Title: Implementing Principles of Environmental Justice
1Implementing Principles of Environmental Justice
- A Los Angeles Regional Model
2 Palos Verdes Shelf Site Map
3History of Institutional Controls
- 1985 State issues interim seafood consumption
advisory - 1990 State issues commercial fishing ban for
white croaker - 1991 State issues final seafood consumption
advisory - 1998 State sets daily bag limit for white
croaker - 1999 EPA initiates pilot outreach education
project - 2001 EPA issues Action Memo for the PV Shelf
- 2002 EPA issues Institutional Controls
Implementation Plan
4What are we doing at Palos Verdes Shelf?
Bald Eagles on Channel Islands Feasibility Studies
MSRP
Restoration Plan/ EIS
Institutional Controls Program
RI/FS
Public Outreach Education
Enforcement
Monitoring
Technical Review Board
Technical Review Board
Seafood Contamination Task Force
Commercial Ban Area
Fish in Ocean Sampling Program
Markets, Restaurants Wholesalers Outreach
Pier/ Marina Outreach
General Community Outreach
Media Outreach
Sport Fishing Restriction
Marketplace Monitoring Program
Angler Survey
5The Problem
- More than 100 tons of DDTs and PCBs have
deposited in the sediment around the Palos Verdes
Shelf and along the coast of LA. - Thousands of people fish here
- Some contaminated fish found in local markets
- Limited information about the contamination
(mainly in English) is available
6Populations at Risk
- Anglers who catch and eat fish regularly off the
coast of Los Angeles and Orange Counties - Latino, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Pacific Islander,
Filipino, Chinese, Korean - Women of childbearing age and children are more
sensitive
7Populations at Risk
- Because some communities rely on fish from this
area as a major food source for their families,
they are disproportionately at risk for exposures
to chemicals.
8 USEPA Definition Environmental Justice
- The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of
all people regardless of race, color, national
origin, or income with respect to the development
of environmental laws, regulations and policies.
9Fair Treatment
- No group of people should bear the
disproportionate share of the negative
environmental consequences resulting from
industrial, municipal and commercial operations
or the execution of federal, state, local and
tribal programs or policies.
10Meaningful Involvement
- Potentially affected communities have
appropriate opportunity to participate in
decisions that affect their health. Public
contribution can influence regulatory decisions.
Concerns of all participants involved will be
considered in decision making. Decision makers
seek out involvement of those affected.
11Incorporating Principles of Environmental Justice
Principle 2 Based on mutual respect and justice
for all peoples, free from discrimination or
bias Principle 4 Universal protection from
toxic wastes and poisons fundamental right to
clean air and water Principle 6 Past and
current producers of hazardous wastes be held
strictly accountable to people for
detoxification.
12Incorporating Principles of Environmental Justice
- Principle 7
- Right to participate as equal partners at every
level of decision making, including needs
assessment, planning, implementation, evaluation - Principle 12
- Need for policies to clean up in balance with
nature, honoring the integrity of all, fair
access to full range of resources - Principle 13
- Enforcement of principles of informed consent
- Principle 16
- Education of present and future generations
13Begin with Community Pilot Project / Needs
Assessment
- Extensive interviews with over 20 CBOs
- Forum laid out contamination issues from both
government and community perspective - Government and community work and learn together
on the Task Force - Train the trainers workshop for CBOs and health
depts. - CBOs created materials and conducted outreach
14Needs Assessment Results
- CBOs were unaware of problem-were concerned once
they learned about fish contamination - Community input changed agency terminology,
altered how agencies viewed issue - Community success will increase when there is
collaboration
15Needs Assessment Results
- CBOs needed funding, training, staff, computer
capabilities, and guidance to be able to
meaningfully partner - For best results, CBOs should design their own
outreach strategies - Due to need, some will continue to fish in areas
of high contamination
16Effective Health Education Interventions
- Are tailored to specific audiences in defined
settings, build upon strengths within
communities, prepare participants to become
leaders, support the diffusion of innovation to a
wider population, seek to institutionalize
successful components and replicate them in other
settings, and involve participants in the
planning, implementation and evaluation
processes.
17Fish Contamination Education Collaborative (FCEC)
Goals
- To reduce exposures of populations who regularly
eat fish caught off the LA and OC coasts - To conduct education with the most affected
populations so they can make informed health
choices - To strengthen local CBO ability to address fish
contamination issues now and when the project is
over
18Four Programs
- General Outreach
- Pier Outreach
- Market Outreach
- Media Outreach
19General Outreach
- Curriculum, training workshops, in-language
materials, technical assistance - Training of community trainers
- CBOs design and implement education campaigns
- Project provides the resources and tools
20Educational Materials
- CBOs use project curriculum to design own
trainings - Some CBOs use project materials, others create
their own - 30 minute video for Cambodian TV fish markets
- Korean public service announcement for radio
- 4 page Korean brochure
21Market Outreach
- CBOs work with market owners to promote purchase
of fish from reliable sources - CBOs choose local markets for outreach
- Project provides materials. CBOs translate
- CBOs receive training and education
- Creates partnerships with market owners
- Market education as opposed to regulation
22CBO Participation in Data Collection
- CBO market selection process will assist USEPA in
market sampling plan design. - CBOs will help determine if white croaker is
present in market.
23Pier Outreach
- Outreach conducted directly with anglers
- Local environmental organization leads the
outreach effort - Members of affected communities are recruited,
hired and trained to become outreach workers.
Hire from within.
24Pier Outreach
- An interactive, multilingual display will be
collectively developed and exhibited at an
aquarium located in an area of high contamination - CBO reps trained as docents. New visitors brought
by CBOs to the aquarium
25Media Outreach
- Media campaign using radio, TV, and print
- CBOs identify media plan
- PR contractor will leverage CBO media contacts
- Media advocacy training for CBOs to excel in
media outreach - Contractor coordinates CBO efforts
26Adaptive Program Planning
- Create platform for community expertise to shape
project - Increase number of languages for translation
- Adjust budget when needed
- Adjust timelines when needed
27Providing community with what they need to
meaningfully partner
-
- -funding
- -training
- -education
- -support/technical assistance
- -time
28Respect for Community Time and Process
- Provide enough resources so that community
organizations can hire/assign fish program
coordinator - Compensate CBOs for all their efforts
29Hire from Within Community
- Pier outreach workers
- Promotoras
- Health Educators
- Appropriate community rep on Task Force
30Community Driven Data Collection
- CBO outreach will shape USEPA market sampling
efforts - Community expertise employed to verify findings
31Summary
- Since funding for extensive partnering is
usually not available, communities and government
must strategize together to find creative
approaches that are respectful to community need
and ability in order to implement EJ principles.