news
A Newsletter from the EPA New England Environmental Justice Council
6EBV
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency New England
7th edition • March 2005
Celebrate Earth Day in Your Community
This year marks the 35th
anniversary of Earth Day, and
communities throughout New
England are organizing events
during the month of April
designed to protect the planet.
Community-based environ-
mental protection is a central
goal of EPA New England's
Environmental Justice Program,
and this issue of EJ News
features a variety of events being
organized in communities
throughout the region, maybe
even in your hometown, that you
can take part in. Several of the
events featured in this article even
have environmental justice themes,
including the Earth Day Celebration
at Common Ground High School in
New Haven, Conn.; the Environmental
Justice: Take Back Your Neighborhood
Event in Salem, Mass.; and the 10th
Annual En-vironmental Justice in the
Hood Conference in Boston, Mass.
So why not get out and help out
this Earth Day? Read on below for
more information about Earth Day
events in your state. Note that the
EPA is not the sponsor of the events
Volunteers clean up the banks of Chelsea Creek
on Earth Day 2003.
described below and cannot verify the
information provided.
Connecticut
Earth Day Celebration at
Common Ground High School
Apr. 27 in New Haven
Students in grades 1-6 are invited to
Common Ground for a day of earth-
centered education and celebration
sponsored by the New Haven Ecology
Project. Adult volunteers are also
needed to run a variety of workshops
and activities being organized as
part of this event, including
guided forest hikes, a forest
scavenger hunt, nature journal
writing, farm and garden tours,
seed and tree planting and
recycled craft making, among
others. An all-day environ-mental
fair featuring displays, including
one on environmental justice,
will also take place. Contact
Rebecca Holcombe at 203-389-
4333 or rholcombe®>nhep.com
Maine
Earth Day Clean Up
Apr. 23 in Bangor
Help clean the litter away from the
banks of the Penjajawoc Stream with
Maine Audubon members and the
Bangor Area Citizens Organized for
Responsible Community Develop-
ment. Wear hiking boots and work
gloves, bring three big trash bags and
show up at any of the following
locations in Bangor: the end of
Evergreen Woods Road off Mt. Hope
Avenue; Borders or Hannafords at the
continued on page 2
EJ News 1
Grants 4
Q&A 9
INSIDE
Office Notes 10
EJ Profile 11
Publication Updates 11
Office Highlights 19
Contacts... ,. 20
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Earthday cont.
EPA's Warren Howard and Stacey Johnson
teach kids about watershed management at
Common Ground High School's Earth Day
celebration last year.
Bangor Mall; or 15 Young Street off
State Street. Leaders will show you
to where you can make a difference!
Contact 207-989-2591.
Massachusetts
Environmental Justice: Take Back
Your Neighborhood Event
Apr. 4-15 in Salem
Salem State College and HealthLink
are sponsoring several Earth Days this
year with the overarching theme,
"Environmental Justice: Take Back
Your Neighborhood! An Educational
Experience Linking Health and the
Environment Through Activism,
Research and Art." Activities being
organized include an art exhibit, an
Earth Day Family Program and a
Going Green Open House. An all-day
event at Salem State College on Apr.
11 includes an environmental career
fair, environmental research poster
competition and a panel session and
group discussions focusing on
environmental justice.
Contact Dr. Ana M. Echevarria-
Morales at 978-542-6385 or
ana.echevarria-morales
®>salemstate.edu
10th Annual Environmental Justice
in the Hood Conference
Apr. 30 in Boston
The Greater Boston Environmental
Justice Network is hosting an all-day
conference for teens and adults that
focuses on environmental justice,
especially transportation problems
and solutions. The event is expected
to draw residents and representatives
of community organizations from
Mattapan, Dorchester, Roxbury,
Chelsea and East Boston, Mass., and
other communities in the Greater
Boston Area. Skills-building work-
shops will help participants learn
fundraising techniques, identify
environmental injustices and deter-
mine how best to work together to
secure environmental improve-ments.
Contact Tomas Aguilar at 617-442-
3343 x229 or tomas®>ace-ej.org
New Hampshire
First Annual Student Conservation
Association-New Hampshire Park
Americorp Earth Day
Apr. 23 in Manchester
Volunteer to help with trash clean up
and brushing of an old railroad track
that is being restored to create a
walking and bike riding trail. Some
volunteers may participate in a
Manchester Pond Restoration
Program. There will music, kids
activities and lunch for volunteers.
Contact Jessica Finelt at 603-485-
8400 or jessiepaige!27®>lycos.com
Rhode Island
Earth Day in Rhode Island
Apr. 2 - May 5 in 36 cities and
towns
This year's Earth Day in Rhode Island
features more than a month of events
and cleanup activities in 36 of the
state's cities and towns. Find out when
you can take part in your community's
clean up at: www.state.ri.us/dem/
earthday/cleanup.htm
You can also visit the Roger
Williams Park Zoo for Conservation
Week, during April school vacation
week, Apr. 18-22, and for the Earth
Day Festival on Saturday, Apr. 23.
Conservation Week will introduce
participants to various efforts to
protect endangered species. The Earth
continued on page 6
HUD and EPA Settle Case Against
Massachusetts-based Landlord—
10,400 Apartments in Seven States
and D.C to Become Lead Safe
In one of the largest enforcement
actions of its kind, the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) and the
Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) announced in November 2004
that a Boston-based real estate
company agreed to remove lead paint
hazards from approximately 10,400
apartments in seven states and the
District of Columbia and pay a
monetary penalty. HUD and EPA
claimed that the company failed to
notify its tenants that their homes may
contain potentially dangerous
amounts of lead. The apartments that
will be made lead-safe under this
agreement are located in Mass-
achusetts, Pennsylvania, California,
New York, Rhode Island, New
Hampshire, Virginia and the District
continued on page 3
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EJ New
Lead Safe cont
of Columbia. More than 7,000 apart-
ments are located in Massachusetts
alone (see list available at:
www.epa.gov/NE/pr/2004/nov/
dd041107.html )
WinnResidential Limited Partner-
ship and its affiliates own and manage
more than 235 housing projects
across the country. The company
agreed to pay a $105,000 civil
monetary penalty and further agreed
to test for and clean up all existing
lead-based paint hazards in its units.
EPA estimates that the cost of lead
abatement projects associated with
this settlement are likely to be as high
as $3.7 million.
"This settlement should remind
landlords that they have a legal
responsibility to tell their tenants if
their homes may harm their
children," said Miniard Gulpepper,
HUD's Acting Regional Director for
New England. "This agreement will
not only create thousands of healthier
homes, but will give families the peace
of mind to raise their kids without
fear of lead poisoning."
In 2001, there were approximately
1,100 children in Boston alone with
elevated blood lead levels. The
majority of cases are in the city's
lower-income, most diverse
neighborhoods.
"Lead poisoning is a serious health
threat for children in New England
and around the country," said Robert
W. Varney, regional administrator for
EPA's New England office. "This
agreement shows that those of us
charged with protecting young
children, and our most sensitive
populations from lead poisoning, are
serious about our jobs. We plan to
continue to enforce lead disclosure
For more resources on lead,
contact Molly Magoon, 617-918-1848 or
magoon.molly@>epa.gov
laws until we reach our goal of
eliminating childhood lead poisoning."
"Despite the fact that so much can
be done to keep kids safe from lead
paint, too many are still poisoned in
their own homes," said Massachusetts
Attorney General Tom Reilly. "This
agreement sets the standard for the
property management industry and
sends the message that, through
collaboration, we can make
significant strides to protect our
children from harm."
Since 2001, Reilly who has been
working closely with HUD and EPA,
as well as the state Department of
Public Health, reached two agreements
with Winn addressing environmental
and civil rights issues. The first, filed
by his Environmental Protection
Division, mirrors the national
settlement and requires the company
to comply with the state's lead law.
