CAR E Progra

CARE 

Mail Code 8001A 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW 

Washington, DC 20460 

Phone: 1-877-CARE-909 

Inside This Edition: 

CARE Communities in Action......... p. 2-3 

Featured Resource........................p. 4 

Incorporating Grantee Feedback ....p. 4 http://www.epa.gov/care 

Community Action for a Renewed Environment 

CAR E Program

Quarterly Highlights — February 2007 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) program helps communities 

address risks from various sources of toxic pollutants in their local environment. 

New CARE Projects Kick-Off 

Proud moments deserve attention! Many of the 17 new CARE grantees held 

kick-off press events across the country. Each event captured the importance 

of EPA’s CARE funding to the community in a unique way, and most featured 

local officials and partners. 

Through events and press releases, the CARE message reached wide audiences. Penn State’s project was featured on radio. The CARE event in Camden, NJ, was covered by the most-watched television station serving the area. 

Local TV stations covered events in Cerro Gordo, IA, Marquette, MI, and 

Rock Hill, SC, as well. Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) issued a 

press release in honor of the West Oakland grant. Other CARE communities 

received significant print coverage. 

Rochester’s Neighborhood Toxics Educator Making a Difference 

The Neighborhood Toxics Educator Program in Rochester, New York, operated by Action for a Better Community, Inc., through Rochester CARE’s Center for Environmental Information, is reaching a wide spectrum of 

community residents. While raising awareness about risks from toxics in and around the home is important, in 

Rochester there have been unexpected positive results. 

After hearing a presentation on asthma triggers and lead poisoning, residents 

and other community outreach workers asked Ted Murray, the Toxics Educator, 

to visit individual homes for more targeted referral. Utilizing a Visual Survey Report model from the Community Environmental Health Resource Center, Mr. 

Murray examines homes, points out areas of concern, and educates residents 

about basic remediation. When more complex evaluation of remediation is required, Mr. Murray connects residents with community resources. 

During one such visit, in the home of a severe asthmatic who had sought emergency medical treatment repeatedly, the Toxics Educator identified a significant 

problem with basement moisture and mold. The Monroe County Health Department Indoor Air Quality inspector was called and made an immediate visit to the 

home. Working in cooperation with the local housing office and the Department 

of Social Services, Mr. Murray was able to help relocate the family to a safer 

residence. 

This example of education, community agency cooperation, and advocacy captures the essence of CARE. 

Cerro Gordo CARE Grantee Naomi 

Bienfang with EPA Region 7’s Kathleen Fenton 

1st Year Results 

By the end of their 1st year, 

the twelve 2005 CARE 

grantees had: 

• Secured over $930,000 

in financial and in-kind 

support (in addition to 

the $600,000 in Brownfields support). 

• Over 300 partner organizations. 
Page 2 U.S. EPA CARE Program: Quarterly Highlights - February 2007 

CARE Communities in Action: 

29 CARE Communities Seattle, WA Gardner, NH 

Tacoma-Pierce County, WA .Boston, MA 

There are four steps in the CARE process: joining 

together, identifying problems & solutions, implementing solutions & reducing risks, and becoming 

self-sustaining. 

Montana Indian

Country, MT Marquette, MI SW Detroit, Utica, NY

MI

Holyoke, MA

Cerro Gordo County, IA Rochester, NY

Muskegon, MI Port of JOINING TOGETHER Philadelphia New Haven, 

CT 

Philadelphia, PA Camden, NJ Partnerships Formed Around Common Concerns 

West Oakland, CA Denver, Co 

Pueblo, CO St. Louis, MO The Northwest New Mexico Council of Governments 

Pacoima, CA continues to develop its extensive contacts from three Decatur, GA City of Rock Hill, SC

Gallup, NM Cherokee Nation, OK counties (Cibola, McKinley and San Juan) into fully en- Tucson, AZ 

Nunakauyak 

Traditional 

Council, AK 

Savannah, GA gaged partners. They found that “Educational Forums” 

are the best method of gathering rural citizens and pro- St. Bernard’s Parish, LA 

viding baseline information about uranium mining, en2005 Grants 2006 Grants ergy, and water use. Level I Grant Level I Grant 

Level II Grant Level II Grant In Philadelphia, the Clean Air Council continues to expand its partnership to include more community groups 

and residential housing groups in its effort to address environmental risks from the local port. Although their highest 

priorities are affordable housing and dealing with drug use, the residential groups united around environmental 

causes such as asthma, traffic and diesel emissions from port activities. 

