&EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency 11th edition spring Letter from EPA New England Regional Administrator I am pleased to have an opportunity to introduce myself as the new Regional Administrator for EPA New England and to express my deep commit- ment to environmental justice as a significant priority for this region. In my new role, I hope to expand the conversation on environmentalism and continue to work for environmental justice. I am joined in this commitment by Administrator Lisa Jackson who has made it clear that environ- mental justice is not an issue to be relegated to the margins, rather it must be a significant part of our thinking in every decision we make. EPA New England will continue to commit resources and advocate for the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, espe- cially minority, low-income, and tribal commu- nities, and will work to achieve environmental and public health improvements for populations disproportionately burdened by environmental harms and risks. The Obama Administration's support for environmental justice is evident in the President's FY 2011 budget proposal released earlier this month. It requests $8 million in environmental justice funding as well as increases to Brownfields to target under- served and economically disadvantaged neighborhoods—places where environmental cleanups and new jobs are most needed. The President's proposal also asks for $9 million for Community Water Priorities in the Healthy Communities Initiative—money that will help underserved communities restore urban water- ways and address water quality challenges. I believe the burden of pollution should never fall disproportionally on any racial, ethnic or socioeconomic group. To that end, I look forward to working with you in the coming years and to involving ali New England stakeholders fairly and meaningfully in an effort to create healthy and sustainable communities for all citizens. Sincerely, Curt Spalding content ej news ....1 office update ...4 ej highlights ... 6 contacts & web resources 6 environmental a news A Newsletter from the EPA New England Environmental Justice Council e) News Boston bus company will pay $650,000 for 234 violations of the Clean Air Act Paul Revere Transportation, a bus compa- ny based in Boston, has agreed to pay a $650,000 penalty for idling their buses for extended periods of time, the U.S. Justice Department and U.S. Environmental Protec- tion Agency announced in August 2009. After a six-day jury trial in U.S. District Court in Boston, the company on June 8 was found liable for 234 separate violations of the Clean Air Act and a Massachusetts anti-idling regulation. A hearing to determine a penalty for those violations was canceled after the company agreed to pay the civil penalty. Paul Revere owns and operates a fleet of buses and other vehicles, including about 60 running out of its bus yard in Roxbury. In 2006, an EPA inspector saw buses idling at the yard for extended periods. As a result, the United States filed a complaint against the company in federal court for violations of the state anti- idling regulation, a requirement under the Commonwealth's Clean Air Act State Imple- mentation Plan. The anti-idling state regulation prohibits the unnecessary operation of the engine of a motor vehicle while the vehicle is stopped for a foreseeable period of time in excess of five minutes. The complaint alleged that Paul Revere idled its buses for as much as an hour or more at times over the legal limit. This penalty appropriately punishes past violations of federal and state clean air laws and will deter other transportation companies from leaving their vehicles idling for extended periods of time in the future," said John C. Cruden, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division. "Roxbury is a densely-populated urban area, cont. on page 3 ------- • Research environmental and health risks and the impacts in their communities to decide on priorities; • Develop partnerships and coalitions to build consensus within their communi- ties on key environmental problems and proposed solutions; • Motivate local partners and community members to act, in order to reduce envi- ronmental impacts and risks; and • Build local capacity by securing sustain- able funding sources. The workshops brought CARE grantees together to network and learn from each other. To learn more about CARE, please visit www. epa.gov/care. CARE for Environmental Justice in Providence, Rl Tour of New York City during CARE workshop. The Environmental Justice League of Rhode Island (EJLRI), based in Providence, was award- ed a Community for Action and Renewed Envi- ronment (CARE) grant for $100,000 in 2008. The projectfocuses on developing local partnerships, identifying environmental hazards, and setting environmental priorities in the community. This group began as an all volunteer coalition in 2007 and hired its first full-time staff person with the CARE grant in 2008. Its mission is to develop leaders in the community to promote safe and healthy environments in homes, schools, work- places, and neighborhoods of communities most affected by environmental burdens. Through the