Under the Sea: From Cape May-Lewes Ferry to Artificial Reef

Cape May-Lewes ferry, MV Twin Capes  (photo credit: DNREC

by Sherilyn Lau

 Have you ever wondered what’s on the ocean floor?  Or maybe you’ve thought about what type of home supports marine life such as sea whips and mussels?

On the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, 26 miles due east of the Indian River Inlet in Delaware, lies a collection of retired vessels given new purpose as part of the Del-Jersey-Land Inshore Artificial Reef.

I’ve experienced the cleanup process of several retired military vessels as they were readied to become these new deep-water homes.  These vessels hold historical and cultural significance as former World War II destroyers or vessels that have served in rescue missions.  Upon their conversion to reefs, these vessels develop ecological significance as hard substrate for underwater organisms and serve as habitat or refuge for fish and other marine life.

EPA scientific diver collecting samples to determine the ecological succession of marine organisms on the artificial reef

The Del-Jersey-Land reef is home to the destroyer USS Arthur W. Radford, the former freighter turned menhaden fishing vessel, MV Shearwater, and the Zuni/Tamaroa, a Coast Guard cutter most famous for a rescue depicted in the book and movie The Perfect Storm.  Click here for a video of her scuttling.

I recently had the opportunity to walk through the retired Cape May-Lewes ferry, MV Twin Capes, to ensure it was properly prepared to become the latest addition to the reef.

The MV Twin Capes was part of the original 1970s Cape May-Lewes Ferry fleet.  Due to low ridership, the Delaware River and Bay Authority decided to put her up for sale in 2013.  The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) acquired the vessel in 2017 and is responsible for the cleaning and proper waste management of materials removed from the ship.

DNREC demonstrated that no PCBs were detected in the samples taken from the vessel to ensure compliance with the Toxic Substances Control Act.  In addition, large electronics, bulk debris and recyclables were removed.  Photo documentation, manifests of waste disposal, U.S. Coast Guard and marine chemist reports, as well as a signed affidavit by DNREC was provided to EPA’s Mid-Atlantic Region to satisfy EPA’s and the Maritime Administration’s national guidance. 

The MV Twin Capes was sunk on June 14 and this hard reef structure is expected to support the aquatic food chain and larger marine species.  Our Scientific Dive Unit is capturing the functional progress of these artificial reefs in partnership with DNREC.  MV Twin Capes and the other artificial reefs will continue to support the regional economy by attracting recreational diving and sports fishing from Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland.

Although they may not be active in their traditional sense, there is an underworld of activity that still surrounds and occupies these proud vessels.

 

About the Author:  Sherilyn Lau is an Environmental Scientist in EPA Region 3’s Environmental Assessment and Innovation Division, Office of Monitoring and Assessment, Coastal Science Team

 

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Cape May-Lewes ferry, MV Twin Capes  (photo credit: DNREC

by Sherilyn Lau

 Have you ever wondered what’s on the ocean floor?  Or maybe you’ve thought about what type of home supports marine life such as sea whips and mussels?

On the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, 26 miles due east of the Indian River Inlet in Delaware, lies a collection of retired vessels given new purpose as part of the Del-Jersey-Land Inshore Artificial Reef.

I’ve experienced the cleanup process of several retired military vessels as they were readied to become these new deep-water homes.  These vessels hold historical and cultural significance as former World War II destroyers or vessels that have served in rescue missions.  Upon their conversion to reefs, these vessels develop ecological significance as hard substrate for underwater organisms and serve as habitat or refuge for fish and other marine life.

EPA scientific diver collecting samples to determine the ecological succession of marine organisms on the artificial reef

The Del-Jersey-Land reef is home to the destroyer USS Arthur W. Radford, the former freighter turned menhaden fishing vessel, MV Shearwater, and the Zuni/Tamaroa, a Coast Guard cutter most famous for a rescue depicted in the book and movie The Perfect Storm.  Click here for a video of her scuttling.

I recently had the opportunity to walk through the retired Cape May-Lewes ferry, MV Twin Capes, to ensure it was properly prepared to become the latest addition to the reef.

The MV Twin Capes was part of the original 1970s Cape May-Lewes Ferry fleet.  Due to low ridership, the Delaware River and Bay Authority decided to put her up for sale in 2013.  The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) acquired the vessel in 2017 and is responsible for the cleaning and proper waste management of materials removed from the ship.

DNREC demonstrated that no PCBs were detected in the samples taken from the vessel to ensure compliance with the Toxic Substances Control Act.  In addition, large electronics, bulk debris and recyclables were removed.  Photo documentation, manifests of waste disposal, U.S. Coast Guard and marine chemist reports, as well as a signed affidavit by DNREC was provided to EPA’s Mid-Atlantic Region to satisfy EPA’s and the Maritime Administration’s national guidance. 

The MV Twin Capes was sunk on June 14 and this hard reef structure is expected to support the aquatic food chain and larger marine species.  Our Scientific Dive Unit is capturing the functional progress of these artificial reefs in partnership with DNREC.  MV Twin Capes and the other artificial reefs will continue to support the regional economy by attracting recreational diving and sports fishing from Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland.

Although they may not be active in their traditional sense, there is an underworld of activity that still surrounds and occupies these proud vessels.

 

About the Author:  Sherilyn Lau is an Environmental Scientist in EPA Region 3’s Environmental Assessment and Innovation Division, Office of Monitoring and Assessment, Coastal Science Team

 

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Exploring the Watershed

 by Tom Damm

To fully appreciate why two EPA regions are working to improve the Delaware River Watershed, it helps to experience the area’s natural wonders.

I had the opportunity to do so recently on two kayaking day trips.

The first was an intimate tour of a county lake that connects with Assunpink Creek and eventually the Delaware River near Trenton, New Jersey.

The next day, I joined paddlers on the final day of the 2018 Delaware River Sojourn as we explored the Abbott Marshlands via two winding creeks.

At Mercer Lake, Mercer County Park Naturalist Christy Athmejvar led a group of us on a tour of the lake’s nooks and crannies, wisely advising us to keep our binoculars handy as she spied cool critters and plant life.

In one hidden cove, as we passed a beaver dam, we saw 14 painted turtles basking on a log and three bullfrogs staring ahead with their bulbous eyes and wide mouths just above the water.

Paddling near the shoreline, Christy would quickly interrupt herself to point out a red-winged blackbird or an American goldfinch soaring above or, to her delight, a double-crested cormorant tucked in the water with only its head and long, curved neck visible.

Toward the end of the tour, her visual sweeps of the treetops scored the highlights of the day – two bald eagles.  We kept our binoculars trained on the majestic birds as we bobbed in the kayaks, savoring our lucky finds.

A day later, it was time to join the sojourn that was completing its 24^th annual, eight-day trip down sections of the Delaware River.

Fortunate that a thunderstorm threat never materialized, our sojourners, ranging from youth groups to seasoned veterans of the journey, paddled the warm, gentle waters of Crosswicks and Watson creeks on an eight-mile round-trip to the Tulpehacking Nature Center in Hamilton, New Jersey.

We started and finished at Bordentown Beach at the confluence of the Delaware River and Crosswicks Creek.  Along the way, we struck up conversations and at times joined our kayaks and canoes, drifting with the tide as we heard presentations about the Abbott Marshlands.

The talks focused on successful efforts to preserve and expand the marshlands, their rich cultural and historic legacy, and the support they provide for more than 1,200 species of plants and wildlife.

Whether on water or land, head out to some of the natural attractions of the Delaware River Watershed to get a better sense for why its restoration is so important to EPA and its partners.

And for what you can do to help, check out this site.

 

About the Author: Tom Damm has been with EPA since 2002 and now serves as communications coordinator for the region’s Water Protection Division.

 

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 by Tom Damm

To fully appreciate why two EPA regions are working to improve the Delaware River Watershed, it helps to experience the area’s natural wonders.

I had the opportunity to do so recently on two kayaking day trips.

The first was an intimate tour of a county lake that connects with Assunpink Creek and eventually the Delaware River near Trenton, New Jersey.

The next day, I joined paddlers on the final day of the 2018 Delaware River Sojourn as we explored the Abbott Marshlands via two winding creeks.

At Mercer Lake, Mercer County Park Naturalist Christy Athmejvar led a group of us on a tour of the lake’s nooks and crannies, wisely advising us to keep our binoculars handy as she spied cool critters and plant life.

In one hidden cove, as we passed a beaver dam, we saw 14 painted turtles basking on a log and three bullfrogs staring ahead with their bulbous eyes and wide mouths just above the water.

Paddling near the shoreline, Christy would quickly interrupt herself to point out a red-winged blackbird or an American goldfinch soaring above or, to her delight, a double-crested cormorant tucked in the water with only its head and long, curved neck visible.

Toward the end of the tour, her visual sweeps of the treetops scored the highlights of the day – two bald eagles.  We kept our binoculars trained on the majestic birds as we bobbed in the kayaks, savoring our lucky finds.

A day later, it was time to join the sojourn that was completing its 24^th annual, eight-day trip down sections of the Delaware River.

Fortunate that a thunderstorm threat never materialized, our sojourners, ranging from youth groups to seasoned veterans of the journey, paddled the warm, gentle waters of Crosswicks and Watson creeks on an eight-mile round-trip to the Tulpehacking Nature Center in Hamilton, New Jersey.

We started and finished at Bordentown Beach at the confluence of the Delaware River and Crosswicks Creek.  Along the way, we struck up conversations and at times joined our kayaks and canoes, drifting with the tide as we heard presentations about the Abbott Marshlands.

The talks focused on successful efforts to preserve and expand the marshlands, their rich cultural and historic legacy, and the support they provide for more than 1,200 species of plants and wildlife.

Whether on water or land, head out to some of the natural attractions of the Delaware River Watershed to get a better sense for why its restoration is so important to EPA and its partners.

And for what you can do to help, check out this site.

 

About the Author: Tom Damm has been with EPA since 2002 and now serves as communications coordinator for the region’s Water Protection Division.

 

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Soaking in Another Victory

by Tom Damm

It’s a four-peat.

For the fourth consecutive year, the University of Maryland, College Park has won high honors in EPA’s Campus RainWorks Challenge, a national collegiate competition to design the best ideas for capturing stormwater on campus before it can harm waterways.

A UMD team took second place nationally in the Master Plan category for “The Champion Gateway” project.  The project blends green infrastructure features into a campus entryway and pedestrian corridor adjacent to a proposed light rail system.

Along with providing more aesthetic appeal, the 7.9-acre site design – with its 367 new trees, permeable pavement, bioswales, rain garden and soil improvements – generates some heady environmental benefits, like:

• A 40 percent increase in tree canopy and a reduction in stormwater runoff of 44 percent.
• An increase in permeable surface from 5 to 74 percent.
• The removal of 273 pounds of air pollutants and the sequestering of 20,000 pounds of carbon dioxide – each year.

Green infrastructure allows stormwater to soak in rather than run off hard surfaces with contaminants in tow, flooding local streets and polluting local waters.

Chalking up impressive design numbers and wowing the judges is nothing new for UMD teams in the Campus RainWorks Challenge.

The university won first place awards in 2015 and 2016 for designs to retrofit a five-acre parking lot and to capture and treat stormwater on a seven-acre site next to the campus chapel, and won a second place award last year for its “(Un)loading Nutrients” design to transform a campus loading dock and adjacent parking lot into a safer pedestrian walkway with 6,660 square feet of plantings and 18 percent less impervious surface.