IDENTIFYING PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS 

Toxic Prioritization Achieved 

In Level I CARE communities’ fourth quarter reports, several grantees detailed successes with consensus-building 

and prioritization of toxic concerns. 

Pacoima Beautiful (CA) succeeded in ranking environmental risks from all sources and media to create a consensus-based list of the top four risks, namely: diesel exhaust from trucks and non-road equipment, general aviation 

emissions, auto body dismantlers’ emissions, and highway traffic emissions. Many partners helped compile the data 

and synthesize information on risks. Students from California State Northridge campus and from the local high 

school helped map sites. The data were supplemented with input from the City Environmental Affairs Dept, Regional Water Quality Board, California Air Resources Board and EPA. The health collaborative and Neighborhood 

Legal Services all worked together with residents on the ranking. The tools and methods used in developing a comprehensive understanding of environmental risks will be shared with all CARE communities. 

While Oneida County (NY) CARE continues to recruit more businesses, such as Wal-Mart Corporation and Homogenous Metals, Inc., into its partnership, the community is also 

compiling its environmental health concerns and developing criteria 

for issue ranking. The CARE Team anticipates the results of the 

ranking in its next report. 

International District Housing Alliance (Seattle) learned how to 

apply existing best practices from the CARE 2nd Annual Training 

Workshop in November, and consequently reformulated its approach. IDHA plans to create an advisory council for the second 

year of the Level 1 CARE grant. This advisory council will guide the 

project and ensure that community is engaged as the project develops goals and strategies. In addition, 26 Youth and 12 elder participants of the IDHA’s Wilderness Inner-City Leadership Development 

(WILD) Program elected to begin an indoor air quality campaign to 

provide education to community residents. WILD Youth Performing Outreach at International District (Seattle) Summer Fair 
U.S EPA CARE Program: Quarterly Highlights - February 2007 Page 3 

Involving College Students 

After holding several focus group sessions and a town hall meeting last 

quarter, DeKalb County (GA) CARE analyzed the information obtained 

from the focus groups and determined next steps. Also, the collaborative 

added a key partner, Emory School of Public Health, and engaged students 

in the CARE program. 

Implementing Solutions & Reducing Risks 

Muskegon County (MI) Environmental Coordinating Council, working 

with its partner, Lead Safe Coalition, created a cohesive lead hazards message that was distributed to 150 families in a door-to-door campaign. Cur- Above & Below: Participants of Clarkston rently, the partnership is launching a second campaign targeting another (DeKalb County, GA) Focus Groups 150 homes in an at-risk neighborhood. 

Clean Air Partnership Project (St. Louis, MO) targeted 11 schools for its 

anti-idling initiative and secured the partnership of both the St. Louis Public 

Schools and Laidlaw Bus Company to establish no-idling zones near the 

schools. 

This quarter, the indoor air subgroup of Groundwork Denver HAND conducted 3 school inventories under EPA’s Tools for Schools program. The 

group also educated over 

800 families about air 

quality through their 

unique tool, the “Breath 

Better Bus,” and through community events. Also, the land use 

subgroup planned neighborhood visioning sessions and discussed potential brownfields sites for a Targeted Brownfields Assessment (TBA). TBA support is available to CARE communities 

through EPA’s Brownfields Program. 

