P/EFft
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS. HEALTHY COMMUNITIES.
Promising Practices to Improve
Community Performance
and Sustainability
PART 11
Tips for Better CARE
Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE)
www.epa.gov/CARE
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OVERVIEW
The U.S Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) Program
offers communities an innovative way to reduce the risks from pollution in their environment. The CARE process
helps communities build capacity to reduce toxics through local collaboration. CARE provides on-the-ground
technical assistance and funding to communities to help them understand, prioritize, and address environmental
health threats from all sources.
A recent evaluation by the National Association of Public Administration (NAPA) recognized CARE as a solid,
tested framework for engaging communities and other stakeholders. Since 2005,104 grants have reached 87
communities, allowing for the CARE process to occur in 40 states and territories.
DOCUMENT PURPOSE
The Part II of Promising Practices picks up where our earlier CARE publication, "Promising Practices to Improve
Performance and Sustainability:Tips for Better Care," left off, offering more tips on how communities can solve
environmental problems, including the results of this work. This document describes 13 more promising practices
and tips drawn from communities that participated in the CARE program's collaborative process to find new ways to
reduce risks and improve environmental quality while creating sustainable programs.
These lessons are applicable to all community work, not just in CARE communities. EPA has published these "tips"
because the lessons learned and the anecdotes from one CARE community can inspire and fuel ideas and action in
the other communities, promoting peer-to-peer learning.
All of the examples illustrate the power of collaboration, inclusion, and willingness to take risks and to do things
differently.
CARE COMMUNITIES 2005-2011
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able of Contents
Tips to Improve Performance andSustainability-Picking up from CARE Tips 7-74 in Promising Practices to Improve
Community Performance and Sustainability 2
Tip 15: Create Green Jobs through Healthy Food and Green Energy Enterprises 2
Holyoke, Massachusetts
Tip 16: Leverage Community and Government Partnerships to Carry Out Innovative Solutions 5
St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands
Tip 17: Partner Around a Beautification Campaign 8
City of Laredo, Texas
Tip 18: Build a Community-Led River Restoration Project. 7 7
Chesapeake, Virginia
Tip 19: Tackle Emerging Issues as They Arise 73
Detroit, Michigan
Tip 20: Partner Through a Business Roundtable 75
Savannah, Georgia
Tip 21: Engage Community Residents Directly In the Land Use Planning 18
National City, California
Tip 22: Engage Community Residents in Transportation Decisions 20
Somerville, Massachusetts
Tip 23: Green the City through Education and Safer Products 22
Portland, Oregon
Tip 24: Reduce Garbage, Pests, and Pesticide Use 25
Harlem, New York
Tip 25: Create Culturally Responsive Decision-Making Processes 28
Shiprock, New Mexico (Navajo Nation)
Tip 26: Set Environmental Priorities in a Tribal Community. 3 7
Wind River, Wyoming
Tip 27: Leverage Community Expertise and Resources in Priority-Setting 34
Wichita, Kansas
THE CARE PROCESS
CARE grantees follow a series of four
steps to successfully complete their
CARE projects:
1. Join Together
A broad-based partnership is formed.
Partners could be non-profit groups,
community organizations, businesses,
schools and state,Tribal and local
government agencies, EPA and other
federal agencies.
2. Identify Problems and Solutions
Working together, this stakeholder
group assesses toxics problems in their
community and considers options for
reducing risks. Many of the emission and
exposure reductions will result from the
application of EPA partnership programs.
3. Implement Solutions/Reduce Risks
The partnership identifies the combination
of programs that best meet the
community's needs. EPA funding helps to
implement these projects.The community
begins improving its environment.
. Become Self Sustaining
The community develops new ways to
attract funding and partners into their
broad-based collaborative to build on its
success. New problem assessments are
completed and new solutions identified.
The result: the partnership becomes
self-sustaining and continues working
to improve the environment where
community members live, work and play.
CARE offers two different types of Cooperative Agreements: Level I and Level II. Level 1 Cooperative Agreements help communities
with steps 1 and 2. Level 2 Cooperative Agreements help communities with steps 2 and 3.
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Tip 15: Create Green Jobs Through Healthy Food and
Green Energy Enterprises
NUESTRAS RAKES, INC.
HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS
CARE LEVEL I AND II
Considered the nation's first
planned industrial city, Holyoke
boasted a strong economy in
the 19th century employing
waves of European immigrant
workers. However, in the post-
WWII period of deindustrialization,
the textile and paper mills
closed down. Holyoke's history
of industrialization and later
disinvestment has left it with a
host of social, economic, and
environmental challenges. A
struggling economy with a poverty
rate that currently stands at 35%
and a legacy of environmental
pollution, starting with the mill
closings, has left a topography of
abandoned factories including
17 EPA-designated brownfields.
These brownfields contributed
to the city's poor air quality and
disproportionately high asthma
rates, to levels of diesel particulate
matter at 3-5 times above the EPA's
health benchmark for cancer, and
to the erosion of healthy, green
spaces for children to play.
Nuestras Rafces, one of Holyoke's
most respected and well known
community-based organizations,
grew from the visions and agri-
cultural heritage of the city's
predominantly Puerto Rican/
Latino residents, now comprising
41 percent of the city's population.
The organization has helped the
community build access to an
Key Actions
Engaged in intergenerational organizing to raise
community awareness about local environmental
health risks
Transformed blighted urban land into sustainable
gardens and farm, increasing green space and
access to healthy produce
Leveraged federal funding to develop RootsUp
green jobs training program
Launched Energfa, a for-profit, green energy
services company
Nuestm Raices launched Energia, a green energy services company, which
provides green jobs for youth.
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urban, local foods infrastructure
with its network of community
gardens, a 30-acre urban farm
known as La Finca, and several
farmers'markets selling healthy,
organic produce. Although the
organization strove to create a
healthier community through
producing fresh, local foods, the
residents were still suffering from
disproportionately high asthma
rates and the levels of pediatric
asthma stood at twice the rate of
the rest of Massachusetts.
A New Focus on Multiple
Environmental Health Risks
CARE grantee Nuestras Raices has
built a community health coalition
of diverse partners to address the
multiple environmental health risks
facing Holyoke's environmental
justice communities and the city
at large. The CARE project focused
on risk factors to the community
related to indoor and outdoor air
quality, water quality and mercury
contamination from eating fish
from the Connecticut River, and
Nuestra Rakes helped start local food
businesses, creating jobs. Its network of
farmers markets also provided increased
access to produce by low-income groups
by accepting SNAP/EBT cards.
land use issues pertaining to
brownfield redevelopment and the
hazards associated with vacant lots.
Working with coalition partners and
EPA technical assistance, Nuestras
Rafces'youth environmental
organizers -- Los Protectores de la
Tierra -- monitored air quality and
led "soot patrols" throughout the
city raising awareness of the diesel
particulate emissions to which
residents are exposed on a daily
basis.
The organization's
women's group,
Rafces Latina,
designed
Healthy Homes
workshops for
families providing
information
about risk factors
in the home
that may trigger
asthma. Families
were educated
about affordable
alternatives
for reducing
exposures.
Sustainable Development
for the Future
Working with the city's economic
development department, the
Nuestras Rafces CARE project
leveraged technical assistance
funding for brownfield assessment
of several sites. This partnership
has strengthened the city's
commitment to creating industrial
redevelopment policies that will
avoid the production of future
brownfields and will instead
Nuestras Raices Farmers'Market Manager sells Ajices
Dulces, Puerto Rican Sweet Peppers.
The CARE Roadmap process to
identify and prioritize risks revealed
that many community members
enjoyed fishing in the Connecticut
River yet were unaware of the
risks of eating the fish. To address
these concerns, Nuestras Rafces'
members, including gardeners and
farmers who are also fishermen,
are currently working with city
planners and water quality
experts to develop bi-lingual
safe fishing advisories to educate
the community about the health
risks of eating mercury and
polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-
contaminated fish from the river.
generate sustainable development
opportunities.
Healthy Food Microenterprises
As a CARE grantee, Nuestras
Rafces was the driving partner
in leveraging funding from the
WK Kellogg Foundation and was
selected as one of nine Food &
Fitness Collaborates nationwide.
Joining the organization's
mission of community economic
development with the issues of
food, environment, and health, and
drawing on the entrepreneurial
spirit of the local gardeners and
farmers, Nuestras Rafces has helped
to incubate several local foods
microenterprises. These include
a network of farmers' markets, a
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Puerto Rican cafe, a farm store, a
mobile, healthy food cart known as
the Movable Feast, and a traditional
Puerto Rican barbeque known as
La Lechonera, helping to create
sustainable jobs for the local
economy.
Green Jobs Training
As the CARE project began
raising awareness and building
capacity of local organizers to
reduce environmental health
risks and in response to the high
unemployment rate and lack of
workforce development for youth
in the region, Nuestras Raices
applied for federal Pathways Out of
Poverty funding to start RootsUp,
a green jobs training program. To
date, RootsUp has completed three
cohorts with 22 graduates placed
in local energy and green building
and manufacturing companies.
And finally, Nuestras Rakes'aim to
create a healthier community came
full circle by bringing together its
roots in community gardening
and local agriculture with its
environmental goals of helping
to mitigate global climate change
through energy conservation
and sustainable economic
development.
The organization's growing
expertise through CARE and
other community environmental
and health programs allowed it
to leverage federal Department
of Health community economic
development funding to launch
and become the majority owner
of Energfa, a green energy
services company providing a
career path with green jobs for
local youth. Energfa is helping
to increase energy conservation
and renewable energy use in
the community; it serves as an
example for a "triple bottom line"
business model, and, as it grows
and thrives, it will provide a source
of sustainable income generation
to reduce Nuestras Rafces'reliance
on grants.
Project Results ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^~
Launched Energfa, LLC, 24% worker-owned weatherization company, 14 green jobs
trainees hired with 4 vested as worker-owners.
40 local, at-risk youth trained in weatherization, insulation, and solar hot water system
installation; 22 of these hired in local energy conservation and green building and
manufacturing companies.
Local foods small businesses, including networks of farmers markets, farm stores, cafes,
restaurants, food carts, started.
300 families reached through bi-lingual, culturally-relevant asthma education,
recycling, and healthy homes outreach programs.
70 farmers trained through bi-lingual farmer workshops on Integrated Pest
Management, watershed protection, soil fertility, and farm business management.
