oEPA
Case Study: Providence Pilot
Background
This case study provides an overview of a community-
port collaboration pilot project conducted in Providence,
Rhode Island over roughly a one-year period starting
in 2017. In addition to Providence, pilot projects were
conducted in Savannah, New Orleans, and Seattle and
were collectively known as the Near-Port Community
Capacity Building Project. Pilot communities received
technical assistance and utilized the draft Community-
Port Collaboration Toolkit developed as part of the EPA
Ports Initiative.
Through this pilot project, EPA supported the
Environmental Justice League of Rhode Island (EJLRI),
the City of Providence, the Port of Providence (ProvPort).
community stakeholders, and other interested local
entities in Providence, Rhode Island.Together these local
partners aimed to develop a multi-stakeholder working
group to facilitate long-term conversation between near-
port residents, businesses, government agencies and
port-related stakeholders.
Technical Assistance
To begin, EPA, with support from a technical assistance
provider, conducted a needs assessment via phone and
in-person interviews with a wide range of stakeholders.
EPA also reviewed key documents related to port, agency,
and community initiatives.The needs assessment helped
the project team better understand community, port
business, and other stakeholder priorities. Additionally,
the assessment helped shape the first series of in-person
meetings.
Following the needs assessment, EPA organized three
site visits that included meetings and tours of the Port of
Providence and near-port neighborhoods.
First Site Visit
The first site visit took place in May 2018 and included
three meetings over two days: (1) a conversation with
near-port residents and tribal representatives, hosted
by EJLRI and held at a local public school; (2) a meeting
with ProvPort and other business stakeholders, held at
ProvPort offices; and (3) an all-stakeholder meeting held
at the Narragansett Bay Commission.
The first meeting, hosted by EJLRI, surfaced a wide range
of community priorities for improving health and quality-
of-life in near-port neighborhoods and for building
a sustainable economy that works in harmony with
community residents and the environment.
The second meeting held on the following day with
ProvPort and other business stakeholders aimed to better
understand port and business priorities, their current
initiatives and their willingness to participate in future
multi-stakeholder conversations.
Later in the day after the second meeting, EPA
convened a multi-stakeholder meeting with community
representatives, businesses, agencies and environmental
advocacy organizations. Participants identified a
preliminary list of shared interests and confirmed the
value of continuing to meet.
Second Site Visit
The second site visit began with a waterside tour of the
Port of Providence providing community members, port
business interests and government stakeholders with a
waterfront perspective that highlighted active and vacant
port properties and other land uses that make up the Port
complex. The meeting portion of the convening allowed
participants to engage in a series of activities designed to
establish a foundation for relationship and skills building,
collaborative problem-solving, and identification of
opportunities for collaboration on issues impacting near-
port communities.
Third Site Visit and Ongoing Efforts
The third site visit, facilitated by EPA, began with
EPA-420-F-21-025 | April 2021
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Pilot Highlight: Convening the
Stakeholders Process - A Multifaceted
Approach
Prior to the pilot, most stakeholders had not worked together on port-
related issues, especially those impacting the near-port community. To
build a stakeholder networkaround port-related issues, EPA staff conducted
focused outreach to entities within the port sector, government sector and
community. In the early stages, outreach to port and industry stakeholders
was tenuous. Initially, there were challenges in recruiting and engaging with
stakeholders. As one example, EPA perceived hesitation from private industry
stakeholders about working with a regulatory agency like EPA in this non-regulatory
context. Through numerous conversations and informal meetings, EPA followed through on
an important commitment by helping recruit and prepare industry and state and local stakeholders to come to the
table for productive discussions. These efforts helped develop positive working relationships, share information about
relevant initiatives, and collect ideas for improvements in near-port neighborhoods.
%
On the community side, outreach and relationship-building required a different approach to address a different set of
challenges. Outreach to community groups, organizations, and others got off to a slower than anticipated start due to
several factors, including lack of an existing process for engaging with community stakeholders, limited staff resources,
scheduling constraints, and other challenges.
Differing visions and capacities between EPA and EJLRI led to misunderstandings during the initial stages of the
process.These tensions needed to: be addressed before any productive collaborations could begin. EPA's technical
assistance provider facilitated a frank discussion among the parties about power imbalances and barriers. This
discussion resulted in a shared understanding around the need for funding to support community organizing and a
need to consider compensating community members for their participation.