Dr. Victoria Chanse, a faculty advisor to all four UMD winning teams, said the competition “serves as an ongoing catalyst to encourage universities to develop innovative, sustainable learning landscapes that draw upon collaborations among students and faculty from a diverse set of disciplines.”

Check out more information on how stormwater runoff impacts your community.

 

About the Author: Tom Damm has been with EPA since 2002 and now serves as communications coordinator for the region’s Water Protection Division

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by Tom Damm

It’s a four-peat.

For the fourth consecutive year, the University of Maryland, College Park has won high honors in EPA’s Campus RainWorks Challenge, a national collegiate competition to design the best ideas for capturing stormwater on campus before it can harm waterways.

A UMD team took second place nationally in the Master Plan category for “The Champion Gateway” project.  The project blends green infrastructure features into a campus entryway and pedestrian corridor adjacent to a proposed light rail system.

Along with providing more aesthetic appeal, the 7.9-acre site design – with its 367 new trees, permeable pavement, bioswales, rain garden and soil improvements – generates some heady environmental benefits, like:

• A 40 percent increase in tree canopy and a reduction in stormwater runoff of 44 percent.
• An increase in permeable surface from 5 to 74 percent.
• The removal of 273 pounds of air pollutants and the sequestering of 20,000 pounds of carbon dioxide – each year.

Green infrastructure allows stormwater to soak in rather than run off hard surfaces with contaminants in tow, flooding local streets and polluting local waters.

Chalking up impressive design numbers and wowing the judges is nothing new for UMD teams in the Campus RainWorks Challenge.

The university won first place awards in 2015 and 2016 for designs to retrofit a five-acre parking lot and to capture and treat stormwater on a seven-acre site next to the campus chapel, and won a second place award last year for its “(Un)loading Nutrients” design to transform a campus loading dock and adjacent parking lot into a safer pedestrian walkway with 6,660 square feet of plantings and 18 percent less impervious surface.

Dr. Victoria Chanse, a faculty advisor to all four UMD winning teams, said the competition “serves as an ongoing catalyst to encourage universities to develop innovative, sustainable learning landscapes that draw upon collaborations among students and faculty from a diverse set of disciplines.”

Check out more information on how stormwater runoff impacts your community.

 

About the Author: Tom Damm has been with EPA since 2002 and now serves as communications coordinator for the region’s Water Protection Division

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Hope in Kentucky Farm Country

Jeremy Hinton is an eighth-generation Kentucky farmer. He and his wife Joanna own Hinton’s Orchard and Farm Market in Hodgenville, Kentucky – the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln. “Our family came to LaRue County the same year that the Lincolns did, but we just stayed a lot longer,” he joked.

Today, Hinton and his wife grow a wide variety of fruits and vegetables which they sell at their two retail markets – one on the farm and one in nearby Elizabethtown. They are also actively involved in agritourism, hosting school tours and festivals as well as building their own corn maze. And, as if he doesn’t already have enough to do, Hinton sells crop insurance to farmers in the area. He knows firsthand how policies emanating from Washington impact farmers and other small businesses in Kentucky.

He believes that some of policies of the previous administration, if gone to fruition, “could have been very detrimental to our business and lots of others.” “There was a good bit of concern about the Waters of the U.S.,” he said. Other policies, like the previous administration’s changes to worker protection standards, “could have been very difficult to implement on a farm like ours.”

But the EPA’s regulatory reform efforts under Administrator Scott Pruitt have “increased optimism about the future,” stated Hinton. He also believes that there is a new, more friendly and cooperative attitude at EPA toward farmers – one that appreciates the environmental stewardship they practice day in and day out. As Administrator Pruitt likes to say, farmers are among our nation’s first environmentalists and conservationists.

“Our operation, like any farm, wants to do the best that we can to protect our natural resources,” Hinton said. “That’s our livelihood.” He and his wife raise their three children on the farm and hope that someday they will become the next generation of Kentucky farmers.

This week, EPA is recognizing and celebrating National Small Business Week. Small businesses, like the Hinton’s Orchard and Farm Market, are the heart of our nation’s economy. EPA is committed to advancing policies that protect the environment and provide small businesses with the regulatory clarity and certainty they need to thrive and support local communities around the nation.

from The EPA Blog https://ift.tt/2JVyAH5

Jeremy Hinton is an eighth-generation Kentucky farmer. He and his wife Joanna own Hinton’s Orchard and Farm Market in Hodgenville, Kentucky – the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln. “Our family came to LaRue County the same year that the Lincolns did, but we just stayed a lot longer,” he joked.

Today, Hinton and his wife grow a wide variety of fruits and vegetables which they sell at their two retail markets – one on the farm and one in nearby Elizabethtown. They are also actively involved in agritourism, hosting school tours and festivals as well as building their own corn maze. And, as if he doesn’t already have enough to do, Hinton sells crop insurance to farmers in the area. He knows firsthand how policies emanating from Washington impact farmers and other small businesses in Kentucky.

He believes that some of policies of the previous administration, if gone to fruition, “could have been very detrimental to our business and lots of others.” “There was a good bit of concern about the Waters of the U.S.,” he said. Other policies, like the previous administration’s changes to worker protection standards, “could have been very difficult to implement on a farm like ours.”

But the EPA’s regulatory reform efforts under Administrator Scott Pruitt have “increased optimism about the future,” stated Hinton. He also believes that there is a new, more friendly and cooperative attitude at EPA toward farmers – one that appreciates the environmental stewardship they practice day in and day out. As Administrator Pruitt likes to say, farmers are among our nation’s first environmentalists and conservationists.

“Our operation, like any farm, wants to do the best that we can to protect our natural resources,” Hinton said. “That’s our livelihood.” He and his wife raise their three children on the farm and hope that someday they will become the next generation of Kentucky farmers.

This week, EPA is recognizing and celebrating National Small Business Week. Small businesses, like the Hinton’s Orchard and Farm Market, are the heart of our nation’s economy. EPA is committed to advancing policies that protect the environment and provide small businesses with the regulatory clarity and certainty they need to thrive and support local communities around the nation.

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Mapping Tool Scores Sites for Watershed Protection

 

by Tom Damm

Ralph Spagnolo and Ellen Bryson know their way around the state capitals in EPA’s Mid-Atlantic Region.  The regional Water Protection Division employees have been on the road helping states launch an innovative online mapping tool that prioritizes sites for watershed preservation or restoration.

They will be in Dover, Delaware this week to debut the Watershed Resources Registry for state employees and others.  In past months, they’ve led registry launches in other states in the region, and when Virginia unveils its version of the tool, it will be a clean sweep in the Mid-Atlantic.

What’s all the fuss about?

 Volumes of data and information are entered by federal, state and local agencies and non-profit groups into a user-friendly Geographic Information System (GIS).  The GIS tool scores sites from one to five stars and lets decision-makers zero in on the best areas for protecting and restoring watershed lands and improving stormwater management.

The data fed into the system ranges from soil type, land cover and flood plains to impaired and high-quality streams, protected lands and wetlands inventories.  The tool allows users to identify locations, assess and compare potential projects and their environmental impacts, print site maps for field visits, and share information.  It also helps to streamline the permitting process and provide transparency in site selection.

The registry is especially useful for developers, natural resource and transportation planners and others who are required to avoid impacting natural areas or to provide mitigation for any unavoidable impacts.

In February, an updated registry was made available to the public.  Check it out and see how teams of partners are working to protect watershed lands.

 

About the Author: Tom Damm has been with EPA since 2002 and now serves as communications coordinator for the region’s Water Protection Division.

 

 

 

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by Tom Damm

Ralph Spagnolo and Ellen Bryson know their way around the state capitals in EPA’s Mid-Atlantic Region.  The regional Water Protection Division employees have been on the road helping states launch an innovative online mapping tool that prioritizes sites for watershed preservation or restoration.

They will be in Dover, Delaware this week to debut the Watershed Resources Registry for state employees and others.  In past months, they’ve led registry launches in other states in the region, and when Virginia unveils its version of the tool, it will be a clean sweep in the Mid-Atlantic.

What’s all the fuss about?

 Volumes of data and information are entered by federal, state and local agencies and non-profit groups into a user-friendly Geographic Information System (GIS).  The GIS tool scores sites from one to five stars and lets decision-makers zero in on the best areas for protecting and restoring watershed lands and improving stormwater management.

The data fed into the system ranges from soil type, land cover and flood plains to impaired and high-quality streams, protected lands and wetlands inventories.  The tool allows users to identify locations, assess and compare potential projects and their environmental impacts, print site maps for field visits, and share information.  It also helps to streamline the permitting process and provide transparency in site selection.

The registry is especially useful for developers, natural resource and transportation planners and others who are required to avoid impacting natural areas or to provide mitigation for any unavoidable impacts.

In February, an updated registry was made available to the public.  Check it out and see how teams of partners are working to protect watershed lands.

 

About the Author: Tom Damm has been with EPA since 2002 and now serves as communications coordinator for the region’s Water Protection Division.

 

 

 

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EJSCREEN: Coming to a Phone Near You

By Tai Long

EPA’s environmental justice screening and mapping tool, EJSCREEN, consistently ranks as one of the most used tools on the agency’s website.

This week, EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) is announcing an enhancement that will make EJSCREEN even more useful. Based on requests and user

When visiting EJSCREEN on a mobile device, you will be given the option to launch the mobile optimized version.

feedback, OEJ is rolling out a mobile device enhanced version of EJSCREEN. This new mobile version contains the same key functions and features as the full version of EJSCREEN, but in a more compact, easily accessible format. This includes the ability to select locations, access reports, and to map environmental, demographic and EJ indicators.

Maps can tell powerful stories and make complex information easy to understand. As computer mapping technologies advanced, EPA recognized an opportunity to develop a

The EJSCREEN site is now available in a more user-friendly platform for your mobile device!

screening and mapping tool that advanced our environmental justice goals. This is how EJSCREEN came to be: as a tool for EPA staff to look at environmental and demographic factors related to environmental justice as we develop programs and policies that impact low-income, minority, and other overburdened communities.

In 2017, OEJ conducted a survey on EJSCREEN, which found that more than 62% of respondents believe EJSCREEN could be improved by optimizing it for use on mobile devices. That same survey found that community users only made up 19% of EJSCREEN total users. This finding raised questions as to whether there was a correlation between the low numbers of community users and the lack of a mobile version.

EJSCREEN was originally built for use on standard desktop and laptop computers.

With the mobile version, you can still download reports and view the various demographic and environmental indicators.

However, this format is not always accessible to many stakeholders working in environmental justice communities. As a result, the EJSCREEN platform may not be useable to some of the same communities it was designed to help.

Research has found that low-income households have lower rates of in-home internet connectivity. These households are more likely to depend exclusively on smartphones or other handheld devices to access the internet. This “digital divide” presents an opportunity for the EPA to bridge the technological gap as it relates to the use of EJSCREEN.

As a result, EPA made building a mobile version of this important tool a priority. Because of the smaller screen size of mobile devices, the mobile optimized version of EJSCREEN does not have all the functionality of the full tool. However, it does contain the key features of EJSCREEN, and users that want the full features/content have the option to switch to the full desktop version even on mobile devices.

As EPA continues to develop EJSCREEN, we are committed to making the tool more useful and accessible for everyone, and this mobile version is a big step in that direction. OEJ hopes that you will test the mobile version of EJSCREEN to see how it can serve your needs.You can also subscribe to the Environmental Justice ListServ to receive updates on our upcoming EJSCREEN activities and events.