8 local, farmers' markets accepting Women, Infants and Children (WIG) and
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) double value coupons to promote
access to produce among low-income groups.
3 new community gardens established turning blighted urban land into sustainable
gardens and farm, increasing green space and access to healthy produce.
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Tip 16: Leverage Community and Government
Partnerships to Carry Out Innovative Solutions
CORAL BAY COMMUNITY COUNCIL
ST. JOHN, U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS
CARE LEVEL II
This small, diverse CARE
community in the US Virgin Islands
marshaled resources from many
partners to implement state-of-
the-art stormwater controls in a
successful effort to protect the
pristine, turquoise-blue waters
of Coral Bay and its fragile coral
reefs. Fewer than 2,000 people live
in the rural 3,000-acre watershed,
which is located on the remote
island of St. John in the US Virgin
Islands; however, unmanaged
land development has become
a threat to the environment and
residents'quality of life. In 2003,
the Coral Bay Community Council
(CBCC) formed with a goal to
build consensus about common
issues of concern among the small
community - especially focused
on securing quality government
services and leveraging resources
to address stormwater runoff and
other threats to the community's
resources.
Addressing Sediment-Laden
Stormwater Plumes
From the beginning, the most
widely-held concern was the need
to address the sediment-laden
stormwater plumes reaching
the beautiful blue waters and
important marine nursery
habitat in Coral Bay. After first
soliciting help from the territorial
Department of Planning and
Natural Resources (DPNR), CBCC
approached the National Oceanic
Key Actions
Mobilized support from community members,
Home Owners Associations and Public Works
and other Virgin Islands and federal government
agencies
Provided engineering expertise and water and
air quality testing to assess priority problems and
design best management practices
Implemented priority actions to control stormwater
runoff and minimize runoff polluting Coral Bay and
its coral reef habitats
Secured $1.7 million in additional grants and
resources to carry out priority projects
Addressing sediment plumes into Coral Bay's coral reef habitats was a
priority of the Coral Bay Community Council.
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Innovative stormwater techniques were used to
control runoff such as this photo shows.
and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) and EPA for assistance. In
2007, NOAA funded a Watershed
Management Plan (WMP) as a pilot
watershed plan for Coral Bay. CBCC
then applied for the CARE level
II grant in 2008 to carry out the
objectives in the WMP, resulting
in the Coral Bay Watershed
Management project (http://www.
coralbaycommunitycouncil.org).
The CARE grant enabled the
community to initiate innovative
solutions and leverage monies
from numerous partners and
stakeholders to carry out the
watershed plan. Using the CARE
funding, CBCC hired a stormwater
engineer who evaluated the
runoff problems in Coral Bay and
recommended state-of-the-art
solutions. Poorly regulated road
construction (unregulated cutting
of dirt roads and old-style public
roads built beginning in the 1960s)
was the key culprit in the pollution
problem.
Leveraging Government Support
To implement 18 project designs
done under the CARE grant in six
subwatersheds, in 2009, CBCC, with
another local non-governmental
organization, applied for and
secured a $1.5 million NOAA-ARRA
grant to restore
natural drainage
functions and pave
roads in order to
eliminate or reduce
the sediment-
laden stormwater
runoff plumes
entering the bay.
Additional financial
contributions
by homeowners
associations to fund
these projects and
the partnership
with Public Works
showed the overwhelming amount
of support and local commitment.
To date, CBCC has implemented
aspects of 7 out of 11 WMP
objectives using CARE grant funds
and financial and volunteer/staff
support from other partners.
A new NOAA grant and community
support will allow CBCC to sponsor
an update of the WMP in 2013.
Employing Innovative Techniques
Very significantly, the CARE project
demonstrated how new techniques
could be used locally, including
bioretention basins and waterbars,
to direct waterflow and effectively
reduce runoff into Coral Bay and
fragile coral reef habitat. Water
quality monitoring and turbidity
tests are confirming the visible
improvements to water quality in
Coral Bay. In three subwatersheds,
four sampling points show a
downward trend in turbidity levels.
Reduced water flows were also
observed.
The CARE grant also enabled the
community to take actions to
improve the island's drinking water
supply. In Coral Bay, rainwater is
collected from roofs and stored in
cisterns for use as potable water in
homes and businesses. Using EPA
Drinking Water standard testing,
a study was done of cistern water
to determine if readily available
means of purifying the water
could help control contaminants
coming from the air and birds
and other wildlife on roofs and in
gutters. The study concluded that
a $1,000 UVIamp purification and
filtration system was an easy and
cost-effective solution to purify the
water. Since most people do not
have these systems installed and
,
Watershed
,/.>/>;/. ("MY
Coral Bay Watershed, St. John, United States Virgin Islands.
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use the water as is, publicizing this
research is expected to change
people's practices and reduce
health risks.
Reducing Pollution from
Neighboring Islands
Most recently, the community
experienced some periods of
acrid smoke in the air from the
neighboring British Virgin Islands
(BVI), originating from open
garbage burning at its government
dumpsite less than 3 miles
from Coral Bay. This became an
"international incident," and CBCC
worked to raise awareness with
the BVI government, the State
Department, EPA, and the media.
In part, thanks to these efforts, a
number of important actions are
underway to address the air quality
problem. BVI is now sorting their
wastes and not burning toxics,
and the government has installed
a new incinerator and agreed to
expedite installing scrubbers to
reduce emissions and enact a solid
waste management plan. The
CARE partnership helped leverage
additional EPA support, with the
agency providing air quality testing
at various points over the two years
Managing Household and
Business Wastes
In Coral Bay, another environmental
hazard comes from household and
business wastes that are deposited
in three huge open bins by the
side of the public road located
in the mangroves. The wastes
are transported to a neighboring
St. Thomas island landfill several
times a week. However, while in
the Coral Bay location, rainwater
washes the litter and waste from
the bins directly into the marine
benthic habitat threatening the
marine nursery, the turtle and
bird populations. The community
and CBCC are actively working to
encourage the local government
to pay to move this collection site,
encourage recycling, and install
an environmentally-appropriate
collection site.
CBCC has successfully inspired
community/ government
partnerships to tackle the
stormwater control problems
and take on other environmental
problems constructively. The
core dollars from the CARE grant
provided the impetus and expertise
to carry out priority actions and
to leverage funds and technical
assistance from a wide variety of
stakeholders at the local, state and
federal level to improve the health
of the community and environment
of Coral Bay. Through these CARE
partnerships, money, expertise
and action were brought to these
important community issues.
Recently CBCC has leveraged
additional funds to do a "fifth
year" update of the Watershed
Management Plan and continue
stormwater runoff mitigation
activities.
Project Results
Significantly improved water clarity in Coral Bay and reduced turbidity by reducing
runoff.
Redirected stormwater to natural streambeds in over 10 locations. Captured sediment
in a new bioretention pond and sediment detention basin.
Reduced runoff at over 60 locations using vegetated swales, bioretention areas, paving,
unique water bars and other innovative stormwater techniques.
Held 10 workshops to educate residents and contractors on stormwater best
management practices.
Educated residents on bacterial levels and low-cost purification systems to protect
drinking water supplies. Based on this information, some residents have installed these
systems.
Neighboring British Virgin Islands installed incinerator system to reduce air pollution.
Leveraged additional $1.7 million from other project partners to implement over 70
BMPs in 6 drainage basins.
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Tip 17: Partnering Around a Beautification Campaign
CITY OF LAREDO, TEXAS
LAREDO, TEXAS
CARE LEVEL II
Keep Laredo BeautifulnJbis was
the slogan repeated throughout
the CARE project to help engage
and inspire residents to lift up
their community to greater
environmental protection and
health. Like other settlements and
colonias along the U.S./Mexican
border, the Laredo inner city and
Webb County Colonias, are poor
and overpopulated, lacking paved
roads, safe and sanitary housing,
health care access, basic water and
sewer systems and environmental
education and controls, which
combined with their cultural and
linguistic differences, presents
looming problems. Residents live
with risks from improper use and
disposal of household hazardous
products, standing water, lead,
mercury, asthma triggers, carbon
monoxide, illegal dumping, and
basic sanitation.
Residents desired a more beautiful
community. Removing eyesores
and improving the visual aspects
of neighborhoods led to cleaning
up properties and other actions
which in turn raised interest in
improving the community's health
and environment. Through the
concept of "beautification," the
community united around a larger
effort to improve the quality of life,
and make the community cleaner,
healthier, and safer.
The project grew into a
collaborative effort among
28 partners to improve the
environmental health of
the community. Residents,
city departments, local and
national organizations alike
Actions ^^^^~
Developed strong, broad partnership to reach
diverse audiences and built trust
Linked illnesses and diseases to environmental
stressors to develop prevention strategies, including
lifestyle changes
Brought trainings to schools, municipal housing
centers, religious organizations, daycare, homecare
provider agencies, social service agencies
Helped launch sustainable, innovative reuse and
recycling programs that are now integrated into
government programs
Over 900 citations for illegal dumping helped the city clean up.
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Cleaning up trash and eyesores left this community cleaner, healthier and more
economically sustainable.
shared resources and methods
to maximize their outreach
capabilities. Community members
became environmental leaders
empowered to make a difference
in their own health and to improve
their community.The project
led to residents demanding
more environmental programs
and education and accepting
greater responsibility for the care
of their community's health and
environment. The project created
sustainable programs that have
the support of Laredo citizens and
have become integrated into city
government programs.
Empowering Citizens to be
Leaders
An initial challenge was that some
residents did not perceive that
conditions in their immediate
neighborhood were harmful to
themselves and their environment.
The CARE partnership began to
build trust, presenting information
on environmental risks at health
fairs, then through numerous other
venues, and visits to certain areas
on food distribution days. "The
more information we provided,
the more people wanted, so we
catered to their need to know," said
the grantee. Trainings were held at
municipal housing centers, public
schools, religious organizations,
adult daycares, as well as homecare
provider agencies, adult education
learning centers, and social services
agencies and addressed local risks
and solutions.
To empower youth, K-5th grade
children were trained on: the
importance of preserving the
local water source, the Rio Grande;
mosquito life cycle and controls
including the role of tires in
mosquito breeding; household
hazardous materials; recycling; litter
prevention; storm water runoff; and
pollutants health effects and how
each person can make a difference.
