EPA Region 10
-Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington
1. Contextualizing RESES
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Functions Include: Step by Step Guidance, Mapping, Potential Risk and Exposure
Reports, Community Data Table, Community Based Solutions
Tacoma, WA
Agency staffed interns, resident scientists and other EPA staff worked with community
partners to identify community issues
Community partners used C-FERST with local knowledge to explore concerns related to
infant mortality, low birth weight and environmental health issues
Evergreen State College Tacoma Campus students and faculty conducted a citizen
science project
Evergreen developing a class centered on C-FERST and becoming the trainer for the
tool
Beta Testing I
Portland, OR
Generating use cases and best practice for using decision tools at the local level
Beta Testing II
Feedback in Portland, OR
. . .Never used a tool like this before but overall I am impressed by the ability of anybody, not just a trained
college grad, to use the program to find meaningful data
The Siskiyou Crest is proposed to become a National monument. I want to see if current land use is
crippling the area from an environmental point of view. This (tool) might provide insight into why this area
would benefit from becoming a National Monument
If it werent for C-FERST I wouldnt even know that mapping programs like this existed. It was helpful to
show there are links between demographic, location, pollution and illness
Id like to use the tool with my partner to decide where to buy property
Many overlays on the map make it look ugly. . .
What we learned. . .
Conclusion
The EPA developed CFERST in response to community needs:
- Communities, tribes and their respective decision makers need information.
However:
-There are potential issues, impacts & solutions and not enough experts to evaluate
every local situation
-Some communities have disproportionate impacts, limited resources and access to
information
- It is difficult to assess all available info to identify, prioritize, take action on
environmental and community health issues
C-FERST can:
Provide best science for community assessment
Promote participation/partnership
Support community led programs
Further risk identification, prioritization and cumulative assessments
Give structure/platform for decision making
Conclusion
Contact:
CFERSTMail@EPA.GOV
This research is supported by an appointment to the Research Participation Program
for the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Research and
Development (ORD) administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and
Education (ORISE) through an interagency agreement between the US Department
of Energy (DOE) and the EPA.
CFERSTMail@EPA.GOV