0 A Preliminary Discussion of Environmental Health in Springfield MA Produced to promote public discussion by Healthy Environment/Healthy Springfield CARE Project (HEHS CARE) Co-Sponsored by Partners for a Healthier Community & Pioneer Valley Asthma Coalition With funding from the US EPA January 2012
39
Embed
Preliminary Discussion of Environmental Health Issues in Springfield - final
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
0
A Preliminary Discussion of Environmental Health in Springfield MA
Produced to promote public discussion by
Healthy Environment/Healthy Springfield CARE Project (HEHS CARE)
Risk Assessment for Brownfield/Oil & Hazardous Waste/oil Sites ..................................................... 13
Trash, Litter and Illegal Dumping ........................................................................................................... 14
Risk Ranking for Trash, Litter, and Illegal Dumping .......................................................................... 15
Chemicals and Pesticides in Soil ............................................................................................................. 16
Risk Ranking for Pesticides/Chemicals in Soil .................................................................................... 17
Air Pollution from Diesel Exhaust .......................................................................................................... 18
Risk Ranking of Diesel Exhaust in Springfield .................................................................................... 19
Air Pollution from Vehicle Exhaust ........................................................................................................ 20
Risk Ranking for Vehicle Exhaust ....................................................................................................... 21
Lead in Housing ...................................................................................................................................... 22
Risk Ranking for Lead in Springfield Houses ...................................................................................... 23
Mold in Indoor Spaces ............................................................................................................................ 24
Risk Ranking for Mold ......................................................................................................................... 25
Scoring of Quantitative Community Concerns ....................................................................................... 33
Feedback Form ........................................................................................................................................ 34
Glossary of Terms ................................................................................................................................... 36
3
Introduction This document is intended to begin a conversation on the environment and public health in
Springfield MA. It will be presented at two Stakeholder meetings, January 10 and 24, Springfield
Technical Community College (STCC) Scibelli Hall, 7th
floor, from 6-8pm (see back cover for details)
and to promote solution-based dialogue in the community. We will overview some of the issues identified
through community outreach and provide sufficient information for informed deliberations.
Our purpose is to provide the public a general understanding of environmental conditions in
Springfield, sufficient to encourage community discussion and decision-making. Each document – and
successive document - will reflect community decisions made following draft publication. This document
will review some of these issues in the summary and factsheets that follow.
This document is not intended as the „final word‟ on environmental health conditions in
Springfield. Rather, a beginning place to pursue solutions to improve life in Springfield. Many
environmental concerns have not been represented here and some are so significant and complex, they
will require additional resources to fully assess. Since this is the beginning of the conversation, we have
deferred talking about solutions and feasibility at this stage. We feel that discussion needs to include the
community and must first follow a review of environmental concerns, building off community priorities as
they are developed.
Because this document simply identifies problems and concerns, it may project a „negative‟ tone to
some. This is not our perception of Springfield, nor should the reader despair. There is a great deal of
good work being done and Springfield has many wonderful assets. Only a few things can be mentioned
here:
o Robust public health networks and clinical health services
o Strong community identity and coalitions
o 50% of homes are owned by their occupants
o Excellent libraries
o Growing local colleges
o Emerging community gardening movement.
o Many public parks within walking distance of residents
o Affordable, architecturally-significant communities
o New economic development, including new Baystate Hospital and solar power farm
o Broad-based economic development planning processes
o Springfield recognized as 4th greenest city in the US
Since discussions about solutions and feasibility are inherently political and economic matters –
one person‟s „impossible task‟ may be another‟s „no brainer‟ – the public needs to be a part of that
conversation. This is why we simply identified problems and concerns. Together with residents,
municipal and community leaders, we will map a way forward to solve them.
Healthy Environment/Healthy Springfield CARE Project The Healthy Environment/Healthy Springfield CARE Project (HEHS CARE) is an emerging
coalition of health, municipal, community and academic organizations committed to developing a healthy
environment in Springfield. Our long-term effort is to establish a working coalition of organizations,
residents, businesses and government agencies to address environmental health issues and improve the
quality of life for all.
