Land Acknowledgement Resource: https://usdac.us/nativeland

Link to webinar series recordings : https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Climate-Change/GC3/Equity%20and%20Environmental%20Justice%20in%20Climate%20Solutions%20Webinar%20Series

A jackhammer outside the window! For me today, it's an asphalt cutter.

The Story Behind the Map, info at https://medium.com/wadepthealth/the-story-behind-a-map-df13ccd1af86 (highlighting role of collaboration)

What were your outreach strategies to accessibly connect with as many individuals as possible to participate in the listening sessions? Was participation incentivized?

CalEnviroScreen, at https://oehha.ca.gov/calenviroscreen

Please feel free to post any questions in this chat.

Wow, this is really incredible work. Are you aware of any similar community-driven mapping efforts happening, specifically along the East Coast?

@Abbie - Esther can provide more context. But the primary CBO partnered with community based organizations across the state to coordinate listening sessions with community (they were also able to leverage a grant to support part of this outreach). These were in-person listening sessions.

Was indoor air quality raised or suggested as another example of pollution? Typically, people consider pollution to only be somewhere outdoors. I would expect that in low income rentals, indoor air quality would be a crucial indicator.

Article about the map by Esther Min, et al., at https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/22/4470

@Steph - Yes! Let's raise this in Q & A...

indoor air quality - great question Kathy.

@Kathy - yes, a really rich set of indicators were gathered from community listening sessions. Many are listed in the Map development report linked above. The challenge was having the standard of statewide consistent data...which many indicators we don't have robust data for. Including indoor air.

In the state of Washington, I would expect exposure to remaining radioactivity would be a very significant exposure. Was this considered?

Can you discuss your selection of low birth weight and CV issues as the biological indicators you chose rather than other pollution associated indicators like diabetes (endocrine disruption) and asthma?

@CAES - yes, part of the discussion and absolutely a key legacy EJ issue in WA. While it's not in the map - there are ways of layering additional information on the map to consider other indicators such as this.

Thank you for this presentation- this is extremely helpful.

M. Piazza and all - The Buildings subgroup is recommending a statewide database containing data on all buildings (especially residential) which would move us toward a standard of statewide consistent data in thie indoor air quality area.

EJScreen https://ejscreen.epa.gov/mapper/ (best used on chrome or firefox)

Some of the data we already have that could populate that, Kathy, would be from Energize CT - tracking homes where energy efficiency upgrades couldn't happen because of health hazards in the home

the margin of error at the block group level on EJ Screen is probablamatic.

as a start, at least

Hmm. VW settlement. That reminds me that Connecticut was graded D for our use of VW funds to primarily subsidize purchasing new diesel trucks and buses. https://uspirg.org/sites/pirg/files/reports/USP%20VW%20Scorecard%20May19.pdf

By comparison, Washington state was graded A+!

@Tony, UConn did get 2 electric buses from that VW $, that they just announced will be run by DOT (through Windham Transit District)

Itty bittiest of impacts. You're being facetious.

Dattco bus company received VW fund for a school bus in Middletown.

that makes 3!

I'm not making a comment, just sharing what was reported in the Hartford Business Journal this morning.

it does seem Washington managed their VW $ well

can slides be shared please?

Wow! So much cleaning up! Outstanding!

Did Washington state use VW funding for staff to support this mapping tool?

This is so smart. An up front investment in strategy & mapping can save millions and millions down the road.

This is a great presentation.

Yes, I hope that this Vulnerable Communities Mapping Tool excercise will include an overlay of the CTDEEP Legacy contaminated sites, Trasnfer Stations and their proximity to EJ Communities

agreed, Diane!

How often do you update the rankings?

Go Washington! This is great work and shines a light for us as we move forward.

How much does it cost to develop and maintain the mapping process?

Great presentation, and kudos to Front and Centered and DOH for developing the tool and actually using it effectively in State government.

Agreed. We should copy this approach as closely as possible. Especially the part where environmental justice is centered and prioritized in all work by the state environmental protection agency.

@Anthony - thanks for that interesting info!

