EPAs Health Impact Assessment of Green Infrastructure in the Proctor Creek Community of Atlanta, Georgia

2014 National Environmental Justice Conference & Training

Panel Discussion: Environmental Justice: How Social Determinants Affect Health Disparities
Tami Thomas-Burton, B.S., MPH U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 4 Office of Environmental Justice and Sustainability Atlanta, GA
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Review.
EPAs Mission Definition, Purpose, & Benefits of a Health Impact Assessment Project Area, Demographics, Issues How an HIA is Conducted / Community Engagement & Capacity Building through HIA Research, Evidence, Findings, & Recommendations

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EPAs Mission:
To Protect the Environment and Human Health.
Overburdened Communities

In Plan EJ 2014, EPA uses the term overburdened to describe the minority, lowincome, tribal, and indigenous populations or communities in the United States that potentially experience disproportionate environmental harms and risks as a result of greater vulnerability to environmental hazards. This increased vulnerability may be attributable to an accumulation of both negative and lack of positive environmental, health, economic, or social conditions within these populations or communities.
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What is a Health Impact Assessment?

WHAT IS GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE?

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What does

Health mean to you?

Health is not only the Absence of Disease or Infirmity.

figure courtesy of Steve White, Oregon Public Health Institute

Your Health Matters

According to WHO.. Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
1948 World Health Organization Constitution and the 1986 Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion

What is Health Impact Assessment?

HIA is a systematic process that uses an array of data sources and analytic methods and considers input from stakeholders to determine the potential effects of a proposed policy, plan, program, or project on the health of a population and the distribution of those effects within the population. HIA provides recommendations on monitoring and managing those effects. Screening Scoping Assessment

Recommendatio

ns
Reporting Monitoring and Evaluation

National Research Council, 2011

HIA: A Growing Practice in the U.S. 2012 (N = 173) WA 6 MT 2 OR 20 MN 13 WI 7 MI 1 NE 1 IL 3 CA 53 AZ 2 CO 4 KS 1 MO 2

OH 4

ME 1 NH 1

NY 2
PA 1

MA 5
NJ 1

KY 2 TN 2

VA 1
SC 1

MD 3 DC 1

NM 2 TX 4

GA 7

AK 15
Map Courtesy of A. Dannenberg, A. Wendel, CDC NCEH

Federal HIAs: 3

HI 1

http://www.healthimpactproject.org/hia/us

What is the HIA about?

Decision:

Implementation of a green infrastructure project along Joseph E. Boone Boulevard, NW (in concert with a planned road diet project) City of Atlanta, Georgia Evaluate potential positive and negative health impacts of the green street project design and inform stakeholder decisions Region 4 Office of Environmental Justice and Sustainability and Office of Research & Development

Decision-Makers: Role of HIA:

HIA Lead:

Location of HIA:

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WHY an HIA?

Vision of EPAs Sustainable and Healthy Communities (SHC) Research Program: To inform and empower communities to include human health, economic, and environmental factors into decision-making processes.

Provide a model of interagency collaboration at the local, state, and federal levels
Gain experience in the application of HIAs in other environmental decision-making processes Create better understanding of direct and indirect public health benefits from implementing green infrastructure
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National Prevention Strategy

20 Federal Agencies - National Prevention Council

National Prevention, Health Promotion and Public Health Council

June 2011
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/initiatives/prevention/ strategy/report.pdf National EPA Brownfields Conference May 15- 17, 2013, Atlanta, GA Dr. Regina Benjamin, 18th U.S. Surgeon General & Chair of the National Prevention Strategy (Retired: July 16, 2013)

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What is Green Infrastructure?

EPA defines green infrastructure as structural or nonstructural practices that mimic or restore natural hydrologic processes within the built environment. Common green infrastructure practices include permeable pavement (permeable concrete), bioretention facilities (rain gardens, planter boxes), and green roofs.

Planter Boxes

Permeable Pavement Bike Lane

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Issues in the Proctor Creek Watershed Community

One of the most impaired creeks in metroAtlanta Placed on the impaired waters list, 303(d) Does not meet the state water quality standards for fecal coliform

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EPA Creek Testing: 2012 - 2013

BROWNFIELDS

Health is not only the Absence of Disease or Infirmity.