The Healthy Environment/Healthy Springfield CARE Project (HEHS CARE) was funded and charged
by the US EPA to:
o Assess environmental conditions in Springfield
o Seek input from residents and stakeholders on environmental issues
o Build community capacity to address problems identified
o Develop action plan to address community-identified priorities and concerns
4
We will produce three documents on Springfield to further these goals:
o Preliminary Discussion of Environmental Health Issues in Springfield
o Report on Environmental Health in Springfield
o Action Plan to Improve Environmental Health in Springfield
The CARE Project is co-sponsored by Partners for a Healthier Community and the Pioneer Valley
Asthma Coalition. The University of Massachusetts Amherst, Arise for Social Justice, Springfield City
Department of Parks, Buildings and Recreational Management also serve on this project‟s management
team and developed this document for public use.
Along with these organizations, others have taken a leadership role in this project, including:
Pioneer Valley Planning Commission HAP (Hampden Hampshire Housing Partnership)
Universal Community Voices Springfield Dept of Planning
Springfield Renaissance School Gardening the Community
Springfield Green Team Springfield Area Sustainable Energy Association
Springfield Partners American Lung Association
McKnight Neighborhood Council
The US EPA has charged HEHS CARE to assess, prioritize and develop a plan of action to address
environmental risks in Springfield and build the coalition to carry it out. These issues include:
Air pollution Soil pollution
Water pollution Built environment
Indoor environmental conditions Youth and the environment
In addition, the CARE Project was asked by the US EPA to review damage caused by recent
extreme weather events (tornado, snow storm, etc.) and include those impacts in its assessments.
The task for this two year project is to assess environmental health conditions, build community
capacity to address those issues it identifies, engage the community in prioritization/problem-solving and
develop an action plan to address community prioritized concerns. The greater goal of this project is to
create a Springfield-based environmental health coalition of residents and organization, sufficient to
address the environmental issues that negatively impact the health well-being of the people of Springfield.
Assessing Conditions in Springfield As will be evident in the pages to come, the environmental health issues in Springfield are serious
and complex. The issues we – or the community – have identified far outstrips our capacity to fully
investigate with this modest grant. Our assessment work is on-going and will be more fully addressed in
our Report on Environmental Health in Springfield.
That said, we need to start a conversation on these issues, while we continue the process of
investigating environmental conditions in Springfield. Unlike many of the CARE projects in the United
States (over a 100 at this point), Springfield had no dedicated environmental organization to address this
work. Unlike many CARE communities, Springfield is also an Environmental Justice community. That
means it‟s environmental and health disparities are more extreme and the socio-economic conditions of its
citizenry limits their ability to fully participate in the decisions that affect their lives.
Assessment Challenges and Continuing Research Some of the most significant environmental issues Springfield faces are not represented in this
document. These include:
Built Environment Industrial Air Pollution
Schools and Public Buildings Extreme Weather Events
Water Pollen/Allergies
Youth and the Environment
5
In some cases, we are in the middle of assessing the available data on these issues. In other cases
we are wrestling with gaps in the available data and in other cases we are awaiting promised data or
hunting that data down. These issues will be more fully addressed in our upcoming Report on
Environmental Health in Springfield.
But the depth and complexity of some of these issues – most notably, 985 oil & hazardous waste
sites, industrial and biological pollution in all ponds and waterways, industrial air pollution and other
identified issues – will require on-going assessment and research. Some of this will require citizen
participation to achieve. Others will require research investment. We hope those who see these issues as
important will become CARE Project stakeholders and join the effort to resolve them.
Environmental Justice: Springfield’s CARE Project Attending to these issues is important because of Springfield‟s designation as an Environmental
Justice Community by the US EPA. Environmental Justice is defined by the EPA as “the fair treatment
and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect
to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.”
The goal is to ensure that everyone enjoys the same degree of protection from environmental and health
hazards and equal access to the decision-making process to have a healthy environment in which to live,
learn, and work. In Massachusetts, Environmental justice communities are defined by any of 4 criteria:
o Households earn 65% or less of the statewide household median income; or
o 25% or more of the residents are minority; or
o 25% or more of the residents are foreign-born; or
o 25% or more of the residents are lacking English language proficiency
Springfield qualifies as an environmental justice community based on 3 out of 4 criteria:
o Median Household income: 64% of statewide median. Springfield $39,611.