We look forward to hearing from you – and in the meantime, we hope you enjoy the new mobile version of EJSCREEN!

About the Author: Tai Lung is the EJSCREEN Team Lead in EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice.

from The EPA Blog https://ift.tt/2FgQt04

By Tai Long

EPA’s environmental justice screening and mapping tool, EJSCREEN, consistently ranks as one of the most used tools on the agency’s website.

This week, EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) is announcing an enhancement that will make EJSCREEN even more useful. Based on requests and user

When visiting EJSCREEN on a mobile device, you will be given the option to launch the mobile optimized version.

feedback, OEJ is rolling out a mobile device enhanced version of EJSCREEN. This new mobile version contains the same key functions and features as the full version of EJSCREEN, but in a more compact, easily accessible format. This includes the ability to select locations, access reports, and to map environmental, demographic and EJ indicators.

Maps can tell powerful stories and make complex information easy to understand. As computer mapping technologies advanced, EPA recognized an opportunity to develop a

The EJSCREEN site is now available in a more user-friendly platform for your mobile device!

screening and mapping tool that advanced our environmental justice goals. This is how EJSCREEN came to be: as a tool for EPA staff to look at environmental and demographic factors related to environmental justice as we develop programs and policies that impact low-income, minority, and other overburdened communities.

In 2017, OEJ conducted a survey on EJSCREEN, which found that more than 62% of respondents believe EJSCREEN could be improved by optimizing it for use on mobile devices. That same survey found that community users only made up 19% of EJSCREEN total users. This finding raised questions as to whether there was a correlation between the low numbers of community users and the lack of a mobile version.

EJSCREEN was originally built for use on standard desktop and laptop computers.

With the mobile version, you can still download reports and view the various demographic and environmental indicators.

However, this format is not always accessible to many stakeholders working in environmental justice communities. As a result, the EJSCREEN platform may not be useable to some of the same communities it was designed to help.

Research has found that low-income households have lower rates of in-home internet connectivity. These households are more likely to depend exclusively on smartphones or other handheld devices to access the internet. This “digital divide” presents an opportunity for the EPA to bridge the technological gap as it relates to the use of EJSCREEN.

As a result, EPA made building a mobile version of this important tool a priority. Because of the smaller screen size of mobile devices, the mobile optimized version of EJSCREEN does not have all the functionality of the full tool. However, it does contain the key features of EJSCREEN, and users that want the full features/content have the option to switch to the full desktop version even on mobile devices.

As EPA continues to develop EJSCREEN, we are committed to making the tool more useful and accessible for everyone, and this mobile version is a big step in that direction. OEJ hopes that you will test the mobile version of EJSCREEN to see how it can serve your needs.You can also subscribe to the Environmental Justice ListServ to receive updates on our upcoming EJSCREEN activities and events.

We look forward to hearing from you – and in the meantime, we hope you enjoy the new mobile version of EJSCREEN!

About the Author: Tai Lung is the EJSCREEN Team Lead in EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice.

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Achieving Tangible Results for Vulnerable Communities

Charles Lee, Senior Policy Advisor
Office of Environmental Justice, US EPA

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued its Environmental Justice FY2017 Progress Report today. It is noteworthy that 2017 marked the 25th anniversary of the founding of EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice. The accomplishments highlighted in the report affirm through action how, after a quarter century of progress, environmental justice (EJ) is deeply ingrained in EPA’s fabric.
An overarching focus of the report is demonstrating tangible results in minority, low-income, tribal and indigenous communities. Here are four results that illustrate progress from the past year:

1. As EPA’s environmental justice program matured over the past two decades, it grappled with the difficult task of demonstrating environmental outcomes in vulnerable communities. EPA developed measures for several significant national EJ challenges, one of which was fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5). In FY2017, EPA documented that the percentage of low-income people living in areas meeting the PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standards increased from 43% during the baseline period of 2006-2008 to 92% in (2014-2016).
2. EPA similarly provided national results for enforcement actions and the environment benefits of such actions in areas with potential EJ concerns. For example, 35% of the 217 million pounds of pollutants estimated to be reduced, treated or eliminated from enforcement actions in FY2017 were in such areas. EPA is able to provide these results because the Agency systematically reviews all enforcement actions for EJ considerations. The report also highlights the importance of the EJSCREEN mapping and screening tool, which provides the starting point for these assessments.
3. EPA and its federal, state, tribal and local government partners continue to collaborate to benefit communities. The Omaha Lead Superfund cleanup, affecting over 175,000 persons in a 27 square- mile area, reduced the percentage of children with elevated blood lead levels from 25% in 1999 to 0.3% in 2017. Other examples of beneficial collaborations are the improved air quality around ports, railyards and freight distribution centers from $23.8 million in Diesel Emissions Reduction Act funding and the number of community drinking water systems returned to compliance with lead and arsenic standards in the Pacific Southwest.
4. The report highlights the many ways EPA supports communities as they travel their own journeys to community health and revitalization. For example, with an EJ grant, “Project Oka” helped the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma maintain clean sources of water. An Urban Waters partnership assisted residents of the Martin Pena Channel, one of the poorest and most environmentally overburdened neighborhoods in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in creating an urban farm.

These results are but a few of the many accomplishments highlighted in this year’s progress report. Many of the examples required decades of effort, and are a testament to the long-standing commitment, innovation and hard work of the EPA staff who do this work on a day-to-day basis. They provide lessons for how we can all work together more effectively to address disproportionate environmental impacts, health disparities, and economic distress in our nation’s most vulnerable communities so they are cleaner, healthier and more prosperous places to live, work, play and learn.

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Charles Lee, Senior Policy Advisor
Office of Environmental Justice, US EPA

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued its Environmental Justice FY2017 Progress Report today. It is noteworthy that 2017 marked the 25th anniversary of the founding of EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice. The accomplishments highlighted in the report affirm through action how, after a quarter century of progress, environmental justice (EJ) is deeply ingrained in EPA’s fabric.
An overarching focus of the report is demonstrating tangible results in minority, low-income, tribal and indigenous communities. Here are four results that illustrate progress from the past year:

1. As EPA’s environmental justice program matured over the past two decades, it grappled with the difficult task of demonstrating environmental outcomes in vulnerable communities. EPA developed measures for several significant national EJ challenges, one of which was fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5). In FY2017, EPA documented that the percentage of low-income people living in areas meeting the PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standards increased from 43% during the baseline period of 2006-2008 to 92% in (2014-2016).
2. EPA similarly provided national results for enforcement actions and the environment benefits of such actions in areas with potential EJ concerns. For example, 35% of the 217 million pounds of pollutants estimated to be reduced, treated or eliminated from enforcement actions in FY2017 were in such areas. EPA is able to provide these results because the Agency systematically reviews all enforcement actions for EJ considerations. The report also highlights the importance of the EJSCREEN mapping and screening tool, which provides the starting point for these assessments.
3. EPA and its federal, state, tribal and local government partners continue to collaborate to benefit communities. The Omaha Lead Superfund cleanup, affecting over 175,000 persons in a 27 square- mile area, reduced the percentage of children with elevated blood lead levels from 25% in 1999 to 0.3% in 2017. Other examples of beneficial collaborations are the improved air quality around ports, railyards and freight distribution centers from $23.8 million in Diesel Emissions Reduction Act funding and the number of community drinking water systems returned to compliance with lead and arsenic standards in the Pacific Southwest.
4. The report highlights the many ways EPA supports communities as they travel their own journeys to community health and revitalization. For example, with an EJ grant, “Project Oka” helped the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma maintain clean sources of water. An Urban Waters partnership assisted residents of the Martin Pena Channel, one of the poorest and most environmentally overburdened neighborhoods in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in creating an urban farm.

These results are but a few of the many accomplishments highlighted in this year’s progress report. Many of the examples required decades of effort, and are a testament to the long-standing commitment, innovation and hard work of the EPA staff who do this work on a day-to-day basis. They provide lessons for how we can all work together more effectively to address disproportionate environmental impacts, health disparities, and economic distress in our nation’s most vulnerable communities so they are cleaner, healthier and more prosperous places to live, work, play and learn.

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Lessons in Managing Stormwater

by Tom Damm

Schools planning field trips to teach students about stormwater pollution may not have to travel far.  For many, the lesson is right outside their doors.

School buildings and grounds are potentially big conveyors of stormwater as rain washes over their roofs, parking lots and other hard surfaces, picking up pollutants before chugging into storm drains that empty into local waters.

A new, EPA Storm Smart Schools guide can help schools get higher marks in stormwater management.

The EPA Mid-Atlantic Region worked with the city and school district of Newport News, Virginia, to develop options for installing rain-absorbing features on school grounds that can prevent the flooding and water pollution linked to stormwater runoff.

The 36-page guide outlines the multiple benefits of school-based green infrastructure, from helping a community meet Clean Water Act restrictions on stormwater to providing hands-on instruction for students.

The “how to” guide captures the key steps followed by Newport News in selecting one of its schools – Sedgefield Elementary School – as a demonstration site for green infrastructure practices and engaging the community in the effort.  A community meeting at Sedgefield produced design concepts to address the most flood-prone areas of the school property.,

In June 2017, Newport News public schools received $60,000 in Green Streets, Green Jobs, Green Towns (G3) funding to support the Sedgefield design work.

The green practices, like rain gardens, permeable pavement and bioswales, mimic natural conditions and allow stormwater to soak in rather than run off.  On school grounds, they also serve as outdoor learning labs to teach children valuable lessons about environmental protection and conservation.

For homework, be sure your school district is aware of the Storm Smart Schools guide.

 

About the Author: Tom Damm has been with EPA since 2002 and now serves as communications coordinator for the region’s Water Protection Division.

from The EPA Blog https://ift.tt/2EqYbnV

by Tom Damm

Schools planning field trips to teach students about stormwater pollution may not have to travel far.  For many, the lesson is right outside their doors.

School buildings and grounds are potentially big conveyors of stormwater as rain washes over their roofs, parking lots and other hard surfaces, picking up pollutants before chugging into storm drains that empty into local waters.

A new, EPA Storm Smart Schools guide can help schools get higher marks in stormwater management.

The EPA Mid-Atlantic Region worked with the city and school district of Newport News, Virginia, to develop options for installing rain-absorbing features on school grounds that can prevent the flooding and water pollution linked to stormwater runoff.

The 36-page guide outlines the multiple benefits of school-based green infrastructure, from helping a community meet Clean Water Act restrictions on stormwater to providing hands-on instruction for students.

The “how to” guide captures the key steps followed by Newport News in selecting one of its schools – Sedgefield Elementary School – as a demonstration site for green infrastructure practices and engaging the community in the effort.  A community meeting at Sedgefield produced design concepts to address the most flood-prone areas of the school property.,

In June 2017, Newport News public schools received $60,000 in Green Streets, Green Jobs, Green Towns (G3) funding to support the Sedgefield design work.

The green practices, like rain gardens, permeable pavement and bioswales, mimic natural conditions and allow stormwater to soak in rather than run off.  On school grounds, they also serve as outdoor learning labs to teach children valuable lessons about environmental protection and conservation.

For homework, be sure your school district is aware of the Storm Smart Schools guide.