According to WHO.. Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
1948 World Health Organization Constitution and the 1986 Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion

figure courtesy of Steve White, Oregon Public Health Institute

33% of watershed is impervious surfaces

Upstream Drainage Area: 1.29 sq. miles

Impervious Surface: 2006 National Land Cover Database (NLCD)

How it works

Stormwater runoff that collects in the street is directed to the stormwater drains. The drains are the beginning of a conveyance system that directs water through a series of underground pipes to the combined sewer overflows (CSOs).

Boone St. Proctor Creek

Boone St. Proctor Creek

This image is from EPAs Report to Congress: Impacts and Control of CSOs and SSOs, which can be found at http://cfpub.epa.gov/ npdes/cso/cpolicy_r eport2004.cfm.

Summary of issues and Concerns

Environmental Justice Area of Concern

(Low-income, Minority populations, Vulnerable Populations)

Aging Infrastructure (Storm Water & Sewer System) Impervious Surfaces upstream (Georgia Dome +
Downtown Atlanta)

Pervasive Flooding (Flash floods, ponding) Flooded Housing (Mold / Mildew issues) Derelict Properties (Vandalism, rodents) Illegal Tire Dumping (Mosquito ponding: West Niles Virus
Threat)

What happens in an HIA?

Affect How does the Proposed Project Plan, or Policy

Examples Housing Air Quality Water Quality Noise Safety Social Network Nutrition/Quality of Food Parks & Open Space Public Services Transportation Education

Health Outcomes?

Stakeholder Engagement:

Group Discussion and Exercise:

Identification & Prioritization of Concerns in the Community

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Priority Concern Comparisons:

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Potential Causal Pathways

The downstream health determinants often interact and influence multiple mental and physical health outcomes including: Morbidity & Mortality, Injury, Cardiovascular Disease, Obesity, Type-2 Diabetes, Chronic Stress, Asthma, other respiratory conditions, and Water & Food borne diseases.

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Decisions

Pathways of Impact

Upstream Impacts
Personal Safety (Crime/Civility)

Downstream Impacts

Health Determinants

Health Outcomes
Overweight/Obesity

Safety

Perceived Safety Traffic Safety

Physical Activity

Stress (Acute & Chronic)

Boone Boulevard Green Street Project (Green Infrastructure)

Economics, Household

Employment Walkability/ Bikeability

Community Economics

Access to Healthcare

Socioeconomic Status
Social Capital (Cohesion, Culture) Housing (Property Value, Damage) Water Quality Flooding/ Water Quality Volume Biodiversity Shading Vector Control Climate & Temperature (Urban Heat Island Effect) Air Quality Noise Pollution

Hypertension & Related Chronic Disease

Cardiovascular Disease Crime-related Injury Mental & Behavioral Health Water-borne Disease Vector-borne Disease Heat-related Illness Cancer

Morbidity/ Mortality

Mobility, Access to Services

Access to Public Transit Open/Green Space Beautification/ Aesthetics Land Cover (Vegetation, Permeable Surface)

Environment (Natural, Built)

Overall Health & Wellbeing

Respiratory Disease (Including Asthma)

Hearing Motor Vehicle Injury and Death

Road Diet

Transportation Traffic Conditions

Traffic Accidents

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Where we are today.

Assessment, which is a two

step process that first describes the baseline health status and then assesses potential impacts

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Developing Partnerships and Engaging Stakeholders

Leveraged the HUD-DOT-EPA Partnership for Healthy Communities Participation from multiple levels and agencies:
Federal (8) University (7) NGOs (3) Community Orgs (10 +) County (1) City (1)

Participation from multiple sectors:

Environmental Protection Housing and Urban Development Forest Service Emergency Planning Public Health Transportation Education

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

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Visit our Website

http://www.epa.gov/research/healthscience/health-impact-assessment.htm
http://www.epa.gov/research/priorities/docs/health-impact-assessment-factsheet.pdf

Email: Thomas-burton.tami@epa.gov Office: 404-562-8027

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