The second, negotiated by the
Attorney General's Civil Rights
Division, requires the company to put
detailed policy and procedures in
place to prevent discrimination
against families with children under
the age of six, who are most
vulnerable to lead paint poisoning. 36
Maine Military Authority Agrees to Pay $23,500
Penalty and Spend $82,900 on Environmental
Projects to Settle EPA Claims
In January, the Maine Military
Authority (MMA), in Limestone,
Maine, agreed to pay a $23,500 penalty
and spend an additional $82,900 on
two environmental projects to settle
claims by the EPA that it violated
clean air laws.
The violations cited in a June 2004
EPA complaint occurred at the Maine
Readiness Sustainment Maintenance
Center where the authority maintains,
rebuilds, stores and paints vehicles
and equipment for the U.S.
Department of Defense. EPA cited
MMA for violations of Maine's
federally enforceable State Imple-
mentation Plan under the Glean Air
Act. EPA found that the authority
violated the Act when it failed to
renew air emission licenses for nine
boilers and two spray painting booths
continued on page 6
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GRANT
ANNOUNCEMENTS
EPA Funds Environmental Justice Project in Springfield,
Mass.; Creation of Model Nail Salon Aims to Lessen
Chemical Risks To Vietnamese Workers
The EPA held a press event in January
to announce $100,000 in funding to
help build a model nail salon in
Springfield, Mass., which will address
the serious health risks from chemical
exposure to Vietnamese nail
technicians. The funding is being
awarded under a
cooperative agreement with
the Pioneer Valley Project,
Inc., a multi-racial
community organizing
group working to improve
quality of life and
environment in the Pioneer
Valley of Massa-chusetts.
The $100,000 in funding
is being distributed over
three years under the EPA's
Environmental Justice
Collaborative Problem-
Solving Cooperative
Agreement Program, which
was established in 2003 to
help community-based
organizations work to
improve the environment in
communities that are dispro-
portionately burdened by en-
vironmental or health hazards. The
Pioneer Valley Project is one of two
organizations in New England and one
of 30 organizations nationally that
received the funding to support
environmental justice activities
through this program.
Nail technicians often work 10-12
hours in poorly ventilated rooms with
hazardous and volatile chemicals.
Common health ailments associated
with these chemicals range from skin
irritation and fungal, bacterial and viral
infections to respiratory problems like
asthma. Potential long-term exposure
risks include damage to the nervous
system, reproductive disorders and
even cancer.
Vietnamese-owned nail salons are
Presenting check to partners on nail salon project
a major source of employment for
low-income Vietnamese women in the
Springfield area, with an estimated
300 salons in and around
Springfield. Roughly 50 percent of
the nail salons in Springfield are
Vietnamese-owned. Nationally,
Vietnamese salons make up an
estimated 40-50 percent of the market.
"EPA focuses on environmental
justice in New England to ensure that
residents most at risk receive
protection from health and
environmental hazards," said Robert
W. Varney, regional administrator of
EPA's New England office, speaking
at the Vietnamese American Civic
Association in Springfield, Mass. "This
funding for the Pioneer Valley Project
will help to improve the health of
many Vietnamese nail salon workers
and their families throughout the
area."
"This is an exciting
opportunity for the
community, health care
providers, state regulators
and other partners to work
collaboratively to address
the environmental and
public health concerns of
Vietnamese nail salon
workers potentially exposed
to the hazardous chemicals
found in nail care
products," said Barry E.
Hill, director of EPA's Office
of Environ-mental Justice in
Washington, B.C.
The funding will help
project partners at the
Lower Pioneer Valley
Career and Technical Education
Center build a model nail salon,
featuring safe and affordable chemical
management and reduction practices.
The model salon will be used to
provide hands-on training for the
Vietnamese nail community. The
Pioneer Valley Project will: develop
culturally-appropriate training
materials for salon workers; create
educational programs on chemical
risk protection; and teach health care
providers that service the Vietnamese
community how to identify and treat
symptoms of chemical exposure.
continued on page 5
4
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Nail Salon cont.
"The project is very helpful for
nail businesses because it is important
for them to learn about chemical
safety and protect the health of
employees, owners and customers,"
GRANT
ANNOUNCEMENTS
said Elizabeth Vo, the executive
director of the Springfield Vietnamese
American Civic Association.
"The success of these combined
strategies will help resolve the
emerging conflicts between the
expanding population of Vietnamese
nail salons and regulators," said Fred
Rose, lead organizer at Pioneer Valley
Project. "The funding will allow local
nail salons to improve health and
safety while ensuring that these
businesses continue to thrive and
provide jobs for the community."
EPA Seeks Projects
for EJ Small Grants
Program
EPA is seeking applications for the
Environmental Justice (EJ) Small
Grants program, and expects to award
three $25,000 grants through the
program in New England.
Under this new funding oppor-
tunity, projects are sought from
community-based organizations that
address a community's exposure to
multiple environmental harms and
risks. The deadline to submit com-
pleted application packages is
midnight on Monday, Apr. 4.
For detailed information about the
EJ Small Grants program, including
a copy of the current application, also
available in Spanish, and profiles of
past projects, please visit the EPA's
Office of Environmental Justice
website at: www.epa.gov/oeca/ej/
grants/e j_smgrants. html
Contact: Davina Wysin, 617-918-1020
or wysin.davina®>e pa.gov
EPA New England to
Fund 2005 Healthy
Communities Grant
Program
EPA New England expects to publish
the application for its unique
Healthy Communities Grant
program by Apr. 1, and applications
will be due by the end of April.
The Healthy Communities Grant
program was launched in 2003, and
integrates nine EPA New England
programs to combine available
resources and best identify com-
petitive projects that will achieve
measurable environmental and public
health results in communities across
New England.
The application and supporting
materials for the Healthy Com-
munities Grant program will be posted
as they become available at:
www. epa.gov/ne/eco/uep/
grants.html
Contact: Sandy Padula, 617-918-1797
or padula.sandra®>epa.gov
EPA Launches
Community Action
for a Renewed
Environment Program
In March, EPA launched Community
Action for a Renewed Environment
(CARE) and announced that it expects
to make $1.65 million in funding
available to communities nationally
through the program during fiscal
year 2005. CARE is a new program
designed to help communities
understand and reduce risks due to
toxics from all sources.
Local and tribal governmental
agencies, universities and non-profit
organizations can apply for CARE
funds to support collaborative
partnerships, develop a com-
prehensive understanding of all
sources of risk from toxics, set
priorities and identify and implement
projects to reduce risks through
collaborative action at the local level.
Individual award amounts are
expected to range from $60,000 to
$325,000. The CARE program is very
competitive and one award is
expected to be made for a CARE
project in New England.
For more information visit:
www.epa.gov/air/grants/05-08.pdf
Contact: Dan Brown, 617-918-1532 or
brown, dan ®>epa.gov
EPA Reopens
Brownfields Grant
Program
EPA announced a revised funding
opportunity for Brownfields Training,
Research and Technical Assistance
Grants, and expects to award two to
three proposals nationally totaling
$800,000. Previously, in September
2004, EPA issued an initial funding
announcement, but decided not to
fund any proposals received in
response. The new deadline for
applications is May 1.
Proposals are sought for training,
research and technical assistance
projects that focus on environmental and
human health conditions in low-income
communities and socio-economically
disadvantaged com-munities unable to
continued on page 14
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Earthday cont.
Day Festival will be fun for the whole
family, with many educational
exhibits, environmental demon-
strations and entertainment. Ride the
Rhode Island Public Transit Authority
bus for free from Kennedy Plaza to
the Zoo and receive free zoo
admission on the day of the festival.
Earth Day in Rhode Island is a
partnership of the Earth Day RI
organization, The Rhode Island
Department of Environmental
Management and the Roger Williams
Park Zoo, and is supported through
generous contributions from many
businesses.