Massachusetts: $62,072. National: $49,445
o General Demographics: 38% Latino (any race), 22% African American, 2% Asian and
38% non-Latino white
o Foreign born: Only 6% of Springfield residents were born outside the US.
o Language: Approximately 30% of Springfield residents speak a language other than
English in the home.
Socio-Economics, Racism and Environmental Justice in Springfield The single greatest indicator for predicting human health is socio-economics. Similarly, economic
and environmental conditions go hand in hand. For over 200 years, the foundation of the city‟s economy
was wrapped around its manufacturing work. This economic activity, combined with its location as an
intersection for trade, turned Springfield from a farming hamlet into vibrant city. But it is also the source
of many of its environmental problems. The disappearance of these factories left enormous environmental
and economic problems in their wake. The cost of redevelopment – including cleaning up past problems -
has also created challenges for 21st century development. The loss of factory work decimated Springfield‟s
job markets and a decade of municipal budget cuts have further cost residents living wage jobs, municipal
services and challenged the city‟s capacity to maintain its schools, buildings, roads and infrastructure.
While there has been significant investment in Springfield recently, the challenges remain daunting.
When the economy crashed in 2008, Springfield‟s residents bore the brunt of the pain. Its
neighborhoods continue to reel from high foreclosure rates, closed businesses and high unemployment
rates. Foreclosures have wreaked havoc on communities. One out of twelve (8%) housing units in
Springfield remain empty or abandoned. High unemployment rates among youth in the summer seem to
coincide with an increase in youth violence during those months.
The cost of living in Springfield Massachusetts is 20% higher than the national average, while
Springfield‟s household income is 20% less than the national average. Per-capita (per person) income for
6
Springfield is only 54% of the state-wide average (Springfield: 18,105; Massachusetts; $33,460). This
means that the economic stresses on residents – particularly families - are more severe than other
statistical measures might indicate.
23% of Springfield households are without cars, making them dependent on mass transit. For those
residents, access is limited to bus routes. Those without cars are access-limited to opportunity and
resources provided by intercity transportation. Currently, intercity public transportation does not yet allow
for full, free and easy movement of city residents to out-of-town work, shopping or other opportunities.
Adding to these economic and infrastructural challenges are the problems of racism in Western
Massachusetts. Hampden County is very racially segregated. According to the 2010 census, 79% of
African Americans and 61% of Latinos live in Springfield. This segregation becomes starker when
Holyoke is included. 81% of African Americans and 85% of Latinos live in these two cities, while much
of the work and economic opportunity lies outside these towns.
Limited access to opportunity further exacerbates and exposes other structural racism issues,
including education, justice, policing, etc. Over the course of the past few decades, this institutional
racism has become a dynamic force, magnifying toxic conditions in center-city and low income
neighborhoods. It also accounts for increasing health disparities for poor people and people of color.
These issues negatively impact the city economy as a whole, reducing personal and municipal
revenue, giving meaning and value to Springfield‟s designation as an Environmental Justice community.
They also combine to allow a disproportionate number of environmental health hazards to be located in
Springfield, diminish the city‟s capacity to regenerate the economy and environment, while undermining
city residents‟ capacity to participate in the decisions that affect their lives.
Some other significant socio-economic issues to consider:
o Unemployment: Official rate (U-3) 8.1% (Nov. 2011), Census 2010 (18.5%). Including
discouraged workers and underemployed, estimated at 20% or more.
o Foreclosures: 1,312 Springfield homes in foreclosure, July-Sept. 2011, the second highest
foreclosure rate in New England.
o Poverty: 34% of residents. 48.3% of children under 18. (125% of US poverty threshold).
o Vulnerable Populations by Age: 31% under 20. 11% over 65. These populations are at
greater health risk than the general population.
Environmental/Health Disparities The state of the environment has a direct bearing on health disparities. The combination of
increasing economic disparities, existing health issues and disproportionate exposure to environmental
hazards, can create further health disparities experienced by Springfield residents. The sum of health,
socio-economic and environmental disparities led the University of Wisconsin‟s Population Health
Institute to rank Hampden County worst in MA for health outcomes and factors in 2011.
