WELCOME HealthLinks Healthy Communities Grant Stakeholder Meeting 1

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WELCOMEHealthLinks Healthy Communities Grant
Stakeholder Meeting 1
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Agenda

• Introductions
• Why AIR and Why Here?
• Air on the North Shore
• Sources that contribute to air pollution
• Health Issues Links to air pollution
• NS AIR Project
• What do we want to find out?
• Method to find answers
• Outcomes projected
• Questions to and from Stakeholders

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Healthy Communities Grant

• North Shore Air Inventory Report
• (North Shore AIR)
• Awarded to HealthLink
• (10/1/03 to 10/1/05)
• EPA Community Air Toxics
• Marybeth Smuts
• Project Coordinator
• Cindy Keegan (Compliance Integration)

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About HealthLink

• Formed in 1998 as a community based grassroots
  organization.
• Mission to protect and improve public health by
  reducing and eliminating pollutants and toxic
  substances from our environment through research,
  education, and community action.

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Why AIR?

• How long can you hold your breath?
• How much Air do you breathe in a day?
• (0.5 liters per breath) x (20 breaths/minute) x
  (60 minutes/hr) x (24 hrs/day) 8,640 liters
  305 cu.ft., 2282 gals
• Whats in Your Air?
• Can you protect yourself from it?
• Can your Air affect your health?

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North Shore AIR Project

• Area Beverly, Salem, Marblehead
• Identify Map Air Pollution Sources
• Compile Summarize Health Data that may be
  related to Air pollution

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North Shore AIR

• What do we know
• What dont we know
• How are we going to find answers

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What do we Know about the Air on the North
Shore?

• Essex County was graded F by the American Lung
  Associations State of the Air 2004 Report.
• Essex County has 3rd Highest Air Emissions in the
  State.
• Area of non-attainment with EPA air quality.
• Highest 5 of US lifetime cumulative cancer risk
  by EPA.
• Highest 5 of US lifetime cumulative non-cancer
  risk by EPA.

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Essex 1M lbs ?
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Health Risks from Criteria Air Pollutants in 2003
www.Scorecard.org
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How do we Know what affects the air?

• EPA Knows Major Polluters Industrial
• DEP Knows Mid-Major Polluters
  Industrial/Commercial
• EPA/DEP require self-reporting of HAPs (188
  chemicals) and Criteria Air Pollutants (6
  chemicals/categories SO2, NOx, PM, Pb, Ozone)
• EPA has Monitoring Stations (ozone, PM)
• EPA Estimates Major Categories of Air Pollution
  Sources

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Air pollution categories
940 2050 2942 1616
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Air Pollution Categories
197,465 38,462 42,152
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Why are On-Road Sources so High?
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What do we Know about our Health?

• EPA states Air pollutants can cause health
  effects across many body systems, including
  pulmonary (lung), such as coughing, wheezing,
  lung damage skin, causing rashes, boils, etc.
  cardiovascular, causing arrhythmias, heart
  attacks, etc neurological, affecting both the
  central and peripheral nervous systems cancer,
  and other effects.

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What do we Know about our Health?

• Several Cancers are higher than average in our
  towns

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What do we Know about our Health?

• Several studies have been done in our area trying
  to better understand health and pollution
  impacts.
• DPH Breast Cancer study
• DPH followup not released to date.
• Dr. Levy Salem and Brayton Power plant study
• Salem State College Nursing Students reviewing
  data and possible links.

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What do we Know about our Health?

• The current percentage of people with asthma in
  Massachusetts is higher than the national average
  (9.4 vs. 7.1 in 2001).
• American Lung Association estimates 397,186
  adults and 77,393 children in MA alone.
• Respiratory Disorders were the 3rd largest
  indication for Outpatient visits in FY 2002 in MA
  (across all groups of race/ethnicity)
• Asthma is the leading chronic illness affecting
  children according to the American Lung
  Association.
• MA FY 2002 charges for inpatient asthma
  hospitalizations alone totaled 55.5 million.
  Inpatient charges for Medicaid and Medicaid
  Managed Care totaled over 12 million while free
  care charges were 1.5 million.

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What dont we Know?

• City Specific Data
• Data Gaps (Age of Data, Estimates, Missing
  Sources)
• What Air pollution may affect our health most?
• What sources produce harmful effects?
• What health effects are we seeing that may be
  related to Air pollution?
• What reductions have happened already?
• What reductions are possible?

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How are we going to Find Answers?

• Research Existing Data
• Gather New Data
• Community Involvement
• Air Sources Community Volunteers
• Health Information SSC Nursing Students
• Collaboration with Agencies, Industry, Town
  Officials, and Community Organizations

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How are we going to Find Answers?

• Air Pollution Sources
• Who and What pollutes?
• Compile Agency Data on Knowns (EPA, MADEP)
• Identify other potential sources (Inventory
  mapping, City Info, Telephone book, etc)
• Map Sources

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How are we going to Find Answers?

• Air Pollution Chemicals
• What do the sources emit?
• Compile Agency Data on Knowns (EPA, MADEP)
• Establish Historic Trends where possible
• Calculate based on Emission Rates provided by
  agencies and scientific community for similar
  activities

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How are we going to Find Answers?

• Air Pollution Chemicals
• What health affects might these have?
• Compile Agency Data on Risks (EPA, DPH, OSHA)
• Run RSEI (Risk Screening Environmental
  Indicatiors ) Modeling Software from EPA
• Prioritize Chemicals for Reduction

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How are we going to Find Answers?

• Air Pollution Sources
• What reductions are possible?
• What emissions are within public control?
• Review literature on substitutions/process
  modification
• Prioritize Reductions Possible

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How are we going to Find Answers?

• Health Data
• What health issues are in our area?
• Review data from agencies (MA DPH, CDC, ALA,
  Boards of Health)
• Review Health Studies previously performed
• Review data from local health providers
• Possible Survey (not funded under the grant)

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How are we going to Find Answers?

• Health Data
• What issues may be tied to Air Pollution?
• Review literature and scientific data
• Compile complaints/ concerns
• Prioritize related health issues

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Final Outcomes

• Database of Air Pollution Sources and what they
  emit
• Map of Sources
• Priority List of Reductions to be Sought
• Compilation of Health Information
• Publication of data search links on Web
• Community education materials
• Model for other communities to learn from

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Projected Benefits

• Community education awareness
• Community planning opportunities (EJ issues,
  concentrated air sources, Emergency response)
• Funding opportunities for reductions
• Increased business assistance
• Increased resident satisfaction their community
  cares and is doing what it can
• Reduced Health Risks Cleaner Air

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Questions for Stakeholders

• Is there data we should know about?
• Similar studies/projects to link with?
• Recommendations for compiling the inventory
  mapping?
• Resources we should know about?
• How would you like to see the data output?
• What would be most helpful as project
  deliverables to you?
• How would you like to be kept posted on this
  project?
• Do you have any recommendations for people to
  perform the inventory mapping?

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Questions from Stakeholders?

• Any concerns with methodology?
• Any concerns with output?
• Other questions?

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To Get Involved Learn More

• See www.HealthLink.org
• Contact HealthLink at 781-595-1006
• PO Box 301, Swampscott, MA 01907
• 60 Monument Ave downstairs of Church of the
  Holy Name.
• Project Coordinator Cindy Keegan
  cbkeegan_at_comcast.net or call 978-821-4714