CARE grant, the Environmen- tal Justice League has organized community stakeholders to build a partnership that meets monthly to identify community health concerns in Providence, prioritize issues to be addressed, and ultimately to reduce toxics in their environ- ment. As a result, the CARE Alliance includes residents, non-profits, community groups, and city, state, and federal government representa- tives who are working together to create a health- ier environment. Issues that have been raised to -date include green jobs, access to healthy food, healthy housing, and asthma/air pollution among others. Throughout the project, there has been an emphasis on education, training, and finding creative ways to deliver environmental informa- tion, which has been extremely successful. Envi- ronmental Justice Walking Tours, a Safe Home Gardening Workshop, workshops on safer alter- natives to conventional household cleaners and pesticides, Energy Efficiency "Barn-Raisings" and a Recycling Block Captain Program have all successfully engaged community residents and taught them ways to reduce toxic exposure and deepen their understanding of environmental issues, as well as identify individuals who may become involved in the League's work. The League partnered with Brown University to develop the Community Environmental College, an educational forum that teaches youth and adults about environmental justice issues in the community. As a pilot program, an EJ course was offered last summer to 10 high school youths. Its curriculum focused on issues such as toxics in the community, air quality, food justice, and envi- ronmental justice on a global scale. The CARE grant is working to create local part- nerships in Providence to reduce exposure to toxic pollutants through local action based upon community consensus. Amelia Rose, Lead Organizer for the League said, "The CARE program has allowed the EJ League, in our first official year, to begin conversations in Providence neighborhoods about the environ- mental issues that affect residents' lives, conver- sations that would largely never have happened otherwise and that are leading to concrete actions that reduce residents' exposure to toxics and other environmental burdens. We've also been able to build relationships with people in our state agen- cies and on the city level, and bring them into the community with residents for a shared conversa- tion about ways to improve environmental quality for our whole city." For more information, please visit the EJLRI website at http://ejlri.wordpress.com/ ffeliiviriimeitll • 11th edition spring E|i!Si!»«Bii CARE Conference The 2009 Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) Workshop was held October 20 to 22 in New York City. CARE is a community- based, community-driven, program designed to help community partnerships understand and reduce risks due to toxins and environmental pollutants from all sources. The workshop helped community groups who received CARE funding to improve their commu- nities' environment and health. Specifically, the workshop's objective was to provide participants with skills and tools to: Graduates and facilitators of summer youth program, part of the Community Environmental College, in collaboration with Brown University. page 2 ------- 0 environmental • 1Hh edition spring imiaMWS (cont.) Boston bus company where people already suffer from extremely high asthma rates. It is unacceptable that diesel buses and other vehicles were left idling for more than an hour at a time," said Ira W. Leighton, acting as Regional Administrator of EPA's New England office. "Diesel pollution is very harmful, espe- cially for sensitive populations such as the young, elderly, and people who suffer from asthma. Following anti-idling laws helps protect the health of people who live in the surrounding area." EPA's New England office has previously brought and resolved 10 separate enforcement actions for penalties against nine different companies, includ- ing Paul Revere, for violations of the idling law. Idling diesel engines emit pollutants that can cause or aggravate a variety of health problems, including asthma and other respiratory diseases. The fine particles in diesel exhaust are a likely human carcinogen. Diesel exhaust not only contributes to air quality problems, but more direct exposure can cause lightheadedness, nausea, sore throats, coughing and other symptoms. Drivers, passengers, facility work- ers, neighbors and bystanders are all vulner- able. Diesel emissions also contribute to air pollution that can lead to early deaths, asthma attacks and other health problems. Once the violations were discovered at the Roxbury facility, inspections were done once a week for seven weeks. During each inspection, as many as 20 Paul Revere vehicles were seen idling for periods of up to two hours. During the seven separate inspections, inspectors saw more than 100 hours of illegal idling. Paul Revere's illegal idling was also document- ed by a resident who lives next to Paul Revere's Roxbury yard who testified at the trial that she had seen numerous violations over the years. EPA has worked aggressively with the six New England states to put