Here are some health disparities – where the environment is a factor - at a glance:
Health Disparities with Environmental Component Springfield Massachusetts
Asthma among public school children 21% 10.85%
Asthma ER visits for children 0-14 (Age-adjusted to 2000 US standard pop.) 1839 808
Infant Mortality Rate (per 1000 live births) 10.6 5.1
African American Infant Mortality Rate (per 1000 live births) 15.4 11.3
Lung Cancer Mortality Rate 65.5 52.4
Female Breast Cancer Mortality Rate 25.9 23.0
Obesity Rate (Age-adjusted to 2000 US standard pop.) 66 56
Diabetes Hospital Discharge Rate (age adjusted per 100,000) 274.2 132.4
Diabetes Death Rate (age adjusted per 100,000) 27.1 18.4
Hypertension Hospital Discharge Rate (age adjusted per 100,000) 75.7 38.7
Premature Death Rate (per 100,000 persons under 75, age-adjusted to 2000 US
standard pop. under 75 years) 466 317
7
The state of the environment has a direct bearing on health disparities. Poor indoor and outdoor air
quality increases the likelihood of asthma episodes. Some conditions can produce asthma in a child that
might otherwise never develop that chronic condition. Safety concerns limit resident use of outdoor spaces
for exercise. When combined with pollutants present in the environment, this increases risk of heart
conditions, obesity, diabetes and certain forms of cancer. Large sections of Springfield have been
designated as „food deserts‟, due to the lack of quality fresh fruit, vegetables, fish and meat. This means
the population is more dependent on fast and processed food and is at further risk for diabetes, obesity
rates and other nutrition-related health problems.
Understanding Springfield’s Environmental Problems Springfield was built over several centuries around heavy industry and commerce, mixing housing
with industry in the same neighborhoods. As the factories went out of business or moved away, it affected
other businesses; gas stations, dry cleaners and other forms of commerce. Over time, the landscape
became littered with empty and abandoned buildings and lots. While the factories may have closed, the
buildings and the materials they used remain, polluting the soil and challenging future development. A
factory may have closed a century ago, but the pollution they added to the soil – arsenic, mercury, lead,
cyanide, gasoline – may remain for centuries, if not addressed. Pollutants in the soil migrate to water
bodies and a century-old storm drain system mixes sewage with storm runoff, pouring both into
Springfield‟s ponds and lakes.
The remaining heavy industry combines with several major highways and a significant number of
truck, train and bus depots to add pollution to the air. Cars remain the most important means of
transportation in Springfield. Those without cars are at a major disadvantage when it comes to jobs or
access to services, shops, etc. These, too, play a major part in Springfield‟s air pollution. Mixed
residential and industrial neighborhoods mean that truck traffic is a factor in air pollution in local
neighborhoods as well as the city as a whole.
As if these challenges were not enough, a tornado tore through town June 3, 2011. It caused
widespread damage in 7 neighborhoods and devastated three (Old Town, Six Corners and South End).
This extreme weather event was followed by several others (including Hurricane Irene), capped off by an
October snowstorm that left many in the city without heat or electricity for up to 8 days.
The Precautionary Principle and Environmental Stewardship The CARE Project adopted the ‘precautionary principle’ at the outset of its investigations. Risk
assessment in the US assumes an action, policy or product (with some exceptions) is safe until proven
otherwise. For example, cigarettes were „safe‟ until science had exhaustively proven their dangers and
industry had lost all recourse in avoiding responsibility.
The precautionary principle – on the other hand - argues that if an action, policy or product is
suspected to cause risk of harm to the public or to the environment – even if scientific assessment has not
reached consensus on its dangers - the burden of proof falls to those taking the action, to prove their
activity is not harmful.
This project has also adopted ‘Environmental Stewardship’ as a model for addressing problems
going forward. This idea embraces the concept of responsible use and protection of the natural
environment through conservation and sustainable practices. As we move from identifying problems to
developing solutions, the CARE project will use the concept of environmental stewardship as a guiding
principle in addressing Springfield‟s many environmental problems.
Prioritizing Environmental Issues Following this executive summary, we have included 11 factsheets on various issues identified by
the public in our outreach and those that were well-known at the time we began our work. Our outreach
consisted of presentation/discussion to local groups, tabling at public events, community forums on a
variety of topics and the collection of feedback forms. This work remains ongoing and will continue to be
a part of our efforts.
