EPA’s Community-Focused Exposure and Risk Screening Tool

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Abstract

Our ongoing research, in partnership with communities in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 10, tests a tool designed to provide practical, cutting-edge scientific resources to improve human health and the environment. The Community-Focused Exposure and Risk Screening Tool (C-FERST) was designed by EPA’s Office of Research and Development (ORD) to help communities identify and prioritize their environmental concerns and to support their decision-making processes. This article is based on a presentation given at The Eleventh International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic, and Social Sustainability. We give a broad introduction to the genesis of C-FERST by ORD beginning with EPA’s focus on environmental justice. Then we describe our approach to testing the utility of C-FERST in two communities of different typographies: Tacoma, Washington, and Portland, Oregon. Awareness of environmental, socio-economic, and institutional concerns can generally provide parameters for community responses to local issues. However, the experiences of this project bring research face to face with the impact of the generational, cultural, and geo-spatial awareness of these communities. We hope to determine how the tool can help communities develop and strengthen information they have identified as important to creating sustainable solutions for their issues. An initial trial of the research model in Tacoma generated lessons learned and best practices that were used as a basis for working with communities in Portland. The Portland communities are examining issues such as environmental education, exposure to contaminants, and environmental justice advocacy. Research in both communities is being conducted to (1) address significant environmental, human health, and education concerns at the community level; (2) provide tools, including GIS mapping tools that incorporate citizen science in communities to understand and reduce environmental burdens; and (3) evaluate the estimates of exposure, risk, and the improvement in human health.