I note that the department's name is the Department of Ecology. This is an important frame, and avoids the conflict inherent in being an agency whose purview is instead both the environment and energy.

Terrific presentation! Great find, Marianne! Thank you all!

yes ecology is a great word to use. Connects human beings to the natural ecosystem.

I'm quite interested in the mapping and ranking used for equity and environmental justice sustainable transportation investments for the cap-and-invest (proposed) Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI). One concern of mine is that we'll need to start TCI in 2022 to meet the state's ghg emissions reduction goals. If the mapping and equity/EJ tools aren't ready, it could delay the much needed investments (or delay all of the investments). We have two TCI focused sessions at our Nov 23rd Mutimodal and Transit Summit - https://www.ctprf.org/2020summit/

Two resources from California that might be of interest, both related to the fact that the EJ screening/mapping tools were developed with a focus on cumulative exposure to toxics - extremely important, but not comprehensive with regard to either health inequities/social determinants of health nor climate vulnerability. Asian Pacific Environmental Network assessed various mapping tools to look at climate vulnerability - see https://apen4ej.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/APEN-Mapping_Resilience-Executive_Summary.pdf and found that there are many gaps , but that the Healthy Places Index comes closest to incorporating climate vulneraabiity factors - and identifies gaps for future building on tool like HPI.

@pestanae - No, VW funds are strictly defined in use legally. However, Ecology's air quality team worked with the EJ mapping team to provide air quality data as did a local air agency.

Healthy Places Index: https://healthyplacesindex.org/

Do you have a link to the CT Tracker tool?

did CT stop measuring air quality (and rely only on very broad EPA data) - how many years ago? LOVE the mapping tool, but it needs data?

Did you consider using EJ Screen as a base for your mapping?

@Anthony - if you email me I can connect you with folks who are wrangling with these same questions in WA. millie.piazza@ecy.wa.gov

Adelheid - CT Air Quality Data still available, but there isn't much granularity. Only one station location in Hartford, #13 asthma capitol in the US. https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Air/Monitoring/Air-Monitoring-Network

@Adelheid - another step CT could take in addition to expanding the air quality monitors (as Tony points out) would be to better integrate DEEP & Dept of Transportation to add sites - both agencies tracking data together boosts abilities to plan around transportation & pollution.

only a few sites now are synched up like this according to Tracy Babbidge of DEEP's last presentation on this shortly after COVID, where they were presenting on info about traffic pollution with the travel reduction brought about by the pandemic.

Add air quality monitors to the network in Connecticut will add information useful for health and environmental decisions and funding pertaining to solid waste management, climate change, equity and environmental justice, healthier schools, and children's health.

Thank you. This is a wonderful example to present.

Great point Ms. Piazza!

Also, this is a GREAT mapping tool for students - from elementary through graduate level education. For students to explore their communities, and understand disparities...

Friends - Transportation is the biggest ghg emitter in Connecticut, and one of the biggest polluters of our air. We'd love attendees on this session that live or work in CT to take the CT's Transportation Future Survey - https://centerlatino.wufoo.com/forms/cts-transportation-future-survey-fall-2020/

A reminder of the awesome that emerge from leadership dedication (funding) and community collaboration.

Florida, South Carolina have developed a vulnerability tools

that's a great point @Millie Piazza, young people in my experience are VERY interested in learning about and exploring their home communities.

Mass and NJ have mapping tools as well. Not as comprehensive as Washington

Can you provide a link to the NC project you mentioned?

Thank you. I have to jump on another meeting.

Not sure if the point was made, but EJ mapping and these types of tool are (what I hope) will be a powerful government accountability tool...

Very interesting and informative presentation! Thank you so much!

Can you provide some links to the VT organizations and resources? Thanks, great session!!

such a valuable presentation. Thanks.

big thanks!

thank you all!

Very well done. Thanks!

Excellent!

Thanks so much!

Thank you to the speakers and to Marianne!

Phenomenal work, thanks for sharing!

Terrific! Thank you!

Thank you!

Thank you!

And please click to the survey on your way out. https://centerlatino.wufoo.com/forms/cts-transportation-future-survey-fall-2020/

(CT's Transportation Future Survey)