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2006 Progress Report: The Center for Hazardous Substances in Urban Environments (CHSUE) Outreach Program

EPA Grant Number: R828771C007
Subproject: this is subproject number 007 , established and managed by the Center Director under grant R828771
(EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
Center: HSRC (2001) - Center for Hazardous Substances in Urban Environments
Center Director: Bouwer, Edward J.
Title: The Center for Hazardous Substances in Urban Environments (CHSUE) Outreach Program
Investigators: Alavi, Hedy , Bouwer, Edward J.
Current Investigators: Alavi, Hedy
Institution: Johns Hopkins University
EPA Project Officer: Lasat, Mitch
Project Period: October 1, 2001 through September 30, 2002 (Extended to September 30, 2007)
Project Period Covered by this Report: October 1, 2005 through September 30, 2006
Project Amount: Refer to main center abstract for funding details.
RFA: Hazardous Substance Research Centers - HSRC (2001)
Research Category: Hazardous Waste/Remediation

Description:

Objective:

The Center for Hazardous Substances in Urban Environments (CHSUE) completed its fifth year of existence under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Hazardous Substances Research Centers program (October 1, 2005 to September 30, 2006). The CHSUE is a cooperative activity between Johns Hopkins University (lead institution), University of Maryland (UMD), Morgan State University, University of Connecticut, and New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) and covers EPA Regions 1, 2, and 3. About 80 percent of the U.S. population lives in metropolitan areas. These urban residents face a number of pressing environmental problems, including exposure to toxic chemicals from contaminated sites, landfills, incinerators, abandoned industrial sites (brownfields), industrial releases, lead, and pesticide use. In this context, EPA Regions 1, 2, and 3 have identified “Urban Livability” as a strategic priority. Focusing on the upper mid-Atlantic to the Northeast, the mission of the CHSUE is two-fold: (1) to promote a better understanding of physical, chemical, and biological processes for detecting, assessing, and managing risks associated with the use and disposal of hazardous substances in urban environments and (2) to disseminate the results of the research and provide technical expertise to various stakeholders, including community groups, municipal officials, regulators, academia, and industry.

Outreach Program

The CHSUE Outreach Program is a collaborative effort between the Johns Hopkins University (lead institution), University of Connecticut (representing EPA Region 1), NJIT (representing EPA Region 2), and UMD and Morgan State University (representing EPA Regions 3). The goal of the Outreach Program is to transfer knowledge and technology resulting from the research projects and expertise of the principal investigators and technical staff to communities with environmental contamination throughout the regions.

Progress Summary:

The CHSUE Outreach Program is a collaborative effort between the Johns Hopkins University (lead institution), University of Connecticut (representing EPA Region 1), NJIT (representing EPA Region 2), and UMD and Morgan State University (representing EPA Regions 3). The goal of the Outreach Program is to transfer knowledge and technology resulting from the research projects and expertise of the principal investigators and technical staff to communities with environmental contamination throughout the regions.

The outreach activities being conducted by the CHSUE are distributed among the partnering institutions to more appropriately respond to the local needs across the large geographical area represented by EPA Regions 1, 2, and 3. The interdisciplinary and multimedia nature of brownfields problems demands a diverse array of scientific talent and facilities. The affiliations and expertise of the participants in the Outreach Program are detailed below:

Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland (Lead Institution) (EPA Region 3)

University of Maryland School of Nursing, Baltimore, Maryland (EPA Region 3)

Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland (EPA Region 3)

New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ (EPA Region 2)

University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT (EPA Region 1)

The principal efforts of the Outreach Program include two distinct, but interrelated, components: Technical Outreach Services for Communities (TOSC) and Technical Assistance to Brownfields Communities (TAB). The goal of TOSC is to provide technical assistance and education to communities affected by hazardous waste, and to assist them with the restoration of their environment and neighborhood. The objective of TAB is to assist municipal officials, developers, and community groups with meeting the challenges of sustainable brownfields redevelopment by providing education and technical assistance on the application of advanced science and technology.

The outreach activities during the period of October 1, 2005 to September 30, 2006, include 34 projects geographically distributed across EPA Regions 1, 2, and 3 (Table 1). Eighteen projects are allocated under TOSC, and sixteen projects are allocated under TAB as shown in Table 1. A listing of the communities for the TOSC and TAB projects appears in Table 2. The listing in Table 2 is organized by EPA region. The tabular format encompasses items under the reporting requirements of the grant. The TOSC and TAB efforts include review of site characterization documents and remedial plans, review of hydrogeological data, workshops on brownfields legislation and issues and remedial options for waste sites, training in redevelopment of brownfield sites and former industrial areas, and communicating health effects for contaminants and information on health monitoring.