 

About the Author: Tom Damm has been with EPA since 2002 and now serves as communications coordinator for the region’s Water Protection Division.

from The EPA Blog https://ift.tt/2EqYbnV

Vibrant Ports, Healthy Ports

 by Cosmo Servidio

I recently had the pleasure of speaking at the Mid-Atlantic Vibrant Ports – Healthy Ports workshop in Philadelphia. For me, having once worked for the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, this event gave me an opportunity to see familiar faces but more importantly, to discuss a topic that is relevant and significant for the citizens of our region.

In EPA’s Mid-Atlantic Region, ports are continuing to gear up to accept Panamax-size ships, and these vessels can make quicker trips than ever before due to the widening and dredging of our seaports. For a “portee,” these types of innovations are exciting, but to individuals living in near-port communities, they may pose concern.  Nearly 30 million people in the U.S. live within approximately three miles of a sea or inland port.

I know firsthand that ports can easily be described as “little cities” with a multitude of activities taking place 24/7.  The chore of unloading and loading goods, moving literally tons of cargo around, and housing ships of all shapes and sizes does produce emissions.  In turn, this may impact public health and the environment.  That’s why EPA is working closely with our Mid-Atlantic ports counterparts to encourage efficiency and resiliency, wherever possible.

During the workshop, stakeholders from our port communities came together to discuss concerns and exchange information. A collaborative effort between EPA and the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, the workshop attracted approximately 60 attendees who spent the day engaged in panel discussions on community relations, tools for improving economic and environmental performance, and project funding sources, among others.

It’s especially fitting that this workshop was held during Children’s Health Month because nearly seven million children in the Mid-Atlantic Region count on us to ensure they have clean air to breathe.  

I was pleased to acknowledge attendees from regional port terminals, as well as other state and local partners and community members with whom I’ve had the opportunity to work in the past.

This workshop demonstrated that we are committed to continuing our work with Mid-Atlantic port partners to help make our ports safer and cleaner “neighborhoods,” while growing their economic vitality.

Learn more about the Agency’s Ports Initiative here.

 

About the Author: Cosmo Servidio is the Regional Administrator for EPA’s Mid-Atlantic Region.

 

from The EPA Blog http://ift.tt/2Bw02uY

 by Cosmo Servidio

I recently had the pleasure of speaking at the Mid-Atlantic Vibrant Ports – Healthy Ports workshop in Philadelphia. For me, having once worked for the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, this event gave me an opportunity to see familiar faces but more importantly, to discuss a topic that is relevant and significant for the citizens of our region.

In EPA’s Mid-Atlantic Region, ports are continuing to gear up to accept Panamax-size ships, and these vessels can make quicker trips than ever before due to the widening and dredging of our seaports. For a “portee,” these types of innovations are exciting, but to individuals living in near-port communities, they may pose concern.  Nearly 30 million people in the U.S. live within approximately three miles of a sea or inland port.

I know firsthand that ports can easily be described as “little cities” with a multitude of activities taking place 24/7.  The chore of unloading and loading goods, moving literally tons of cargo around, and housing ships of all shapes and sizes does produce emissions.  In turn, this may impact public health and the environment.  That’s why EPA is working closely with our Mid-Atlantic ports counterparts to encourage efficiency and resiliency, wherever possible.

During the workshop, stakeholders from our port communities came together to discuss concerns and exchange information. A collaborative effort between EPA and the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, the workshop attracted approximately 60 attendees who spent the day engaged in panel discussions on community relations, tools for improving economic and environmental performance, and project funding sources, among others.

It’s especially fitting that this workshop was held during Children’s Health Month because nearly seven million children in the Mid-Atlantic Region count on us to ensure they have clean air to breathe.  

I was pleased to acknowledge attendees from regional port terminals, as well as other state and local partners and community members with whom I’ve had the opportunity to work in the past.

This workshop demonstrated that we are committed to continuing our work with Mid-Atlantic port partners to help make our ports safer and cleaner “neighborhoods,” while growing their economic vitality.

Learn more about the Agency’s Ports Initiative here.

 

About the Author: Cosmo Servidio is the Regional Administrator for EPA’s Mid-Atlantic Region.

 

from The EPA Blog http://ift.tt/2Bw02uY

Small Funds Leading to Big Impacts

By Alyssa Edwards

Small funds don’t always mean small impacts. As the EPA’s Environmental Justice Small Grant program has shown us, oftentimes, very small funds, when put in the hands of community-based organizations (CBOs), can achieve big results. Since the program’s inception in 1994, more than 1,400 CBOs have done just that. And we are proud to announce the selection of 36 more organizations that will be joining that cohort as recipients of the 2017 Environmental Justice Small Grant funds.

One example of how small funds can make a difference is seen in the Choctow Nation of Oklahoma. In 2015, the tribe was awarded an EJ Small Grant in support of Project Oka (the Choctaw word for water). The goal was to protect and conserve local waters by helping residents reduce litter. The project has exceeded expectations. To date, the Choctow Nation has collected and recycled more than 12,000 pounds of electronics and more than 1,800 tires. In addition, more than 400 students have been involved in educational and recycling activities. The tribe also created a disaster recovery plan to address disaster preparedness and adaptation strategies as a part of the project.

We know this year’s EJ Small Grants projects will add to the impressive list of community-driven solutions funded by EPA. A significant number will work to ensure clean and safe water, a strategic priority for EPA, as well as address public health concerns from contaminated land. Others will address lead exposure to create safer environments for children, environmental stewardship and conservation in under-resourced rural communities, and job training programs through green infrastructure projects.

Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership in Warren, Ohio will be working to reduce residents’ exposure to potential soil contamination from former industrial activities. Fideicomiso de la Tierra del Caño Martín Peña will work with the community of Buena Vista, Puerto Rico to manage rainfall runoff and reduce the threat of flooding – support even more necessary and timely as the island enters its long recovery from Hurricane Maria.

To expand the geographical reach of the program, during this past funding cycle, we placed a special emphasis on supporting projects in states where we did not have a significant funding history. We are excited that with this latest selection of EJ Small Grants, we will support efforts ranging from Dellslow, West Virginia to Waimea, Hawaii and many communities in between.

For a third of the EJSG recipients, this will be their first time receiving a federal grant. We are honored to support these communities as we know that an EJ Small Grant can be that much needed spark that allows organizations to access additional funding from government and the private sector as they pursue broader community goals.

Read project descriptions on the recently funded awards, as well as to learn more about EJ Small Grant projects from previous years.

And be sure to subscribe to the EJ ListServ to receive up-to-date information about funding opportunities from across the federal government, including our soon-to-be-released grants competition for 2018, upcoming workshops, and related environmental justice topics.

About the Author: Alyssa Edwards is a Program Analyst in the Office of Environmental Justice.

from The EPA Blog http://ift.tt/2Agl63J

By Alyssa Edwards

Small funds don’t always mean small impacts. As the EPA’s Environmental Justice Small Grant program has shown us, oftentimes, very small funds, when put in the hands of community-based organizations (CBOs), can achieve big results. Since the program’s inception in 1994, more than 1,400 CBOs have done just that. And we are proud to announce the selection of 36 more organizations that will be joining that cohort as recipients of the 2017 Environmental Justice Small Grant funds.

One example of how small funds can make a difference is seen in the Choctow Nation of Oklahoma. In 2015, the tribe was awarded an EJ Small Grant in support of Project Oka (the Choctaw word for water). The goal was to protect and conserve local waters by helping residents reduce litter. The project has exceeded expectations. To date, the Choctow Nation has collected and recycled more than 12,000 pounds of electronics and more than 1,800 tires. In addition, more than 400 students have been involved in educational and recycling activities. The tribe also created a disaster recovery plan to address disaster preparedness and adaptation strategies as a part of the project.

We know this year’s EJ Small Grants projects will add to the impressive list of community-driven solutions funded by EPA. A significant number will work to ensure clean and safe water, a strategic priority for EPA, as well as address public health concerns from contaminated land. Others will address lead exposure to create safer environments for children, environmental stewardship and conservation in under-resourced rural communities, and job training programs through green infrastructure projects.

Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership in Warren, Ohio will be working to reduce residents’ exposure to potential soil contamination from former industrial activities. Fideicomiso de la Tierra del Caño Martín Peña will work with the community of Buena Vista, Puerto Rico to manage rainfall runoff and reduce the threat of flooding – support even more necessary and timely as the island enters its long recovery from Hurricane Maria.

To expand the geographical reach of the program, during this past funding cycle, we placed a special emphasis on supporting projects in states where we did not have a significant funding history. We are excited that with this latest selection of EJ Small Grants, we will support efforts ranging from Dellslow, West Virginia to Waimea, Hawaii and many communities in between.

For a third of the EJSG recipients, this will be their first time receiving a federal grant. We are honored to support these communities as we know that an EJ Small Grant can be that much needed spark that allows organizations to access additional funding from government and the private sector as they pursue broader community goals.

Read project descriptions on the recently funded awards, as well as to learn more about EJ Small Grant projects from previous years.

And be sure to subscribe to the EJ ListServ to receive up-to-date information about funding opportunities from across the federal government, including our soon-to-be-released grants competition for 2018, upcoming workshops, and related environmental justice topics.

About the Author: Alyssa Edwards is a Program Analyst in the Office of Environmental Justice.

from The EPA Blog http://ift.tt/2Agl63J

25 Years of Environmental Justice at the EPA

by Danny Gogal

For a quarter of a century, the EPA has worked to address the environmental and public health concerns of minority, low-income and indigenous communities.  I have been blessed to be a part of this effort since its first steps. The Agency’s decision to establish the Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ), initially called the Office of Environmental

EPA Administrator Bill Reilly speaking to students on MLK Jr Day about EJ

Equity, stemmed from the recommendations of the EPA Environmental Equity Work Group, which was formed by Administrator Bill Reilly in 1990 to “review the evidence that racial minority and low-income communities bear a disproportionate risk burden.”

As stated in the 1992 recommendations to Administrator Reilly, “any effort to address environmental equity [justice] issues effectively must include all segments of society: the affected communities, the public at large, industry, people in policy-making positions, and all levels and branches of government.”  This understanding continues to this day. As described in the Agency’s recently released draft FY 2018-2022 EPA Strategic Plan, the Agency is committed to “collaborate more efficiently and effectively with other federal agencies, states, sovereign tribal nations, local governments, communities, and other partners and stakeholders to address existing pollution and prevent future problems.”

Throughout these past twenty-five years, I have participated in almost every aspect of the Agency’s environmental justice program.  In the earliest days, we sought to create

OEJ staff in the early 1990s

an EPA definition of environmental justice; to establish the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (1993), a federal advisory committee comprised of various stakeholders to give us independent advice and recommendations for providing for environmental justice; to develop financial assistance programs for vulnerable communities, such as EJ Small Grants (1993); and to initiate federal interagency coordination and collaboration on environmental justice through the Federal Interagency Working Group on Environmental Justice, as called for under Executive Order 12898 (1994).

In subsequent years, we have developed environmental justice strategies and priorities that consistently built upon our EJ progress and achievements.  Most recently, we developed EJSCREEN, the Agency’s nationally consistent screening and mapping tool for determining areas of potential environmental justice concern.  We clarified the Agency’s principles for addressing environmental justice of tribes, indigenous peoples and others living Indian country through the EPA Policy on Environmental Justice for Working with Federally Recognized Tribes and Indigenous Peoples.  We also finalized two separate documents focused on the Action Development Process and Technical Guidance of considering environmental justice during the development of regulations.