Vermont
Creating a Backyard Haven for
Butterflies, Birds and Other
Beneficials Seminar
Apr. 23 in Burlington
Join gardening enthusiast and learn
how to create a landscape that will
invite wildlife into your backyard and
add a whole new dimension to your
gardening. Tips on planning your
landscape to attract and support
wildlife needs will be covered. In
addition, each participant will plant
seeds to take home and start luring
some wild neighbors to his/her
garden. Contact Gardener's Supply at
802-660-3505 or cathya®>gardeners.com
If your community is not listed
above, or if you would like to find
out about other events going on in
your community, there are two
searchable lists of Earth Day events
available online at:
http://earthday.environlink.org/ or
www.earthday.net
Besides encouraging EPA staff to
participate in Earth Day events in their
own communities, EPA New England
is sponsoring several events for
employees in April. The annual Green
Expo, a vendor fair featuring environ-
mentally preferable products and
services, including several minority and
women-owned businesses, will take
place on Thursday, Apr. 14, from
11 a.m.- 3 p.m. at EPA's Boston office.
A week later, on Apr. 21, EPA New
England will host its annual
Environmental Merit Awards Ceremony
at Faneuil Hall, which honors individual,
business and government environ-
mental protection efforts in New
England, including efforts to advance
environmental justice. Lastly, EPA New
England is proud to recognize Megan
Larcom, a junior at Middletown High
School in Rhode Island, who received
one of 10 national President's
Environmental Youth Awards for a
project she launched to teach fourth-
grade students about renewable and
nonrenewable resources. Larcom has
been invited to attend a ceremony at
the White House on Earth Day to receive
the award from the President. 38
Maine cont.
at the facility. EPA also contended
that MMA failed to obtain a permit
for a new spray-painting booth
installed in 2000. In addition to the
air violations, EPA found violations
of state and federal hazardous waste
laws at the facility.
MMA's failure to obtain valid air
emissions licenses resulted in the
illegal release of environmentally
significant air pollutants, including
volatile organic compounds, which
contribute to ground-level ozone, or
smog. Smog is known to cause
irritation of the respiratory system,
leading to coughing and asthma,
especially among children and other
sensitive populations. MMA's
operation without a license also
hindered the state's ability to meet
its air quality standards, as the
illegal emissions are unaccounted
for in Maine's State Implementation
Plan. Since Limestone is located in
an ozone transport region, Maine's
SIP must limit ozone in that area.
The reduction in
energy as a result of
the second SEP is
estimated to be
3,538 kilowatt-hours
per year.
To settle the case, MMA agreed
to a $23,000 cash penalty, and to
provide an additional $82,900 in
funding for two environmentally
beneficial projects, know as
Supplemental Environmental Projects
(SEPs). The first SEP requires MMA
to retrofit eleven diesel-powered
vehicles with diesel oxidation catalyst
kits, which will result in a 40 percent
reduction of air pollutants and will
cost the authority $20,900, or $1,900
per vehicle. MMA also agreed to
replace existing lighting with energy
efficient fixtures in two of its
buildings for a cost of $62,000. The
reduction in energy as a result of
the second SEP is estimated to be
3,538 kilowatt-hours per year.36
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EPA Enforcement Secures Cleanups Worth a Record
$4.8 Billion and Will Stop One Billion Pounds of Pollution
EPA enforcement actions concluded
in fiscal year (FY) 2004 will reduce a
projected one billion pounds of
pollution and require cleanups
estimated to total a record $4.8 billion-
significant increases from last year.
Almost every other annual measure
of the agency's enforcement and
compliance activity—such as the
number of inspections (up 11 percent
from FY 2003) and investigations (up
32 percent from FY 2003)—surpassed
or kept pace with previous years,
indicating continued progress in
deterring violations of the nation's
environmental laws and reflecting an
emphasis on environmental benefits
and compliance.
"EPA's enforcement strategy is
focused on what matters most:
achieving real environmental
improvements that benefit everyone,"
said Tom Skinner, EPA Acting
Assistant Administrator for the Office
of Enforcement and Compliance
Assurance. "We are getting significant,
real-world pollution reductions
through mechanisms like injunctive
relief—pushing companies to install
more effective pollution controls—and
supplemental environmental projects,
which improve the environment and
public health both nationwide and
close to home."
In addition to the record
environmental benefit and cleanup
figures resulting from agency actions
during FY 2004, EPA estimates that
3.4 million cubic yards of
contaminated soil and sediment and
9.5 million cubic yards of
groundwater will be cleaned up, 1,300
acres of wetlands will be protected
and the drinking water of 4 million
Americans will comply with EPA
standards. Of the 4,257 cases
concluded by EPA in FY 2004, 83
percent resulted in actions to bring
facilities into compliance with
environmental laws.
Each fiscal year, EPA's Office of
Enforcement and Compliance
Assurance compiles a range of data
to track national environmental
results and enforcement and
compliance activity. Projected
pollution reductions and the
estimated dollar value of required
continued on page 8
Submit an Idea for an Environmental
Project in Your Community to the
EPA's SEP Library
Do you have an idea for an environmental improvement project in your
community? Consider submitting it for inclusion in EPA New England's
Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP) Library. A SEP is a project that
produces environmental or public health and safety benefits beyond those
required by law, for which a credit may be granted by EPA to offset partially
the penalty imposed in the settlement of an enforcement action.
When evaluating a proposed project for inclusion as a SEP in a settlement,
EPA considers many factors. The most important factors are the public
health or environmental benefits expected from the project and the
relationship of the project to the underlying violation of the enforcement
action. Other factors include such things as the project's pollutant of concern,
geographic location, impact on sensitive human populations, impact on
sensitive ecosystems, type of project, estimated cost and length of time
estimated for completion.
Appropriate SEP proposals will be posted in the region's internal SEP
Library, which can only be accessed by EPA New England employees. When
violators ask EPA enforcement personnel to suggest SEP ideas for
consideration in particular cases, the case team is able to consult the SEP
Library for relevant SEP ideas. Inclusion of a project in the SEP Library
does not in any way ensure that it will be implemented in an EPA New
England enforcement case, only that it will be available for consideration.
To submit a project for possible inclusion in EPA New England SEP
Library, please complete a SEP Idea Form available at:
www.epa.gov/boston/enforcement/sep/sepform.html
Before submitting an idea, you may wish to consult the following EPA
New England and EPA Headquarters websites covering SEPs, which contain
important guidance:
www.epa.gov/boston/enforcement/sep/index.html
www.epa.gov/compliance/civil/seps/index.html
For more information about SEPs, contact Amelia Katzen, in EPA New
England's Regulatory Legal Office, at 617-918-1869 or
katzen. amelia®>epa. gov
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Enforcement cont
cleanup, or injunctive relief, are annual
indicators of results from EPA's
environmental enforcement. Pollution
estimates project the amount of
pollution that will be reduced, treated
or properly managed as a result of
EPA enforcement actions concluded
during the fiscal year. The information
is used to gauge enforcement results
and activity and guide program
priorities.
New England Enforcement
Program Highlights
Negotiation of Supplemental
Environmental Projects
EPA's New England enforcement
presence has resulted in major
reductions of pollutants. In addition
to imposing fines, EPA has sought to
remedy environmental infractions
with Supplemental Environmental
Projects (SEPs) - targeted initiatives
designed to benefit public health and
the environment in communities
where violations have occurred. In FY
2004, EPA New England negotiated
SEPs valued at a total of $11,081,291
as part of enforcement settlements.
In the Boston metropolitan area,
$6.1 million from two major
settlements will bring significant clean-
air benefits to city residents.
Settlements with the Massachusetts
Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA)
and the Mystic Station power plant
in Everett, Mass, require emission-
reducing retrofits for 520 metro-
politan Boston school buses, as well
as the use of cleaner, lower-sulfur fuel.