Due to resources, authority and capacity, federal, state or local agencies are often positioned and expected to be the
primary convener in a multi-stakeholder process. To help ensure the community is an equally empowered partner in
the process, agencies should consider the following recommendations.
Recognize that even with community leaders at the table, a broader process is needed to hear directly from the
impacted community residents to understand near-port community concerns and priorities.
Try to identify funding for a community-based organization and ensure that organization has the infrastructure
and resources to serve as a convener of the community members.
Collaborate with the community-based organization on the purpose, approach and roles for the process before
reaching out to other agency and industry stakeholders.
Promote a leadership role for,community-based organizations by collaborating equally in developing meeting
agendas and communications.

The Washington Park Association has been an advocate for the residents living
in the ' frontline' port areas for many years. Having the Port -Community
Meetingst that were initiated by the EPA} has created a working relatio
between the business port tenants> state and city agencies} and
neighborhood groups, that have long been overlooked and desperately
needed. With our new working relationshipswe can now create the
groundwork for a 'Qreen Justice Zone' that highlights the necessity
of Social Justice, Environmental Justice> and Climate Change
preparation. We look forward to a long-lasting seat at the table}
that can facilitate positive change, toward a cleaner and greener
Port of Providence¦, as wet! as healthier frontline neighborhoods.
Thank you to the EPA!
-Linda Pern'Washington Park Association
EPA Community-Port Collaboration Pilot Projects
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a landside tour of port facilities and near-port
neighborhoods (narrated by community leaders). A
multi-stakeholder meeting followed the tour and focused
on common interests and opportunities for collaboration,
and a commitment by stakeholders to carry the effort
forward.
Participants agreed that a representative subset of
the multi-stakeholder group would meet as a "port-
community working group"to continue this initiative
past the EPA pilot phase. This working group, currently
led by the city planning department, meets quarterly,
is supported by EPA, and will report progress and solicit
input from the larger multi-stakeholder group.The
workgroup will address participation barriers faced
by community residents and identify projects and
resources that could help advance improved quality-of-
life, including clean air through port-related emissions
reductions in near-port neighborhoods.
Outcomes and Accomplishments
The Port of Providence pilot project resulted in a list of
actions and priorities for the multi-stakeholder working
group to implement collaboratively.The pilot also
resulted in increased attention from multiple agencies
at various levels of government and provided support to
the port and near-port communities. Successes include
the following:
•	The City of Providence is convening the multi-
stakeholder working group quarterly to share updates,
set and prioritize goals, advance collaborative
initiatives, and continue building relationships.
•	ProvPort has joined Green Marine, an environmental
certification program for the North American marine
industry, to reduce its environmental footprint by
undertaking concrete and measurable actions that are
externally verified.
•	Rhode Island Department of Environmental
Management (RIDEM) and the City of Providence are
initiating an effort to map the port industrial areas.The
map will identify active environmental permits and
help build a clearer overall picture of the port area.
There's no one person or even one business,
community -based organization or agency
who can represent the whole. Relationships -
person to person as well as within their roles,
organizations and institutions - are so important
to move work forward effectively.
The multi-stakeholder working group has allowed
us to develop those kinds of relationships where
they haven't existed previously.
- Julian Prix, Asthma Program Manager,
Rhode Island Department of Health
EPA Community-Port Collaboration Pilot Projects
Toolkit Spotlight: Building
a Shared Language around
Environmental Justice
During the first convening of the multi-stakeholder working
group, the EPA technical assistance provider led a training
based on EPA's Environmental Justice Primer for Ports which
covers foundational information about environmental justice
(Section A) and outlines six key steps for effectively engaging
communities in port decision-making processes (Section B).
The training helped working group participants develop a
shared language around environmental justice and covered:
The history, principles and language of the Environmental
Justice movement
The history of inequitable policies and planning in the
United States, the concept of equitable development,
and the role ports and port-related stakeholders can play
in advancing equitable development
The business case for engagement between ports and
near-port communities, and
Strategies for effective community engagement and
relationship-building across difference or perceived
difference.
Facilitated dialogue during the training led to new insights for
improving relationships between port-related representatives
and community leaders over the long-term. Participants
discussed topics including the history of strained relationships
due to protests over development of a nearby liquified
natural gas facility, and what it-would look like to move from
relationships conducted solely within professional roles to
investing in relationships outside of those roles—including
cultural awareness and efforts to maintain relationships across
previous dividing lines.