In collaboration with our co-regulators (states and tribes), vulnerable communities, and other interested stakeholders, the Agency has made considerable progress developing the infrastructure, creating the tools and identifying the opportunities for the Agency to provide environmental and public health protection for all Americans.  At the dawning of

Charles Lee, then OEJ Director, at EJ Roundtable with the tribes in Alaska

the next 25 years of the EPA’s Environmental Justice Program, it is my hope that future generations will be able to look back at this point in time and be able to note the substantive and meaningful steps EPA took to improve the environment and public health of our country’s most vulnerable communities.  More importantly, I hope that they will also note how the efforts of so many inside and outside of EPA during these past 25 years resulted in meaningful progress and improvements in the lives, health, environments and economies of overburdened communities throughout the United States.

About the Author: Danny Gogal is the Tribal and Indigenous Peoples Program Manager for the Office of Environmental Justice, and leads the Agency’s work on international human rights.

from The EPA Blog http://ift.tt/2zlsYnj

by Danny Gogal

For a quarter of a century, the EPA has worked to address the environmental and public health concerns of minority, low-income and indigenous communities.  I have been blessed to be a part of this effort since its first steps. The Agency’s decision to establish the Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ), initially called the Office of Environmental

EPA Administrator Bill Reilly speaking to students on MLK Jr Day about EJ

Equity, stemmed from the recommendations of the EPA Environmental Equity Work Group, which was formed by Administrator Bill Reilly in 1990 to “review the evidence that racial minority and low-income communities bear a disproportionate risk burden.”

As stated in the 1992 recommendations to Administrator Reilly, “any effort to address environmental equity [justice] issues effectively must include all segments of society: the affected communities, the public at large, industry, people in policy-making positions, and all levels and branches of government.”  This understanding continues to this day. As described in the Agency’s recently released draft FY 2018-2022 EPA Strategic Plan, the Agency is committed to “collaborate more efficiently and effectively with other federal agencies, states, sovereign tribal nations, local governments, communities, and other partners and stakeholders to address existing pollution and prevent future problems.”

Throughout these past twenty-five years, I have participated in almost every aspect of the Agency’s environmental justice program.  In the earliest days, we sought to create

OEJ staff in the early 1990s

an EPA definition of environmental justice; to establish the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (1993), a federal advisory committee comprised of various stakeholders to give us independent advice and recommendations for providing for environmental justice; to develop financial assistance programs for vulnerable communities, such as EJ Small Grants (1993); and to initiate federal interagency coordination and collaboration on environmental justice through the Federal Interagency Working Group on Environmental Justice, as called for under Executive Order 12898 (1994).

In subsequent years, we have developed environmental justice strategies and priorities that consistently built upon our EJ progress and achievements.  Most recently, we developed EJSCREEN, the Agency’s nationally consistent screening and mapping tool for determining areas of potential environmental justice concern.  We clarified the Agency’s principles for addressing environmental justice of tribes, indigenous peoples and others living Indian country through the EPA Policy on Environmental Justice for Working with Federally Recognized Tribes and Indigenous Peoples.  We also finalized two separate documents focused on the Action Development Process and Technical Guidance of considering environmental justice during the development of regulations.

In collaboration with our co-regulators (states and tribes), vulnerable communities, and other interested stakeholders, the Agency has made considerable progress developing the infrastructure, creating the tools and identifying the opportunities for the Agency to provide environmental and public health protection for all Americans.  At the dawning of

Charles Lee, then OEJ Director, at EJ Roundtable with the tribes in Alaska

the next 25 years of the EPA’s Environmental Justice Program, it is my hope that future generations will be able to look back at this point in time and be able to note the substantive and meaningful steps EPA took to improve the environment and public health of our country’s most vulnerable communities.  More importantly, I hope that they will also note how the efforts of so many inside and outside of EPA during these past 25 years resulted in meaningful progress and improvements in the lives, health, environments and economies of overburdened communities throughout the United States.

About the Author: Danny Gogal is the Tribal and Indigenous Peoples Program Manager for the Office of Environmental Justice, and leads the Agency’s work on international human rights.

from The EPA Blog http://ift.tt/2zlsYnj

Joy in Mudville

by Tom Damm

Photo: Courtesy of Jim Bintliff

If you were lucky enough to catch one of the record number of home run balls hit in Major League ballparks this year, you may have noticed that the ball didn’t look brand new – that there was some sort of film over it.  Mud to be exact.

All baseballs used in the professional leagues are rubbed up before games with mud found only at a secret location along a tributary of the Delaware River.  It’s been that way for decades.

After a batter was killed with an errant pitch in 1920, the search was on for a substance to give a fresh baseball a better grip without altering its integrity.  Chewing tobacco juice and infield dirt mixed with water were among the remedies tried to no avail.  In 1938, Lena Blackburne, a coach for the old Philadelphia Athletics, found mud with just the right composition at a spot off the New Jersey side of the river.  And it’s been used ever since.

What makes this mud so special?

“It’s two very simple things,” says Jim Bintliff, who has continued the family mud supply operation his grandfather started with Blackburne.  “It’s the geology and the geography.  The mineral content of the area is unique and there has to be a certain flow to the waterway that allows for sediment and decomposition (of the organic matter) and all that good stuff.”

As to claims by some pitchers that this year’s World Series balls seem slicker than usual, Bintliff says, “They’re using the same mud they used during the (regular) season.” Bintliff supplied the Dodgers and Astros and the rest of the teams with their mud allotments in March.

Bintliff says that in addition to all the pro baseball teams, he provides mud to “probably half of the NFL teams,” as well as to a posh Philadelphia spa and an assortment of college and recreational leagues.  He also uses it as a home remedy for poison ivy and bee stings.

According to Bintliff, the skimmed mud is strained of foreign objects and then cured for about six weeks.  A proprietary ingredient is added to the mix to give it the right feel.  The texture of the finished product is like thick pudding.

The rubbing mud is an unusual, though representative example of the “ecosystem services” provided by the Delaware Basin.  The basin is a focus of cleanup and preservation efforts by two EPA regions, four states and a host of other partners.

So, while the Phillies team didn’t make the playoffs this year, the Philadelphia area was represented in the post-season by a touch of the Delaware on the cover of every baseball.  Little solace to fans, but a handy bit of trivia.

 

About the Author: Tom Damm has been with EPA since 2002 and now serves as communications coordinator for the region’s Water Protection Division.

from The EPA Blog http://ift.tt/2gQWHtL

by Tom Damm

Photo: Courtesy of Jim Bintliff

If you were lucky enough to catch one of the record number of home run balls hit in Major League ballparks this year, you may have noticed that the ball didn’t look brand new – that there was some sort of film over it.  Mud to be exact.

All baseballs used in the professional leagues are rubbed up before games with mud found only at a secret location along a tributary of the Delaware River.  It’s been that way for decades.

After a batter was killed with an errant pitch in 1920, the search was on for a substance to give a fresh baseball a better grip without altering its integrity.  Chewing tobacco juice and infield dirt mixed with water were among the remedies tried to no avail.  In 1938, Lena Blackburne, a coach for the old Philadelphia Athletics, found mud with just the right composition at a spot off the New Jersey side of the river.  And it’s been used ever since.

What makes this mud so special?

“It’s two very simple things,” says Jim Bintliff, who has continued the family mud supply operation his grandfather started with Blackburne.  “It’s the geology and the geography.  The mineral content of the area is unique and there has to be a certain flow to the waterway that allows for sediment and decomposition (of the organic matter) and all that good stuff.”

As to claims by some pitchers that this year’s World Series balls seem slicker than usual, Bintliff says, “They’re using the same mud they used during the (regular) season.” Bintliff supplied the Dodgers and Astros and the rest of the teams with their mud allotments in March.

Bintliff says that in addition to all the pro baseball teams, he provides mud to “probably half of the NFL teams,” as well as to a posh Philadelphia spa and an assortment of college and recreational leagues.  He also uses it as a home remedy for poison ivy and bee stings.

According to Bintliff, the skimmed mud is strained of foreign objects and then cured for about six weeks.  A proprietary ingredient is added to the mix to give it the right feel.  The texture of the finished product is like thick pudding.

The rubbing mud is an unusual, though representative example of the “ecosystem services” provided by the Delaware Basin.  The basin is a focus of cleanup and preservation efforts by two EPA regions, four states and a host of other partners.

So, while the Phillies team didn’t make the playoffs this year, the Philadelphia area was represented in the post-season by a touch of the Delaware on the cover of every baseball.  Little solace to fans, but a handy bit of trivia.

 

About the Author: Tom Damm has been with EPA since 2002 and now serves as communications coordinator for the region’s Water Protection Division.

from The EPA Blog http://ift.tt/2gQWHtL

Partners in Progress

by Tom Damm

In a room inside Talen Energy Stadium normally reserved for Philadelphia Union soccer player interviews, EPA and a group of partners had a game-changing announcement to make earlier this year.

It had nothing to do with soccer but a lot to do with goals – goals for the City of Chester, Pennsylvania to prevent flooding in its neighborhoods, revive its economy, and reduce stormwater pollution impacting its local creeks and the Delaware River.

EPA was joined by Chester, state, and private sector officials to announce a Community-Based Public-Private Partnership, or CBP3, to plan, finance, build and maintain up to $50 million in green stormwater infrastructure in Chester.

The Chester Stormwater Authority and its private partner, Corvias, have plans to transform the face of the city, turning hundreds of acres of hard surfaces into absorbent green spaces and working with small, minority-owned businesses to generate hundreds of local jobs in the process.

Green Infrastructure not only helps prevent stormwater runoff and localized flooding, it creates safe walkable communities that enhance the quality of life for the people who live there. The green features will mimic nature and allow stormwater to soak in rather than rush into streets and nearby waters carrying trash, bacteria, heavy metals and other pollutants.

As the speakers took turns at the podium, the launch of the partnership was met with great joy, appreciation and more than a few Amens from Chester residents.

Chester officials called it an opportunity to “turn the page” in their distressed city.  Corvias praised the city’s “courage” to try a new approach.  And the state infrastructure finance agency, PENNVEST, confirmed a $1 million grant to kick-start the effort.

EPA’s Mid-Atlantic Region provided technical and planning assistance to help design and develop the partnership, led by our Water Protection Division Deputy Director Dominique Lueckenhoff.   She was instrumental in developing the prototype for the concept – the successful CBP3 in Prince George’s County, Maryland – and has written a playbook for other local governments to follow.

Since the launch event, the Chester Stormwater Authority Partnership has developed a Long-Term Implementation Plan and conducted six community meetings to roll out the plan, with significant local attendance and input.  Five more meetings are scheduled in the coming months.  Feedback from the meetings is being used to determine the priority order of projects.

 

About the Author: Tom Damm has been with EPA since 2002 and now serves as communications coordinator for the region’s Water Protection Division.

from The EPA Blog http://ift.tt/2gmobXX

by Tom Damm

In a room inside Talen Energy Stadium normally reserved for Philadelphia Union soccer player interviews, EPA and a group of partners had a game-changing announcement to make earlier this year.

It had nothing to do with soccer but a lot to do with goals – goals for the City of Chester, Pennsylvania to prevent flooding in its neighborhoods, revive its economy, and reduce stormwater pollution impacting its local creeks and the Delaware River.

EPA was joined by Chester, state, and private sector officials to announce a Community-Based Public-Private Partnership, or CBP3, to plan, finance, build and maintain up to $50 million in green stormwater infrastructure in Chester.