The settlements also require retrofits
and fuel switches for the MBTA's
commuter trains, as well as projects
to facilitate the construction of
bicycle paths. These settlements will
eliminate hundreds of tons of air
pollutants in a densely-populated
urban area. Overall, EPA's enforce-
ment actions in FY 2004 will reduce
sulfur dioxide by 1.7 million pounds, and
carbon monoxide by 288,000 pounds.
EPA New England has also
continued to aggressively focus on
eliminating preventable childhood
exposure to lead. Because so much
housing stock in New England was
constructed prior to the 1978 federal
ban on lead paint, this issue requires
ongoing effort in our states to ensure
that landlords and property owners
In FY 2004, EPA
New England
negotiated SEPs
valued at a total of
$11,081,291 as part
of enforcement
settlements.
follow lead notification laws. During
the past year, 72 inspections were
conducted around New England,
bringing the two-year total to nearly
200. During this past fiscal year, EPA
issued 13 enforcement complaints
and 10 settlements against property
owners, management firms and one
construction firm that failed to notify
tenants about lead hazards. Many of
these cases involved properties where
children had been poisoned by lead.
In some cases property owners or
managers had also failed to comply
with state orders. In addition to
seeking monetary fines, EPA has
negotiated settlements requiring
property owners to conduct testing
and abatement of lead paint hazards
in thousands of residential units in
Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island,
Connecticut and New Hampshire.
More regional information from
EPA New England is available at:
www.epa.gov/ne/enforcement
andassistance
The Condor Street Wild park in Chelsea, Mass., was created through a Supplemental
Environmental Project
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Global Warming &
Equity
Q, What is global warming?
A. Global warming is the warming
that occurs as Earth's naturally-radi-
ated heat is trapped by atmospheric
greenhouse gases (GHG) such as wa-
ter vapor, carbon dioxide and other
gases. Without this natural warming,
global surface temperatures would be
much lower and life as we know would
not be possible.
Q,. What is human-induced
global warming?
A. Scientific consensus indicates that
modern industrialization, the combus-
tion of fossil fuels and other human
activities, have increased atmospheric
concentrations of carbon dioxide by
nearly 30 percent, and methane and
nitrous oxide concentrations by about
15 percent. The rise in global sur-
face temperatures as a result of these
increases in GHGs is commonly re-
ferred to as human-induced global
warming, or anthropocentric climate
change. The following questions ad-
dress the concerns associated with
rising global temperatures as a result
of human activities.
Q,. How does global
warming affect me and
my family?
A. While uncertainty exists as to the
exact degree and location of impacts,
rising global temperatures are ex-
pected to raise sea level; change pre-
cipitation and other local climate con-
ditions; alter forests, crop yields and
water supplies; and affect the health
of humans, animals and many types
of ecosystems. Health impacts asso-
ciated with climate change include an
increase in heat-related deaths; in-
creases in respiratory illnesses as a
result of changes in pollens and spores
and temperature increases that en-
hance the formation and persistence
of certain air pollutants; deaths, inju-
ries, psychological disorders and ex-
posure to chemical pollutants in wa-
ter supplies if extreme weather events,
such as storms and floods, become
more frequent; and an increase in the
risk of infectious diseases and vec-
tor-borne diseases that occur in
warmer areas.
Q, Who is most affected by
global warming?
A. Exactly how much risk is posed
to human health by climate change
is difficult to quantify in terms of
numbers of increased deaths or ill-
nesses. Global warming affects ev-
eryone, however, it does not affect
everyone equally. Factors such as
crowding, food scarcity, poverty
and local environmental decline
make populations in some devel-
oping countries especially vulner-
able. Likewise, in industrialized
countries, the demographic trend
toward an aging population raises
health risks. A June 2004 Report
by the Congressional Black Caucus
Foundation, "African Americans
and Climate Change: An Unequal
Burden," further forecasts a differ-
ence in the impact of climate
change in the United States on
people of various socioeconomic
and racial groups. Though still un-
certain, the regional effects of cli-
mate change on agricultural, ani-
mal habitats and fisheries produc-
tivity could increase the local
prevalence of hunger and malnu-
trition (particularly in developing
countries). In addition, low-lying re-
gions, small island nations and de-
veloping countries are also greatly
impacted by rising sea levels and
severely burdened by the cost of
both mitigation and adaptation.
9
Q,. How does global warm-
ing affect the environ-
ment?
A. Rising global surface temperatures
are expected to disrupt entire eco-
systems. A projected warming of 2
degrees Celsius could shift the ideal
range for many North American for-
est species by about 200 miles. If tem-
perature increases are slow enough,
species migration is possible. The
uncertainty of regional precipitation
changes threatens the future of many
forests and the wildlife that depend
upon them. A loss of biodiversity is a
likely impact of increasing tempera-
tures. Rising sea levels as a result of
global warming, inundates wetlands
and other low-lying lands, erodes
beaches, intensifies flooding and in-
creases the salinity of rivers, bays,
and groundwater tables.
Q,. What is being done
about global warming?
A. Today, action is occurring at ev-
ery level to reduce, avoid and better
understand the risks associated with
climate change. At the global level,
countries around the world have ex-
pressed a firm commitment to
strengthening international responses
to the risks of climate change. The
United States is working to strengthen
international action and broaden par-
ticipation under the auspices of the
United Nations Framework Conven-
tion on Climate Change. With EPA
support, many states and cities across
the country have prepared greenhouse
gas inventories and are actively pur-
suing programs and policies that will
result in greenhouse gas emission re-
ductions. At least 26 states and Puerto
Rico have developed their own cli-
mate action plans. The International
Council for Local Environmental Ini-
tiatives (ICLEI) has developed the
Cities for Climate Protection Cam-
paign. There are currently 676 par-
ticipants worldwide and 152 in the
United States alone. In addition, at
the national level, the U.S. Global
continued on page 13
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Office Notes
EPA New England Staff
Receive Funding to Support
EJ-Related Research
Rhona Julien and Ian Cohen, who
both work in EPA New England's
Office of Ecosystem Protection,
received $100,000 in Regional
Applied Research Effort funding to
support their research in autobody
shops in Lawrence, Mass., which
ultimately aims to reduce exposure
to harmful respiratory irritants.
Julien and Cohen plan to determine
the effectiveness of using innovative
laser gun technology and training
at autobody shops on reducing shop
emissions and residential exposure
to hexamethylene diisocyanate and
other isocyanates. These chemicals
are commonly used as hardening
agents in automotive spray paints
and can cause respiratory
problems. Julien and Cohen hope
to quantify a comparison of pre-
and post-intervention for human
exposure and set a protocol for
reducing exposure to these harmful
respiratory irritants.
EJ-Related Opportuni-
ties for Students
Apply for a Community
Internship in New England
Five community-based organizations
in New England received funding
to support summer interns
working on EJ-related projects
through the ECO/EPA Com-
munity Intern Program, and
students can now apply for these
14-week, paid internships posted
at: www.eco.org/internships.
Students will intern at the following
organizations: Alternative for
Community and Environment in
Roxbury, Mass.; Coalition for a
Better Acre in Lowell, Mass.;
Codman Square Neighborhood
Development Corporation in
Dorchester, Mass.; Iglesia CasadelPerdon
in Waterbury Conn.; and New Haven
Ecology Project in New Haven, Conn.
The ECO/EPA Community Intern
Program provides a unique oppor-
tunity for students to work directly
with community organizations and
experience environmental issues at
a grassroots level. Since EPA's
Office of Environmental Justice
initiated this program in 2000, over
130 diverse students have
participated in environmental
justice projects nationally.
Intern at EPA New England
Two interns will have an opportunity
to work on EJ-related projects at EPA
New England this summer, and
students can now apply for these 12-
week paid internships posted at:
www.eco.org/internships . The
students will work on projects within
the EJ and Urban Environmental
Programs.