8
The issues presented in these factsheets do not reflect the sum of all environmental issues in
Springfield, but rather the beginning of the assessment. One of the challenges we faced in our assessment
is the number, depth and complexity of some of Springfield‟s problems and – in many places – the
absence of data to explain the issues. We will be reporting on these matters in greater detail in our
upcoming Report on the Environment in Springfield. But some are so profound, additional resources will
be needed to understand them fully. For now, this document must suffice to begin this conversation.
Assessing Environmental Risk One requirement of the US EPA‟s CARE Project is the development of an Environmental Risk
Ranking process to assess the impact of environmental issues on Springfield and to include community
priorities in that process. The goal is to create a transparent process, using standardized criteria and
community input to determine which environmental issues are affecting Springfield the most.
In the first phase of this project, Umass faculty and graduate students investigated known
environmental issues, based on available data. A feedback form was developed (see Appendices) that
included quantitative (pre-determined check-list) and qualitative (open-ended, write your own answer)
questions to assess community concerns. These were collected at community forums, roundtable
discussions and tabling at community events. In addition, community members were invited to offer
verbal responses at these events. 270 feedback forms were collected. This process is still on-going.
As community members raised issues, these were passed on to Umass faculty and graduate
students, along with investigation by CARE Project staff and are – at least partially – reflected in this
document. This work is on-going and will be more fully reflected in the report to come.
Umass faculty and graduate students developed a spreadsheet model for assessing environmental
health risks Umass faculty and graduate students developed a spreadsheet model for assessing
environmental health risks. Quantitative and qualitative answers and other forms of feedback were not
integrated at this time, except to guide research and to highlight the potential top issues. A scoring process
was used in which each environmental issue was assigned a number that described its impact on
Springfield‟s residents and environment in the following areas:
o Exposure- how many people are exposed including percentage of people at risk and likelihood
of exposure. Special attention was given here to „vulnerable populations‟ (seniors/children).
o Health Impact- how harmful it is to people‟s health including symptoms experienced, health
problems caused by issue, severity of symptoms and health problem, number of ER visits
o Economic Impact - how costly it is to the Springfield economy including estimated current
cost, healthcare costs and loss of productivity
o Ecologic Impact - how harmful it is to the Springfield environment including buildings,
vegetation, water, soil and animals
The issues were ranked – each category treated equally in the math – generating the topics for
inclusion, in the factsheets that follow. The one, high-scoring issue not represented in these factsheets is
Pollen – a natural biological pollutant. Research is ongoing for this topic and will be included in the report
to come. Here are the overall scores for the quantitative component of the feedback forms:
Outdoor Air Pollutants - Individual pollutants
Ozone
Nitrogen
Dioxide NO2
Sulfur
dioxide
SO2
Small Particulate
Matter
PM2.5
Carbon Monoxide
CO
Exposure 2.94 2.78 2.61 2.94 2.61
Health Impact 3.71 2.00 2.00 4.14 2.43
Economic Impact 4.00 3.00 2.33 4.00 2.00
Ecological Impact 2.00 2.40 3.20 2.40 1.20
Average 3.16 2.54 2.54 3.37 2.06
Community Concern 2.68 -- -- 2.65 --
9
Air Pollution Sources
Vehicle Exhaust Diesel Exhaust Industrial air pollution Pollen and Mold
Exposure 3.28 2.94 3.11 2.94
Health Impact 3.86 4.00 3.86 2.86
Economic Impact 3.67 3.67 3.67 2.67
Ecological Impact 2.40 2.80 2.60 1.20
Average 3.30 3.35 3.31 2.42
Community Concern 3.00 3.00 2.83 3.01
Indoor Air Pollutants Mold Lead Paint Second-hand Smoke Pests Radon
Exposure 3.50 3.00 3.44 3.22 2.94
Health Impact 2.57 3.14 4.29 2.57 3.71
Economic Impact 4.33 3.33 4.33 3.33 3.00
Ecological Impact 1.80 2.20 1.80 2.60 1.40
Average 3.05 2.92 3.47 2.93 2.76