Rochester (NY) CARE’s small grants committee selected the 

following three community projects to reduce mobile source emissions: Genesee Region Clean Communities to offer a workshop 

on alternative fuels; the South East Area Coalition to develop a 

clean air lawn tool lending library and bike repair station; and A house against the highway in Northeast Denver South West Neighborhood Association to install bike racks and 

promote cycling. A “Rochester Speaks” segment on CBS Radio will feature the CARE project. The small business 

air pollution prevention (P2) committee identified 10 printers to partner in P2 activities with the screen-printing trade 

association. 

Becoming Self-Sustaining 

Sullivan County (NH) CARE is developing a recycling-based waste management plan for the county. The project 

completed a preliminary economic evaluation of pollution reduction and waste management methods, and it is 

building support with county and town officials to present a plan that includes cost-savings. 

Green New Haven (CT) Initiative used an energy efficiency theme to attract businesses to CARE. Multi-lingual 

Yale students signed up 15 businesses for energy efficiency programs through United Illuminating (the local utility). 

These businesses have expressed interest in other CARE activities. Also, a member of the Mayor’s Office wrote a 

paper outlining a vision for a sustainable CARE organization to spark interest and discussion on long-term project 

sustainability. This will be shared with other CARE communities. 

“A healthy community would be a place that is safe and clean...There would be parks, gardens, 

a library, and public space for people to enjoy. Along the streets will be trees and flowers and 

water fountains to make the community look beautiful...” 

Neighborhood elder, International District, Seattle, WA 
Page 4 U.S. EPA CARE Program: Quarterly Highlights - February 2007 

Featured Resource 

Community, Culture and the Environment: 

A Guide to Understanding A Sense of Place 

Meeting agendas have you stumped? Searching for a way to build investment in your CARE project goals? Check out Community, Culture and the 

Environment: A Guide to Understanding A Sense of Place, located online at 

http://www.epa.gov/ecocommunity/pdf/ccecomplete.pdf. The guide addresses the social and cultural aspects of community-based environmental 

protection. Community-based efforts, such as those supported by CARE, 

recognize that values held both individually and as a group contribute to the 

quality of community life. CARE Project leaders can use the guide to get a 

better understanding of how such values can translate into environmental 

solutions and action, step three of the CARE process. Filled with practical 

worksheets and design tips for interactive meetings, the guide should be part 

of your toolkit as a CARE partner. For copies of the Guide, call the National 

Center for Environmental Publications and Information at (513) 489-8190, 

(800) 490-9198, or by mail to NCEPI, US EPA Publication Clearinghouse, 

PO Box 42419, Cincinnati, OH45242, or by email to ncepiwo@one.net. 

CARE Program Incorporates Feedback 

Since the Second Annual CARE Training Workshop in November, EPA received numerous comments on how to 

better meet the needs of CARE grantees, partners, and project leads. In response, EPA staff is implementing the 

following changes: 

• Creating a listserv for program members this spring; 

• Developing training Web-casts on topics commonly identified by program members; and 

• Designing enhanced training for new CARE Project Officers. 

Upcoming Events: 

• ) 

• 

• ) 

• April 12 – 

) 

• ) 

• 

March 8 – Training Web-cast on “Sustaining CARE Partnerships” (see: www.epa.gov/care

April 2-8 – American Public Health Association (APHA) National Public Health Week (NPHW), “Take the First 

Step! Preparedness and Public Health Threats: Addressing the Unique Needs of the Nation’s Vulnerable 

Populations.” Visit www.nphw.org/2007/partners.cfm?fuseaction=apply today to become a NPHW partner. 

April 9 – CARE 2007 Cooperative Agreements Request for Proposals (RFP) Due (see: www.epa.gov/care

Training Web-cast on “Defining a ‘Community-Driven’ Process” 

(see: www.epa.gov/care/agreements.htm#apply

May 31-June 1– EPA National Asthma Forum, Washington, DC (see: www.epaasthmaforum.com

June 19-22 – EPA Community Involvement Conference (Jacksonville, FL) 

http://www.epa.gov/care