in place and enforce anti-idling programs. EPA's inspections of transportation facilities are part of a region- wide effort, in partnership with the Massachu- setts Department of Environmental Protection and the city of Boston, to curb diesel air emis- sions, particularly in inner city neighborhoods such as Roxbury where diesel air pollution and asthma rates are substantially higher than in other parts of Massachusetts. More information: Diesel exhaust and anti-idling guidelines: www.epa.gov/ne/eco/diesel Connecticut Group Gathers Environmental Justice Advocates Individuals and groups involved with environ- mental justice were able to share their experi- ences and talk about challenges and successes at a conference held Oct. 17 by the Connecti- cut Coalition for Environmental Justice (CCEJ) in Hartford, Conn., to promote environmental justice. The conference also allowed participants to learn about environmental health issues and local organizing. This gathering connected EJ activists, government officials, academics, and community members throughout Connecticut and surrounding states to work towards environ- mental justice. Keynote speaker Elisabeth Yeampierre, acting co-chair of the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council, talked about the importance of getting youth of color involved in environmen- tal activism and the opportunities available for addressing environmental justice in the changed political climate. Yeampierre is also president of the New York Environmental Justice Alliance and executive director of UPROSE, an organization addressing local and regional inequities through education, organizing, and activism in the Bronx. The other keynote speaker, Dr. Tyrone Hayes, who does biological research for University of California/Berkeley, presented his research on the effects on frogs of exposure to chemicals that focuses on examining how the pesticide Atra- zine may change the sexual development and behavior of male frogs. This pesticide is the most commonly used pesticide in the U.S., yet has been banned in Europe, where it is manufactured, because of its health effects. In addition to the keynote speakers, the confer- ence workshops focused on exposure to chemi- cals and health effects, waste incinerator issues, research of environmental toxins on the web, reproductive toxins, ethics and the suppres- sion of science, climate justice, green jobs, and recycling and zero waste. The conference was co-sponsored by the National Library of Medicine and Hartford Hospital. The Connecticut Coalition's mission is to protect urban environments by educating communities, working towards policy change and ensuring sustainable practices by citi- zens, private companies and the government. For more information on CCEJ: www.environmental-justice.org "This was our most successful conference yet," said Dr. Mark Mitchell, president of CCEJ. "Attendance was good, people were engaged, they learned a lot and are now even more motivated for action." page | 3 ------- flieiHironmentll - nth edition spring gjanewii Office Update How to Engage Communities in Construction Projects: Lessons Learned from Two CARE Communities in Connecticut A new document on how to get communities involved in construction projects was developed by groups and individuals involved in discus- sions about construction projects in Bridgeport and New Haven, Conn. The lessons described in "How to Ensure Effec- tive Community Engagement at Construction Projects: Lessons Learned from Two CARE Communities in Connecticut" are based on the experience of community members, facility staff, and city, state and EPA representatives who were involved in construction activities. This document is meant to guide others trying to get community members engaged in fast-moving projects, especially in neighborhoods where there are economically or otherwise disadvan- taged populations who historically believe their needs have been ignored. These lessons should be considered early on in any construction proj- ect so the public can be meaningfully involved, to ease the burden on affected communities and to minimize construction-related conflicts. To receive a copy of this document, please email Amy Braz at braz.amy@epa.gov. A Partnership for Sustainable Three federal departments are working together to create more livable communities in a fair manner. The partnership, formed in June by the U.S. Envi- ronmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Depart- ment of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the US Department of Transportation (DOT), aims to increase sustainable growth, affordable housing and transportation, and to protect human health and the environment. Its principles are to: •Provide more transportation choices. Develop safe, reliable and economical transportation options to lower household transportation costs, reduce our nation's dependence on foreign oil, improve air quality, reduce green- house gas emissions and promote public health. •Promote equitable, affordable housing. Expand location- and energy-efficient hous- ing choices for people of all ages, incomes, races, and ethnicities to increase mobility and lower the combined cost