The Chester Stormwater Authority and its private partner, Corvias, have plans to transform the face of the city, turning hundreds of acres of hard surfaces into absorbent green spaces and working with small, minority-owned businesses to generate hundreds of local jobs in the process.

Green Infrastructure not only helps prevent stormwater runoff and localized flooding, it creates safe walkable communities that enhance the quality of life for the people who live there. The green features will mimic nature and allow stormwater to soak in rather than rush into streets and nearby waters carrying trash, bacteria, heavy metals and other pollutants.

As the speakers took turns at the podium, the launch of the partnership was met with great joy, appreciation and more than a few Amens from Chester residents.

Chester officials called it an opportunity to “turn the page” in their distressed city.  Corvias praised the city’s “courage” to try a new approach.  And the state infrastructure finance agency, PENNVEST, confirmed a $1 million grant to kick-start the effort.

EPA’s Mid-Atlantic Region provided technical and planning assistance to help design and develop the partnership, led by our Water Protection Division Deputy Director Dominique Lueckenhoff.   She was instrumental in developing the prototype for the concept – the successful CBP3 in Prince George’s County, Maryland – and has written a playbook for other local governments to follow.

Since the launch event, the Chester Stormwater Authority Partnership has developed a Long-Term Implementation Plan and conducted six community meetings to roll out the plan, with significant local attendance and input.  Five more meetings are scheduled in the coming months.  Feedback from the meetings is being used to determine the priority order of projects.

 

About the Author: Tom Damm has been with EPA since 2002 and now serves as communications coordinator for the region’s Water Protection Division.

from The EPA Blog http://ift.tt/2gmobXX

If Your Private Well Has Been Flooded…

by Catherine Magliocchetti

EPA’s Mid-Atlantic Region is home to millions of residents who rely upon private wells for their drinking water supply.  As local conditions and weather may present the prospect of moderate and major flood conditions for many of our communities, owners of private wells are reminded to take the following actions:

If a well has been flooded (i.e., if flood waters have surrounded and/or submerged your well head):

1. Do not drink or wash with the water until the well has been serviced, disinfected and confirmed safe.
2. Avoid electrical shock – stay away from the well pump and turn off the well pump circuit breaker.
3. Contact your local health department or other local officials for recommendations on how to test and confirm that flood hazards have been resolved.  Local government offices can often assist homeowners in finding certified laboratory resources, especially for bacterial testing, which is anticipated following flood events.  Local officials may also be able to advise if other parameters should be investigated, following a flood event (e.g., agricultural areas may want to test for the presence of fertilizers or pesticides.
4. Seek a qualified well contractor or pump installer to assist with the following:

• Clean, dry and re-establish electrical service to the pump.
• Disinfect and flush the well to remove any contamination that entered during the flood.
• Perform any other necessary maintenance so that your well pump can return to service.  Note that excess sediment in water can cause pump damage and even failure, so use of professional contractors is recommended for assessment and correction of pump function.

As a private well owner, you likely also have an on-lot septic system, which may also have been impacted by flood waters.  Keep in mind that flood events will impact your septic drainfield, and could also potentially damage pumps or other parts of your septic system.

Faulty septic systems and drainfields can negatively impact your well water quality down the road, so have your septic system evaluated by a professional following a flood, to ensure normal operation has returned.

For more information, watch this video on well flooding from the National Ground Water Association (NGWA).

 

About the Author: Cathy Magliocchetti has been with EPA Region III for more than two decades.  She currently works on wellhead and source protection of drinking water.   She is a certified Penn State Master Well Owner and a member of her local environmental advisory council.

from The EPA Blog http://ift.tt/2wJkh1a

by Catherine Magliocchetti

EPA’s Mid-Atlantic Region is home to millions of residents who rely upon private wells for their drinking water supply.  As local conditions and weather may present the prospect of moderate and major flood conditions for many of our communities, owners of private wells are reminded to take the following actions:

If a well has been flooded (i.e., if flood waters have surrounded and/or submerged your well head):

1. Do not drink or wash with the water until the well has been serviced, disinfected and confirmed safe.
2. Avoid electrical shock – stay away from the well pump and turn off the well pump circuit breaker.
3. Contact your local health department or other local officials for recommendations on how to test and confirm that flood hazards have been resolved.  Local government offices can often assist homeowners in finding certified laboratory resources, especially for bacterial testing, which is anticipated following flood events.  Local officials may also be able to advise if other parameters should be investigated, following a flood event (e.g., agricultural areas may want to test for the presence of fertilizers or pesticides.
4. Seek a qualified well contractor or pump installer to assist with the following:

• Clean, dry and re-establish electrical service to the pump.
• Disinfect and flush the well to remove any contamination that entered during the flood.
• Perform any other necessary maintenance so that your well pump can return to service.  Note that excess sediment in water can cause pump damage and even failure, so use of professional contractors is recommended for assessment and correction of pump function.

As a private well owner, you likely also have an on-lot septic system, which may also have been impacted by flood waters.  Keep in mind that flood events will impact your septic drainfield, and could also potentially damage pumps or other parts of your septic system.

Faulty septic systems and drainfields can negatively impact your well water quality down the road, so have your septic system evaluated by a professional following a flood, to ensure normal operation has returned.

For more information, watch this video on well flooding from the National Ground Water Association (NGWA).

 

About the Author: Cathy Magliocchetti has been with EPA Region III for more than two decades.  She currently works on wellhead and source protection of drinking water.   She is a certified Penn State Master Well Owner and a member of her local environmental advisory council.

from The EPA Blog http://ift.tt/2wJkh1a

Invertebrate Investigators

by Jon Markovich

In the previous Healthy Waters blog, my colleague Micka Peck wrote about the stream sampling we did for benthic macroinvertebrates. Pulling on a pair of waders and kicking around in the stream sampling was only half the fun.  After the outdoor fieldwork, I changed wardrobe from field gear to lab coat. Ok, I didn’t really wear a lab coat, but I was in a lab processing the preserved macroinvertebrates for later identification.

It’s been established that macroinvertebrates are good indicators of water quality conditions. Identifying which macroinvertebrates are present in a stream sample provides a link to determining whether a stream has good water quality and supports a healthy aquatic community.

One sample collected from a stream can have hundreds, even thousands, of macroinvertebrates. Thankfully, my target was to process a small sub-sample – around 200 individuals. This involves spreading the entire sample onto a gridded pan, randomly selecting a grid and removing all materials within it, and “picking” through the leaves, dirt, gravel, and other debris to separate out macroinvertebrates. At times, it felt as though I was playing a game of “Where’s Waldo?” In this case, “Waldo” could have no tails, two tails, or three tails, gills or no gills, or a whole number of different features. Sorting through these samples is no joke – it takes serious skill to quickly pick out bugs from non-bug debris. But after they’ve been picked from the sub-samples, the macroinvertebrates are identified under a microscope.

Looking under the scope, I marveled at these creatures. The different features and shapes of each bug were jaw-dropping. One bug, a burrowing mayfly in the family Ephemeridae, has protruding tusks on the side of its mouth like an elephant. The tusks help this family of mayfly to burrow into soft sediment to feed. Another bug, a dragonfly in the family Aeshnidae, had a hinged-mouth that extended to be nearly half the length of its body! Dragonfly larvae are predatory and this super-extendable mouthpart allows them to quickly snap up prey. These kinds of distinguishing features and characteristics are what scientists look at under the microscope for macroinvertebrate identification.

Although they look way cooler under a microscope, you don’t need one to see macroinvertebrates. If you have the chance, go check out your local stream, flip over rocks and search the stream bottom. You too could become an invertebrate investigator!

 

About the Author: Jon Markovich joined EPA’s Water Protection Division in 2014 and works in the impaired waters and Total Maximum Daily Load programs. In his spare time, Jon enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping in the Mid-Atlantic Region’s many great state parks.

from The EPA Blog http://ift.tt/2y6qjuH

by Jon Markovich

In the previous Healthy Waters blog, my colleague Micka Peck wrote about the stream sampling we did for benthic macroinvertebrates. Pulling on a pair of waders and kicking around in the stream sampling was only half the fun.  After the outdoor fieldwork, I changed wardrobe from field gear to lab coat. Ok, I didn’t really wear a lab coat, but I was in a lab processing the preserved macroinvertebrates for later identification.

It’s been established that macroinvertebrates are good indicators of water quality conditions. Identifying which macroinvertebrates are present in a stream sample provides a link to determining whether a stream has good water quality and supports a healthy aquatic community.

One sample collected from a stream can have hundreds, even thousands, of macroinvertebrates. Thankfully, my target was to process a small sub-sample – around 200 individuals. This involves spreading the entire sample onto a gridded pan, randomly selecting a grid and removing all materials within it, and “picking” through the leaves, dirt, gravel, and other debris to separate out macroinvertebrates. At times, it felt as though I was playing a game of “Where’s Waldo?” In this case, “Waldo” could have no tails, two tails, or three tails, gills or no gills, or a whole number of different features. Sorting through these samples is no joke – it takes serious skill to quickly pick out bugs from non-bug debris. But after they’ve been picked from the sub-samples, the macroinvertebrates are identified under a microscope.

Looking under the scope, I marveled at these creatures. The different features and shapes of each bug were jaw-dropping. One bug, a burrowing mayfly in the family Ephemeridae, has protruding tusks on the side of its mouth like an elephant. The tusks help this family of mayfly to burrow into soft sediment to feed. Another bug, a dragonfly in the family Aeshnidae, had a hinged-mouth that extended to be nearly half the length of its body! Dragonfly larvae are predatory and this super-extendable mouthpart allows them to quickly snap up prey. These kinds of distinguishing features and characteristics are what scientists look at under the microscope for macroinvertebrate identification.

Although they look way cooler under a microscope, you don’t need one to see macroinvertebrates. If you have the chance, go check out your local stream, flip over rocks and search the stream bottom. You too could become an invertebrate investigator!

 

About the Author: Jon Markovich joined EPA’s Water Protection Division in 2014 and works in the impaired waters and Total Maximum Daily Load programs. In his spare time, Jon enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping in the Mid-Atlantic Region’s many great state parks.

from The EPA Blog http://ift.tt/2y6qjuH

Stream Critters Reveal Much About Water Quality

by Micka Peck

I was never a huge ‘bug person’ as a kid. It wasn’t that I bolted in terror at the sight of anything crawling my direction, but I didn’t greet a dangling spider with much enthusiasm either. My little brother, on the other hand, loved running through fields of tall grass in search of massive grasshoppers and butterflies. So, it may have come as a surprise to my family when a colleague and I eagerly set off to West Virginia in search of benthic macroinvertebrates, or the bottom-dwelling stream critters that lack backbones and are visible to the naked eye. Think insects, crayfish, worms, mussels, etc.

A couple of things piqued my interest about these creatures. I had learned that benthic macroinvertebrates are a crucial indicator for understanding water quality. While a single “grab sample” from a stream can tell you something about its water quality at that moment, macroinvertebrates are exposed to a range of conditions throughout their life stages in water. Therefore, they more accurately represent long-term conditions of water quality. Some macroinvertebrates are very sensitive to pollutants and as the water quality worsens, are less prevalent. All of our Region 3 states rely on macroinvertebrates to assess whether a waterbody is supporting aquatic life, so I thought I should go see what all the fuss was about.