Community Concern 2.49 2.22 2.17 2.30 1.65
Indoor Environmental Pollutants
Carbon
Monoxide Odors from Chemicals Asbestos Chemicals/ Pesticides
Exposure 2.28 3.44 2.22 3.33
Health Impact 3.71 3.00 3.29 3.43
Economic Impact 2.33 2.33 3.33 2.67
Ecological Impact 1.40 1.00 1.20 2.80
Average 2.43 2.44 2.51 3.06
Community Concern 1.78 1.98 2.37 2.22
Water Pollutants
Chemicals,
Disinfection By
products
Bacteria in
drinking
water
Prescription
Drugs Heavy Metals
Fish
Consumption
Exposure 3.56 2.39 1.78 2.06 2.06
Health Impact 2.43 2.86 1.57 2.86 1.29
Economic Impact 2.00 2.33 1.33 2.00 1.00
Ecological Impact 1.80 2.20 2.00 2.00 1.40
Average 2.45 2.44 1.67 2.23 1.44
Community Concern 2.19 2.12 2.35 -- --
Soil Pollutants
Chemicals/ Pesticides
in soil
Brownfields
Abandoned
buildings Trash/Debris Illegal Dumping
Exposure 3.27 3.07 3.47 3.27
Health Impact 3.43 2.00 1.57 1.57
Economic Impact 2.00 2.67 1.33 1.33
Ecological Impact 3.40 3.20 3.40 3.60
Average 3.02 2.73 2.44 2.44
Community Concern 2.70 3.09 3.03 2.95
10
The community responses to the quantitative questions (ranking their priorities from 0-4, with an
additional option for „don‟t know‟) were entered as a separate category in the risk-ranking matrix for
comparison.
At the second Stakeholder meeting – January 24, 2012 – the community will be asked to weigh the
importance of each impact category – ecologic, economic, heath, exposure, & community concern –
giving each category more or less weight in the final analysis. At this meeting, we will also consider the
issues raised in the open-ended (qualitative) questions of the feedback form and integrate them into the
overall risk-ranking process, to arrive at prioritized solutions. Since these questions invited people to
identify issues in their own words, their answers varied widely. Here are their most frequent responses:
Most Frequently Mentioned Environmental & Health Concerns (Open-ended qualitative question responses)
Top Environmental Issues Top Health Issues
Outdoor Air Pollution Asthma & other Respiratory Issues
Trash/Litter/Dumping Obesity
Pollution (general) Diabetes
Indoor Air Quality Hypertension/Heart Disease
Built Environment/Soil/Brownfields Nutrition/Food Access Issues
respiratory symptoms (cough, wheezing), increased allergic responses and asthma-like symptoms to
known allergens.
Long-Term Health Effects: Long term exposure to diesel exhaust is also linked to lung cancer and
heart disease.
19
Risk Ranking of Diesel Exhaust in Springfield
Exposure = 2.94 (1 = low risk, 5 = high risk)
A large portion of the population is exposed to outdoor air, and because diesel exhaust is an outdoor air
pollutant, there is high likelihood that many people will be exposed. However, for many people, time
spent outdoors is relatively low compared with time spent indoors, reducing the risk of exposure. The
trends show that diesel emissions in Springfield are slightly decreasing over time, but there are many days
at or near the EPA standards.
Health Impact = 4.00 (1 = low impact, 5 = high impact) Diesel exhaust has a number of significant health effects, including respiratory symptoms, asthma
symptoms, and increased risk of cardiovascular disease. In Springfield, there are 33,711 children under
the age of 14 and 16,760 adults over age 65. These are sensitive populations, for whom exposure to diesel
exhaust could have a larger negative impact. In addition, as of 2007 14% of children in Springfield have
been diagnosed with asthma, which makes them more sensitive to diesel exhaust.
* Meetings will be rescheduled if schools are closed and/or off-street parking ban is in effect, due to bad weather
Our First Stakeholder Meeting- January 10th- will examine the federal designation of Springfield as an Environmental Justice (EJ) Community. Hosted by Arise for Social Justice, this meeting will consider why Springfield is an EJ community; examine Springfield's environmental issues; their consequence for human health and alternatives to the current state of affairs. Our Second Stakeholder Meeting- January 24th - will present issues for community deliberation and prioritization. Hosted by Live Well Springfield, decisions made and votes taken at this meeting will drive the Action Plan for HEHS CARE and its partner organizations and set the path for addressing issues going forward.
Partners for a Healthier Community, Inc. 280 Chestnut Street