The children were recruited
as "Green Rangers" and were
challenged to teach their parents
about recycling, disposing of
hazards appropriately, eliminating
breeding ground for mosquitoes
and other pests.
"The biggest challenge was being
accepted by the community, but by
being there ready to answer their
questions and assist them with
their needs, we won their trust and
they joined to do their part," the
guarantee reported. Individuals
were empowered to make a
difference within their own homes.
Tools such as a "Guide to a Healthy
Home" and "Go Green, Healthy
Home Recipes for a Green Clean
Environmenf'were developed
and distributed. This empowered
individuals to make a difference
within their own homes through
environmental control. The project
showed the people how they could
save money on cleaning products
and could protect themselves from
potentially harmful materials they
use every day.
Using Innovative Reuse and
Recycling Programs
Innovative reuse and recycling
programs addressed the problem
of discarded household items,
which were as unsightly as they
were damaging to the environment.
Education on these programs
and how it benefits health, the
environment and the community
boosted city-wide participation.
Reuse, Recycling, and Disposal
Unused paint, brake fluids,
antifreeze, cleaning products, and
other household items can be
dropped off daily at the Collection
Center or collected at Collection
Events. Items are assessed for reuse
and are made available for residents
to take for free. Some of the paints
are used during beautification
projects for painting over graffiti,
giving a home a fresh coat of paint,
or just painting small planters for
gardening projects.
Mercury-containing light bulbs are
taken by a contactor for recycling
and reuse. White goods (appliances)
and electronics (phones and
computers, etc.) are collected for
recycling. All materials are reused,
recycled, or properly disposed. A
radio and TV campaign encouraged
residents to take Household
Hazardous Materials (HHM) to
the collection site at the landfill
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(open daily) or to turn HHM during
collection events held throughout
the year.
- Used Oil Recycling Collection
Stations. Residents can drop off
their used oil at these locations.
Used oil dropped off is picked up
by an oil recycler and reused.
- Scrap Tire Round-Ups and Cash
forTires. Citizens can also bring
four tires per day for free to the
landfill. In addition, two "Cash for
Tires" events are held each year,
and additional events are added
during weather conditions which
promote mosquito breeding. Tires
are shredded for use in the city
landfill, used for a private land-
reclamation project or are sent to
a recycling plant.
Operation Clean-up. All 8 city
council districts identify areas
that need attention. Then City
Code Enforcement, Environmental
Health, Environmental Services,
Animal Control, Fire and Police
carry out a targeted door-to-
door information campaign in
the specified area. Residents are
provided a location to put all their
unwanted items and yard trash for
pick ups on specified dates.
All programs continue and Loredo
Environmental Summit monthly
meetings with partners continue
under the support of State
Senator Judith Zafferini. "CARE
was instrumental in bringing our
entire city's solitary efforts and
services together, enhancing
them, and working together as
a team,"says a City of Loredo
representative.
Project Results -
Collected and recycled or re-used over 6,600 tons of recyclables, over 200,000 pounds
household hazardous waste, and almost 100,000 gallons of used oil. Over 84,000 scrap
tires collected, recycled or disposed and 460 tons of trash collected.
Over 96,000 residential properties cleaned up with partners including church groups
and industry. 910 citations for violations and nuisances for illegal dumping. Over
10,000 students trained in recycling, pests, water conservation and quality and safe
management of household hazardous products.
Over 400 trained as promotoras or outreach workers.
3,600 trained at 113 separate group trainings, 12,800 informed through outreach
health fairs.
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Tip 18: Build a Community-Led River Restoration Project
THE ELIZABETH RIVER PROJECT
CHESAPEAKE, VIRGINIA
CARE LEVEL I
The Elizabeth River Project is a
community-based non-profit
founded by four volunteers around
a kitchen table in 1991, which today
is cleaning up toxic sediments
from the bottom of the river
while restoring wetlands, oysters,
and forests. The mission of the
Elizabeth River Project is to restore
the environmental quality of the
Elizabeth River, one of the most
toxic tributaries to the Chesapeake
Bay, through government, business
and community partnerships.
Located at the mouth of the
Chesapeake Bay in southeastern
Virginia, the Elizabeth serves as the
military and commercial harbor for
the cities of Norfolk, Portsmouth,
Chesapeake, and Virginia Beach.
Sediment cleanup has always
been Elizabeth River Project's main
focus since it was known that the
river could not recover unless the
contamination on the bottom of
the river was remediated. These
sediments have resulted in 70
Key Actions
Coordinated diverse stakeholders to develop an
agreed upon plan to restore Money Point, one of
the most contaminated sites in the Elizabeth River
and Chesapeake Bay
Used living cap to reduce the impacts of toxins to
the environment by isolating them from the river.
Developed River Stars program to help industry
achieve voluntary pollution prevention in air, water,
and soil
percent rate of cancerous and pre-
cancerous lesions on the livers of
a bottom-dwelling killifish known
as mummichogs and 100 percent
mortality in a larger fish,"spot"
(Leiostomus xanthurus), after two
hours of exposure to contaminated
sediments.
A Design for Dredging Sediments
Through the CARE process,
Elizabeth River engaged industry,
regulators, and citizens to develop
a detailed design for dredging
contaminated sediments from
the river and constructing the
first known living cap of its kind
The river is already being restored with
return offish species and reduction in
fish cancer rates.
The first phase of the project included dredging 750 cubic yards ofPolycyclic
Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) contaminated sediments and using a wetland cap
to isolate river contamination. Phase II began in the summer of 2011 when the
Elizabeth River Project dredged over 15,500 cubicyards of highly contaminated
sediment out of the river and replaced it with clean sand.
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to reduce toxics to the Elizabeth
River. The design of the living cap
involved placing clean sand over
1.3 acres of contaminated river
bottom and then planting a tidal
marsh in the sand to prevent it
from eroding. The other 3 acres
of the living cap included placing
clean sand over contaminated river
bottom and then building an oyster
reef over the sand..
The design developed through
CARE directly addressed the
highest identified community
priority need for the Elizabeth
River: To remediate contaminated
sediments and restoring wetlands
and oyster, resulting in improved
water quality. The first phase of
the project included dredging 750
cubic yards of Polycyclic Aromatic
Hydrocarbon (PAH) -contaminated
sediments and using a wetland
cap to isolate river contamination.
Phase II began in the summer of
2011 when the Elizabeth River
Project dredged over 15,500 cubic
yards of highly contaminated
sediment out of the river and
replaced it with clean sand. During
the winter of 2012 the Elizabeth
River Project completed the project
by restoring a three-acre oyster reef
at the site.
The Elizabeth River Project
focused on restoration activities
and community education to
implement the locally based
plan, Elizabeth River Restoration
and Conservation, a Watershed
Action Plan. Current major
programs include: 1) Cleaning
up contaminated sediments; 2)
Restoration of wetlands, shellfish,
and forests; 3) The "River Stars"
program to enlist industrial
partners making environmental
responsibly the standard for all
river industries; and 4) Empowering
citizens.
CARE also provided support
to the Elizabeth River Project's
"River Star" program which
assists industries to achieve
voluntary pollution prevention
in air, water and soil, as well as
wildlife habitat enhancement
in the watershed. The award-
winning program, recognized as
an international model, achieves
results by: reducing pollution
and treatment from toxic runoff,
reducing hazardous waste and air
emissions, and enhancing wildlife
habitat such as wetlands, riparian
buffers, and urban forests which
also greatly reduce toxics reaching
the river. Elizabeth River Project
staff provided technical assistance
and public recognition through the
River Stars program.
During the two-year grant period,
River Stars on the Southern
Branch of the Elizabeth River
documented the reduction of over
15,970,000 pounds of pollution
and conservation or restoration of
almost 79 acres of wildlife habitat
enhancement. Elizabeth River is
the first sediment remediation
project carried out in Virginia and
one of the only community-led
sediment cleanup sites in the
nation.
The CARE grant provided support to the Elizabeth River Project's "River Star"
program which assists industries to achieve voluntary pollution prevention (P2) in
air, water and soil, as well as wildlife habitat enhancement in the watershed.
Project Results -
Removed over 15,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment from the river.
Restored over 13 acres of river habitat which is now thriving.
Reduced over 15,970,000 pounds of pollution and conserved or restored 78.59 acres of
wildlife habitat enhancement, as documented by 34 River Star companies.
Reduced PAH levels reduced from 8,000 parts per million to less than 45 ppm. Over
20 species of fishes have been documented using the restored area and cancer in the
mummichog fish have dropped to only 8% by 201.
Empowered 34 industries to cleanup the river with over 15 different projects.
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Tip 19: Tackle Emerging Issues as They Arise
SOUTHWEST DETROIT ENVIRONMENTAL VISION (SDEV)
DETROIT, MICHIGAN
CARE LEVEL I
This Southwest Detroit CARE
project is working with two
contiguous communities in
Dearborn, Michigan that are
plagued by air quality problems
due to the proximity to major
industries and transportation
infrastructure such as freeways
and rail yards. Southwest Detroit
also hosts the nation's busiest
international border with Canada
with approximately 3.5 million
trucks crossing per year and 10,000
trucks per day. The closing of many
factories in the 1970s and 1980s
left numerous contaminated sites
in the community that are targets
of illegal dumping. In spite of these
challenges, the increasing number
of Hispanic and Arab immigrants
moving into Southwest Detroit
has led to revitalization efforts and
population growth. The CARE
Level I project provided an
opportunity to bring together
representatives of ethnically and
racially diverse populations to forge
a common understanding of the
toxic risks that are impacting them
on a daily basis and to develop a
Community Action Plan to reduce
those risks.
Building Coalitions around
Immediate Environmental
Concerns
During the CARE Level I process,
focus groups were formed around
the key environmental issues
including air quality, land use,
solid waste and healthy homes.
While environmental health
information was being gathered
and analyzed, there was a synergy
of collaboration being developed
Key Actions
Tackled immediate health and environment
concerns
Used CARE Community Action Plan to engage and
leverage resources from business
Developed the Healthy Business Strategy to reduce
air pollution
which resulted in coalition building
around immediate concerns.
