environmental justice, outreach & the water boards: wqcc 2014 update
DESCRIPTION
Environmental Justice, Outreach & the Water Boards: WQCC 2014 Update. October 3, 2014. Gita Kapahi Office of Public Participation. California Statutory Definition of Environmental Justice. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Environmental Justice, Outreach & the Water Boards:
WQCC 2014 Update
Gita KapahiOffice of Public Participation
1
October 3, 2014
“Environmental Justice means the fair treatment of people of all
races, cultures, and incomes with respect to the development,
adoption, implementation and enforcement of environmental
laws, regulations, and policies.”
Gov. Code §65040.12 (e), 1999
California Statutory Definition
of Environmental Justice
2
US EPA considers “environmental justice communities” as “a minority or low-income community that bears disproportionately high and adverse
human health or environmental effects.”
Federal Executive Order 12898, 1994
What is an EJ Community?
3
4
What is a DAC?
The State of California defines a disadvantaged community (DAC) as a community in which the Medium Household Income (MHI) is less than
80% of the statewide MHI. Health & Safety Code, Sections 116270
A severely DAC is a community with an annual median household income (MHI)
that is less than 60% of the statewide MHI. Health & Safety Code, Sections 116760.20
More “Gita’s”: Cloning is not possible!
Worked on a BCP to add positions: Unfortunately it was unsuccessful
Established an Outreach Roundtable with all regions, divisions and offices represented
Developing a training module on EJ with the Training Academy
5
2013 WQCC Recap
Updates to CalEnviroscreen (new version 2.0)
Increased our collaborative efforts with community groups
Established focused outreach efforts on many of the statewide plans and policies with great results
Screened films such as Thirsty for Justice and Living in the Rain Shadow
Continued work on implementing the Human Right to Water Law (AB685)
6
2013 WQCC Recap, cont’d
AB 1249 IRWMP: nitrate, arsenic, perchlorate or hexavalent chromium contamination• Intended to help provide safe DW to small DACs by
prioritizing IRWMPs that address contaminants found in GW used as a DW source
AB 1476: Authorizes SWRCB to allocate $500K to Greater Monterey Co for development of an integrated plan to address DW and wastewater needs of DACs in Salinas Valley
SB 1292: Safe DW SRF allows SWRCB to provide grants up to $5mill for Safe DW SRF to public water systems serving severely DACs for construction of safe DW treatment systems
7
EJ Legislation
This policy provides a framework for CalEPA and its BDOs to improve and maintain communication and collaboration between CalEPA, its BDOs, and California Indian Tribes to further the mission of CalEPA.
This policy also provides a commitment to educate appropriate staff, to become informed about the cultural setting of California Indians, their environmental issues and tribal histories, for the purpose of improving Cal/EPA’s understanding of and connection to California Indian Tribes.
http://www.calepa.ca.gov/Tribal/Documents/CIT01Policy.pdf
CalEPA Policy for Working With California Indian Tribes
8
CALENVIROSCREEN VERSION 2.0
9
* Broad picture of the relative burdens California communities face from environmental pollution
* 19 indicators of environmental, health, and socioeconomic conditions
* Census tract scale
* Guidance on potential uses
WWW.OEHHA.CA.GOV/EJ/CES2
10
Indicators UsedPollution Burden Population Characteristics
ExposuresEnvironmenta
lEffects
Sensitive Populations
Socioeconomic
Factors
PM 2.5 concentrations
Ozone concentrations
Diesel PM emissions
Drinking water contaminants
Pesticide use
Toxic releases from facilities
Traffic density
Cleanup sites
Groundwater threats (Leaking underground tanks and cleanups)
Impaired water bodies
Solid waste sites and facilities
Hazardous waste facilities and generators
Prevalence of children and elderly
Asthma emergency department visit rate
Rate of low birth weight births
Educational attainment
Linguistic isolation
Poverty: Percent residents below 2x national poverty level
Unemployment
10
EJ Inventory Update
11
2014 EJ Inventory Findings
* Demonstrated increased involvement with EJ communities and DACs.
* Made efforts to try new approaches to effectively reach DACs.
* Have recognized the importance of public outreach and education skills and identified staff who possess them.
* Have identified significant opportunities for partnership and collaboration with DACs and laid the groundwork for these efforts.
Trends: Most Organizations Have
12
2014 EJ Inventory Findings
Bringing meetings and discussions to EJ communities.
Making meetings available through conference calls and webinars.
Direct communication between Water Board staff and EJ/DAC representatives on technical reports prepared by dischargers.
On-going communication and outreach 13
What Has Worked Well
2014 EJ Inventory Findings
Providing direct technical assistance to DACs.
Developing partnerships with community advocacy groups.
Disproportionately large segments of DACs and small DACs are mistrustful of government agencies, so working through intermediaries is helpful until a level of trust is established.
14
What Has Worked Well, cont’d
2014 EJ Inventory Findings
R1: Klamath River Tribes, Laguna de Santa Rosa Tribes
Note R2: No update provided
R3: California Rural Legal Assistance, EJ Coalition for Water, Rural Community Assistance Corporation
R4: City of Lynwood, Athens Tank Farm/Ujima Village Apartments
R5: Clean Water Action, California Rural Legal Assistance, Center for Race, Poverty and the Environment, Rose Foundation, Community Water Center, Greenaction, El Pueblo Para el Aire y El Agua, CBOs representing Lao, Filipino, Latino, Vietnamese & Slavic Groups
15
EJ/Tribal Communities
2014 EJ Inventory Findings
R6: Bishop Paiute Tribe, Hinkley Community, Mojave River Valley, Susanville CSD
R7: Eastern Coachella Valley and Imperial Valley Farmworker & Low Income Mobile Home Park Communities. Cabazon Band of Mission Indians
R8: City of Perris, Communities at Middle Santa Ana River, Rialto Perchlorate Plume, South Archibald TCE Plume
R9: Environmental Health Coalition, Lakeside River Park Conservancy, Imperial Beach
16
EJ/Tribal Communities
Resources Needed
* Increased funding for language translation services
* Support to make water quality data more accessible to EJ communities
* Specialized training on use of Enviroscreen and other tools and resources
* More consultation with Cal/EPA and State Board Public Participation Specialists
17
Resources Needed, cont’d
* More in-house staff with public participation skills
* More assistance in identifying and contacting EJ groups and communities
* Contracts with 3rd parties to serve DACs better
* Staff training re: EJ, including sharing information on how Boards’ programs are addressing EJ issues
18
Update the Water Board EJ Inventory as needed
Provide education & training for Water Board staff
Strengthen overall coordination with EJ & Tribal Communities
Continue cross-media coordination and accountability in partnership with other CalEPA sister BDOs and other agencies
Next Steps
19
Next Steps, cont’d
20
Consider Preparing an EJ Work or Implementation Plan
Continue the Dialogue to Incorporate EJ Principles into Water Board Plans and Policies
Revisit EJ at Future MCC & WQCC Meetings
Environmental Justice, Outreach & the Water Boards:WQCC 2014 Update
Gita KapahiOffice of Public Participation
21
Thank You