EPA’s Health Impact Assessment of Green Infrastructure in the Proctor Creek Community of Atlanta, Georgia by Tami Thomas-Burton, B.S., MPH

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EPAs Health Impact Assessment of GreenInfrastructure in the Proctor Creek

Community of Atlanta, Georgia2014 National Environmental Justice Conference Training

Panel Discussion: Environmental Justice: How Social

Determinants Affect Health Disparities

Tami Thomas-Burton, B.S., MPH

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 4

Office of Environmental Justice and Sustainability

Atlanta, GA

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Review.

EPAs Mission

Definition, Purpose, & Benefits of a Health Impact Assessment

Project Area, Demographics, Issues

How an HIA is Conducted /

Community Engagement & Capacity Building through HIA

Research, Evidence, Findings, & Recommendations

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 2

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4/2/2014 3

In Plan EJ 2014, EPA uses the term

overburdened to describe the minority, low-

income, tribal, and indigenous populations orcommunities in the United States that

potentially experience disproportionate

environmental harms and risks as a result of

greater vulnerability to environmental

hazards. This increased vulnerability may beattributable to an accumulation of both

negative and lack of positive environmental,

health, economic, or social conditions within

these populations or communities.

Overburdened Communities

EPAs Mission:

To Protect the Environment and Human Health.

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WHAT IS GREENINFRASTRUCTURE?

What is a Health ImpactAssessment?

4/2/2014 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 4

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Health is not only the

Absence of Disease

or Infirmity.

figure courtesy of Steve White, Oregon Public Health Institute

What does Health mean to you?

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6

Accord ing to WHO..

Health is a state of com plete physical , mental and so cia l wel l -being and not

merely the absence of disease or inf i rmity.

1948 World Health Organization Constitution and the 1986 Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion

Your Health Matters

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HIA is a systematic process that uses

an array of data sources and

analytic methods and considersinput from stakeholders to determine

the potential effects of a proposed

policy, plan, program, or project on

the health of a population and the

distribution of those effects withinthe population. HIA provides

recommendations on monitoring and

managing those effects.

National Research Council, 2011

Screening

Scoping

Assessment

Recommendatio

ns

Reporting

Monitoring and

Evaluation

What is Health Impact Assessment?

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AK

15

CA53

CO 4

MA 5

NJ 1

HIA: A Growing Practice in the U.S.

2012 (N = 173)

MN

13

GA 7

WA 6

OR20

OH

4

PA 1

MD 3

MT 2

Map Courtesy of A. Dannenberg, A. Wendel, CDC NCEH

Federal HIAs: 3

NM

2

TN 2

HI 1

IL 3

KY 2MO2

NH 1

TX 4

ME 1

WI 7

DC 1

KS 1

MI 1NY 2

SC 1

VA1

NE 1

AZ 2

http://www.healthimpactproject.org/hia/us

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What is the HIA about?

Decision: Implementation of a green infrastructureproject along Joseph E. Boone Boulevard, NW

(in concert with a planned road diet project)

Decision-Makers: City of Atlanta, Georgia

Role of HIA: Evaluate potential positive and negative health

impacts of the green street project design

and inform stakeholder decisions

HIA Lead: Region 4 Office of Environmental Justice and

Sustainability and Office of Research &

Development

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Location of HIA:

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Provide a model of interagency collaboration atthe local, state, and federal levels

Gain experience in the application of HIAs in

other environmental decision-making processes

Create better understanding of direct and

indirect public health benefits from implementing

green infrastructure

WHY an HIA?

Vision of EPAs Sustainable and Healthy Communities (SHC)

Research Program : To inform and empower communities to

include human health, economic, and environmental factors into

decision-making processes.

9/24/2013 11U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

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National Prevention Strategy20 Federal Agencies - Nat ional Prevent ion Counc i l

12

National EPA Brownfields Conference

May 15- 17, 2013, Atlanta, GA

Dr. Regina Benjamin,

18th U.S. Surgeon General & Chair of the

National Prevention Strategy

(Retired: July 16, 2013)

National Prevention, Health

Promotion and Public

Health Council

June 2011http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/initiatives/prevention/

strategy/report.pdf

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What is Green Infrastructure?

13

EPA defines green infrastructure as structural or non-structural practices that mimic or restore natural hydrologic

processes within the built environment.

Common green infrastructure practices include permeable

pavement (permeable concrete), bioretention facilities (rain

gardens, planter boxes), and green roofs.

Planter Boxes PermeablePavement

Bike Lane

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4/2/2014 14

One of the

most impairedcreeks in metro-

Atlanta

Placed on the

impaired waterslist, 303(d)

Does not meet

the state water

quality standardsfor fecal coliform

Issues in the Proctor Creek Watershed

Community

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EPA Creek Testing: 2012 - 2013

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BROWNFIELDS

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Health is not only theAbsence of Disease

or Infirmity.