Additional Educational Resources
As a result of the pilot projects, new resources have
been developed that complement the Community-Port
Collaboration Toolkit being hosted on EPA's Office of
Transportation and Air Quality website.
Click here to explore the new
resources!

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•	RIDEM has committed resources to working with the City
of Providence and near-port neighborhood associations
on environmental justice priorities.
•	EPA Region 1 led a now completed truck count and
assessment on key roads serving the port and others
adjacent to the community. The truck count is expected
to help inform the characterization of emissions and
other impacts. That work is an important precursor
to identifying ways to reduce negative impacts from
truck activity and also supports state sustainable freight
planning efforts.
•	Increased dialogue between government agencies has
helped them to identify gaps in governance of port
and port-related activities and has built momentum for
investing in port-related initiatives.
•	EJLRI was able to engage leadership from seven local
tribes to participate in one of the early working group
meetings, and conversations continue about how to
build collaboration around ports issues through culturally
relevant means.
Lessons Learned
The pilot project resulted in the following set of insights
that could help other port and near-port community
collaborations:
Invest in building trust-centered relationships. Prior to
the Providence pilot, relationships between the near-port
community, ProvPort, other port businesses, and some
agencies had been largely contentious. Through the pilot,
participants explored opportunities to interact and build
relationships to sustain communication, care and trust
across traditional and perceived dividing lines. Investing in
these personal relationships can sustain the collaboration
process through inevitable conflicts and shifting priorities.
Notably, efforts to build and maintain trust between the
port industry stakeholders, near-port communities and
government agencies must be continued.
Develop a project timeline that reflects the community's
pace and capacity. Early in the Providence pilot process,
government agencies began networking to bring resources
to the table, mostly during regular business hours.This
structure turned out to be inconvenient for local residents
and community representatives. Community-based
organizations, many of which are already under-resourced,
can often benefit from added agency support when taking
on the role of liaison to multiple and diverse community
interests. Despite best intentions, some community
members during the pilot felt left out of the conversation.
This highlighted the importance of collaborating with
community leaders in developing the project timeline to
ensure the community has time to organize and prepare to
participate meaningfully in the process.
Compensate community members and organizations
for their time. While governmental representatives and
EPA Community-Port Collaboration Pilot Projects
industry stakeholders are typically paid to participate
in a stakeholder process, community members and
organizations are most often not.To create an equitable
foundation for the process, build resources into the
beginning of the project to provide financial support
for both community-based organizations and individual
community residents to participate.These early investments
may provide a much more even and effective starting point
for building relationships, inclusiveness, and collaboration
between community residents and other compensated
stakeholders.
Acknowledge inequities between community members
and other stakeholders. When partners take the time
during meetings to honestly acknowledge power and
access imbalances, this transparency can help build
awareness among participants who do not face these
barriers and can increase the comfort level of community
participants that their contributions and participation are
valued. Efforts to support community equity can start to
address some of these imbalances such as compensating
community members and organizations for their time (as
described above). Efforts to support equity during the
pilot project included providing meals during meetings,
scheduling meetings in the evening after work, and
securing convenient meeting locations for the near-port
community.
Build a collaborative network of stakeholders. Bringing
all stakeholders together to discuss issues and problem-
solve collaboratively results in more meaningful and
effective outcomes than going it alone. Convening multiple
state agencies and city departments can help identify
gaps in environmental responsibilities and create more
options for addressing issues. Working together across roles,
organizations and institutions can resolve to address long-
standing issues that had previously seemed insurmountable
or had gone unacknowledged.
Next Steps
Looking ahead, Providence project partners are committed
to continuing to invest in deepening the collaboration
between port industry stakeholders and near-port
communities.The multi-stakeholder working group will
continue convening quarterly, and work to strengthen
relationships, evaluate options for formalizing the group,
set and prioritize goals, and advance collaborative projects
to improve conditions at the port and in the near-port
communities of Providence, Rhode Island.
For more information about the Providence Pilot, contact:
Marcus Holmes	Gary Rennie	AbbySwaine
EPA Region 1	EPA Region 1	EPA Region 1
(617)918-1630	(617)918-1525	(617)918-1841
holmes.marcus(aepa.aov	rennie.aarvtaepa.aov	swaine.abbvtaepa.aov
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