Lawrence High School students Ohilda
Difo, Hamlet Nina and Prasanthi
Yerramaneni (in back) and Mariseliz
Heredia (front) with Karen White, ad-
ministrator of the Science & Technol-
ogy Academy
Lawrence, Mass., High
School Students Participate
in Volunteer Pilot Project
Four students from the Lawrence
Public High School Science &
Technology Academy are
participating in a pilot project to
introduce students to
environmental careers at EPA
New England. Since January,
students have worked with
mentors on Tuesday and Thursday
afternoons at the EPA's laboratory
in Chelmsford, Mass., on projects
related to chemistry, micro-
biology, facilities management and
administrative support. The pilot
project is a great opportunity for
EPA to get help from energetic,
bright and diverse students, while
helping and teaching the next
generation of environmental
stewards.
Region Honors Wangari
Maathai for Environmental
Leadership
EPA New England's Black History
Month programming in February
honored Wangari Maathai, who
received the 2004 Nobel Peace
Prize for her contributions to
sustainable development, democracy
and peace. Maathai, who was born
continued on page 13
The ECO/EPA partnership
provides many EJ-related
opportunities (or students.
eco.org
10
-------
EJPufo
Environmental Summit in Lowell, Mass., Draws Diverse
Crowd Interested in Learning About Indoor Air Quality
On Mar. 18, the Coalition for a Better
Acre in Lowell, Mass., hosted a free,
seven-hour Environmental Summit for
local residents that focused on indoor
air quality. About 80 individuals from
five continents attended the event,
which included interactive
presentations on indoor air quality
problems and collaborative-problem
solving. The Environmental Summit
was the first of a series of outreach
events planned in Lowell that are
being funded through a $100,000
cooperative agreement from EPA's
Environmental Justice Collaborative
Problem-Solving Program.
Because the audience was so
diverse, the event organizers wanted
to draw on attendees' own
experiences in dealing with indoor
air quality issues. Representatives
from the three partnering
organizations that sponsored the
Environmental Summit gave
introductory remarks in five
languages, including Portuguese,
Khmer, Spanish, English and Patua,
and offered to provide translation
services to attendees. By making this
effort to reach out to participants in
their native languages, the
organizers were able to engage
residents in a discussion about their
unique experiences and concerns.
"I am from Iowa and our houses
are surrounded by cornfields, so I
didn't understand how people could
live in stacked houses and
apartments," said Linda Silka, who
directs the Center for Family Work
and Community at the University of
Massachusetts-Lowell, as she opened
up the conversation about the indoor
environment before asking the
audience, "What about your houses
and your environment growing up?"
Two participants from Ghana and
Liberia said that their homes growing
up were "just like Iowa," except
surrounded by bush. Their houses
were mostly in rural areas, made from
mud and had open windows. Both
individuals expressed concern about
their exposure to the pesticide
dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane or
DDT, which they did not realize was
dangerous.
Participants from Cambodia
described the homes there as having
open windows and no multiple rooms-
just one big multi-purpose room.
Traditionally, Cambodians take care to
take their shoes off before going inside
in order to keep dirt and toxics out.
Other participants from Sierra
Leone, Scotland and El Salvador
raised concerns about household
chemicals, indoor coal fires and
industrial pollution entering the home,
which opened the door for a
facilitated panel discussion on
"Learning to Ask Questions About
Indoor Air Quality."
During this session, three panelists
described their experiences dealing
with chemical sensitivities and
asthma triggered by indoor
environmental factors and offered
advice to participants.
Julie Villareal, program manager
at the Center for Family, Work and
continued on page 14
From led, EPA employees Shri Parikh, Delta Valente, Maria Hendriksson and Davina
Wvsin attended the Environmental Summit.
11
-------
Publication Updates &? Resources
Reports
Heavy Metal Content of Ayurvedic
Herbal Medicine Products
(December 2004)
EPA New England lexicologist Dr.
Janet Paquin co-authored a Boston-
based study published in the Dec. 15
issue of the Journal of the American
Medical Association that found one
in five Ayurvedic herbal medicine
products from South Asia and
available in Boston South Asian
grocery stores contains potentially
harmful levels of lead, mercury and/
or arsenic. According to the study,
users of Ayurvedic medicine may be
at risk for heavy metal toxicity and
testing of Ayurvedic herbal medicine
products for toxic heavy metals should
be mandatory.
Ayurverdic medicine is an ancient
holistic system of health that
originated more than 2000 years ago
in India and relies heavily on herbal
medicine products to treat illness and
prevent disease. Metals such as
mercury and lead are an important
part of Ayurvedic theory, and possibly
explains their presence in the herbal
medicine products. About 80 percent
of India's population uses Ayuerveda
and its popularity is increasing among
Western countries. In the United
States, Ayurvedic remedies can be
obtained from South Asian markets,
Ayurvedic practitioners, health food
stores and the Internet.
If taken as recommended by the
manufacturers, each of the 14 herbal
medicine products with heavy metal
content could result in heavy metal
intakes above published regulatory
standards. The herbal medicine
products samples were tested by Dr.
Paquin at EPA's regional laboratory
in North Ghelmsford, Mass.
Ayurvedic herbal medicine products
are marketed as dietary supplements
and are therefore regulated under the
Dietary Supplement Health and
Education Act, which does not
require proof of safety or efficacy.
The authors of the study, led by Dr.
Robert Saper at Harvard Medical
School, concluded that the presence
of heavy metals in Ayurvedic herbal
medicine products and the numerous
reports of associated toxicity may have
important public health, clinical and
policy implications in the United
States and abroad. Abstract available
at:http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/
content/abstract/292/23/2868
The Health Impact of Resolving
Racial Disparities: An Analysis of
US Mortality Data (December
2004), a study published in the
American Journal of Public Health
contrasted the number of lives saved
by medical advances with the number
of deaths attributable to excess
mortality among African Americans
between 1991 and 2000. Medical
advances averted 176,633 deaths, but
equalizing the mortality rates of whites
and African Americans would have
averted 886,202 deaths. Abstract
available at: www.ajph.org/cgi/
content/abstract/94/12/2078
Spatial Scale and Population
Assignment Choices in Environ-
mental Justice Analyses (November
2004), an article from The Pro-
fessional Geographer that examines
the potentially confounding effects of
selected spatial scale and population
assignment strategies as applied to a
study of excessive noise levels at a
large Midwestern airport, finding that
reported outcomes can vary
significantly as a function of
methodological choices.
Abstract available at:
www.ingentaconnect.com/
content/bpl/prog/2004/
00000056/00000004/artOOOlO
Not so Black and White:
Environmental Justice and
Cumulative Impact Assessments
(October/November 2004), is a
study of Massachusetts, published in
the Environmental Impact Assess-
ment Review, that demonstrates,
while controlling for the density and
severity of ecological hazardous sites
and facilities within every community
in the state, that exposure patterns
take a generally linear distribution
when analyzed by race and class. The
results reaffirm previous findings that
low-income communities and
communities of color bear sig-
nificantly greater ecological burdens
than predominantly White and more
affluent communities, and also
suggest that environmental injustices
exist on a remarkably consistent
continuum for nearly all com-
munities. Available at:
www.sciencedirect.com
Hidden Danger: Environmental
Health Threats in the Latino
Community (October 2004), a
report published by the Natural
Resources Defense Council, finds that
the large percentage of U.S. Latinos
living and working in urban and
agricultural areas face heightened
exposure to air pollution, unsafe
drinking water, pesticide, lead and
mercury. These hazards can cause
serious health problems, including: an
increased risk of asthma and cancer;
waterborne diseases such as giardiasis,
continued on page 17
12
-------
:A
Change Research Program coordi-
nates the world's most extensive re-
search effort on climate change.
Q,. What can you do to re-
duce the impacts of global
warming?
