EPA Care Ironbound Environmental Health Awareness And Concerns 2 18 2010

Ironbound CARE Cumulative Impacts Project

Working Group Survey Assessment

Presentation to EPA CARE Working Group

February 18, 2010

Claudia Mausner, Ph.D.Environmental Projects Associate, Ironbound Community Corporation

Ironbound CARE Cumulative Impacts Project

Survey Assessment

Project Goal: Form partnership with stakeholders to learn about and develop strategies to address environmental and health issues in the Ironbound.

Survey Goal: Measure changes in Working Group members’ awareness and understanding of environmental and health issues in the Ironbound as a result of participation in EPA CARE project.

This presentation is a summary and analysis of survey responses by members of the EPA CARE Working Group. Individual survey responses are anonymous and confidential. Verbatim quotations have been used with only minor modifications when necessary for additional clarification. The results of this survey represent the personal knowledge and opinions of members of the Working Group.

Working Group members represent diverse backgrounds, training and experience . . .

• local community groups

• residents and non-residents of Ironbound

• environmental nonprofits

• with expertise in statistics, chemistry, law, planning, business,

engineering, medicine, public health, ecology and more

. . . bringing a wide range of perspectives to this Project

Ironbound CARE Cumulative Impacts ProjectSurvey Assessment Response Rate: 13/20

“Most Serious” Environmental Problemin the Ironbound

Empirical data

Source of Pollution

Frequency – How often? Location – Where?

Pollutant

PAST FUTUREPRESENT

Ways of Knowing

Direct experience• bad odors• heavy air• eye irritation• difficulty breathing

Anecdotal evidence

Empirical data

Ironbound’s “Most Serious” Environmental Problem

SOURCES OF POLLUTION• Covanta – incinerator• Highway• Airport• Port• Local industrial facilities/operations• (Historically ) industrial areas

FREQUENCY• Covanta is doing its worst

every day of the year

LOCATION• community is surrounded• in the air• groundwater pollution• land pollution• ground chemical pollutants

PAST• Historically

industrial areas

PRESENT• Covanta is

NOW.

FUTURE• Covanta is TOMORROW

POLLUTANTS• air pollution• emissions from sources of pollution:

incinerator, highway, local industry,vehicle (truck) traffic

• chemicals

ABSENCE OF SOLUTIONS OR MITIGATION• severe lack of open space• refusal of responsible authorities to

acknowledge interaction of natural, built and social environments

•

Ironbound’s “Most Serious” Environmental Problem

• lack of exercise

• poor diet

• age-related vulnerabilities

(very young, very old)

• institutional racism

• race-related health disparities

• inability to stop more pollution

• sense that life is out of control

Cumulative Impacts

“Social-determinants of health”

+Powerlessness of affected communities

Most Significant Sources of Pollution in the Ironbound

OTHER SIGNIFICANT SOURCES OF POLLUTION

• brownfield/contaminated sites- old chemical waste dumping- residual pollutants from former

industrial operations- Diamond Shamrock- contaminated soil

• airport• factories/local industry• untreated runoff• litter• illegal dumping• PSE&G pipes• lead• mercury• Passaic River• dioxin

PARTICULATE MATTER• truck traffic in community• automobiles• port• highways (1&9, NJTPK)• home furnaces• diesel emissions

Local and state decision-makers using “old” paradigm

PATHWAY• atmospheric deposition from surrounding,

up-wind industrial operations

(8 mentions)

How much impact do the following pollutants have on Ironbound’s environment?

* Dioxin (11/12)

Particulate matter (11/13)

Lead (9/12)

Mercury (6/12)

Other: oil byproducts; industrial soup; jet fuel

HIGH IMPACT

* Not consistent with “most serious” environmental or health problem

How much impact do Ironbound’s pollutants have on the following health conditions?

Asthma (13/13)

Respiratory illness(10/13)other than asthma

Cancer (9/12)

Stress (6/12)

HIGH IMPACT

Cardiovascular disease(6/12)

Other: Diabetes

ASTHMA (11/13)respiratory,pulmonary, breathing problems

CAUSED BY AIR POLLUTION- such as diesel- from transportation-related traffic (trucks,

buses, rail, automobiles)- that can’t be monitored

What is the “Most Serious” Health Problem Affecting Ironbound Residents?

• circulatory problems such as strokes and heart attacks• stress• sub-optimal quality of life

• No recognition of interaction between natural, built and social environments • Absence of preventive, precautionary approach to decision-making• No consideration of cumulative impacts• Absence of health impact assessments

Mental Maps of Ironbound’s “Most Polluted” Areas

adapted from

Kevin Lynch The Image of the City (1960)

EDGES:Linear elements not used for or considered paths. They are boundaries between two places, linear breaks in continuity such as a shore, railroad, edge of development.

PATHS:Channels along which people (or pollu-tants) move. They may be streets, walk-ways, transit lines, railroads, waterways, air.

DISTRICTS:Medium-to-large sections of the city, with two-dimensional extent that makes it possible to be “inside of”. Often used for exterior reference when outside of it.

LANDMARKS:Physical object such as a building. Frequently relied on for wayfinding and orientation within the city. May be focus of intensive advocacy efforts.

NODES:Strategic spots which people can enter. Receive intensive focus and may contain concentration of pollutants. Often found inside a district.

EDGES: DEFINING THE IRONBOUND

Passaic River

Railroad andMcCarter Highway

1&9 and NJTPK

Port

Ironbound is “surrounded” by historically industrial areasTransportation . . . “within a confined area”

Mental Maps of Ironbound’s “Most Polluted” Areas

PATHS:• Passaic River/ along the Passaic• Chester St., Lister Ave., Hawkins St.• South Street• Corridor along 1&9• Wilson Street• the air

DISTRICTS:• Doremus Avenue corridor

- Industrial area around Doremus• Passaic River corridor• East Ironbound (?)• East of 1/9 industrial area• S. Ironbound industrial area

- Thomas St. & Ave. C area• Port Newark

LANDMARKS:• Passaic River• incinerator/near the incinerator• Diamond Shamrock/Alkali• railyards• Cooksom

NODES:• Old Farmer’s Market• around Metals Management

(Hawkins or Doremus)• residential areas near old factories

• Homes (my home)• Elm Street• Previously developed

residential areas

• Independence Park- across from East Side HS

• Neighborhood gardens

• Wilson Ave. business area• Ferry St. business district

Air toxics = No “least polluted” area ?

Ironbound’s “Least

Polluted” Areas

Parks*

Schools

Business Areas

Residential Areas

* No mention of Riverbank Park

Mixed Use:• West Ironbound• Ferry Street• Wilson Ave.

How much do you believe interaction between pollutants in the Ironbound increases their impact on resident health?

“MAJOR INCREASE” 100% AGREEMENT

Thank you for participating in this survey!

Questions?

Comments?