These CARE Coalitions engaged
in activities to address immediate
concerns while concurrently
practicing collaborative learning
about environmental health issues
in the larger CARE community
meetings. Results of taking actions
to reduce risk and pollution in
the CARE Level I process include:
securing a recycling drop off facility
in the community which now
sponsors a monthly drop off site
which has resulted in the removal
of 35 tons of material from the
waste stream; scrap tire collections
which resulted in the removal of
5,000 tires from neighborhood
streets; securing funding from the
Michigan Department of Natural
Resources and Environment to
purchase diesel emission reduction
technologies for several businesses
in Southwest Detroit which has
resulted in the removal of six tons
of diesel emissions during the CARE
Level I project.
Using the CARE Community
Action Plan to Leverage
Resources
The final product of the CARE
Level I process was a consensus
Use of diesel emissions reduction technologies led to removal of 6 tons of emissions.
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based Community Action Plan
which identified key issues,
potential funding opportunities
and measure of outcomes. The
SDEV successfully utilized the
Community Action Plan to engage
local businesses to invest in
strategies to reduce cumulative
environmental impacts and to
leverage resources according to
community identified priorities.
These plans serve as a 5-year
investment plan for reducing
environmental risks and are
consensus based. They only
include actions that grassroots
organizations, business, state and
local government, EPA, local non-
profit organizations, and residents
collectively agree to. To date, the
CARE community has used this plan
to leverage an additional
$3.7 million dollars in funding
to address its top priorities and
has received a CARE Level II
Cooperative Agreement from EPA
to implement a "Healthy Homes
and Healthy Businesses" Project
in Southwest Detroit. This Level II
CARE project is designed to reduce
risks from four environmental
issues that were selected as top
community priorities in CARE Level
I: mobile source air pollutants,
stationary source air pollutants,
incompatible land uses, and lead
poisoning. In response to these
community priorities identified
in the community action plan,
the grantee formed a Southwest
Detroit Diesel Collaborative and
partnered with local businesses on
diesel retrofits, received funding
from the ARRA for diesel reduction
and the Midwest Clean Diesel
Initiative and forged a partnership
with the State of Michigan's
Department of Environmental
Quality and Department of
Transportation. For its efforts,
Southwest Detroit Environmental
Vision was awarded the 2012
Leadership Award from the
Midwest Clean Diesel Initiative.
Engaging Business Partners in
the Healthy Business Program
The Healthy Business Program
being implemented under the
CARE Level II grant is recruiting
additional business partners to
join the partnership and reduce
environmental health risks. Auto
body shops, scrap and container
yards, and trucking industries
are being recruited to join the
partnership and implement a range
of voluntary actions such as fugitive
dust suppression,
incorporating
sustainable operating
practices to reduce
air emissions, and
addressing code
violations to lessen
impacts on residents
who live in close
proximity to these
operations. Results of
air pollution reduction
efforts under the
Healthy Business
Program include the
reduction of 820 tons NOX, 220
tons PM, and almost 13,600 tons of
C02.
Targeting High Risk Homes for
Lead Poisoning
The Healthy Homes Project is
providing risk reduction tools to
households at highest risk for lead
poisoning. Homes with three
or more cases of recorded lead
poisonings in Southwest Detroit
and South Dearborn are being
provided tools to address lead
poisoning, asthma and breathing
problems. Over one third of the
population of these communities
are children. To date, 30 Healthy
Homes visits have been completed
with high risk families in Southwest
Detroit.
One company receiving the "Healthy Home Partner
Award"for investing over $2 million in improvements to
make its facility and equipment more energy effiencient
and for reducing waste and pollution.
Project Results ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Removed 35 tons of material from waste stream from recycling drop off facility that
project secured in the community.
Removed 5,000 tires from neighborhood streets from scrap tire collections.
Leveraged $3.7 million dollars from government.
Reduced 820 tons NOX, 221 tons PM, and 13,598 tons CO2 and held 30 Healthy Homes
Visits.
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Tip 20: Partner Through a Business Roundtable
HARAMBEE HOUSE
SAVANNAH, GEORGIA
CARE LEVEL I AND II
Adjacent to a heavy industrial
area and home to approximately
2,000 people (97 percent of whom
are people of color and over 30
percent of whom live below the
poverty level), residents of two
west side Savannah communities,
Hudson Hill and Woodville, share
similar health concerns related to
air quality. Their concerns revolve
around numerous industries
and businesses which lie in close
proximity to the communities.
These businesses include large
paper production manufacturers,
several chemical companies
and active railroads that service
these industries. Compounding
their air quality concerns is a
planned expansion of a four-
lane thoroughfare which would
increase the number of diesel
trucks traveling beside these
communities, emitting more than
40 toxic chemicals into the air.
Chatham County, which
encompasses both Savannah
communities, ranks in the top
20 percent of U.S. counties for
particulate matter, soot, smoke,
dust, dirt and volatile organic
compounds. These environmental
exposures aggravate breathing
which can lead to respiratory
illnesses and impact cardiovascular
disease. High numbers of children,
women of childbearing age and
elderly, make the communities
of Woodville and Hudson Hill
especially vulnerable. The
volatile organic compound,
Key Actions
Created a Business Roundtable to serve as a neutral
zone for healthy dialogue between communities
and industry
10 successful business/community roundtables
have been held with attendance from both
communities, local industries, local and state
government, the Georgia Ports Authority, and
others
Developed city-wide task-force to address
community concerns and CARE work plan activities
Plans are underway to convert multiple vacant lots to community green space,
including parks and community gardens.
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Dioxin, is a by-product of paper
production. It is of major concern
to the communities because of its
impacts on human health and the
environment. These communities
faced many challenges over the
years with surrounding industries
and were interested in creative
ways to become more habitable
neighborhoods.
Launching a Business Round-
Table
Under an EPA CARE Level I and
Level II grant, the Harambee
House Incorporated/Citizens
for Environmental Justice took
positive steps to address many
environmental health concerns in
collaboration with local industries.
One of the key goals of the CARE
project was to engage business/
industry representatives to
determine what reductions in
emissions and environmental
improvements can be made on
a voluntary basis, with a focus
on EPA's Voluntary Partnership
Programs. As a result, a business/
community roundtable was
developed to encourage effective
dialogue between the communities
and industries.
Educating residents on their
environment and encouraging
industries to go beyond
compliance, through voluntary risk
reduction activities, is the primary
focus area. For example, in an effort
to reduce odors, dust, and other
emissions, one chemical company
installed a control device, known
as a flare, to reduce volatile organic
compounds from the ink process
and storage tanks. It also installed
equipment to recover waste
heat from fuel-fired equipment,
resulting in over nine percent
reduction in natural gas usage.
The Business Roundtable setting
serves as neutral zone for honest
communication between the
business community and residents.
The setting was instrumental for
a successful CARE process and in
addressing residents'concerns.
Initial Challenges to
Collaboration
The process of getting both groups
to the table was no easy task. The
Harambee House initially reached
out to industries within both
neighborhoods about becoming
part of the newly formed CARE
The CARE community's Business Roundtable provided a neutral forum for honest
communication on voluntary measures to improve community health with
industry, residents, state and local government, and others.
Business/Community Roundtable
with little success in getting the
industries to commit. EPA Region 4
reached out to industry to educate
them on the roundtable's purpose
and objective. An underlying
real concern of industry was
that the roundtable would serve
as a conduit to blame them for
most problems in the Hudson
Hill and Woodville Communities.
Attendance was initially low when
the roundtable was launched. EPA
provided a third-party facilitator
who held private one-on-one
interviews with key individuals
from each of the surrounding
industries. Questions and concerns
were addressed, and industries
were reassured that the roundtable
would serve as a neutral zone
for healthy dialogue between
neighbors. Also, to ease any
additional concerns, a set of ground
rules were established and had to
be honored by all attendees.
With representation from
communities, business, city and
county departments, academia,
and other state and federal
agencies, the roundtable's diverse
membership of industry and small
business was another critical
component to its success.
Sustainable Partnership
Finally a sustainable collaborative
partnership was created that
consists of a diverse cross-section
of individuals representing
all interests. Discussion topics
address what each entity is doing
on a voluntary basis and how
they are taking into account
the community's needs.The
roundtable serves as a powerful
forum for raising issues with
some issues"spinning off'to be
addressed by other venues. As
a result of a chemical spill, the
group immediately called for
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an emergency evacuation plan.
Currently, three independently
functioning workgroups address
emergency preparedness and
evacuation, improvements to the
business-community partnership,
and development of additional
community gardens. These
workgroups and their membership
will consistently evolve to address
specific future issues.
Three industries held tours for
residents of Hudson Hill and
Woodville, with 25-30 residents
on each tour. This was the first
time these industries have opened
their doors specifically to these
neighborhoods and the residents
could see what was going on
"behind closed doors."
As a direct result of the city's active
participation on the roundtable,
a citywide taskforce has been
developed by the assistant city
manager to address specific
community concerns as well as
work plan activities. The City of
Savannah has also committed to
working with the Harambee House
to reduce transportation associated
emissions. To date, the City's Traffic
and Engineering Department has
conducted a traffic study along
the main thoroughfares in the
Woodville Community known as
Fair, Alfred, Bay and Hudson Streets.
Data supporting how traffic
flow can be reduced is being
analyzed. Already, 80 percent
of truck traffic from Ashland Inc.
has been redirected around the
Woodville Community. The Mayor
of Savannah is working with the
Harambee House to support the
resident's vision of converting a
retention pond in Hudson Hill into
a recreational green space. The
Woodville neighborhood president
has also met with the railroad
company to discuss leasing options
for property identified during the
visioning process. The property will
be used for a community park.
In addition, the roundtable's ability
to build trust among community
residents, industries and other local
state and federal partners has been
so successful that the concept is
being expanded into a citywide
roundtable for the future. Building
on the foundation built by CARE
and other federal support, the
community has leveraged HUD
funding to address lead abatement
in the communities of Hudson
Hill and Woodville as well as other
funding. Each of these successes
adds more credibility to the
effectiveness of the roundtable and
the CARE process as a whole.
Project Results ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Voluntary risk reduction actions by industry, including installation of control devices
and equipment to reduce volatile organic compounds and natural gas usage.
80% percent of truck traffic from Ashland Inc. has been redirected around the
Woodville Community.
Plans underway to convert multiple vacant lots and retention pond to community
green space and parks, and multiple community gardens.
City of Savannah's 5-10 year Master Plan incorporates CARE project priorities.
City of Savannah has developed and implemented the first citywide standards for
community gardens.
