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Community Action for a Renewed Environment
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Quarterly Highlights — November 2006
USEPA Administrator Johnson Announces New CARE Grantees
U.S. EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson participated in the 2nd Annual
CARE Training Workshop held in Seattle, Washington, November 14-17,
2006. Administrator Johnson announced the 2006 Level I and Level II
CARE grant recipients and congratulated 2005 grantees for their success.
"Through CARE ," he said, "we are putting communities in the driver's
seat to deliver their residents real environmental results."
The workshop provided technical support, scientific expertise, and net-
working opportunities to the 29 CARE communities. Many of the CARE
communities helped with planning the workshop and made presentations.
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Seattle, WA
Tacoma-Pierce County, WA
West Oakland, CA
CARE Communities
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Gardner, NH
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Country, MT
Marquette, Ml SW Detroit,
Cerro Gordo County, IA
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Muskegon, Ml Port of
Philadelphia
lew Haven,
CT
Philadelphia, PA Camden, NJ
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Denver, Co
Pueblo, CO
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Gallup, NM Cherokee Nation, OK
St. Louis, MO
City of Rock Hill, SC
Tucson, A2
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Page 2
U.S. EPA CARE Program: Quarterly Highlights - November 2006
CARE Communities in Action:
There are four steps in the CARE process: joining to-
gether, identifying problems & solutions, implementing
solutions & reducing risks, and becoming self-
sustaining.
JOINING TOGETHER
The Mid-Atlantic Clean Ports Workshop (Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania) was a success and the Clean Air Coun-
cil fostered relationships with both national and local maritime industry leaders, such as the Delaware River Steve-
| dores and South Jersey Port corporation and Port of Wilmington as well as the Philadelphia Regional Port authority.
Camden Iron and metal, Donaldson and Caterpillar are stakeholders that helped sponsor the Clean Ports Workshop.
| The Council is developing a "Green Ports" website, including resources that should help other port projects. The
project's three subcommittees are focusing on their goals of completing a water quality report, expanding diesel port
cargo, handling equipment retrofits and working with United Communities of southeast Philadelphia as the organiza-
tion links youth groups and land use.
The Rochester City School District in Rochester. New
York, partnered with the District's Director of Arts
Education to conduct an art design contest for District
elementary school students to increase awareness of
| the importance of retrofitting vehicles with a diesel
particulate filter in order to reduce toxic air emissions.
The students were encouraged to create pictures of
their personal experience with pollution in their
neighborhood. Over 50 drawings were submitted.
| The next phase of this educational outreach effort is
creating large scale depictions of selected student art.
to be placed on the seven retrofitted refrigerated
school buses that service the Rochester City School
District.
School Children Bring Air-Quality Issues to Life in Art in Rochester, NY
IDENTIFYING PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS
Using the NACCHO PACE tool to gain community consensus on environmental risks, the Oneida County Health De-
partment (NY) is proceeding on subcommittee work with its 111 organizations in the CARE partnership. In addition,
| the Department mailed letters to the county's mayors and town supervisors and published an article in the Observer
Dispatch to generate interest in Brownfields.
Similarly, in order to build interest for a major CARE meeting, the DeKalb County (GA) Community Action for a Re-
newed Environment held smaller community involvement presentations at the DeKalb branch of the National Asso-
ciation for the Advancement of Colored People. Dekalb CARE also visited with businesses, put out a press release
on Sagal Radio, and hung banners along the streets to generate interest. This groundwork paid off in a major turn-
out of over 70 community members, 2 state legislators, 2 county commissioners, the city mayor and council mem-
bers attending the Clarkston community town hall meeting at Georgia Perimeter College. Participants provided their
input on evaluating community environmental risks. Over 70% in attendance indicated that the forum was helpful for
raising awareness about community environmental issues. Issues of greatest concern were recycling and water
quality, and water conservation.