A. One of the most important
things you can do in your home to
reduce the impacts of global warm-
ing is to reduce the total amount of
energy that you consume. Energy
efficient appliances and light bulbs
can reduce your energy consumption
by as much as 30 percent. In addi-
tion, weatherizing your house to en-
sure efficiency reduces heating and
cooling costs and decreases energy
consumption. EPA's Energy Star Pro-
gram makes it easy for everyone to
be energy-efficient. Energy Star-
labeled products use less energy and
can save you money at your home,
school or business. Transportation
choices can also decrease energy
consumption. Options include: com-
bining trips; using alternative modes
of transportation such as public
transportation, bicycling or walking
to work and on errands; carpooling;
and purchasing fuel-efficient cars that
get more miles to the gallon and sub-
sequently decrease GO2 emissions.
For additional information on global
warming and the potential impacts,
visit: www.epa.gov/oar/global
warming
More information about IGLEI's
Cities for Climate Protection
Campaign: www.iclei.org
A full copy of the CBCF Report is
at: www.rprogress.org/newpubs
/2004/CBCF_REPORT_F.pdf
More information on EPA's Energy
Star Program is available at:
www.energystar.gov
Office Notes cont.
in Nyeri, Kenya in 1940, is the first
woman in East and Central Africa
to earn a doctorate degree and the
first African woman to receive a
Nobel Peace Prize. In 1977, Maathai
founded the Green Belt Movement,
an organization seeking to mobilize
poor women to plant trees to
curtail the devastating effects of
deforestation and desertification in
Kenya. In 1986, she helped establish
a Pan-African Green Belt Network
which has since exposed over 40
individuals from other African
counties to the approach.
Maathai has combined science,
social commitment and active
politics to go beyond simply
protecting the existing environment,
to developing a strategy that secures
and strengthens the very basis for
ecologically sustainable develop-
ment. She has incorporated
education, family planning, nutrition
and the fight against corruption into
the Green Belt Movement, and
subsequently, paved the way for
grassroots development. Maathai's
contributions toward achieving
social and environmental justice are
an inspiration to all who seek to
protect human rights.
Upcoming Events
Massachusetts Environmental
Justice Training
Apr. 13 in Lakeville, Mass., and
June in Western Massachusetts
The Massachusetts Executive Office
of Environmental Affairs, in
collaboration with the EPA, the
state Departments of Environ-
mental Protection, Housing and
Community Development and the
Urban Ecology Institute, is hosting
13
free Environmental Justice
Training in Lakeville, Mass., on
Wednesday, April 13, and in
Western Massachusetts in June.
The training, which is designed
to help participants understand
environ-mental justice, is based
on the curriculum developed by
EPA's EJ Training Collaborative
and Lois Adams, of EPA New
England's EJ Program, will present
several modules. Some of the
training has been modified to
cover EJ issues of concern
specific to communities in
Massachusetts, explain the state
EJ Policy and plan a course of
action to correct existing
environmental injustices and
prevent them from arising in the
future. The training is targeted
toward state and municipal
officials and staff, community-
based organizations and
interested citizens. To register,
contact Kwabena Kyei-Aboagye Jr.
at 617-626-1165 or Kwabena.Kyei-
Aboagye®>state .ma. us
Growing Possibilities:
Agriculture in the City
Apr. 15-16 in Boston, Mass.
The Food Project is sponsoring a
two-day urban agriculture
conference in Boston, Mass., on
Apr. 15-16, which includes a
workshop led by EPA New
England staff. On the first day,
participants can choose from
two tours that highlight urban
agriculture sites in the Boston
area, including a rooftop
garden and an island farm. The
second day features keynote
speakers and workshops on: soil
continued on page 15
-------
EJ
cont
Community at the University of
Massachusetts-Lowell, described how she
came to determine her daughter's
sensitivities to various things in the home,
including burning wood in the fireplace,
Christmas trees, bleach and other cleaning
supplies, perfume and pets. Julie and other
panelists stressed the importance of getting
an allergy test if a chemical sensitivity or
asthma is suspected.
Lynn Bernat, environmental program
manager at the Coalition fora Better Acre,
was the second panelist. Lynn suffers from
asthma along with her sister, and their
mother died from the disease. Bernat
pointed out that asthmatics differ in their
allergies. Bernat is bothered by dampness,
for example, while her sister is allergic to
feather pillows. Bernat, who leads an
active lifestyle despite her asthma, said that
there are two mistakes people with asthma
make when it comes to exercise, "Either
they ignore the condition and engage in
physical activities without having an
inhaler, which can be very dangerous, or
they use [asthma] as an excuse not to
exercise, especially as they get older."
The third panelist, Sereena Penn, who
works with High School students in Lowell
said she gets asked by students whether
they will outgrow their asthma, but
unfortunately she has no sure way to
answer that. Asthma can occur at any
stage in life, and the allergies that trigger
it often change over time. Triggers her
students most often complain about
include cold air, smoke, cockroach
droppings and dust.
In the next session, "Ways to Improve
Indoor Air Quality," Eileen Gunn
presented information about toxics in and
around the home and some safer
alternatives. Gunn's motto is that "you don't
have to be a chemist to analyze the
chemical ingredients" in products. For
example, products labeled "Poison" or
"Danger: May be fatal on short exposure"
are more dangerous than those that are
labeled "Warning: Corrosive or toxic" or
"Caution: May be irritating." Gunn urged
participants to be particularly careful when
using oven, toilet and drain cleaners, as
well as solvents and aerosols, and to avoid
using chlorine-based products.
Other afternoon sessions allowed
participants to learn about successful
approaches to indoor environmental
problems in the neighboring community
of Lawrence, Mass.; the relationship
between indoor air quality problems in
Lowell to the city's master plan; and where
to go, who to call and what to do about
individual indoor air quality concerns.
Local youth groups also presented an
indoor air quality game and performed a
dance during dinner.
For more information about the
Environmental Summit and other up-
coming environmental events being
organized by the Coalition for a Better
Acre in Lowell, contact Laura Buxbaum at
978-452-7523 x806 or laura.buxbaum
@cbacre.org
There are two mistakes people with asthma
make when it comes to exercise—
they ignore the condition—or they use it as an
excuse not to exercise.
GRANTS cont.
draw on alternative sources of funding
for assessment, cleanup and redev-
elopment of Brownfields.
Eligibility is limited to govern-
mental applicants and non-profit
organizations, including public and
non-profit private universities.
The full announcement is available
at: www.epa.gov/swerosps/bf/pg/
rta_0205.htm
Contact: Barbara Bassuener, 202-566-
Youth and Environment Grant Funding
Available for Projects Focusing on Wastewater
2768 or bassuener.barbara®>epa.gov
EPA announced the availability of
$4.2 million in Water Quality
Cooperative Agreement Allocation
funds, a portion of which can be used
to support Youth and Environment
Grants. These grants are intended to
introduce economically disadvantaged
urban and rural high school students
to various occupational opportunities
in the water and wastewater arenas
14
through summer internships at
wastewater treatment plants. Awards
can range from $2,000 to $500,000.
Eligible applicants include state
governments, Indian tribes, interstate
agencies and public and non-profit
organizations. The application deadline
is April 22. More information is
available at: www.epa.gov/owm/wqca/
2005_final.pdf
Contact: Barry Benroth, 202-564-0672
or benroth.barry®>epa.gov
-------
Office Notes cont.
remediation, farmers' markets,
garden-based curricula, vermi-
culture and other urban agriculture-
related issues. On the second day,
Ghrissy Foot and Davina Wysin, who
work in the region's Geographic
Information Services (GIS) Center
and the EJ Program, respectively,
will present "Using GIS Mapping
and Databases as Effective Tools
to Support Urban Agriculture
Policy." The cost for both days is
$80. Limited scholarships are
available. To register, contact
Dominique Powell at:
617-442-1322 xt. 12 or
dpowe 11®* the foodproject.org
More information about the
conference is available at:
www.thefoodproject.org
Brownfields 2005 Conference
Nov. 2-4 in Denver, Colo.