2 table top evacuation plans have been conducted with Chatham County.
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Tip 21: Engaging Community Residents Directly In the
Land Use Planning
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH COALITION (EHC)
NATIONAL CITY, CALIFORNIA
CARE LEVEL II
Residents in National City in San
Diego County have been drawn
together for years over health
concerns associated with being
adjacent to a major commercial
marine port, which since World
War II had expanded local
industries into adjacent residential
areas. National City is an immigrant
community made up of 88%
people of color and 20% of the
families living in poverty. Located
along the industrial waterfront of
the Port of San Diego, National City
has been subjected to industrial
development, freeways, and truck
routes built in and through this
residential community, diminishing
the health, safety, and quality of life
of the residents. Mixed zoning has
allowed recyclers, chemical supply
houses, wood working, metal
platers, and autobody shops to be
located adjacent to homes, schools,
daycare centers, parks and other
sensitive use areas.
Carrying Out EHC's Unique
Community Planning Model
Under a CARE Level II grant, the
Environmental Health Coalition
(EHC) successfully expanded
on its preexisting partnerships
with community residents
and organizations, businesses,
government officials, schools, and
regulatory agencies and priority-
setting process. Residents were
trained in leadership using EHC's
Social Change for Justice Model
Key Actions
Built broad and active community partnerships
Recruited and trained more than 50 residents in
leadership
Used EHC's Social Change for Justice Model and
Community Planning Model
Brought residents together to create a community-
driven plan and vision for their city to reduce
harmful exposures to air toxics
and Community Planning Model.
There are five steps to this land use
planning model:
Empower the Residents through
active participation, leadership
development, and voter
empowerment,
Identify the problems within the
community,
Conduct community-based
research on each problem to
become well-informed advocates,
Develop core community
principles that ensure healthy
neighborhoods, maintain and
create affordable housing,
preserve community character
and culture and promote
sustainable communities, and
207 7 graduates ofSALTA Leadership Training Program.
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Create a community vision
that supports and sustains these
community goals.
Building Leaders
EHC also provides leadership
training through SALTA (Salud
Ambiental LideresTomando
Accion - Environmental Health
Leaders Taking Action) where
skills for political advocacy and
strategy, group organizing, and
communications strategies are
taught. Members who become
very involved can become
members of one of EHCs
Community Action Teams (CAT),
which guide the development
and implementation of
community strategies.
A common site: Residences mixed in with industry and
small businesses including auto-body repair shops.
A Land Use Ordinance to Improve
Air Quality
With dedicated advocacy by EHC's
Community Action Teams and their
committed partners, the Westside
(National City) Specific Land Use Plan
was passed in 2010.This community-
driven land use plan includes zoning
changes to separate industrial from
residential areas, relocating most
polluting industries to a designated
industrial zone, developing
former business sites to serve the
community, ensuring sustainable,
new housing that is affordable to
current residents and does not
displace existing residents because of
price or size, and creates "Transition
Zones" which buffer residential
neighborhoods from poor air quality
and other negative
impacts from industrial
operations.
The community
partnership developed
an amortization process
of non-conforming
uses which will
gradually relocate
previous polluters to
an industrial area away
from the residential
areas after considering
factors such as past
violations, neighborhood impacts
from the pollutants, the degree
of conformity of businesses
within the community, and the
community-determined needs.
The partnership identified land for
business relocation and developed
permit and amortization processes
in which polluting businesses over
time will have to prove they are
emitting less and less in order to
keep their permit; if they do not,
they are encouraged to move to
the industrial park.
In addition to reducing emissions in
neighborhoods, another goal of the
partnerships was to work with the
Port of San Diego to implement the
requirements of the Diesel Drayage
Rule passed by the California Air
Resources Board that requires that
diesel trucks entering the Port have
installed diesel pollution control
devices. This effort reduced the
diesel emissions at the port by 20%.
Community-driven land-use
planning ensures that the
community will decide what is
needed and will be included in their
immediate environment. Continual
and periodic leadership training
ensures that the community's
efforts will be sustained.
Project Results -
Development and Passage of the Westside Land Use Ordinance, which when
implemented, will significantly reduce air pollution in residential areas.
Inventoried all resources in National City and developed a detailed map reflecting the
vision and actual location of elements of a healthy, vital neighborhood.
20% reduction of diesel emissions at the Port by ensuring successful implementation
of the state's regulations (Diesel Drayage Rule) requiring that trucks entering the Port
of San Diego have emission reduction equipment in place.
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Tip 22: Engage Community Residents in Transportation-
Related Decisions
GROUNDWORK
SOMERVILLE
CARE LEVEL II
Many people have heard of
Boston's Big Dig, a highway
construction mega-project.
Those residents who know of
it most intimately live in the
environmental justice communities
of Somerville, Massachusetts.
These are the residents who were
never asked what they wanted
when elected officials approved
building a highway in the middle
of the community, tearing down
neighborhoods, allowing more
cars than residents daily into the
city, and allowing operation of six
diesel commuter rail lines on which
hundreds of diesel trains run each
year but provide no local stops.
According to the Somerville
Transportation Equity Partnership,
local residents breathe in more
commuter-generated emissions
per capita than in any other
Massachusetts city. From 1989 to
2003, Somerville had almost 300
more lung cancer and heart attack
deaths than would be expected
given statewide rates, according to
the Massachusetts Department of
Public Health.
After a series of court cases, the
state became legally obligated
to offset the resulting air quality
problems placed upon the
community by extending light rail
(called the Green Line) through
Somerville. While residents were
excited for the opportunity to
Key Actions
Engaged over 900 people in land use planning,
creating Core Principles to guide all future
developments
Empowered youth as leaders in open space,
food security, access to transit, health equity,
racial equity, and bike/pedestrian issues, who
communicated directly to municipal, state, and
federal leaders
Engaged hundreds of volunteers and youth
community members in natural resource clean-up
and restoration projects
community process
around land-use
planning with a shared
commitment to make
the Green Line rail
train and Community
Path connecting
communities, a reality.
With community
concerns firmly in
hand, Groundwork
Somerville, in
collaboration with
the Somerville
Community Health
Agenda, Somerville
Transportation Equity
Partnership, and the Somerville
Community Corporation engaged
residents, organizations, businesses
and government to participate
in land-use planning decisions to
reduce environmental impacts and
ensure equity in land-use planning
decisions. The goals were to:
The signature of the project was engaging the
community in land-use planning. Over 900 residents
and other partners were involved.
travel with ease to Boston, they are
understandably concerned with
future land-use developments.
Forging a Community Process
Around Land-Use Planning
Under a CARE Level II grant,
Groundwork Somerville and
their partners undertook a
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Create a cohesive design for
neighborhood connectivity
between stations and the
community;
Ensure engagement of
historically disengaged
populations, such as immigrants,
low-moderate income residents
and youth;
Make zoning changes in the
Comprehensive Plan to meet
community and health concerns;
Ensure building of a Community
Path to connect communities of
Somerville.
Engaging the Community in
Land-Use Planning
The project engaged over 900
people in land-use planning, such
as interactive mapping, land-use
data collection, station designs,
policy actions, attendance at state
and city meetings, community and
house meetings, and neighborhood
walks.The community also created
Core Community Principles to
guide all future development.
These principles were chosen from
a larger list generated by over
300 residents, which were then
prioritized and ratified by 150
people in 2009. The expectation
is that all decisions related to
planning the Green Line and the
land use in the half mile areas
around the 7 proposed stations will
reflect these principles.
As the community worked
collaboratively, many goals
came together under the project
including: creating more local jobs,
increasing commercial/economic
development, maintaining
biodiversity, keeping Somerville
affordable, keeping and adding
local businesses, improving the
green environment, encouraging
walking and biking, getting the
community involved, creating
community gathering spaces, and
ensuring connections to buses and
trains.
Empowering Youth as Leaders
Youth members of the Center
for Teen Empowerment and the
Groundwork Somerville Green
Team participated extensively
in land-use planning, including
open space, food security, access
to transit, health equity, and bike/
pedestrian needs. Youth members
made clear strides towards health
equity by ensuring that youth
voice is heard by municipal, state,
and federal leaders. These youth
members have been recognized as
leaders in participatory planning
and have shared their model
with others at the (1) 2011 EPA
Brownfields Conference, hosting
a mock community meeting,
sharing tools they needed to
fund community engagement,
run successful meetings, and
engage the community in land-
use planning and (2) Bioneers
by the Bay Conference in New
Bedford, CT, leading presentation
on how engage the community
in composting, work with a
municipality, and run a small-
scale business. City of Somerville
Board of Aldermen (city council)
proposed that each new park that
is designed and built (including
park renovations) must include a
budget line item for the GWS Green
Team to do outreach.
Project Results ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^_
Partner organizations influenced at least two large federal grant proposals, including
one Sustainable Communities proposal and one near-highway fine particulates
participatory research project.
City of Somerville mandated that CARE model of community engagement be
incorporated in every new park and park restoration project.
Successfully worked with the City of Somerville to include local hiring agreements in
new development projects. The City of Somerville will develop zoning to promote safe
urban agriculture.
Plans in place for Community Path to be built to connect communities within
Somerville.
Carried out natural resource clean-up and restoration projects with the help of
hundreds of volunteers including youth.
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Tip 23: Green the City through Education and Safer
Products
JOSIAH HILL III CLINIC
PORTLAND, OREGON
CARE LEVEL II
To address environmental health
concerns in North/Northeast
Portland neighborhoods, Josiah
Hill III pioneered a health clinic that
reduces the risks of lead poisoning,
asthma and other threats to
childrens'health.The Healthy
Places, Healthy People Project,
funded with a 2008 CARE grant,
helped to continue the legacy of
the Clinic's founder.These Portland
neighborhoods have historically
included some of the city's most
under-served, under-represented
and culturally diverse residents.
The CARE project helped identify
environmental risks and enabled
the Josiah Hill III Clinic to expand
its scope from blood lead testing
to healthy home visits to deal with
many threats to children's health.
The CARE Healthy Places,
Healthy People Project focused
primarily on three objectives:
(1)To reduce toxins found in
and around the environment
where North/Northeast Portland
residents live, work and play;
(2) To educate landlords and
property management companies
within North/Northeast Portland
about less toxic alternatives
for maintenance and building
management; and, (3) To reduce
toxins within North/Northeast
Portland by promoting green
alternatives in goods and services.
