NEJAC Goods Movement Assessment

1. NEJAC Goods Movement Assessment EPA Region 4 State & Local Air Directors Meeting June 2010

2. Agency’s Commitment • EPA Adminstrator Jackson has identified Environmental Justice as one of 7 Agency priorities: • “Expanding the Conversation on Environmentalism and Working for Environmental Justice” • Through the leadership of the: • EJ Executive Steering Committee • OECA/OEJ • Continues to comprehensively incorporate EJ considerations into EPA’s programs, policies and activities. 

3. Background • EPA created the Office of Environmental Justice in 1992, and implemented a new organizational infrastructure to integrate environmental justice into EPA's policies, programs, and activities. • An Executive Steering Committee made up of senior managers represents each headquarters office and region. • It provides leadership and direction on strategic planning to ensure that environmental justice is incorporated into agency operations • Environmental Justice Coordinators Council serve as frontline responsible to ensure policy input, program development, and implementation of environmental justice through the Agency

4. NEJAC • The National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC) was established September 30, 1993 • The functions of the NEJAC cannot be performed within the Agency

5. NEJAC subcommittees • NEJAC subcommittees are formed to deal with a specific topic and to facilitate the conduct of the business of NEJAC

6. Goods Movement Study • In June 2007, EPA requested NEJAC provide advice and recommendations to: • identify, mitigate, and/or prevent the dis-apportionate burden on communities of air pollution resulting from goods movement.

7. What is Goods Movement? • Distribution of Freight • Airports, sea ports, rail yards, trucks, warehouse and distribution centers • Predominately powered by large diesel engines

8. NEJAC Report • Submitted to Administrator Jackson on Nov. 20, 2009 • 41 Recommendations • Focus Areas Include: • Health Research Gaps & Educational needs • Regulatory and Enforcement mechanism • Land use • Technology • Environmental management and Performance • Financing • Effective Community Engagement

9. Key Findings • Communities near goods movement facilities receive dis-apportionate exposure exposing them to greater health risks • These communities consist of large populations of low-income and minority residents • FHWA forecasts • freight tonnage by trucks will grow 80% • Rail tonnage will grow 73% • Water transportation will increase 51% • Intermodal tonnage by 73% • Air cargo tonnage will quadruple

10. Land Use Planning and Environmental Review • EPA should work with State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) to develop transportation policies and strategies that achieve a true reduction in air pollution from mobile sources whenever new infrastructure is built. • State participation in SEDC Freight Focus group • Participation through conformity interagency consultation process • NEPA reviews- standard clean diesel strategy language as possible mitigation measure • 2009 letter to State Governors on Greening of stimulus funds included green construction • Several states have dedicated funds for clean construction (TN, NC) • State adoption of clean construction contract language (GA DOT)

11. Collaborative Governance & Problem Solving • EPA should develop a priority list of the most significant goods movement facilities that are of potential concern for emission impacts with each region. • SEDC Green Corridors ad hoc committee addressing freight movement along port/rail/truck routes and clean diesel opportunities • St/L agency input needed

12. Effective Community Engagement • EPA should develop a communication plan to reach: • elected officials, • urban planners, • transportation officials and • community members. EPA should fund specialized community outreach/EJ programs with information about the emissions from goods movement activities • Fact sheets for each sector should be available on EPA's web site • Outreach visits to Gulfport, MS, Pensacola, FL, Tri-Cities, TN, Columbia, SC, Montgomery, AL, Columbus, GA and Frankfort, KY. Future visits to Athens, GA and others • SEDC has developed various technology and strategy fact sheets which are on the SEDC website - focus area groups with St/L support, are developing sector fact sheets for the SEDC

13. Regulatory and Enforcement • Partner with state and local air agencies on attainment strategies for state implementation plans (SIPs) and establish quantitative goals backed by enforceable commitments for future federal actions to reduce emissions from goods movement facilities. • A list of potential clean diesel strategies for goods movement has been developed and is being provided to the states through the outreach strategy and state visits. State visits and outreach to Gulfport, MS, Pensacola, FL, Tri-Cities, TN, Columbia, SC, Columbus, GA, Montgomery, AL and Frankfort, KY have occurred. Additional outreach is planned to Athens, GA and others in 2010.

14. EPA should seek joint innovative financing strategies with other Federal agencies, non-profit organizations, and private industries. EPA should seek to creative incentives for participants in potential pubic-private partnerships. EPA should fund and execute inventive contracts to clean up legacy diesel fleets. EPA should provide funding for Diesel Collaborative directed to environmental justice organizations to act upon recommended projects. EPA should ensure that entities have access to the variety of financing and funding programs described in this report even if those entities have to comply with future federal and state emissions requirements. The RFP for 2009 ARRA and 2009-10 DERA grants have made ports and Green Corridors a regional priority. As a result, several port and freight movement projects have been awarded/selected. Through the DERA state grants several SE states are dedicating funds towards goods movement sectors. TN, GA, NC have made significant CMAQ investments for railyards. On May 5, 2010, the SC DHEC held an airport workshop which included invitations to several EJ community groups Resources & Financing

15. NEJAC Meetings • On January 27-29, 2010- NEJAC & EPA met in New Orleans to discuss: • school air toxics monitoring, • EPA National enforcement priorities, • enhancing stakeholder engagement with the NEJAC • Miami-Dade County ARRA DERA Agriculture Pump Project was highlighted for success

16. Next Steps • EPA Workgroup is compiling information and responses from national Program offices and Regions (thru Region 9 Sublead for mobile sources and OTAQ) • Composite OAR response scheduled to be drafted by mid-July

17. NEJAC-Report & Information • www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/nejac Look for “Reducing Air Emissions Associated with Goods Movement: Working towards Environmental Justice” • Region 4 Points of Contact: • Kelly Sheckler 404/562-9222 • Paul Wagner 404/562-9100 • Scott Davis 404/562-9127