities
Output
Outcome
Short-term
Intermediat
e
Long-term
Contact
Promote ENERGY
STAR residential
new construction
guidelines to
affordable housing
stakeholders
More state housing finance authorities
(HFA) will award points in the
competitive process for allocating low
income housing tax credits to housing
projects that include an energy efficiency
component. States that currently offer
points for efficiency components will
increase their level of commitment to
efficiency in new, state-funded
affordable housing projects.
As of the end of 2007 ENERGY STAR
had contacted 30 state HFAs. Nine state
HFAs have awarded extra points to
projects that meet ENERGY STAR'S
guidelines for new construction, and five
state HFAs have made ENERGY STAR
guidelines a threshold requirement to
qualify for low income housing tax credit
funding. There were about 7,700
ENERGY STAR qualified homes built in
FY07 using some form of public funding
either from HUD, other Federal agencies,
state/local agencies, or tax-exempt bond
proceeds. In addition, to date, 75 Habitat
for Humanity Affiliates are partners in
the ENERGY STAR program. EPA will
continue to maintain these partnerships
and will work to expand the program.
More state housing
authorities will recognize
energy efficiency as a
desirable component of
new affordable housing.
More HUD grantees will
be aware of ENERGY
STAR for new homes and
add ENERGY STAR as a
voluntary component to
their HUD grant
application requirements.
NA
In the long term, more efficient
affordable housing projects will be
constructed, resulting in greater
comfort and income savings for
residents and reduced energy
consumption.
David Lee, Chief
ENERGY STAR
Residential Branch
(202)343-9131
Lee.davidf(@,epa.gov
41
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Activities
Home
Performance with
ENERGY STAR
Output
More owners of affordable housing
units will have access to energy
efficiency services and products,
especially those who aren't poor
enough to qualify for weatherization
services and aren't wealthy enough
to purchase efficiency services and
products on the open market. EPA is
exploring how to bring the benefits
of the whole house retrofit approach
of Home Performance with
ENERGY STAR through existing
weatherization program
infrastructure
Outcome
Short-term
More affordable housing
stakeholders such as state
housing authorities and
community development
corporations will
recognize energy
efficiency as a desirable
and necessary component
of existing affordable
housing.
Intermediat
e
NA
Long-term
In the long term, more owners of
existing affordable housing units will
use energy efficiency services,
resulting in greater comfort and
income savings for residents and
reduced energy consumption.
Contact
David Lee Chief
ENERGY STAR
Residential Branch
(202)343-9131
Lee, davidf @epa. gov
42
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Activities
Output
Outcome
Short-term
Intermediat
e
Long-term
Contact
Promote energy
efficiency
financing
More low income homeowners and
renters will be able to secure funding
(loans, grants, rebates, etc.) for
efficiency improvements.
EPA, working with the Ford
Foundation and others, is developing
and piloting a new energy efficient
mortgage that will monetize the
value of energy savings so that low
income families can own energy
efficient homes or afford to make
efficiency improvements to their
current home, thereby reducing the
cost of homeownership.
Provide access online to an EPA-
developed guidebook
(http://www.energystar.gov/index.
cfm?c=home improvement.hpwe
s sponsors develop step2) for
energy efficiency program sponsors
which contains information on how
program sponsors can develop and
implement special financial
programs targeted at low income
families that are in need of efficiency
improvements to their homes.
Greater access to energy
efficiency financing
products for low-income
homeowners and renters,
leading to greater energy
efficiency and increased
housing affordability.
NA
In long term, existing homes will be
retrofitted to be more efficient,
resulting in greater comfort and
income savings for residents and
reduced energy consumption.
David Lee, Chief
ENERGY STAR
Residential Branch
(202)343-9131
Lee.davidf(@,epa.gov
43
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Activities
Output
Outcome
Short-term
Intermediat
e
Long-term
Contact
ENERGY STAR
construction
guidelines for
manufactured
housing
The production and sale of more
ENERGY STAR qualified
manufactured homes.
In 2007, as a result of more targeted
EPA outreach to the manufactured
homes industry, there was a 17%
increase from 2006 and a 66%
increase from 2005 in the number of
ENERGY STAR qualified
manufactured homes produced and
completed in the U.S. In total there
are over 26,000 ENERGY STAR
qualified manufactured homes. EPA
will continue to conduct targeted
outreach out to the manufactured
homes industry to increase the
number and sale of ENERGY STAR
qualified manufactured homes.
