Comments on: EPA Seeking Feedback on Beta Tool to Address Community Environmental Issues http://blog.epa.gov/ej/2012/08/epa-has-a-new-tool-to-help-assess-pollution-in-your-community/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=epa-has-a-new-tool-to-help-assess-pollution-in-your-community Environmental Justice in Overburdened Communities Sat, 18 May 2013 20:18:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Subash Chandra Biswas http://blog.epa.gov/ej/2012/08/epa-has-a-new-tool-to-help-assess-pollution-in-your-community/#comment-143 Subash Chandra Biswas Wed, 15 Aug 2012 02:09:18 +0000 http://blog.epa.gov/ej/?p=716#comment-143 Greetings from ASD-Bangladesh (Association for Sustainable Development in Bangladesh,
It has been facilitating for promoting environment, sustainable/ organic agriculture and Farners (human) rights.
However, is it possible to develop learning tools for school students that would help to make awareness among future citizen to enhance environmental justice.
Regards.

]]> By: agatha garland http://blog.epa.gov/ej/2012/08/epa-has-a-new-tool-to-help-assess-pollution-in-your-community/#comment-142 agatha garland Tue, 14 Aug 2012 16:47:59 +0000 http://blog.epa.gov/ej/?p=716#comment-142 A link to the latest “T-FERST maps of EPA-modeled sea level rise” would be very helpful.

We live at low elevation (coastal plains) where there are hundreds of abandoned industrial toxic and hazardous waste sites which btw the the EPA and our State has not yet cleaned up. In fact, the few cleanups that have been done are long ongoing ‘pump and treat’ efforts which left the toxic and hazardous wastes in situ, before global heating became a concern. Given this, what specifically is EPA doing about rising sea levels as a result of Global Heating?

Also, our community opposes the development of Oil & Gas, including shale sources because such would very likely lead to CO2 and other GHG emissions increases placing our planet in serious risk (See articles by J. Hansen, et al.). We are opposed to the KEYSTONE XL pipeline! Citizens need to timely review and comment on EPA policy thereto—please link to it!

]]> By: Valerie Zartarian http://blog.epa.gov/ej/2012/08/epa-has-a-new-tool-to-help-assess-pollution-in-your-community/#comment-139 Valerie Zartarian Mon, 13 Aug 2012 19:15:35 +0000 http://blog.epa.gov/ej/?p=716#comment-139 We are seeking stakeholder feedback to enhance C-FERST before official peer review and public release, and welcome suggestions on additional data layers potential end users would like to see incorporated.

]]> By: Valerie Zartarian http://blog.epa.gov/ej/2012/08/epa-has-a-new-tool-to-help-assess-pollution-in-your-community/#comment-138 Valerie Zartarian Mon, 13 Aug 2012 19:13:04 +0000 http://blog.epa.gov/ej/?p=716#comment-138 Thank you for your suggestion. We do want to emphasize that this is a beta version that still needs to undergo peer review before full public release, without the login screen and current disclaimer that beta testers must accept.  We are seeking feedback on how we can enhance C-FERST before official review and public release.

]]> By: Gary Bass http://blog.epa.gov/ej/2012/08/epa-has-a-new-tool-to-help-assess-pollution-in-your-community/#comment-137 Gary Bass Mon, 13 Aug 2012 16:59:42 +0000 http://blog.epa.gov/ej/?p=716#comment-137 Please be sure to include rural communities where mining in N.E. FL is draining our lakes and groundwater. They are destroying our environment. State Parks where historically were used for water skiing and fishing are now mud holes and closed due to sand mining within 4 miles. They are focusing on a geological formation called Trail Ridge and devastating communities. The Florida Aquifers are fragile. Mining is a hideous industry and give nothing back to the community but, grief. They are abusing our life giving water.

]]> By: Maria http://blog.epa.gov/ej/2012/08/epa-has-a-new-tool-to-help-assess-pollution-in-your-community/#comment-136 Maria Sat, 11 Aug 2012 17:53:50 +0000 http://blog.epa.gov/ej/?p=716#comment-136 Great information for a community to see what is in their neighborhood.

]]> By: Gudrun Scott http://blog.epa.gov/ej/2012/08/epa-has-a-new-tool-to-help-assess-pollution-in-your-community/#comment-135 Gudrun Scott Sat, 11 Aug 2012 04:17:16 +0000 http://blog.epa.gov/ej/?p=716#comment-135 Odor is difficult to quantify or qualify let alone put a economic number or value on it but it can be critical. For example we have a poor rural community accepting the septic wastes , food processing wastes and factory farm manure all together over many years spread on the same acreage. At the public hearing of the draft permit http://www.dec.ny.gov/permits/83464.html to increase the hauling from 15 towns to 20 towns, one witness described her home basically worthless- property values were downed 20% and she cannot open the windows– nobody would buy the property. DEC of NY also claims that this permit does not need a further environmental impact statement although the towns are increased from 15 to 20 . To add insult to injury DEC has declared this community not to be eligible for potential environmental justice since their map for Steuben County NY here http://www.dec.ny.gov/public/899.html states that none of the towns of Thurston, Bath and Cameron are eligible for EJ but looking at other income data on the internet they seem to qualify that 24% live below the poverty line- the majority is Caucasian, median income per person is $19,159 and for NY state it is $38,554 does that qualify? anyway I have til August 16 to make a comment to the administrative judge…
I am very much hoping that we can interest one of the 20 towns some of which are college towns, may consider to develop an industrial digester for sewage with all the science and impact on the environment it would be a great beginning in the US to catch up with Europe who adopted digesters au mass in the 21st century and now have 1% of their electricity from that and since people live so close together in Europe, they cannot get away with a huge odor problem– let the USA catch up!!!

]]> By: EPA’s New Tool to Assess Pollution in your Community | Green Wei Blog http://blog.epa.gov/ej/2012/08/epa-has-a-new-tool-to-help-assess-pollution-in-your-community/#comment-134 EPA’s New Tool to Assess Pollution in your Community | Green Wei Blog Fri, 10 Aug 2012 23:59:56 +0000 http://blog.epa.gov/ej/?p=716#comment-134 [...] More here. [...]

]]> By: Jeanne Simonelli http://blog.epa.gov/ej/2012/08/epa-has-a-new-tool-to-help-assess-pollution-in-your-community/#comment-133 Jeanne Simonelli Fri, 10 Aug 2012 21:29:24 +0000 http://blog.epa.gov/ej/?p=716#comment-133 Noise levels from hydraulic fracturing, well drilling and more important, road noise and pollution from the the truck traffic, as in Montrose, PA.

]]> By: Andrew Geller http://blog.epa.gov/ej/2012/08/epa-has-a-new-tool-to-help-assess-pollution-in-your-community/#comment-132 Andrew Geller Fri, 10 Aug 2012 20:41:35 +0000 http://blog.epa.gov/ej/?p=716#comment-132 Thank you for your comment. We will be adding factors as we continue to do community-based research as well as working with collaborators outside the Agency to add factors, with the goal of developing national and local estimates of concentration, exposure, and / or risk to high priority pollutants. Do you have a suggestion for a source of noise and roadside pollution levels?

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