We arrived at the stream bank in waders toting buckets, scrub brushes, and a large net. After surveying the stream, we chose a few spots with fast moving water and a variety of rocks and cobble, which are popular habitats due to their shelter from predators. With the net placed on the streambed facing upstream, I grabbed the scrub brush, brushed the rocks and let any attached macroinvertebrates float into the net. Next, I kicked the rocks in front of the net to stir up any macroinvertebrates hiding underneath and let the water guide them into the net. At times, it looked like I was dancing the twist in the middle of the stream. Then, I dumped the contents in the net into a bucket and marveled at the bounty. It was teeming with crayfish, scuds, larvae of mayflies, stoneflies, dragonflies, and so much more. And now, rather than feeling ambivalent, I’m filled with a sense of childish wonder at the many surprises a stream may hold.

Stay tuned for Part 2 – in the lab!

 

About the Author: Micka Peck is a physical scientist in EPA’s Mid-Atlantic Region working on improving impaired waters through total maximum daily loads (TMDLs), or water quality improvement plans.

 

from The EPA Blog http://ift.tt/2gKH3zR

by Micka Peck

I was never a huge ‘bug person’ as a kid. It wasn’t that I bolted in terror at the sight of anything crawling my direction, but I didn’t greet a dangling spider with much enthusiasm either. My little brother, on the other hand, loved running through fields of tall grass in search of massive grasshoppers and butterflies. So, it may have come as a surprise to my family when a colleague and I eagerly set off to West Virginia in search of benthic macroinvertebrates, or the bottom-dwelling stream critters that lack backbones and are visible to the naked eye. Think insects, crayfish, worms, mussels, etc.

A couple of things piqued my interest about these creatures. I had learned that benthic macroinvertebrates are a crucial indicator for understanding water quality. While a single “grab sample” from a stream can tell you something about its water quality at that moment, macroinvertebrates are exposed to a range of conditions throughout their life stages in water. Therefore, they more accurately represent long-term conditions of water quality. Some macroinvertebrates are very sensitive to pollutants and as the water quality worsens, are less prevalent. All of our Region 3 states rely on macroinvertebrates to assess whether a waterbody is supporting aquatic life, so I thought I should go see what all the fuss was about.

We arrived at the stream bank in waders toting buckets, scrub brushes, and a large net. After surveying the stream, we chose a few spots with fast moving water and a variety of rocks and cobble, which are popular habitats due to their shelter from predators. With the net placed on the streambed facing upstream, I grabbed the scrub brush, brushed the rocks and let any attached macroinvertebrates float into the net. Next, I kicked the rocks in front of the net to stir up any macroinvertebrates hiding underneath and let the water guide them into the net. At times, it looked like I was dancing the twist in the middle of the stream. Then, I dumped the contents in the net into a bucket and marveled at the bounty. It was teeming with crayfish, scuds, larvae of mayflies, stoneflies, dragonflies, and so much more. And now, rather than feeling ambivalent, I’m filled with a sense of childish wonder at the many surprises a stream may hold.

Stay tuned for Part 2 – in the lab!

 

About the Author: Micka Peck is a physical scientist in EPA’s Mid-Atlantic Region working on improving impaired waters through total maximum daily loads (TMDLs), or water quality improvement plans.

 

from The EPA Blog http://ift.tt/2gKH3zR

Release of 2017 EJSCREEN Update

By Matthew Tejada

One of the best parts about working for environmental justice at EPA is that we constantly have the opportunity to engage with people from all walks of life across the United States. We hear from county commissioners, road builders, city planners, elected officials, professors, tribal leaders, and of course we hear from community members and community based organizations on a whole host of issues impacting their health, their environment and their quality of life. Over the years, it has been heartening to hear what communities have learned, and could achieve, when they used EJSCREEN.

EJSCREEN was released to the public to provide a common starting point for engagement and mutual understanding when discussing environmental justice issues. It provides people with a tool to consider impacts, to ask better questions, and to bring a deeper level of transparency to important data. EJSCREEN’s use has continually grown since it was publicly released. In two years, it has been used over 200,000 times, and we have constantly worked to make sure that the tool evolves to meet the needs of its ever-expanding user base.

I am excited to announce that EJSCREEN has some important new enhancements.

• We improved our water indicator to show water bodies potentially impacted by toxicity and water pollution.
• At the request of many of our local government and planning users, we have added municipal level boundaries.
• We have included new and improved layers on schools and public housing.

And we have of course updated all of the tool’s environmental and demographic indicators with the most recently available data.

Over the past year, we have focused on expanding the ways we engage with our users. We completed an in-depth user survey to gain greater insight for improving EJSCREEN in the future. We are also generating case studies so users can learn how others use the tool in their work.

The range of uses is impressive. In New Jersey, transportation agencies are using EJSCREEN to inform initial planning for new road projects. A North Carolina-based community group used EJSCREEN to identify air-quality concerns and potential environmental threats to adjacent neighborhoods. And EJSCREEN helped Coeur D’Alene, Idaho identify vulnerable areas for greater outreach and consideration. These examples point to why environmental justice is important and how making good data transparent puts environmental justice into action.

To help our many users understand the tool and its updates, we will be hosting a series of webinars with EPA EJSCREEN experts on August 21, September 7 and September 14.

We hope that you will test out EJSCREEN to see how it can serve your needs and provide us feedback on how we can continue to improve it. You can also subscribe to the Environmental Justice ListServ so that you can receive updates on our upcoming EJSCREEN activities.

We look forward to hearing from you – and in the meantime, we hope you find the new version of EJSCREEN as useful as we do!

About the Author: Matthew Tejada is the Director of EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice.

from The EPA Blog http://ift.tt/2vJ9qVY

By Matthew Tejada

One of the best parts about working for environmental justice at EPA is that we constantly have the opportunity to engage with people from all walks of life across the United States. We hear from county commissioners, road builders, city planners, elected officials, professors, tribal leaders, and of course we hear from community members and community based organizations on a whole host of issues impacting their health, their environment and their quality of life. Over the years, it has been heartening to hear what communities have learned, and could achieve, when they used EJSCREEN.

EJSCREEN was released to the public to provide a common starting point for engagement and mutual understanding when discussing environmental justice issues. It provides people with a tool to consider impacts, to ask better questions, and to bring a deeper level of transparency to important data. EJSCREEN’s use has continually grown since it was publicly released. In two years, it has been used over 200,000 times, and we have constantly worked to make sure that the tool evolves to meet the needs of its ever-expanding user base.

I am excited to announce that EJSCREEN has some important new enhancements.

• We improved our water indicator to show water bodies potentially impacted by toxicity and water pollution.
• At the request of many of our local government and planning users, we have added municipal level boundaries.
• We have included new and improved layers on schools and public housing.

And we have of course updated all of the tool’s environmental and demographic indicators with the most recently available data.

Over the past year, we have focused on expanding the ways we engage with our users. We completed an in-depth user survey to gain greater insight for improving EJSCREEN in the future. We are also generating case studies so users can learn how others use the tool in their work.

The range of uses is impressive. In New Jersey, transportation agencies are using EJSCREEN to inform initial planning for new road projects. A North Carolina-based community group used EJSCREEN to identify air-quality concerns and potential environmental threats to adjacent neighborhoods. And EJSCREEN helped Coeur D’Alene, Idaho identify vulnerable areas for greater outreach and consideration. These examples point to why environmental justice is important and how making good data transparent puts environmental justice into action.

To help our many users understand the tool and its updates, we will be hosting a series of webinars with EPA EJSCREEN experts on August 21, September 7 and September 14.

We hope that you will test out EJSCREEN to see how it can serve your needs and provide us feedback on how we can continue to improve it. You can also subscribe to the Environmental Justice ListServ so that you can receive updates on our upcoming EJSCREEN activities.

We look forward to hearing from you – and in the meantime, we hope you find the new version of EJSCREEN as useful as we do!

About the Author: Matthew Tejada is the Director of EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice.

from The EPA Blog http://ift.tt/2vJ9qVY

From Bugs To Breakthroughs- My Path To Environmental Conflict Resolution

By Deborah Dalton

Imagine a typical public meeting about a controversial local environmental issue, like a recycling center transfer station or preparation for coastal flooding– how did it go? Were people civil? Did they speak their hearts? Did they listen and seek ways to accommodate differences? Was there a decision as a result of the discussion, or a stalemate leaving everybody feeling frustrated?

Every environmental action or decision involves people and organizations who have a wide variety of experiences, approaches, opinions, and needs. EPA frequently navigates these diverse interests under our existing environmental laws.

For the last 30 years, it’s been my job, my calling and passion, to help my colleagues to seek out better, easier, faster ways to accommodate the varying needs of those who depend on us to protect the environment and public health. I’m a Conflict Resolution Specialist within the Conflict Prevention and Resolution Center(CPRC). Our center provides expertise in the design and conduct of public involvement activities and in resolution of disputes for EPA.

I came to this calling in a very roundabout way, as most people do if they are lucky to be curious and flexible (and jobless with a master’s degree). In college, I was a social psychology major. After being inspired by evolutionary genetics in my senior year, I pursued graduate work and teaching in biology, and eventually got hired by EPA as an entomologist.

So, how did this lead to a calling in public engagement and dispute resolution? Well, as I worked on the cleanup of hazardous waste sites in another job at EPA, I was frustrated with a system that forced people into taking positions that were mutually exclusive and then asking a judge to pick one of the options. To me, it seemed to leave creativity off the table and to postpone real environmental progress.

Today, CPRC helps our colleagues navigating these types of conflicts and use communication effectively to craft creative solutions. I give my colleagues easy access to sound conflict resolution processes, including tools like mediators and facilitators, so they can focus on improving the science and policy of environmental protection.

My proudest accomplishment is my role in creating and professionalizing the field of environmental mediation and public involvement as a real, full-time career through the creation of two unique tools: a national EPA contract for hiring professional facilitators and mediators from the private sector and a searchable national roster of environmental facilitators and mediators.

While my career has not been that of a traditional environmentalist (or entomologist), I’ve found ways to use my skills and passion to advocate for creative environmental solutions that protect our communities.

About the author: Deb Dalton is currently a Senior Conflict Resolution Specialist in the EPA’s Conflict Prevention and Resolution Center.  She has worked at EPA since 1976 in programs including enforcement, pesticides, hazardous waste and regulatory policy before committing her career to public involvement and conflict resolution. 

from The EPA Blog http://ift.tt/2v1ScVB

By Deborah Dalton

Imagine a typical public meeting about a controversial local environmental issue, like a recycling center transfer station or preparation for coastal flooding– how did it go? Were people civil? Did they speak their hearts? Did they listen and seek ways to accommodate differences? Was there a decision as a result of the discussion, or a stalemate leaving everybody feeling frustrated?

Every environmental action or decision involves people and organizations who have a wide variety of experiences, approaches, opinions, and needs. EPA frequently navigates these diverse interests under our existing environmental laws.

For the last 30 years, it’s been my job, my calling and passion, to help my colleagues to seek out better, easier, faster ways to accommodate the varying needs of those who depend on us to protect the environment and public health. I’m a Conflict Resolution Specialist within the Conflict Prevention and Resolution Center(CPRC). Our center provides expertise in the design and conduct of public involvement activities and in resolution of disputes for EPA.

I came to this calling in a very roundabout way, as most people do if they are lucky to be curious and flexible (and jobless with a master’s degree). In college, I was a social psychology major. After being inspired by evolutionary genetics in my senior year, I pursued graduate work and teaching in biology, and eventually got hired by EPA as an entomologist.