NA
NA
More energy efficient manufactured
homes means lower-income
homebuyers have greater access to
efficient homes
David Lee, Chief
ENERGY STAR
Residential Branch
(202)343-9131
Lee.davidf(@,epa.gov
Provide ENERGY
STAR Resources
in Spanish
Continue to support the recently
launched Recourses en Espagnol
portion of the ENERGY STAR
website which provides Spanish
language tools and resources for
homeowners, renters, small
businesses and congregations.
Continue to highlight the "Tell Us
How You Saved" profiles of Latino
families around the country who
have used ENERGY STAR tools to
save energy and money.
More Spanish-speaking families and
businesses around the country will be
able to save energy, lower their
energy costs, and reduce greenhouse
gas emissions by utilizing ENERGY
STAR resources
Karen Schneider
(202) 343-9752
Schneider.karen@epa.go
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Activities
Translation of
documents related
to international
capacity building
Climate Change
Wildlife and
Wildlands Toolkit
Cooperative
agreement on tribal
impacts and
outreach
Participation in
various tribal
conferences
Sea Level Rise
Output
Translation of several documents
into Chinese.
A revision of the kit will include
several case studies that highlight
how native cultures in the U.S. will
be affected by climate change and
what measures are being taken to
help them adapt.
The cooperative agreement entitled
"Climate Change Tribal Impacts,
Communication & Outreach" has
been awarded to the Arizona Board
of Regents for and on behalf of
Northern Arizona University,
Institute for Tribal Environmental
Professionals (ITEP).
Presentations at the National Tribal
Conference on Tribal Environmental
Management and the EPA Region 5
Climate Change Symposium for
Great Lakes Tribes.
Current activities include
contributions to a report on sea level
rise along the mid- Atlantic coast.
Outcome
Short-term
NA
NA
The goal of the
cooperative agreement is
to communicate climate
change impacts on and
adaptive responses in
Indian Country and
develop a
communications plan for
transmitting the
information to tribes,
policy makers and the
public.
Raise awareness among
native tribes and
organizations that serve
their needs about the
issues they face due to
climate change.
NA
Intermediat
e
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Long-term
Providing documents in Chinese will
broaden access to climate change
information and ensure that more
people understand the issue of climate
change.
Providing information on how native
cultures will be affected by climate
change will help those cultures
prepare for the effects of climate
change and help educate others about
this increasingly important EJ issue.
Information will be useful to tribes as
they develop strategies to address
climate change impacts in their
communities.
Information will be useful to tribes as
they develop strategies to address
climate change impacts in their
communities.
Information will be useful to and by
potentially vulnerable coastal
communities.
Contact
Susan Wickwire, Chief
International Capacity
Building Branch
(202) 343-9155
wickwire . susan@.epa. gov
Rona Birnbaum, Chief
Climate Science and
Impacts Branch
(202) 343-9076
birnbaum rona@epa gov
Rona Birnbaum, Chief
Climate Science and
Impacts Branch
(202) 343-9076
birnbaum. rona(@,epa. gov
Rona Birnbaum, Chief
Climate Science and
Impacts Branch
(202) 343-9076
birnbaum. rona@epa. gov
Rona Birnbaum, Chief
Climate Science and
Impacts Branch
(202) 343-9076
birnbaum.rona(@.epa. gov
45
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Goal 1: Clean Air and Global Climate Change
Objective 1.6 Enhance Science and Research
Activities
The Atmospheric
Mercury Initiative
Tribal Air
Monitoring
Service (TAMS)
Output
EPA is collaborating with the
National Atmospheric Deposition
Program (NADP) membership of
federal agencies, states, tribes, and
other organizations, and the broader
mercury research community to
establish a new atmospheric
mercury monitoring network.
Participation in the climate change
subcommittee of TAMS.
Outcome
Short-term
As part of this effort, EPA
and NADP are
collaborating with the
Cherokee Nation to
establish a new mercury
monitoring site on tribal
lands. Atmospheric
deposition is a major
contributor of mercury to
inland water bodies. Tribes
are particularly interested
in mercury monitoring
because the primary
method of mercury
exposure is through fish
consumption.
Raise awareness within the
TAMS community of the
interaction of climate
change and air quality
issues.
Intermediat
e
NA
Long-term
When fully implemented, the NADP
Atmospheric Mercury Initiative will
offer high quality, high resolution
monitoring data from different
locations around the country.
Establishing an atmospheric mercury
monitoring site on tribal lands also
enhances a tribes' ability to develop
and run their own environmental
programs that help to protect their
communities and environment
NA
Contact
Rick Haeuber, Chief
Assessment and
Communications Branch
(202) 343-9250
Haeuber.richard(@,epa.go
V
Rona Birnbaum, Chief
Climate Science and
Impacts Branch
(202) 343-9076
birnbaum.rona@,epa. gov
46
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