of housing and transportation. •Enhance economic competitiveness. Help make communities more competitive economically by giving workers better access to jobs, education, services and other basic needs, as well as by giving businesses better access to markets. •Support existing communities. Target federal funding for existing communities—through strategies like transit-oriented, mixed-use development and land recycling — to revital- ize communities, make public works invest- Communities ments more efficient and safeguard rural landscapes. •Coordinate and leverage federal policies and investment. Remove barriers to collabora- tion, leverage funding, and increase the accountability and effectiveness of all levels of government to plan for future growth, including making smart energy choices such as locally generated renewable energy •Value communities and neighborhoods. Enhance the unique characteristics of all communities by investing in walkable neigh- borhoods. I "It's important that separate agencies i working to improve iivabiiity in our I neighborhoods are all pointed in the I same direction," said EPA Administrator I Lisa Jackson. "We are leading the way I towards communities that are cleaner, I healthier, more affordable, and a great I destinations for businesses and jobs. " To promote this partnership, Administrator Jack- son, Ray LaHood, U. S. Secretary of Transporta- tion and Shaun Donovan, U. S. Secretary of Hous- ing and Urban Development, have embarked on a multi-city tour. The tour stops include Chicago, Dubuque, Iowa, and Denver, Colo. In Chicago, the group toured the Bethel Center in West Garfield Park, a community being redevel- oped using smart growth principles. In Dubuque, the tour went through the Millwork District, which demonstrates the planning involved in a sustain- able neighborhood that has mixed income hous- ing, more transportation, and reduced green- house gas emission. On the tour, Administrator Jackson announced EPA's plans to develop an Urban Waters Initia- tive to revitalize urban waterways. The initiative will work closely with DOT and HUD. In New England, the Mystic River Watershed will be showcased in a webcast focused on the history of the watershed, groups involved, successes and challenges, and priorities. The webcast is meant to let other groups use the Mystic experi- ences when they are working in their own water- shed. This webcast is the first in a series that EPA is sponsoring focused on urban waters. The three federal agencies hope to collaborate more closely in the future, starting with the Fairmount Line of the MBTA in Boston. This commuter rail line runs through low-income neighborhoods in Dorchester, Mattapan and Hyde Park. The MBTA plans to add four new stops on the line in communities with environ- mental justice issues. Along with transit stops, the community is being revitalized with brown- fields development for affordable housing and mixed use commercial redevelopments. For more information on the EPA at http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/partnership/ index.html page | 4 ------- 0" environmental • 1Hh edition spring imiaMWS Clje i§>tanbartr Ctm e£ EPA's Commitments to the Keith Neighborhood By Ira Leighton Published in the New Bedford Standard Times on Oct 22, 2009 Ira Leighton is Deputy Regional Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's New England regional office. Recently about 60 citizens and community activ- ists spent several hours after work meeting with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Massachusetts Department of Environmen- tal Protection. The meeting was hosted by EPA at the Keith Middle School so that New Bedford residents could voice their concerns about the former Parker Street waste site. Our biggest goal for the meeting was to get people's input, develop ideas and specify concrete steps that we can take together to make progress with the site, while attempting to address concerns of those people most imme- diately effected. One of the principles I hope we can all agree on is to focus on making the future better, and not rehashing past grievances. None of us can change the past. But we can commit to working together and moving forward. First, it is important to state that EPA believes that New Bedford's city government is working hard to fulfill its responsibilities to address contami- nation in the neighborhood. Mayor Scott Lang didn't choose to locate the Keith Middle School at that site, but his administration has worked in good faith with EPA and MassDEP to identify and address contamination in the neighborhood. There have been significant concerns raised by members of the community and representa- tives from the NAACP and CLEAN regarding the Parker Street waste site. Many of the concerns are understandable, and EPA plans to augment work at the site to ensure that cleanup issues and health concerns are appropriately addressed. I can assure each New Bedford citizen that EPA's technical decisions are based on expert knowl- edge, sound science and the rule of law. Work- ing within the confines of the regulations we are required to abide by, protecting the health of citi- zens is our top priority. Here