Boston Safe Shops Auto Shop Pollution Prevention

1. To This: From This: Boston Safe Shops Auto Shop Pollution Prevention http://www.bphc.org/bphc/oeh_safeshop.asp Presented by Paul Shoemaker, MPH Thomas M. Menino, Mayor Barbara Ferrer, Executive Director

2. Overview • Environmental Concerns - Auto Shops in Boston • The Safe Shops Model and Interventions • Outcomes and Results to Date • Lessons Learned

3. Auto Shops in Boston • More than 550 shops in densely packed mixed zoning areas • Most with less than 5 employees paid per-job with no health insurance or other benefits • Few have resources for worker protection or pollution prevention • Provide an important source of employment in low income, minority, and immigrant communities

4. Auto Shops – Environmental Concerns • Air emissions of solvents and paint fumes • Worker contact with hazardous chemicals • Storage of flammable chemicals • Spills and soil/groundwater contamination and chemical waste storage • Solid waste storage and disposal, physical injury risk from junk parts, etc.

7. Target Neighborhood Demographics DATA SOURCE: Boston Public Health Commission Health of Boston 2005 Report and U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Census, American FactFinder

8. A spray booth exhaust system?

9. Hazardous waste storage area?

10. Flammable storage cabinet?

11. Solid waste storage?

12. Safe Shops Project Model

13. MassCOSH Nuestra Comunidad Development Corporation Bowdoin Street Health Center Partners

14. Activities • Partner meetings • Environmental Assessments and worker surveys • Safe Shops training session • Provision of resources and assistance • Business development assistance (finding funding) • Identifying alternative products and vendors • Worker training in best practices • Health Van and health insurance enrollment • Follow-up env. assessments and worker surveys • Continued training, assistance and follow-up

15. Results to Date • 238 auto shops inspected and/or surveyed • 95 shops and 1 vocational school received training sessions • 430 workers and 124 vocational students participated in trainings • 9 shops have made major operational/purchasing changes • New city ordinance passed to regulate auto shops • Newsletter of shop success stories published and mailed to shops resulting in calls requesting training • Expansion of the program citywide

16. Selected Results to Date (shops that received training) • Increase in compliance in labeling of waste area containers from 56% to 90% • Increase in compliance for labeling and closing of lids for solvents and parts cleaners from 80% to 96% • Increase in cleanliness and the sanitary conditions from 83% to 100%

17. Using aqueous based brake cleaners: Arthur’s Sunoco, Mattapan, Auto Service and Tire, Mattapan Foreign Auto Clinic, Brighton G & G Auto Services, Mattapan J & P Auto Repair, Dorchester Mecca Motors, Allston Woodings Garage, Allston Using EPA-approved Gun Washer: Moreno Auto Body, Roxbury Supreme Auto Center, Mattapan Using Less Toxic Products

18. Participated in S.T.A.R. paint training to reduce paint overspray Purchased HVLP spray guns w/ detachable paint cups Purchase vacuum capture sanders and EPA-approved paint gun cleaner 98% reduction in acetone and 56% decrease in toluene in shop indoor air Report saving hundreds of dollars of paints that would have been wasted with old methods and paint guns without detachable cups Case Study – Supreme Auto Center

19. Participated in S.T.A.R. paint training to reduce paint overspray Purchased a supplied air respirator for painting to replace the paper dust mask previously used Switched to low VOC paints and EPA-approved gun cleaner 94% reduction in acetone and 88% decrease in toluene in shop indoor air Case Study – Moreno Auto Body