Transcript Slide 1

JATAP
Joint Air Toxics Assessment Project
A Successful Multi-Jurisdictional Research Partnership
National Congress of American Indians
Mid-Year Convention
Policy Research Center Tribal Leader/Scholar Forum
June 16, 2009
Niagara Falls, NY
American Indian Policy Institute
Presented by:
Ondrea Barber
Environmental Protection and Natural Resources
Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community
Margaret Cook
Department of Environmental Quality
Gila River Indian Community
Patricia Mariella
American Indian Policy Institute
Arizona State University
American Indian Policy Institute
Joint Air Toxics Assessment Project
(JATAP)
• Collaboration between tribal, state, county
and federal governments to:
-determine the types, distribution and
sources of air toxics in central Arizona
(Phoenix area) airshed
-understand and reduce the health risks
from air toxics in the airshed
American Indian Policy Institute
Air Pollution does not recognize
political boundaries.
Are air toxics coming onto tribal lands
from neighboring urban areas?
What air toxics are being emitted from
freeways on tribal lands?
American Indian Policy Institute
JATAP is a Complex Project
• Multi-jurisdictional Steering Committee for
planning and coordination of joint activities;
consensus decision-making
• Coordination, Logistical and Technical
Support: ASU American Indian Policy
Institute (ITEP for the first phase)
• Funding: EPA Grants; EPA scientist on
special detail (Intergovernmental
Personnel Agreement/IPA)
American Indian Policy Institute
JATAP Participants
• Agencies with Monitoring Sites:
Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community EPNR
Gila River Indian Community DEQ
Arizona DEQ
• Other participating agencies:
Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation
Maricopa County Air Quality
Pinal County Air Quality Control District
EPA Region 9 and Office of Air Quality Planning and
Standards
City of Phoenix
American Indian Policy Institute
ADEQ Tribal Governments Policy
established in 1995
ADEQ recognizes the sovereignty of Tribal governments and their
jurisdiction over lands within Indian Country as defined by federal law
[18 U.S.C.A. §1151]. ADEQ will not assert authority over Indian
Country.
ADEQ recognizes that the federal government has the primary
responsibility for assisting Tribes to regulate and manage the
environment within Indian Country.
ADEQ supports the strengthening of Tribal capacity for environmental
management and regulation. ADEQ support to Tribes will be provided
in the interest of the State and will not be used as the basis for
assertion of State authority within Indian Country.
ADEQ is committed to developing cooperative relationships with Tribes,
and will respect the environmental concerns of Tribes. ADEQ requests
that Tribes show similar respect for the environmental concerns of the
State of Arizona.
Without Tribal consent, ADEQ will not solicit and asserts no claim to EPA
resources that would otherwise be provided directly to Tribes.
American Indian Policy Institute
JATAP Project Area
Modeling Domain
Monitoring Area
Pilot Study
American Indian Policy Institute
Accomplishments of JATAP
2005-2009
• Continuous involvement of multi-jurisdictional
agencies (airshed)
• High quality micro and neighborhood scale data
and analysis (enhances regional and national
data)
• Significantly improved understanding of
distribution and sources of air toxics in Phoenix
Area Airshed
American Indian Policy Institute
TRANSITIONS:
from Monitoring to Outreach
from Data to Policy and Action
• Need Outreach Messages; include
‘action plan’ for risk reduction
• Modeling and risk assessment (air
toxics differ from ‘criteria pollutants’)
• Salt River and Gila River conducted
micro-scale emissions inventories
American Indian Policy Institute
Geographical and Trend Perspectives
Part of ‘Message’
• What are the national and regional
trends for air toxics? (Benzene risks in
all urban areas; trend is down)
[Studies predict significant reductions
in pollution from high traffic roadways
from new federal diesel fuel and engine
rules]
American Indian Policy Institute
California Case Study:
Unintended Consequences
• South Coast CA Air Toxics Study (Multiple Air Toxics
Study 1999)
• Ban on new schools or expansion of schools near
freeways
• School over-crowding
• Do we know how many schools, day care centers,
health facilities, other sensitive facilities are near
freeways in the Valley?
American Indian Policy Institute
Gila River Indian Community
JATAP Message for Policy Makers
• The Gila River Indian Community’s air quality is good
(particularly from a regional perspective)
• Data indicates essentially no health risk near monitor
of air toxics from industries
• There is a low level increase in air toxics (benzene)
from vehicles; benzene is distributed though the
whole Valley; at Gila River the levels are lower than at
Salt River and only slightly higher than at Queen
Valley (a remote site)
American Indian Policy Institute
Gila River Indian Community
JATAP Message for Policy Makers
(continued)
• The primary health risk from air toxics is an
increased risk of cancer (leukemia); urban areas in
the U.S. have levels of air toxics that pose some
increased cancer risk
• Freeways increase near-by air pollution; air pollution
declines 60% at 320 feet from the roadway and drops
to background levels at 650 feet
• JATAP is working in the Community to reduce air
toxics, particularly at schools
American Indian Policy Institute
WHAT ACTIONS MITIGATE RISKS FROM
AIR TOXICS?
Facilities: regulatory/non-regulatory
Mobile Sources: (freeways)
-roadway design
-trees and vegetation
-buffer zones (land use planning)
-filters in near roadway buildings
-targeted reduction in outdoor activities
-school bus anti-idling and retrofit
American Indian Policy Institute
Tribal Planning Implications
Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian
Community
Existing Freeways:
-adjacent land use commercial
Gila River Indian Community
Potential Freeways:
-costs and benefits
American Indian Policy Institute
Reasons for Success
• Multi jurisdictional collaboration with an
overarching set of goals with immediate
significance
• EPA funding available; each jurisdiction had
its own grant funding
• Coordination through university programs
with tribal and state partnerships
• Excellent quality data – reassessment by all
partners after pilot project; dedicated and
highly-trained technical staff committed to
collaboration
American Indian Policy Institute
Challenges Common to all Partners
• There are no national ambient standards for
air toxics; understanding health risks
requires risk assessments and modeling
• EPA primarily funds monitoring; harder to
find funding for risk assessment and almost
impossible to find funding for outreach
• Technical staff need support in developing
effective outreach messages for policymakers and public
American Indian Policy Institute
THANK YOU!
For More Information:
Ondrea Barber (480) 850-8000
[email protected]
Margaret Cook (520) 562-2234
[email protected]
Patricia Mariella, Ph.D. (480) 965-9005
[email protected]
American Indian Policy Institute