is what EPA committed to do as we move forward: Additional site characterization We believe that the city has operated in good faith to characterize and conduct assessments at the Parker Street site, and now is the appropriate time to evaluate the collected data. Working with both the city and with MassDEP EPA is committing resources to carefully review exist- ing site characterization data, identify any data gaps, establish comprehensive plans to spell out what additional assessment work may be needed and ways to implement this work, if needed. Better communication and public involvement EPA will provide an independent third-party facilitator to help develop a new framework for communications and community involvement after getting input from all interested parties: EPA, the state, the city and the community. We hope improved communication and continued transparency regarding decisions at the site helps everybody work together productively in a spirit of mutual respect. Independent technical support to the community EPA will make available a "Technical Assistance Services for Communities" (TASC) contract.TASC can help communities better understand hazard- ous waste issues to more effectively participate in the cleanup process. Assessment of wetlands While EPA has already been integrally involved in wetlands issues at the Parker Street site, we will refocus additional technical and legal experts to assess the source of the PCBs and identify whether additional actions are needed to remedi- ate the wetlands, if necessary. Environmental justice EPA has committed to provide additional oppor- tunities to engage the community regarding environmental justice issues. We intend to host a meeting in early November to identify actions that will improve opportunities for meaningful input and community involvement.1 Demolition of residential properties At the meeting a group of citizens petitioned EPA and MassDEP to reject the city's demolition plan and to halt the work from going forward until several conditions are met.2 EPA and MassDEP are carefully considering this petition before making any decision about the city's plan. It is worth noting that the demolition decision is entirely local. EPA's role is to determine whether appropriate safeguards are in place before, during and after the demolition to protect public health if the city proceeds with demolition of the three buildings on property where elevated levels of PCBs have been detected. Overall, the meeting was a very good step toward what we hope will be a productive, collaborative effort to address cleanup issues in the Parker Street neighborhood. I also offer my thanks to the community leaders who helped ensure that the meeting stayed on track and offered everybody in attendance the opportunity to speak. We may not agree on every issue, but as we continue this work over the coming weeks and months, we hope that everybody involved does their best to sustain our growing partnership, with an understanding that the interests of the community will be best served by all of us work- ing together. 1Meetings on environmental justice are ongoing. This article was originally published in October 22nd in the New Bedford Standard-Times 2This sentence refers to the Keith Middle School Meeting on October 22, 2009. page | 5 ------- flieiHironmentll - nth edition spring HJ gj news EJ Highlights UPCOMING EVENTS Strengthening Environmental Justice Research and Decision Making: A Symposium on the Science of Dispro- portionate Environmental Health I Impacts I March 17-19, 2010 I Walter E. Washington Convention Center I Washington, D.C. The 4th Annual State of Environmental Justice In America 2010 Conference j May 12-14, 2010 EPA New Eiglaid tj ciniacts Sharon Wells Acting Director, Office of Civil Rights & Urban Affairs 617-918-1007 wells.sharon@epa.gov Amy Braz Environmental Justice Coordinator 617-918-1346 braz.amy@epa.gov Michael Castagna Environmental Justice Specialist 617-918-1033 castagna.michaei@epa.gov well resiurces EPA New England Environmental Justice Program website www.epa.gov/region1/ej National Office of Environmental Justice www.epa.gov/compliance/ environmentaljustice/index.html National Environmental Justice Advisory Council www.epa.gov/compliance/ environmentaljustice/nejac/index.html National Office of Civil Rights www.epa.gov/civilrights/aboutocr.htm state contacts Connecticut - Edith Pestana Environmental Justice Administrator Environmental Equity Program CT Department of Environmental Protection 860-424-3044 Maine - Malcolm Burson Office of the Commissioner Maine Department of Environmental Protection 207-287-7755 Massachusetts David Cash Assistant Secretary for Policy MA Executive Office of Environmental Affairs 617-626-1164 New Hampshire - Michael Walls Assistant Commissioner NH Department of Environmental Services 603-271-8806 Rhode Island DEM - Terry Gray Assistant Director/Air, Waste & Compliance Rl Department of Environmental Management 401-222-4700 ext. 2422 Vermont - Catherine Gjessing General Counsel Department of Environmental Conservation Vermont Agency of Natural Resources 802-241-3753 Phil Weinberg MA Department of Environmental Protection 617-292-5972 ------- |