So, how did this lead to a calling in public engagement and dispute resolution? Well, as I worked on the cleanup of hazardous waste sites in another job at EPA, I was frustrated with a system that forced people into taking positions that were mutually exclusive and then asking a judge to pick one of the options. To me, it seemed to leave creativity off the table and to postpone real environmental progress.

Today, CPRC helps our colleagues navigating these types of conflicts and use communication effectively to craft creative solutions. I give my colleagues easy access to sound conflict resolution processes, including tools like mediators and facilitators, so they can focus on improving the science and policy of environmental protection.

My proudest accomplishment is my role in creating and professionalizing the field of environmental mediation and public involvement as a real, full-time career through the creation of two unique tools: a national EPA contract for hiring professional facilitators and mediators from the private sector and a searchable national roster of environmental facilitators and mediators.

While my career has not been that of a traditional environmentalist (or entomologist), I’ve found ways to use my skills and passion to advocate for creative environmental solutions that protect our communities.

About the author: Deb Dalton is currently a Senior Conflict Resolution Specialist in the EPA’s Conflict Prevention and Resolution Center.  She has worked at EPA since 1976 in programs including enforcement, pesticides, hazardous waste and regulatory policy before committing her career to public involvement and conflict resolution. 

from The EPA Blog http://ift.tt/2v1ScVB

Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund Success Stories: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

By: Barry N. Breen, Acting Assistant Administrator, Office of Land and Emergency Management.

We are proud of the environmental and economic accomplishments made by local communities who use EPA resources provided through our Brownfields program to clean up and reuse brownfield sites. These communities demonstrate that a commitment to protecting public health, repurposing land, and strengthening local economies can be accomplished together.

Through our Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) program, we help communities tackle environmental challenges to spur their local economic growth. Recipients of RLF grants capitalize a revolving loan fund to provide low-interest loans and sub-grants to clean up brownfield sites. When loans are repaid, the repayment is returned into the fund and subsequently lent to other borrowers, providing an ongoing source of capital. These and other EPA brownfields grants leverage additional resources needed to clean up and redevelop brownfields.

So many projects, past and present, demonstrate that environmental improvement works hand-in-hand with economic development. One outstanding example can be found in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Former Stewart Metal Site

The “Steelyard” redevelopment is situated on a historic Oklahoma City oil field on the east side of Bricktown. The 5-acre site was contaminated by a former metal manufacturing facility and past drilling and storage activities. Countless underground structures were found during cleanup including underground storage tanks, historic oil wells, and piping. The City of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, Oklahoma Corporation Commission and EPA all partnered to assist this complicated redevelopment. The City of Oklahoma City’s Brownfield RLF program loaned $1,300,000 to the project for environmental remediation and the remainder of the cleanup was paid for with private equity. It will be home to a mixed-use complex with retail shops on the first floor and housing above. It will offer 30 affordable housing units out of a total of 250 units in downtown Oklahoma City and will start leasing in summer of 2017.

Steelyard Apartment Rendering

West of this property, the Oklahoma City Urban Renewal Authority (OCURA) owned a 1.38 acre site that had the same environmental problem and underwent a cleanup simultaneously with the Steelyard apartments. The City of Oklahoma City provided a $200,000 sub-grant to clean up the site. OCURA was then able to do an RFP for site redevelopment. The site is currently being redeveloped into two new hotels, the AC Hotel and a Hyatt place that will create new jobs and open in 2017.

Hyatt Place Rendering

East of this property, the Oklahoma City Urban Renewal Authority (OCURA) owns a 1.83 acre development. The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality awarded a $350,000 sub-grant and waived oversight costs for the cleanup of the project. Once the Steelyard apartments are complete, this property will be available for expansion of the apartment complex.

Projects like these demonstrate the value of our Brownfields program in communities across the country. Since the beginning of our Brownfields program in 1995, cumulative brownfield program investments across the country have leveraged more than $24 billion from a variety of public and private sources for cleanup and redevelopment activities and more than 124,759 jobs. On average, for every one EPA Brownfields dollar provided, $16.11 is leveraged, and on average, 8.5 jobs are leveraged per $100,000 of EPA brownfields funds expended on assessment, cleanup, and revolving loan fund cooperative agreements.

A study has shown that when brownfields are addressed, nearby property values within a 1.24-mile radius can increase 5-15.2 percent. Another study analyzing data near 48 brownfields found that an estimated $29 to $97 million in additional tax revenue is generated for local governments in a single year after cleanup. This is 2 to 7 times more than the $12.4 million EPA contributed to the cleanup of those brownfields.

We are proud of local communities’ accomplishments achieved by using our Brownfields program resources. We plan to continue to work with communities to help them clean up and reuse their brownfield sites; to protect public health, revitalize land and strengthen the economy.

from The EPA Blog http://ift.tt/2t96XEW

By: Barry N. Breen, Acting Assistant Administrator, Office of Land and Emergency Management.

We are proud of the environmental and economic accomplishments made by local communities who use EPA resources provided through our Brownfields program to clean up and reuse brownfield sites. These communities demonstrate that a commitment to protecting public health, repurposing land, and strengthening local economies can be accomplished together.

Through our Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) program, we help communities tackle environmental challenges to spur their local economic growth. Recipients of RLF grants capitalize a revolving loan fund to provide low-interest loans and sub-grants to clean up brownfield sites. When loans are repaid, the repayment is returned into the fund and subsequently lent to other borrowers, providing an ongoing source of capital. These and other EPA brownfields grants leverage additional resources needed to clean up and redevelop brownfields.

So many projects, past and present, demonstrate that environmental improvement works hand-in-hand with economic development. One outstanding example can be found in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Former Stewart Metal Site

The “Steelyard” redevelopment is situated on a historic Oklahoma City oil field on the east side of Bricktown. The 5-acre site was contaminated by a former metal manufacturing facility and past drilling and storage activities. Countless underground structures were found during cleanup including underground storage tanks, historic oil wells, and piping. The City of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, Oklahoma Corporation Commission and EPA all partnered to assist this complicated redevelopment. The City of Oklahoma City’s Brownfield RLF program loaned $1,300,000 to the project for environmental remediation and the remainder of the cleanup was paid for with private equity. It will be home to a mixed-use complex with retail shops on the first floor and housing above. It will offer 30 affordable housing units out of a total of 250 units in downtown Oklahoma City and will start leasing in summer of 2017.

Steelyard Apartment Rendering

West of this property, the Oklahoma City Urban Renewal Authority (OCURA) owned a 1.38 acre site that had the same environmental problem and underwent a cleanup simultaneously with the Steelyard apartments. The City of Oklahoma City provided a $200,000 sub-grant to clean up the site. OCURA was then able to do an RFP for site redevelopment. The site is currently being redeveloped into two new hotels, the AC Hotel and a Hyatt place that will create new jobs and open in 2017.

Hyatt Place Rendering

East of this property, the Oklahoma City Urban Renewal Authority (OCURA) owns a 1.83 acre development. The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality awarded a $350,000 sub-grant and waived oversight costs for the cleanup of the project. Once the Steelyard apartments are complete, this property will be available for expansion of the apartment complex.

Projects like these demonstrate the value of our Brownfields program in communities across the country. Since the beginning of our Brownfields program in 1995, cumulative brownfield program investments across the country have leveraged more than $24 billion from a variety of public and private sources for cleanup and redevelopment activities and more than 124,759 jobs. On average, for every one EPA Brownfields dollar provided, $16.11 is leveraged, and on average, 8.5 jobs are leveraged per $100,000 of EPA brownfields funds expended on assessment, cleanup, and revolving loan fund cooperative agreements.

A study has shown that when brownfields are addressed, nearby property values within a 1.24-mile radius can increase 5-15.2 percent. Another study analyzing data near 48 brownfields found that an estimated $29 to $97 million in additional tax revenue is generated for local governments in a single year after cleanup. This is 2 to 7 times more than the $12.4 million EPA contributed to the cleanup of those brownfields.

We are proud of local communities’ accomplishments achieved by using our Brownfields program resources. We plan to continue to work with communities to help them clean up and reuse their brownfield sites; to protect public health, revitalize land and strengthen the economy.

from The EPA Blog http://ift.tt/2t96XEW

A Record Investment

by Tom Damm

 3…2…1…  On cue, EPA, state and local officials dug their shovels into the softened dirt to formally kick off major upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant in Reading, Pennsylvania.

There was reason to be all smiles as the battery of professional and smart phone cameras captured the moment.  The improvements will contribute to local economic growth and lead to cleaner plant discharges to the Schuylkill River, where concerted efforts along the waterway are improving a drinking water source for more than 1.5 million people.

For EPA, it was the largest amount of water infrastructure funding ever applied to a single project in the Mid-Atlantic region – nearly $150 million – a fact that EPA Acting Regional Administrator Cecil Rodriques shared with the audience at the groundbreaking ceremony.

The record sum of low-interest financing from EPA’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) was provided to Reading through actions of the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority, or PENNVEST.

Coincidentally, the day before the event, the PENNVEST board approved a series of projects that brought the collective total of its infrastructure investment efforts to more than $8 billion over nearly three decades.   The CWSRF and EPA’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund together supplied about half of that total.

The upgrades to the Fritz Island plant will allow for growth in the system that now treats sewage for about 200,000 residents in Reading and a dozen suburban communities.  By taking advantage of the 1 percent CWSRF rate compared to current market rates for bonds, Reading is expected to save almost $2.5 million over 20 years.

The plant upgrades are targeted for completion by late 2019 when officials will trade their shiny, ceremonial shovels for sets of oversized scissors.

You can learn more here about the CWSRF and the projects financed in your area.  And check out this link for information on a major boost in funding just approved for EPA’s Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act program.

 

About the Author: Tom Damm has been with EPA since 2002 and now serves as communications coordinator for the region’s Water Protection Division.

 

from The EPA Blog http://ift.tt/2rUuarx

by Tom Damm

 3…2…1…  On cue, EPA, state and local officials dug their shovels into the softened dirt to formally kick off major upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant in Reading, Pennsylvania.

There was reason to be all smiles as the battery of professional and smart phone cameras captured the moment.  The improvements will contribute to local economic growth and lead to cleaner plant discharges to the Schuylkill River, where concerted efforts along the waterway are improving a drinking water source for more than 1.5 million people.

For EPA, it was the largest amount of water infrastructure funding ever applied to a single project in the Mid-Atlantic region – nearly $150 million – a fact that EPA Acting Regional Administrator Cecil Rodriques shared with the audience at the groundbreaking ceremony.

The record sum of low-interest financing from EPA’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) was provided to Reading through actions of the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority, or PENNVEST.

Coincidentally, the day before the event, the PENNVEST board approved a series of projects that brought the collective total of its infrastructure investment efforts to more than $8 billion over nearly three decades.   The CWSRF and EPA’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund together supplied about half of that total.

The upgrades to the Fritz Island plant will allow for growth in the system that now treats sewage for about 200,000 residents in Reading and a dozen suburban communities.  By taking advantage of the 1 percent CWSRF rate compared to current market rates for bonds, Reading is expected to save almost $2.5 million over 20 years.

The plant upgrades are targeted for completion by late 2019 when officials will trade their shiny, ceremonial shovels for sets of oversized scissors.

You can learn more here about the CWSRF and the projects financed in your area.  And check out this link for information on a major boost in funding just approved for EPA’s Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act program.

 

About the Author: Tom Damm has been with EPA since 2002 and now serves as communications coordinator for the region’s Water Protection Division.

 

from The EPA Blog http://ift.tt/2rUuarx