Key Actions
Trained Community Leaders with existing cultural
and language skills to perform Healthy Homes
Check-ups
Created guide to green products and businesses
in the Portland area to identify and promote
businesses using green products
Used social and traditional media to spread
the word throughout the community on lead
poisoning, mold, asthma, green cleaning
Used EPA's Environmentally Preferable Purchasing
and Design for the Environment (DfE) programs to
help landlord and property managers switch to less
toxic materials and products
Improving Health with Healthy
Homes Checkups
Thanks to the unrelenting efforts
of the Clinic's staff and nine
Community Leaders for exceeding
the project's goal of providing
80 Healthy Homes Checkups; by
completing a total of 96 checkups
that assessed many potential
risks from lead, mold, and toxic
chemicals that could trigger
asthma, chronic colds, and high
blood lead levels. Healthy home
checkups in pre-1978 homes
included a lead dust test that was
conducted by Community Leaders,
as well as a packet of Lead Check
lead detection swabs.
Using the Promotoras or
Environmental Ambassadors
A key to the success of the project
was recruiting Community
Leaders, often called promotoras
or environmental ambassadors.
Many people, including low income
families and communities of color,
find it invasive or intimidating to
have a stranger or guest in their
homes. This reluctance was initially
an obstacle to achieving the
Healthy Home Checkup goals of the
CARE project. Hiring Community
Leaders from the same culture, who
spoke a common language with
clients, proved very effective in
overcoming this barrier. Community
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Leaders assisted in translations
of the Checkup materials, both
orally and in writing, and were
readily welcomed into peoples'
homes as members of their own
communities.
Clients were also given tailored
educational resources to help
implement new practices and
change behavior, as well as a 10
dollar retail gift card, a sponge,
bottles of vegetable-based soap,
vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, a box
of baking soda, a spray bottle,
and a microfiber towel provided
in-kind from community partners
including Metro and the Portland
Development Commission.
Educating Through Social
Media and Community Partners
Network
Media coverage and the use of
social media played a major role
in educating the community
about environmental hazards and
promoting green products. The
program manager was interviewed
on Community Hotline, a cable
access show, on topics ranging
from green cleaning, mold, asthma
prevention to lead poisoning.The
interview was broadcast repeatedly
and archived on the program's
website. Social media connections
included at least 300 Facebookfans;
almost 1,400 Twitter followers; 350
monthly eNewsletter recipients;
and over 6,000 website hits. The
Josiah Hill III Clinic was honored
with an "Angels Among Us" feature
in the widely circulated Metro
Parent Magazine October 2010
edition, under the caption "Keeping
kids - and their homes - safe!"
Throughout the course of the
project, Josiah Hill III Clinic
established a strong network of
more than 100 partners to help
identify and reach out to all areas
of the community, including
business, health and community
services through multiple vehicles
including numerous community
events and fairs. In alignment with
CARE strategies, local resources
were leveraged, including the use
of volunteers, interns, community
and faith based organizations,
municipal governments
and residents to provide the
opportunity to network, co-learn,
and above all, empower and build
long term community capacity to
improve the local environment.
Volunteers and interns logged
approximately 4,500 hours.
Getting Commitments from
Landlords and Property
Managers on Green Products
Partner organization, Zero Waste
Alliance, received a sub-award
to meet the second project
objective, to educate landlords
and property management
companies within North/
Northeast Portland about less
toxic alternatives for maintenance
and building management.
Zero Waste Alliance identified
environmentally friendly and less
toxic products that affordable
housing property managers and
owners may use to reduce their
tenants' exposure to toxins and
chemical hazards associated with
cleaning supplies, carpet cleaning,
pest and rodent control supplies,
fertilizers and pesticides and paints.
Subsequently, "Healthy Places,
Healthy People" presentations to
landlords and staff of property
management companies focused
on the adverse effects of toxics
and associated health benefits
of using green products. Most of
the owners and managers were
convinced by the cost benefit
analysis (i.e. externalized costs,
reduced human health and
environmental impacts, etc.) and
the availability of options for
changing practices. Two property
management organizations
made commitments to product
substitution strategies that will
reduce toxins at 11 properties with
525 units.
Creating a Guide to Green
Products and Green Businesses
Other partnerships were developed
with the local business community
in creating "The Guide to Green
Products in North/Northeast
Portland," (http://www.jhillclinic.
org/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/
nne-pdx-green-guide1.pdf) The
project's Green Business Marketing
Specialist asked business managers
and owners for permission to
collect data on green products
and services that are available at
their stores, such as information
about green product types, prices,
and sizes, product placement,
promotions, and a narrative of
the availability and placement
A Program Manager explains the dangers of cleaners that are purchased during one
of the Healthy People, Healthy Places workshops.
23
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of conventional products. Green
product categories of interest
were previously determined as:
household cleaning products, pest
& rodent control, lawn and garden,
carpet cleaning, and painting
supplies. This information was then
used for outreach and education
conducted with property owners,
allowing for consistency in product
analysis and toxic reduction focus.
The guide currently serves as
a resource beyond the CARE
project as staff at the Josiah Hill III
Clinic plan to sustain the Healthy
Places, Healthy People project, to
serve North/Northeast Portland
neighborhoods with continued
support from their partners.
The project continues and has
branched out into additional areas,
leveraging additional funds from
federal and local sources.
Project Results
Completed 96 Healthy Home Checkups on lead, mold, toxic chemicals, following up
with lead testing for families at risk and other information.
Provided 13 trainings and 87 presentations to over 100 organizations and at
community events that raised awareness about Healthy Homes.
11 properties with 525 units now using green products.
Numerous training sessions with property managers and landlords on feasibility of
using green products.
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Tip 24: Reducing Garbage, Pests, and Pesticides
WE ACT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
HARLEM, N.Y.
CARE LEVEL I AND II
Residents of Northern Manhattan
report the highest usage of
pesticide foggers, sprays and
bombs (greater than 50% of
residents use them) in Manhattan;
the highest percentage of
households reporting mice or rat
sitings in Manhattan (28% to over
38%); and the highest percentage
of sitings of cockroaches in the
household (above 45%). Densely
populated and poorly maintained
housing in addition to infinite
sources of food and water create
the perfect haven for pests to
flourish. Addressing concerns
related to "Garbage, Pests and
Pesticide (GPP) issues" became
the core focus of activities for
the Northern Manhattan CARE
Collaborative. With Level I and
Level II CARE grants, WE ACT
for Environmental Justice, a
community-based organization
located in Northern Manhattan,
set out to tackle these issues in the
neighborhoods of East Harlem,
Central Harlem, West Harlem and
Washington Heights/Inwood,
predominantly communities of
color with residents that identify as
African-American and Latino (88%
in total). These densely populated
areas with over 630,000 people,
including children and elderly, live
in 7.4 square miles of space.
Key Actions
Prioritized risks, surveying over 500 local residents
on environmental health topics
Used PhotoVoice to document garbage and pest
problems
Trained over 200 local residents in four community
areas on Garbage, Pests and Pesticides and
developed six educational workshops
Launched projects to reduce garbage, pests and
pesticides
Identifying Priorities of Garbage,
Pests, and Pesticides through the
CARE Level I Process
Connecting the dots between
health (cockroaches and mice leave
traces that trigger asthmatics and
pesticides have a variety of harmful
health effects) and our environment
(infrastructure maintenance and
indoor environments) was a key
goal that emerged from WE ACT's
CARE Level I process to identify
and prioritize environmental
health issues. Priorities were
set through an independently-
facilitated collaborative process
that included the use of consensus
decision-making and issue-specific
working groups.The result was a
list of environmental exposures
that represented the views of
as many community members
as possible. With the assistance
of seven local residents that
implemented the Environmental
Health Community Survey (EHCS),
the Collaborative was able to gain
insight on environmental health
Sources of food and water create
perfect havens for pests to flourish.
25
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concerns from over 500 community
residents. This survey identified
Garbage, Pests, and Pesticides
issues as a concern of residents.
The results were compiled and used
for the issue prioritization and risk
ranking processes.
The information from the issue
profiles, business roundtable
discussions, and the Survey
were used to prioritize the issues
and rank them. This led to the
development of the first Northern
Manhattan Environmental Health
Report Card. This report card was
developed from the Issue Profiles
and is currently used by community
residents to understand their
localized environmental exposures.
As a result of these efforts, indoor/
outdoor air quality, solid waste and
pests and pesticides were identified
as the top issues to tackle.
Putting our Work into Action
Under a CARE Level II grant, WE
ACT began to work on the priorities
of Garbage, Pests, and Pesticides,
identified through the CARE Level
I process, in homes (apartment
buildings), businesses (145th street
and 181st street corridor) and a
school. A number of important
projects are underway.
Managing Solid Waste
Holistically with Apartment
Building Management,
Maintenance and Staff
The goal of the green apartment
building project is to engage
building managers, residents,
supers, porters and maintenance
personnel in the management of
solid waste in a holistic manner
to reduce garbage and prevent
pests and the need for pesticides.
Building managers and staff
were engaged in a PhotoVoice
project: Photos were taken of
unsuccessful and successful
garbage management, discussions
with the CARE Collaborative were
organized around the photos,
perceptions and issues were
discussed, and solutions were
developed. Examples of the
problem are breeding grounds for
pests included corrals or interior
garbage rooms that collect garbage
before taking it out to the curb,
garbage bags or unclosed garbage
cans left out for the day, residents
throwing inappropriate things in
the trash compactor which can
back up the chute and throwing
garbage away without bags. The
project was a catalyst for working
with supers, building management
and residents on education and
tracking of solid waste. Best
practices and methods to engage
managers, staff, and residents
that were developed from an EPA
Environmental Justice (EJ) grant
were applied during the CARE Level
II implementation phase to address
the reduction of garbage and rat
populations. The Collaborative is
currently in the second phase of
this project and is excited to report
results in the near future.
Solid Waste Reduction Through
Local Business Engagement
In this segment of the CARE project,
the Collaborative built a fruitful
partnership with local businesses
and the Department of Sanitation
to reduce garbage and pests.