The Northwest New Mexico Council of Governments faces several challenges in dealing with a population of
225,000 dispersed over 15,000 miles. Several of these challenges were raised in three county forums held by the
Council. The environmental concerns ranged from air quality related to the San Juan County power plants to water
quality and health risks from resumption of uranium mining in McKinley and Cibola Counties. Common themes were
the tension between activities related to the energy economy and the associated environmental impacts and envi-
ronmental injustice. This CARE project is continuing to work towards developing and maintaining the widely dis-
persed counties' partners and to delve more deeply into the area's environmental concerns.
"CARE has the potential to take us to the next level of environmental protection... with community
partnerships being the source of the kind of synergy we need to move forward."
Jim Gulliford, Assistant Administrator, EPA's Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances
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U.S EPA CARE Program: Quarterly Highlights - November 2006 Page 3
Implementing Solutions & Reducing Risks
Partners of Pacoima Beautiful (CA) identified residential
areas in the community where trucks stop and idle while
waiting to be loaded. These areas will be targeted for an
anti-idling campaign. Residents will be provided with in-
formation on how to either repair or retire their older cars
that are not passing smog checks in order to reduce air
pollution. In a previously identified area with concen-
trated auto disassembling facilities, the wastewater will be
tested and evaluated to determine if exposure is a risk to
children playing in the water.
In order to address the concerns of a community in Fair
Haven burdened by a large number of junk yards, scrap metal and auto recycling facilities, Green New Haven (C~P
developed an Environmental Best Practices Checklist for Auto Recyclers, with the CT Dept of Environmental Pro-
tection guide and assistance. The new environmental engineer, funded by CARE, provided on-site assistance to
these facilities. A facility whose past operations created fires that impacted neighborhood businesses and residents
is now putting in fire breaks and is handling hazardous materials properly.
The lead remediation program headed by The NeiqhborWorks Rochester (Rochester. New York) created a total of
31 Action Plans to address lead hazards. Of the 31 Action Plans, 13 were for owner-occupied units and18 were for
rental units. Toxics reduction action can include referring participants to lead safe work practice workshops, to
available rehab programs and health services, including lead testing for children. Participants are also given infor-
mation on the common household sources of lead poisoning and advised to undertake the appropriate cleaning
methods to help reduce the presence of lead dust. They are also working with the Rochester Green Business Net-
work to conduct outreach and education to local srnaii businesses on how they can save money by using pollution
prevention methods to reduce air pollution.
The international District Housing Alliance (Seattle, WA) is expanding its reach, by coordinating individual building
meetings with residents who were unable to attend community meetings, reaching over 200 additional individuals.
The highest priority concerns of the residents were indoor and outdoor air quality, which led to indoor air workshops
and in-home assessments for 95 residents. A workshop for home care and outreach nurses was also held. During
the International District's Summer Festival, an EcoVillage attracted over 400 visitors who participated in environ-
mental educational activities.
The Clean Air Partnership (St. Louis. MO) hosted its first Air Quality Stakeholders meeting in May and began to
network and provide information on EPA's Performance Track Program to several facilities such as the Metropolitan
Sewer District on potential voluntary pollution prevention actions for 6 pollutants of concern. A preliminary inventory
of area sources is being undertaken with the assistance of the City Department of Air Pollution. Another focus is to
continue its successful collaboration with the St. Louis Community Air Project on reducing idling. After a meeting
with the St. Louis Public School Director of Public Transport, several projects were initiated such as establishing a
"no-idling zone" and a parental outreach at "Back to School" fairs held at several schools.
Becoming Self-Sustaining
Muskegon County (Ml) Environmental Coordinating Council is joining forces with ongoing coalitions and organiza-
tions that are fixtures in the County and combining information to get better results with the CARE funds. This en-
hanced network has successfully launched the following campaigns: (a) assisted in locating residents most in need
of services with the Lead Safe Coalition, (b) supported funding from the Ml Department of Environmental Quality
for a West Michigan Shoreline K-12 Chemical Management Project for the Annis Water Resources Institute's
school program, (c) worked to reduce the sale and use of fertilizers containing phosphorus to protect the Mona
Lake Watershed, and (d) initiated conversations with the Muskegon County Chamber of Commerce on the State
Clean Corporate Citizen Program to help local businesses become more environmentally friendly.