Join EPA staff in Denver, Colo.,
for the leading educational and
networking event focused entirely
on Brownfields. This annual free
conference features interactive
discussions, educational presenta-
tions, mobile workshops and
plenty of networking opportunities
with businesses, government
agencies and nonprofit
organizations working
at the enterprising
edge of Brownfields
redevelopment. This
year's conference is
expected to draw 3,500
participants and feature
more than 200 present-
ations. The conference
organizers are accepting
suggestions for present-
ations and applications
for travel scholarships
through Apr. 29.
Nominations for the
Brownfields Phoenix
Awards, which are
presented annually at the
conference, are being accepted
through Jun. 30. More information
on presentations, awards,
registration and travel
arrangements is available at:
www.brownfields2005.org
The Food Project is sponsoring a two-day urban agri-
culture conference in April.
EJN.
ews
Seven Bulk Petroleum Storage Facilities Along
Chelsea River Receive Draft Water Permits; EPA and
Massachusetts DEP Seek Community Input
EPA and the Massachusetts Depart-
ment of Environmental Protection
(DEP) announced today that they
have developed Draft National
Pollutant Discharge Elimination
System (NPDES) permits for seven
bulk petroleum storage facilities
located along Chelsea River (Creek)
in Chelsea and Revere, Mass, to meet
requirements of the Clean Water Act.
The newly issued draft permits
replace expired NPDES permits for
the following seven bulk petroleum
storage facilities: Chelsea Sandwich,
LLC; Coastal Oil of New England, Inc.;
Chelsea Terminal; Gulf Oil Limited
Partnership; Global REVCO Terminal,
LLC; Global Petroleum Corp.;
Global South Terminal, LLC; and
Irving Oil Terminal.
EPA extended the normal 30-day
public comment period for draft
permits to 60-days in this case, in
order to increase the opportunity for
broader community participation.
"We have worked long and hard
to carefully consider the broad range
of available information in drafting
these permits," said Robert W Varney,
regional administrator of EPA's New
England Office. "We look forward to
doing the same with the comments
we receive on the draft permits."
Chelsea Creek, which flows from
15
the mouth of Mill Creek between
Chelsea and Revere, to Boston's Inner
Harbor, is a Designated Port Area with
a stretch of waterfront set aside
primarily for industrial and
commercial use. For centuries, it has
been flanked by working industries
which use the channel to transport
raw materials and finished goods.
The proposed permits seek to
address potential adverse impacts to
sustainable fish populations,
aesthetics and recreation due to the
discharge of storm water from these
facilities. Storm water accumulating
within these facilities has the potential
continued on page 16
-------
Chelsea cont.
to come in contact with contaminants
found in petroleum products during
the receipt, storage and distribution
of these materials.
The proposed permits have been
developed to control and limit the
extent to which contaminants found
in petroleum products can migrate
into the storm water and from there
into Chelsea Greek. The permits are
an important component of
continuing broader public and private
efforts to restore the health of Chelsea
Greek and Boston Harbor.
EPA extended the
normal 30-day
public comment
period for draft
permits to 60-days
in this case, in
order to increase
the opportunity for
broader community
participation.
The new draft permits:
• Establish specific water quality and technology-based effluent limitations
and monitoring requirements, including more stringent limits for
contaminants like benzene, a toxic pollutant.
• Require each facility to update and maintain storm water pollution
prevention plans and initiatives that will prevent the occurrence of
discharges from activities and operations which could contribute
pollutants to the water through storm water discharges. The facilities
are required to make yearly certifications to EPA that it is keeping up
with their storm water program requirements.
• Identify and control maximum flow rate for each facilities' oil/water
separator to ensure that the water quality of the creek is protected.
Some of the fuel storage tanks that line the Creek
Public Information Meeting
and Hearing
A public information meeting will be
held on the draft permits at 6:30 p.m.
on Wednesday, Apr. 27, in the Music
Room at the Williams Middle School,
180 Walnut Street in Chelsea, Mass.
A public hearing will be held on the
same day from 7:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Public Comment Period and
Information
The 60 day comment period for the
permit begins on Mar. 14, and EPA
will accept all written comments
postmarked on or before May 12. EPA
will consider and respond in writing
to all timely comments. Comments
on the proposed permit should be
submitted to:
Neil Handler, Project Manager
US EPA, Suite 1100 (CIP)
1 Congress Street
Boston, MA 02114
or e-mail to handler.neil®>epa.gov
or fax to 617-918-0334.
The draft permits and key documents
underlying them are available for
review as of Mar. 14, at the following
four locations as well as:
www.epa.gov/ne/npdes/
chelseacreekfuelterminals
U.S. EPA Records Center
1 Congress Street
Boston, MA 02114
617-918-1440
Boston Public Library
276 Meridian Street
East Boston, MA 02128
617-569-0271
Chelsea Public Library
569 Broadway
Chelsea, MA 02150
617-889-8397
Revere Public Library
179 Beach Street
Revere, MA 02151
781-286-8380
16
-------
Publication
Updates &? Resources
hepatitis and cholera; and neurological
and developmental problems.
Available at:
www.nrdc.org/health/effects/
latino/english/contents.asp
Ecological Sustainability, Environ-
mental Justice, and Energy Use:
An Annotated Bibliography
(2004), this bibliography published
in the Journal of Planning Literature
brings together diverse literature that
focuses on different facets of
ecological sustainability,
environmental justice and energy
use. Inherent general themes emerge
from recognition of the essential
linkage existing between
intragenerational and intergener-
ational equity. Abstract available at:
http://jpl.sagepub.com/cgi/
content/abstract/19/2/206
Newsletter
Greater Boston Environmental
Justice Network News (February
2005), is the second issue of the
Services to Allies Team at
Alternatives for Community and
Environment based in Roxbury,
Mass. The newsletter provides
information about local
environmental justice campaigns,
grant announcements and event
listings. Subscribe by sending an e-
mail to: tomas®>ace-ej.org
Multi-Media
A variety of environmental justice-
related online resources for
individuals and communities have
been made available by the National
Library of Medicine, including:
TOXMAP, a free interactive website
that illustrates, using maps, the
amount and location of certain toxic
chemicals releases into the
environment in the United States. The
site focuses on the geographic
distribution of chemical releases, their
relative amounts and their trends over
time. Available at:
http: // toxmap. nlm. nih. go v
TOXTOWN, an introduction to toxic
chemicals and environmental health
risks that you might encounter in
everyday life, in everyday places.
Learn about urban, suburban and
border town health risks. Available
at :http://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/
town/main.html
Household Products Database,
provides information about the
toxicity of products under your
kitchen sink, in your garage, in your
bathroom and on the shelves in your
laundry room. Learn more about
what's in these products, about
potential health effects and about
safety and handling. Available at:
http://hpd.nlm.nih.gov/
Haz-Map, is an occupational
toxicology database designed to link
jobs to hazardous job tasks which are
linked to occupational diseases and
their symptoms. It is a relational
database of chemicals, jobs and
diseases. Available at:
http://hazmap.nlm.nih.gov/
E J News
Dorchester Bay Economic Development
Corporation Recognized for Winning
National Brownfields Award
A community development corp-
oration in the Dorchester neigh-
borhood of Boston, Mass., was
recognized this week for redeveloping
a contaminated site and winning an
international Brownfields award.
Brownfields are real property, the
expansion, redevelopment, or reuse
of which may be complicated by the
presence or potential presence of a
hazardous substance, pollutant, or
contaminant.