Businesses were engaged on
garbage and pest issues through
the Northern Manhattan Business
Roundtable. Another PhotoVoice
project was launched, this time
providing business owners
disposable cameras to document
problems. Cameras were collected
and a meeting held to discuss
perceptions of the solid waste
issues in the community and to
collaboratively arrive at potential
solutions. One complaint that was
raised from, some businesses in
Central Harlem was that they felt
that they were being targeted for
fines by the NYC Department of
Sanitation.
A PhotoVoice Project was used. Photos were taken of unsuccessful and successful
garbage management and discussions of the problems and solutions were
organized around the photos.
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In collaboration with the CARE
grant, an EPA EJ Small Grant
Program project tracked amounts
of garbage present during morning,
afternoon and early evening hours.
Stakeholders were educated about
best practices to reduce garbage
and pest problems, including
putting up posters that read:"lf you
think you are feeding the cats, you
are feeding the rats" in businesses
along the corridor.
Residents and 13 businesses'
owners, managers, and staff on
the 145th Street corridor became
engaged in the project and
successfully decreased waste
and litter. The Department of
Sanitation agreed to significantly
increase the number of trash
cans throughout in the business
corridor. Approximately four
businesses enrolled in the NYC
Adopt-A-Garbage can program and
have maintained their commitment
to monitoring and reducing solid
waste in front of their businesses.
The project was then expanded to
the 285th businesses on the 181st
Street corridor and is engaging
this additional corridor's Business
Improvement District and other
partners. The project is assessing
how the methods from the 145th
Street corridor can be both
replicated and altered to meet the
unique needs of this new area and
culture to address solid waste and
pest challenges.
Solid Waste Reduction by
Composting in Schools
Although the quantifiable amount
of organic waste diverted from
the waste stream has not been
determined with this part of the
CARE project, there are a number
of valuable lessons learned.
Unfortunately indoor composting
bins are very difficult to manage
given the sensitivity of the bins to
slight changes in PH, temperature
or moisture. Worms for composting
can be killed by any imbalance
in the bin ecosystem or by mites
from fruit or elsewhere. Currently
research is being continued
elsewhere with an alternative
composting method that is not as
sensitive as the indoor apartment
composting bins.
Project Results
Reduced rat sightings and amount of garbage in and around apartments, using model
developed to work with supers, maintenance staff and residents.
300 businesses engaged to monitor, manage, and reduce waste and litter through
education, Adopt-A-Garbage Can program or use of Rat-Proof Garbage cans.
68% increase in trash cans in the 44 commercial corridor blocks as a result of the
collaboration with the Department of Sanitation partner.
Model used on one city corridor being replicated and adapted to 2nd city corridor to
reduce waste, pests, and pesticide use.
Developed the first Northern Manhattan Environmental Health Report Card using
results of Issue Profiles, Business Roundtable discussions, and survey of 500 residents,
currently being used by residents to understand their environmental exposures.
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Tip 25: Create Culturally Responsive Decision-Making
Processes
DINE COLLEGE
SHIPROCK, NEW MEXICO (NAVAJO NATION)
CARE LEVEL II
When EPA accepted a proposal from
Dine College for a Level I project in
Shiprock, New Mexico on Navajo
Nation lands, it also agreed that in
carrying out the project the College
would make use of what it called
the"Navajo Research Model." It was
understood from the start that a
successful project would require
a strong mutual commitment to
dialog, education and translation in
the broadest sense.
The outcome was a strong plan
to address solid waste (and other
environmental issues) using
culturally appropriate approaches,
and a unique cross-walk between
the Navajo and the European (or
"Western") approaches to the
process for analyzing risks related
to toxics. In its simplest form this
became a one-page chart with a
side-by-side comparison of a four
stage "Dine Process" with the CARE
Roadmap.
From the point of view of the Navajo,
EPA's methodologies generally
reflect a "Western" or European
perspective and value system, which
contrasts in several ways with the
traditional Navajo perspective. As a
result, Agency personnel can often
encounter a gap between the two
cultures in the meaning of terms
suchas"health,""disease,""risk,"
"remediation" and "toxics." They
would also find that a traditional
Navajo community is less likely
Key Actions
Crosswalked steps of the CARE Roadmap with those
of the "Navajo Research Model"
Adjusted CARE process to accommodate local
traditions
Used "nahat'a" process or "planning through talking
things out" in a process driven by the fundamental
principles and values of the Dine
"
to see the project goal as "risk
reduction"than one of'balance and
harmony," one of restoration rather
than remediation. Such differences
show up in almost every stage of
the project.
As an example, in carrying out the
CARE project, the main process
by which the project leaders
and community proceeded is
"nahat'a,"sometimes described as
"planning through talking things
out,"in a process "driven by the
fundamental principles and values
of the Dine." These include an
underlying philosophy of balance
and harmony, the "duality of
knowledge"and the importance
of "prayers, songs and ceremonies"
in bringing about healing. For
example, in considering the issue
of solid waste, consideration was
given to how it affected the"quality
of our water, air and land" and lives,
but this had to be talked about
and thought through in both "the
Navajo and non-Navajo versions"of
the problem (the Navajo principle
of "Alchi Sila").
At each step of the project,
adjustments were made to the
CARE process to accommodate
local traditions: meetings were
opened with prayers, information
was shared in both English and
Dine, and project leaders consulted
regularly with spiritual leaders on
the project. The views of elders
were sought, and information
was gathered beyond regular
community meetings.
EPA met relatively often with the
project leaders and community in
order to assess how the project was
progressing, along both the path of
the CARE Roadmap and the Navajo
Research Model.
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A Note about Bringing CARE to Communities
As the CARE process is brought into any community, it is important that the culture, traditions,
relationships, and belief system of that community are respected. Without this, the community
is less likely to participate deeply and take ownership of the process, follow through on its results,
or to meet one of the main goals of the CARE program: to become self-sustaining in continuing to
reduce risk in the community.
While these "lessons learned"are discussed in the context of a Native American community, they
can also be applied to other communities such as a predominantly African American community
in West Oakland, a Gullah community in Georgia, or a rural community in Appalachia. CARE
grantees can make use of the inherent flexibility built into the CARE program and adjust the CARE
Roadmap as needed in order to create culturally responsive decision-making processes in any
community.
A two-day retreat was held with
Navajo project leaders and EPA
staff to work through every step
of the Roadmap and crosswalkthe
steps with those of the "Navajo
Research Model." This required the
involvement of interpreters and
a spiritual leader. EPA provided
technical risk data and information
just as it would in any other CARE
community, but EPA also devoted
special effort to accommodating
the Navajo concept of "impacts." An
18 page report,"The Navajo Process
for the Shiprock Community EPA
CARE Project" was developed.
Some Tips for tribal and other
communities identifying and
prioritizing risks:
At the beginning of the project, as
well as throughout, engage in a
discussion of the CARE Roadmap
or other process to be used
for the project and determine
if modifications are necessary
to better fit the culture of that
particular community.
Discuss appropriate community
involvement and the form of the
collaborative partnership.
Ensure communication flow and
understanding are sufficient
between key partners (including
EPA) and adjust communication
methods as needed.
Discuss what "risk" means to their
community and assist in adjusting
the risk ranking and prioritization
process to fully reflect the
community's concept of "risk" and
"impact."
Some challenges noted during
the project:
The "translations" required in a
cross-cultural context such as
this one are not simply matters
of language (Navajo vs. English)
but of conceptual frameworks
and entire worldviews that differ
significantly.
The relationship between oral
and written knowledge in a
community such as this is quite
different than that relationship
in the "Western" context. In
many parts of Navajo there
exists a residual suspicion of all
written languages as a "tool" of
domination. For some Navajo,
their first experience with written
language was when they received
notices in the 1930's and 1940's
that their sheep were going to be
confiscated.
The Agency faced a challenge in
fully understanding solid waste
management in the context of
the culture of the community.
For example, problems such as
dumping when understood in
indigenous people's context, may
have more complex causes and
remedies than when considered
in the more "mainstream" cultural
context. A discussion may
involve a history of dumping
that encompasses a much longer
time frame (generations), the fact
that the land has been used as a
dumping ground for our culture
and reliance on nuclear power
(there are hundreds of piles of
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mining bioproduct spread around
their lands), and dumping as an
aspect of balance and the need
for it to be addressed in the
context of restoring balance.
The Agency has for some time
recognized the key role of local
knowledge in the context of
Environmental Justice, and
the role of vulnerability in risk
assessment. However, cross-
cultural projects such as this show
that the challenge of being truly
respectful across cultural divides
calls for a willingness to adapt the
Agency's approach.
Oil and gas facilities located on northern Navajo Reservation lands.
Project Results
Developed "SCRAP" (Shiprock Community Recycling Awareness Project), a community-
wide, culturally-appropriate solid waste program.
Cleaned up three illegal open solid waste dumps covering almost 6 acres, removing
almost 50 cubic yards of residential solid waste; identified additional waste sites in
need of attention.
Involved elders, spiritual advisers and others to develop a culturally-appropriate
process for implementing the CARE project, creating a step-by-step cross-cultural cross
walk between EPA's CARE model and the traditional Navajo "Research Model."
30
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Tip 26: Set Environmental Priorities in a Tribal
Community
WIND RIVER ALLIANCE
WIND RIVER, WYOMING
CARE LEVEL I
The 4.9 million-acre Wind River
watershed in west-central
Wyoming serves as an important
migratory route for many animals
whose survival depends on the
ability to transcend the multiple
ecosystems within this vast area.
In fact, the Wind River Range is a
headwaters area for the Missouri,
Colorado, and Columbia Rivers.
The health of the watershed
affects thousands of miles of
rivers and millions of people, fish,
animals, plants and trees that
count on its resources for food,
drinking water, recreation, and
irrigation. Despite its outward
majestic beauty, the Wind River is a
watershed in peril: loss of habitat,
outdated and damaging irrigation
practices, climate change,
antiquated diversion dams, and
energy development are all
contributing to its challenges.
The watershed is home to the
Eastern Shoshone and Northern
Arapaho Tribes, who live on the
2.2-million acre Wind River Indian
Reservation (WRIR).The Eastern
Shoshone and the Northern
Arapaho, who were traditional
enemies, have been co-existing on
these reservation lands since the
late 1800s.