Groundwork Denver (Healthy Air for NE Denver) and Consensus Building Institute helped facilitate the Healthy Air
for Northeast Denver (CO): Helping Achieve a New Direction in Environmental Management (HAND in Hand) - an
introduction of a new operating protocol that encourages representation from community, business, nonprofits and
agencies. Review of the formal organizing documents is underway through pro bono assistance from Brownstein,
Hyatt and Farber law firm. Over 306 homes have been provided in-home toxic reduction information, such as
Smoke Outside pledges, by neighborhood promotoras.
Our Mission to create a
O clean
healthy
& safe
environment
in order to improve the
quality oFlife for the residents
°F f .JD c O I 111) si
Pacoima Beautiful's Logo, linking residents 8. their environment
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U.S. EPA CARE Program: Quarterly Highlights - November 2006
Building Partnerships in the Public Health Arena
The American Public Health Association (APHA) held its 134th An-
nual Meeting in Boston, November 4-8, 2006, where over 13,000 pub-
lic health professionals from around the world gathered to discuss
pressing issues in public health and human rights. CARE was very
visible at this meeting. Program members hosted an exhibit booth and
participated on an Environmental Health and Community Based Par-
ticipatory Research panel. The panel included an overview of the
CARE program and presentations by two CARE communities.
In addition, CARE and CDC's National Center for Environmental
Health (NCEH) met October 31, 2006 in Atlanta to form a collabora-
tion to improve support for communities. This collaboration will enable
CARE and NCEH to leverage resources and expand their support for
community-based environmental health initiatives. Representatives
from two CARE communities, Dr. Mildred McClain from Harambee
House in Savannah, GA, and Rob Blake from the Dekalb County (GA)
Health Department, participated in the meeting to help ensure that the
collaboration meets community needs. Ideas, such as the establish-
ment of a national environmental health academy for community lead-
ers, are being contemplated for this new partnership. All participants
at the meeting in Atlanta agreed that the collaboration has the poten-
tial to significantly improve support for communities.
Highlights from the CARE Conference
At the 2nd Annual Training Workshop for CARE Program over 142 par-
ticipants from 29 CARE communities, academia, industry, state/local/
tribal government and EPA worked together to build understanding over
concerns communities are facing today. Compared to the 2005 CARE
First Annual Training, this year's workshop grew - by participants (from
70 - 142), by training sessions (from 7 to 12) and by substance (from
general sessions to specific solutions). The training's collaborative plan-
ning process engaged a diverse EPA technical team and various com-
munity partners throughout each step.
Participants especially enjoyed a tailored walking tour and community
dinner in Seattle's International District, hosted by CARE's Level I Inter-
national District Housing Alliance.
Upcoming Events:
Early 2007 - 2007 CARE Request for Proposals Announcement
Jan/Feb 2007 - Three Web-casts for prospective CARE grantees
December 15, 2006 - Abstracts due for speakers at June 19-22
EPA Community Involvement Conference (Jacksonville, FL)
Words Delivered at CARE 2nd
Annual Conference
I see how my community struggles to over-
come bad situations...
I see our youth making our community a
healthier place to live...
I see a work-in-progress becoming a beauti-
ful thing...
I see future generations starting to make a
positive change in the world...
I can make my community a better place to
live...
I can organize people in my community...
I can change my community and world with
the knowledge that I know...
I will help others learn about their commu-
nity. ..
I will stand tall...
I will spread the power of words into my
community...
I hope our community becomes beautiful...
I hope that not just this community, but the
whole world will become a safe and healthy
place to live in...
I am the future of my community...
I am the dreams of many others...
I am willing to give my all and make a
change...
I am the future of my community...
I am a leader...
I am a tool needed to fix my community...
I am well aware that unity among our com-
munity can make a difference...
I am and an up and coming power in my
community...
I am proud of my community...
I am what I am, no one will dictate my des-
tiny. ..
I dream of a better tomorrow...
I dream of a community where we become
the leaders we wish to see...
Pacoima Beautiful Environmental Justice Institute
San Fernando High School Students - Fall 2006
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