Table 1. Center for Hazardous Substances in Urban Environments Summary of Outreach Projects October 1, 2005 Through September 30, 2006

EPA Region

TOSC

TAB

Total

I

7

5

12

II

6

2

8

III

5

9

14

Total

18

16

34

Table 2. Center for Hazardous Substances in Urban Environments Summary of Outreach Projects With Detail

EPA Region

Project Title/
Community/Location

TAB/TOSC

I

Blackburn and Union Privileges Superfund Site
Woburn, MA

TAB

I

Elizabeth Mine
Stafford, VT

TOSC

I

City of Meriden Redevelopment
Meriden, CT

TAB

I

Aberjona River/Industri-Plex Superfund Site
Woburn, MA

TOSC

I

New Hall Coalition
Hamden, CT

TOSC

I

Fall River, MA/Tiverton, RI-ENACT
Fall River MA, Tiverton, RI

TOSC

I

Massachusetts Military Reservation (MMR)
Cape Cod (several towns), MA

TOSC

I

Bridgeport, East End Neighborhood
Bridgeport, CT

TAB

I

Williamstown, VT

TOSC

I

Roosevelt Mills
Vernon, CT

TAB

I

Passamaquoddy Tribe at Pleasant Point
Perry, ME

TOSC

I

Aroostook Band of Micmacs
Presque Isle, ME

TAB

II

Brownfield Environmental Solutions of Trenton
NJ

TAB

II

Hudson River PCB Community Advisory Group
Upper Hudson River, NY

TOSC

II

Ironbound Community Corp
Newark, NJ

TOSC

II

Ford Avenue Redevelopment Project
Milltown, NJ

TAB

II

Coalition for Clean Air During Construction at Liberty Harbor North

TOSC

II

Fort Edward Community Health & Safety Committee

TOSC

II

Middleport Remedial Action Group

TOSC

II

Heart of Camden
Camden, NJ

TOSC

III

Lamond-Riggs Park
Washington, DC

TOSC

III

Metachem
Delaware City, DE

TOSC

III

Greater Wilmington Environmental Health Summit
Wilmington, DE

TAB

III

Baltimore City Soil
Baltimore, MD

TAB

III

Baltimore Environmental Justice Network
Baltimore, MD

TOSC/TAB

III

Carroll County MTBE
Carroll County, MD

TAB

III

Central Chemical Superfund Site
Hagerstown, MD

TOSC

III

Eastalco
Frederick, MD

TAB

III

Jacksonville Exxon
Baltimore, MD

TAB

III

Little Elk Creek One Cleanup Pilot
Elkton, MD

TOSC

III

Washington Village/Pigtown
Baltimore, MD

TAB

III

Chester
Chester, PA

TAB

III

Northern Liberties
Philadelphia, PA

TAB

Outreach for Brownfields Sites. In September 2003, the CHSUE prepared a proposal to EPA, which described a plan to provide additional Training and Technical Assistance to Brownfields (TTAB). This proposal was selected for funding, and the CHSUE has ongoing efforts and activities for communities impacted by brownfields sites. The “training” component of this project is providing knowledge on brownfields issues to stakeholders through various methods, including class-room style training, workshops, conferences, roundtables, and Internet communications. The “technical assistance” component is guiding stakeholders through a particular process or helping them understand complex brownfields-related subject matter. Participants at each of the partnering institutions are contributing to the proposed TTAB efforts. In EPA Region 1, collaborators at the University of Connecticut are engaged in the following TTAB projects: (a) Ninigret Park (Charleston, RI); (b) Mallory Hat Factory (Danbury, CT); (c) Regional Growth Partnership (Bridgeport, CT); (d) Redevelopment of Contaminated Land (Stamford, CT); and (e) Hartford Police Shooting Range (Rocky Hill, CT). In EPA Region 2, collaborators at the NJIT are engaged in the following TTAB projects: (a) Area-wide Assessment (Kingston, NY); (b) Task Force Training (Lackawanna, NY); (c) Institutional Controls Training (Newark, NJ); (d) New Jersey Brownfields Development Areas; (e) New Jersey School Construction; and (f) New York State Department of Housing and Community Renewal. In EPA Region 3, collaborators at the UMD and Johns Hopkins University are engaged in the following TTAB projects: (a) Community Leadership Training; (b) Community Involvement Training; (c) Health Care Provider Training; (d) Workshops on Risk Communication; (e) Workshops on Economics of Brownfields Cleanup and Redevelopment; and (f) Technical Assistance and Technical Document Review. Collaborators at the Morgan State University are contributing to TTAB in EPA Region 3 via technical assistance to the Park Heights Reisterstown Road Corridor Coalition Community.