The Wind River Alliance's (WRA's)
CARE community is predominantly
Northern Arapaho, located
Key Actions
Created a new graphic model responsive to tribal
ways of decision making
Engaged youth and elders in Tribal Community to
visit areas of environmental concern on Wind River
Indian Reservation tribal lands
Modified collaborative process to deepen tribal
community participation
primarily in the southeastern part
of the WRIR where radionuclide
pollution from a now-closed
uranium processing plant
continues to contaminate the
shallow aquifers and potentially
impacts a public drinking water
system in the CARE community.
The former site of the uranium
processing plant now houses a
sulfuricacid manufacturing plant,
that at one time operated behind
locked gates. Air and water could
potentially be impacted from
CARE community members learn how to extinguish small fires during the
Community Emergency Response Team training offered in partnership with the
Wind River Health Systems and Wind River All Hazards Steering Committee.
31
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current and future large-scale coal-
bed methane production in the
southern portions of the Wind River
Reservation, and illegal dumping
and solid waste issues are an
ongoing problem.
Taking into Account Cultural
Norms
Working at the grassroots level
requires a level of understanding
and respect for the way decisions
are made by community members.
Cultural norms determine how
decisions are made, when they
are made, and by whom. These
decision processes may not
necessarily be reflected in the
elected leadership, but more
reflected within individual family
member relationships, and
historical relationships among
families and communities. Building
community capacity around
understanding environmental
pollution and taking action to
renew damaged environmental
lands where tribal peoples
must and/or choose to live is an
extremely complex undertaking.
This is especially true when
economic livelihoods have become
linked to possible pollution sources,
coupled with an overall distrust
of federal laws and agencies.
Traditional people make decisions
one way, and less traditional tribal
people make decisions in different
ways.
Adapting the CARE Model
Although flexibility is built into
the CARE process, this process is
fundamentally a linear process
that starts at one point and ends
at another, which is not how
decisions were made in the Wind
River community.The community
decision-making process that
emerged in this community was
ChemTmde Logistics is a local producer ofsulfuric acid and is located on the
previous uranium mill processing site in the CARE community. ChemTrade opened
their doors to the community and as part of the "hot spot" tours, WRA brought
youth and elders to the ChemTrade facility.
more like a spiral moving through
time, with different levels and
depths of decision making giving
the graphic additional dimensions.
Occasionally, the process appeared
linear, but in reality decisions
were being made in different and
changing contexts, some political,
some as response to historical
trauma, some economic, some
traditional, some familial and some
due to environmental events, such
as massive river flooding occurring
during 2010 that highly impacted
the CARE community.This
adapted CARE model provided the
community with the opportunity
to revisit the CARE steps and has
proven to be more inclusive and
more culturally sensitive, whether
decision makers are Indian or
non-Indian community members.
While it is flexible it also maintained
accountability through identified
and achieved outcomes.
Previous to the start of Wind
River Alliance's CARE Level 1
grant, the Alliance completed
an EPA Environmental Justice
Report (2006) that identified
numerous areas of concern on the
reservation, focusing primarily
on water and community health
issues.This report helped the
Alliance identify over 12 Hot Spot
areas on the reservation where
potential pollution pathways and
contamination sources might affect
community members. As part of
initial CARE activities, the Alliance
conducted a series of Hot Spot field
trips with community youth and
elders to provide the opportunity
to learn about environmental issues
in the area.
Responding to Immediate
Concerns
As the community moved through
CARE activities in the modified
CARE spiral, WRA was able to
quickly respond to issues that
were voiced in our community
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meetings. There were concerns
about emergency response and the
lack of community participation.
Some issues brought about great
emotion, including the human
health impacts attributed to
the uranium mill tailings legacy
waste. Training was offered for
Community Emergency Response
Teams including dispute resolution
and collaborative problem-solving.
Holding public meetings did not
involve the community enough
to authentically move into a risk
ranking phase. A facilitator was
hired to modify the facilitation
process by having structured
personal conversations with
community members and their
families, not only to keep the
process informal and comfortable
during the first phase of our
project, but also to gather new
information from community
members of all ages. This proved to
be an important modification, as it
enhanced WRA's relationship within
the community, revealed shared
personal experiences, and brought
new information to the risk ranking
process from community members
themselves.
Following the spiral model allowed
the community the flexibility to
revisit the different CARE steps
and make sure that our process is
inclusive. It also allowed framing
of'risk"through the lens of
community values and norms, with
the value input from elders and
young people, as opposed to the
traditional definition of risk as
practiced by a federal agency. The
community feels strongly that the
approach will lay the groundwork
to make it possible to move
forward to the next steps beyond
our CARE Level 1 grant.
lakeholder Partnerships
Identify Community AShets
Identify Comm jnityWDlnerabilities
Ran|/Risksand Imp
Identify Potential Solutions
Set Priljities for Actiorland Begin Work
Identify Concerns fowrnmediate Adlon
Community Concerns
Strategic Frontloading
CollecMTtd Organize Information
Building Community Partnerships
Building Consensus
Evaluating Results
Beco mi no Salfcwrstai m nq
Wind River's roadmap shows the decision making process that emerged as more
like a spiral moving through time, with different levels and depths of decision
making giving the graphic additional dimensions.
Project Results -
Identified 12 "Hot Spot" areas of environmental concern identified on the Wind River
Indian Reservation.
Over 50 tribal elders and youth visited and learned about environmental risks and challenges
on the Wind River Indian Reservation "Hot Spots".
20 tribal members trained and certified as Community Environmental Response Team
members.
Culturally responsive decision-making process created, enabling project to adapt to changing
environmental, economic and social contexts.
Deepened community participation by conducting more than 100 personal interviews
in addition to public meetings.
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Tip 27: Leverage Community Expertise and Resources in
Priority-Setting
UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
WICHITA, KANSAS
CARE LEVEL I
The University of Kansas School
of Medicine-Wichita (KUSM-W), a
CARE Level I cooperative agreement
recipient, developed a community-
based participatory project known
as the Wichita Initiative to Renew
the Environment (WIRE).
The City of Wichita, Kansas,
had faced a number of local
environmental issues over the years,
but before the WIRE project was
launched, it had never examined
them in a comprehensive way. The
city simply had no clear conduit
for gathering community input
on environmental issues. The
first step in creating WIRE was to
establish a Design Teama group
of local experts from across the
community. Design Team members
represented community groups,
local government, industry, and
academic institutions.
The purpose of bringing these
community leaders together was
to give WIRE a sense of direction,
develop community support, and
establish a structure for examining
and prioritizing local environmental
issues.
Engaging 1,500 Citizens in
Discussion Groups
Consisting of 10 community
leaders, the Design Team proved
essential to establishing WIRE as a
Key Actions
Established a diverse Design Team comprised of
environmental health leaders, local government
leaders and community organizers
Engaged as many community members as possible,
allowing residents to determine and prioritize
their own environmental concerns, building local
support, buy-in and interest in the initiative
community-based participatory
project. The Design Team
recommended the development
of a broader, 25-member, multi-
stakeholder partnership of
community members, known as
the Environmental Leadership
Council (ELC). The Design Team
also recommended that WIRE
recruit nominations for ELC
members while conducting its
discussion groups.
The community discussions
were part of the process that
would eventually determine the
community's top environmental
concerns. As a result, 52 discussion
groups occurred, involving more
Environmental Leadership Council members discuss condensing 92 pages of
environmental concerns down to 19 environmental issues.
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than 1,500 citizens from inner-city
Wichita. Most discussion groups
were conducted as part of regularly
scheduled community gatherings,
such as neighborhood association
meetings.
WIRE used the Nominal Group
Technique, a process that allows
for group brainstorming and
encourages contribution and
participation from everyone. At
public meetings, participants
were prompted to list their top
environmental concerns on
note cards.The note cards were
turned in, then redistributed
so that participants would read
the unidentified note cards. All
concerns were also captured on
chalkboards or easel boards, so
that all participants could view
them. Participants were then able
to add any other top environmental
concerns that were missing from
the list.This process allowed for
anonymity, discussion, overlap
in themes, and an efficient use of
meeting time. The product from
these 52 discussion groups was a
92-page list of local environmental
concerns generated by the
community.
Providing Structure Through
the Environmental Leadership
Council
Meanwhile, a 25-member ELC
was established. The ELC selected
a chair, vice-chair, and secretary.
ELC members also identified three
sub-committeesAir, Water and
Wastethat categorized the 92
pages of local environmental
concerns into 19 issues.
ELC members joined their preferred
subcommittees. Subcommittees
then developed 19 educational fact
sheets (in English and Spanish),
with a corresponding one-hour
video.These materials included
local statistics and information on
risks associated with the 19 issues,
presented from environmental,
health and economic perspectives.
The fact sheets and videos also
referenced possible solutions
that individuals, groups, and
policy-makers could consider
implementing.
The ELC presented the fact sheets
and videos to the community
through an educational campaign.
It engaged 774 community
members from 43 community
groupsprimarily neighborhood
associations in the target area.
Following the campaign, the ELC
asked participants to prioritize
the 19 concerns, using a zero-to-
five scale, in terms of risks to the
environment, health and economy;
urgency for action, and the
perception of community interest
in addressing each issue.
Establishing Priorities of Poor
Waste Management, Pollution in
the Arkansas River and Mobile
Source Emissions
Working with the community's list
of prioritized issues, the ELC then
reviewed the top risks to identify
those best suited for addressing
with a CARE Level II grant proposal.
The ELC chose three concerns: 1)
poor waste management,
2) pollution in the Arkansas River,
and 3) mobile source air emissions.
These three environmental issues
became the focus of the ELC's
awarded CARE Level II project.
Implementing these locally
identified solutions allowed WIRE
to form stronger roots within the
community and enhance long-term
environmental benefits.
The ELC agreed that the Level II
proposal would not be the sole work
of the group, but would provide the
momentum needed to continue
and enhance the group's mission:
"The ELC provides education and
project leadership to make Wichita
an environmentally healthy place to
live, work, and play."
Project Results
Created Environmental Leadership Council (ELC), representative of the targeted
community and infrastructure for a long-term functioning entity.
Community prioritized a list of environmental concerns and developed a plan that is
being used throughout the city for future planning efforts.
Established continuous engagement of community members. The ELC returned to
these neighborhood and community groups with progress reports and action steps to
address many of the concerns the community identified.
Created a structure and processes to ensure sustainability.
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The CARE P
COMMUNITY
Level I
Agreement
Level II
Agreement
perative Agreements and Techni
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
EPA-840-R-12-004
September 2012
www.epa.gov
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