Accord ing to WHO..Health is a state of complete

physical, mental and social

well-being and not merely the

absence of disease or infirmity.

1948 World Health Organization Constitution and the

1986 Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion

figure courtesy of Steve White, Oregon Public Health Institute

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Impervious Surface: 2006 National Land Cover

Database (NLCD)

UpstreamDrainage

Area:

1.29 sq. miles

33% of

watershed

is

impervious

surfaces

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How it works

Stormwater runoff that collects in the street is directed to thestormwater drains. The drains are the beginning of a conveyance

system that directs water through a series of underground pipes to the

combined sewer overflows (CSOs).

This image is from

EPAs Report to

Congress: Impactsand Control of

CSOs and SSOs,

which can be found

at

http://cfpub.epa.gov/

npdes/cso/cpolicy_r

eport2004.cfm.

Proctor Creek

Boone St.Boone St.

Proctor Creek

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Summary of issues and Concerns

Environmental Justice Area of Concern(Low-income, Minority populations, Vulnerable Populations)

Aging Infrastructure (Storm Water & Sewer System)

Impervious Surfaces upstream (Georgia Dome +Downtown Atlanta)

Pervasive Flooding (Flash floods, ponding)

Flooded Housing (Mold / Mildew issues)

Derelict Properties (Vandalism, rodents)

Illegal Tire Dumping (Mosquito ponding: West Niles VirusThreat)

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What happens in an HIA?

How doesthe

Proposed

ProjectPlan, o r

Pol icy

Affect

Examples

Housing

Air QualityWater Quality

Noise

Safety

Social Network

Nutrition/Quality of

Food

Parks & Open Space

Public Services

Transportation

Education

Health

Outcomes?

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4/2/2014 22

Group Discussion and Exercise:Identification & Prioritization of Concerns in theCommunity

Stakeholder Engagement:

Priority Concern Comparisons:

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4/2/2014 23

Priority Concern Comparisons:

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Potential Causal Pathways

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The downstream health

determinants often interact

and influence multiple

mental and physical health

outcomes including:

Morbidity & Mortality, Injury,Cardiovascular Disease,

Obesity, Type-2 Diabetes,

Chronic Stress, Asthma,

other respiratory conditions,

and Water & Food borne

diseases.

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Climate &

Temperature(Urban HeatIsland Effect)

Physical

Activity

Walkability/Bikeability

Employment

Open/GreenSpace

Traffic Conditions

Housing

(Property Value,

Damage)

Community

Economics

Vector

Control

Beautification/Aesthetics

Traffic Safety

Flooding/Water Quality

Volume

Social Capital

(Cohesion,

Culture)

Transportation

Safety

Mobility, Accessto Services

Economics,Household

Environment(Natural, Built)

Boone

Boulevard

Green Street

Project

(Green

Infrastructure)

Road Diet

Land Cover

(Vegetation,

Permeable Surface)

De ci si ons Pa thwa ys of Impa ct Ups tre am Impa cts Downs tre am Impa cts He al th De te rmi na nts He al th Outcome s

Perceived Safety

Personal Safety(Crime/Civility)

Air Quality

Noise

Pollution

Biodiversity

Shading

Socio-economic Status

Water

Quality

Access toHealthcare

Access to PublicTransit

Traffic

Accidents

Motor Vehicle Injury

and Death

M ental & Behavioral

Health

Hypertension &Related Chronic

Disease

Respiratory Disease(Including Asthma)

Heat-related Illness

OverallHealth &

Wellbeing

Overweight/Obesity

Cardiovascular

Disease

Vector-borneDisease

Water-borneDisease

Crime-related Injury

Stress

(Acute & Chronic)

Morbidity/

Mortality

Hearing

Cancer

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Where we are today.

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Assessment, which is a twostep process that first describes the

baseline health status and then

assesses potential impacts

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Developing Partnerships and Engaging

Stakeholders

Leveraged the HUD-DOT-EPA Partnership for Healthy

Communities

Participation from multiple levels and agencies:

Participation from multiple sectors:

27U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Federal (8)

University (7)

NGOs (3)

Community Orgs (10 +)

County (1)

City (1)

Environmental Protection Housing and Urban Development

Forest Service

Emergency Planning

Public Health Transportation

Education

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Visit our Website

4/2/2014 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 28

http://www.epa.gov/research/healthscience/health-impact-assessment.htm

http://www.epa.gov/research/priorities/docs/health-impact-assessment-factsheet.pdf

Email: [email protected]

Office: 404-562-8027