The Dorchester Bay Economic
Development Corporation's (DBEDC)
Bay Street Project, a $15 million
redevelopment project of the former
4.7 acre Boston Insulated Wire and
Cable Company site, was one of 14
winners of Phoenix Awards, given by
the Pennsylvania Department of
Environmental Protection to
recognize innovative remediation
projects across the United States and
17
abroad. The Phoenix Awards were
created in 1997 to honor the groups
that develop significant Brownfields
sites across the country. The awards
recognize innovative yet practical
remediation projects, which bring
blighted, old commercial and
industrial sites back to productive use.
The Bay Street site was home to
the Boston Insulated Wire and Cable
Company for 80 years and then
abandoned for 10 years before the
DBEDC bought the site in 1994 and
planned its redevelopment. A new
building was opened on the site in
2002 which serves as the
headquarters for Spire, a Boston-
based marketing firm which designs,
prints and distributes marketing
materials from its two-story facility.
Spire's new headquarters employs
over 100 people, which includes some
continued on page 18
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EJN
Dorchester cont.
entry level positions. Spire offers job
training for local residents in this
lower income area of Dorchester to
prepare them for some of these entry
level positions.
"This Brownfield project was a
success because of the perseverance
of the Dorchester Bay Economic
Development Coordination and the
community's support," said Robert
W. Varney, regional administrator of
EPA's New England office. "And the
tenant, Spire, is now giving back by
creating jobs in the community."
Prior to redevelopment and reuse,
contamination that was concentrated
on a 1.1 acre portion of the site that
contained a lagoon and a railroad
spur had to removed. Both the
lagoon and ground water in this
portion of the site were contaminated
with lead and silver, volatile organic
compounds, oil and grease. The
railroad spur also contained lead,
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
(PAH) and total petroleum
hydrocarbons (TPH). Some of these
contaminants are known to disrupt
breathing or to be neurotoxic or
carcinogenic.
"Our organization took over the
site because the private market
simply was not working," said Jeanne
DuBois, the executive director of the
Dorchester Bay Economic Devel-
opment Corporation. "There were
too many disincentives for private
investors—from pollution to taxes to
the high standards of the neighbors—
but we were able to work with the
neighbors, funders and politicians
alike and, like a quilt, it looks better
for all the variety."
Financing redevelopment was a
challenge due to site contamination,
back taxes and liens, which made it
an unattractive site for private
developers. After the Dorchester Bay
Economic Development Corporation
acquired the site, the city of Boston
forgave $1 million in back taxes. The
$15,720,000 required to complete
the projects was creatively financed
through a combination of public
and private funding from more
than 20 individual org-anizations,
including $800,000 from the
Dorchester Bay Economic Devel-
opment Corporation itself.
"These awards are considered the
'Oscars' in Brownfield redevelop-
ment," said Don Walsh, board
Bay Street Project Before Dorchester
Bay Economic Development
Corporation's $15 Million
Brownfields Redevelopment Project.
65 Bay Street Today. Redeveloped
4. 7 acre parcel is new home to
Spire Printing.
president of the Dorchester Bay
Economic Development Corporation
and a long-time neighborhood
resident. "Other awards went to huge
projects and, while relatively small,
the Bay Street project was mighty in
its assembly and impacts."
Throughout the redevelopment
process, the Dorchester Bay
Economic Development Corporation
coordinated monthly meetings with
residents in the neighborhood
surrounding the site to discuss the
project. The neighbors ultimately
chose Spire as the tenant for the site
because, among other things, it
promised jobs for local residents and
would create less truck traffic than
some of the alternatives being
considered. The opening of Spire
caused a ripple effect in the
community—other businesses have
opened or expanded in the area and
created even more jobs. Homeowners
have also seen their property values
increase.
The Dorchester Bay Economic
Development Corporation was given
the Phoenix Award at a reception
during the Brownfields 2004
Conference in St. Louis, Mo., in
September. A total of 14 projects
from across the United States and one
project in Germany were recognized.
More information about the Phoenix
Awards is available at:
www.dep.state.pa.us/hosting/
phoenixawards
More information about the
Dorchester Bay Economic Develop-
ment Corporation is available at:
www.dbedc.com/home.htm
More information about EPA New
England's Brownfields program is
available at:
www.epa.gov/ne/brownfields/
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Office!
Highlights
EPA New England Hosts
Training For and About Tribes
EPA New England's Indian
Program Office recently held two
series of events—one designed for
EPA staff to learn more about two
New England tribes, and one
designed for tribes in New England
to learn more about managing
their water programs.
As part of EPA New England's
celebration of the Native
American Heritage Month in
November, the Indian Program
sponsored two tribal cultural
presentations at EPA's offices. On
Nov. 3, Wampanoag tribal
members sang, danced and
drummed during the second day
of the annual Working Effectively
with Tribal Governments Training
at EPA's Boston office. On Dec.
7, Thawn Harris of the
Narragansett Tribe told stories,
danced and played the flute at the
EPA's laboratory in Chelmsford,
Mass. Both events were
opportunities for EPA staff to
learn more about tribal culture.
Between Mar. 1-3, EPA New
England's Indian Program also
sponsored a series of Regional
Tribal Strategic Water Planning
Meetings at the EPA in Boston.
The three days of meetings
included a Tribal Retreat and
program planning for tribal
nations within the New England
region to assist them in managing
their water programs. Tribal
representatives from seven of the
10 tribes in New England attended
the three days of meetings.
Highlights included discussions
about environmental impairments
and monitoring.
Tribal
Training
Online For
EPA Staff
Working Effectively with
Tribal Governments Online
Training for EPA staff
(http://intranet.epa.gov/
opptsval/training/tribal/
EPA/mainmenu/
launchPage .htm)
This interactive on-line
training helps ensure that
EPA's workforce is
knowledgeable about the
agency's responsibility to
implement its programs in
Indian country, as outlined in
the Indian Policy. This training
was developed from a
classroom session offered by
EPA's American Indian
Environmental Office in 1998,
with input from across the
agency and tribal partners. The
training is available to EPA
staff only on the intranet.
Contact: Jean Crocker, 617-918-
1498 or crocker.jean®>epa.gov
EPA's interactive training was
developed with input from agency
and tribal partners.
_
J
Thawn Harris dances with EPA staff during Narragansett cultural presentation
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EPA New England EJ Contacts
Lois Adams
Special Assistant to the Director,
Office of Civil Rights & Urban Affairs
617-918-1591
adams.loise>epa.gov
Davina Wysin
EJ News Editor
617-918-1020
wysin.davina«>epa.gov
Web Resources
EPA New England Environmental Justice Program website
http: //www epa. gov/ne/steward/ejprog/index. html
National Office of Environmental Justice
http://www.epa.gov/compliance/environmentaljustice/index.html
National Environmental Justice Advisory Council
http://www.epa.gov/compliance/environmentaljustice/nejac/index.html
National Office of Civil Rights
http://www.epa.gov/civilrights/aboutocr.htm
External links disclaimer
This newsletter provides links to non-EPA websites. These links provide addi-
tional information that may be useful or interesting and are being provided
consistent with the intended purpose of this newsletter. However, EPA cannot
attest to the accuracy of the information provided by linked sites. Providing
links to a non-EPA website does not constitute an endorsement by EPA or any
of its employees of the sponsors of this site or the information or products
presented on the site.
State Contacts
New Hampshire
Pam Monroe, NH DES
Compliance Bureau Administrator
603-271-0882
Rhode Island
Gerald McAvoy, RI DEM
Legal Services
401-222-6607 Xt.2301
Vermont
Jeffrey Wennberg, VTANR
Dept. of Environmental Conservation Comissioner
802-241-3808
Connecticut
Edith Pestana, CT DEP
Environmental Equity Program
860424-3044
Maine
David P. Littell, ME DEP
Deputy Commissioner
207-287-2811
Massachusetts
Kwabena Kyei-Aboagye
Tony Chaves, MA EOEA
EJ Coordinators
617-626-1165
617-626-1009
EPA 901-N-05-001
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