Advisory Committees

The CHSUE benefits from an Outreach Advisory Committee (OAC), consisting of 12 representatives from EPA, other government offices, industry, and the community (Table 3). Mr. Gary Letteron, of Washington Village/Pigtown Neighborhood Planning Council (WPNPC) in Baltimore, Mr. Henri Thompson, Executive Director of the Park Reist Corridor Coalition in Baltimore, and Ms. Nancy Zak, President of the Ironbound Community Corporation in Newark, joined the OAC in October 2004. Former Maryland State Delegate Mary Rosso resigned from the Committee to prevent any potential conflict of interest since she is now working part-time with UMD on Region 3 outreach activities. The purpose for the OAC is to assist the CHSUE in the development, implementation, and evaluation of education, knowledge transfer, and outreach activities and to identify outreach funding opportunities.

Table 3. Members of the Outreach Advisory Committee

Name

Representation

Charles, Larry, Co-Chair

Director and Member, ONE/CHANE and National Environmental Justice Advisory Committee

Ellerbusch, Fred

Director, Manufacturing Services Rhodia, Inc.

Johnson, Stacey

Hartford City Program Manager, U.S. EPA Region 1 Urban Environmental Initiative

Letteron, Gary

Washington Village/Pigtown Neighborhood Planning Center (WPNPC) in Baltimore, MD

Murphy, Jim

RAA, U.S. EPA Region 1

Pitruzzello, Vincent

Chief, Program Support Branch, Emergency and Remedial Response Division, U.S. EPA Region 2

Shaw, Judith, Co-Chair

Administrator, Brownfields Office, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

Thompson, Henri

Executive of the Park Reist Corridor Coalition in Baltimore, MD.

Whitman, Ira

President, Whitman Companies, Inc., East Brunswick, New Jersey

Wilson, Shari

Secretary, Maryland Department of the Environment

Yates, Harold

Senior Community Involvement Coordinator, U.S. EPA Region 3

Zak, Nancy

Director of Community Organizing, Ironbound Community Corporation in Newark, NJ

The first OAC meeting was held on November 7, 2002, at Johns Hopkins University. The second OAC meeting was held on November 14, 2003, at the NJIT. The third OAC meeting was held on November 19, 2004, at the University of Connecticut. The fourth meeting was held on November 18, 2005, at the UMD, School of Nursing.

Journal Articles:

No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 10 publications for this subproject

Supplemental Keywords:

Scientific Discipline, Waste, Health, RFA, PHYSICAL ASPECTS, Brownfields, Risk Assessments, Health Risk Assessment, Physical Processes, Ecological Risk Assessment, Hazardous Waste, Hazardous, Ecology and Ecosystems, environmental justice, urban environment, outreach material, brownfield sites, environmental hazards, human health risk, technical outreach, outreach and education, community support, contaminant dynamics, contaminant transport, web site development, hazardous substance contamination, exposure, technology transfer, human exposure, web development
Relevant Websites:

http://www.jhu.edu/hsrc/ exit EPA

Progress and Final Reports:
2002 Progress Report
2003 Progress Report
2004 Progress Report
2005 Progress Report
Original Abstract
Final Report


Main Center Abstract and Reports:
R828771    HSRC (2001) - Center for Hazardous Substances in Urban Environments

Subprojects under this Center: (EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
R828771C001 Co-Contaminant Effects on Risk Assessment and Remediation Activities Involving Urban Sediments and Soils: Phase II
R828771C002 The Fate and Potential Bioavailability of Airborne Urban Contaminants
R828771C003 Geochemistry, Biochemistry, and Surface/Groundwater Interactions for As, Cr, Ni, Zn, and Cd with Applications to Contaminated Waterfronts
R828771C004 Large Eddy Simulation of Dispersion in Urban Areas
R828771C005 Speciation of chromium in environmental media using capillary electrophoresis with multiple wavlength UV/visible detection
R828771C006 Zero-Valent Metal Treatment of Halogenated Vapor-Phase Contaminants in SVE Offgas
R828771C007 The Center for Hazardous Substances in Urban Environments (CHSUE) Outreach Program
R828771C008 New Jersey Institute of Technology Outreach Program for EPA Region II
R828771C009 Urban Environmental Issues: Hartford Technology Transfer and Outreach
R828771C010 University of Maryland Outreach Component
R828771C011 Environmental Assessment and GIS System Development of Brownfield Sites in Baltimore
R828771C012 Solubilization of Particulate-Bound Ni(II) and Zn(II)
R828771C013 Seasonal Controls of Arsenic Transport Across the Groundwater-Surface Water Interface at a Closed Landfill Site
R828771C014 Research Needs in the EPA Regions Covered by the Center for Hazardous Substances in Urban Environments
R828771C015 Transport of Hazardous Substances Between Brownfields and the Surrounding Urban Atmosphere

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The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.

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