Cynthia McOliver, Office: (703) Cynthia C. McOliver, PhD, MPH 1 National Center for Environmental Research, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Engaging the Community in EPA STAR Research: Water and Beyond Introduction New England (UNE), Montana State University (MSU), the Crow Tribe and Little Big Horn College This collaborative project is aimed at developing risk assessment methodology for multimedia exposure to contaminants in water (private wells; surface waters) and wastewater on the Crow Reservation. Efforts include monitoring water resources on the Reservation, identifying of chemical and microbial contaminants (E. Coli, Cryptosporidium), elucidating subsistence lifestyles and cultural practices of Crow Reservation communities, engaging and training the local Tribal College students in conducting field work and community surveys, risk assessment and effective management approaches. Ultimately, the collaborative has raised and leveraged funds to improve water and wastewater treatment infrastructure and provided a common cause around which the Crow community has rallied to ensure their health and wellbeing. References available on request. Tribal Environmental Research University of Texas -El Paso This ongoing project awarded to is working with up to twelve colonias of the Paso del Norte region in the El Paso community. Objectives: perform community-based participatory research (CBPR) through Water and point of use (POU) surveys of colonia residents; design, test, and implement POU systems for specific water contaminants of these colonias; evaluate the sustainability of the use of POU technologies. Methods: conducting surveys of individuals and focus groups; implementing four research phases: (I ) water quality evaluations and colonia assessments, (2) water quality analysis and laboratory POU pilot test; (3) implementation of community pilot test, (4) sustainability evaluation End Result: Promoting environmental justice by gaining a better understanding of POU perception and acceptability, as well as implementing technologies that can protect people’s health in isolated areas. Hazardous Substances Research Centers: TOSC/TAB/TOSNAC The U.S EPA recognizes that complex challenges such as water infrastructure needs and reducing (water) pollution, and emerging challenges e.g. effects of climate change, require innovative, creative, and sustainable solutions not only from agency program offices and regions; but necessitate creative problem-solving with cross-program collaboration and partnerships with federal agencies, state, local, and tribal governments and the broader community. Communities are involved in EPA’s regulatory action through by participation in notice and comment periods of rulemaking/recommendations; and in the agency’s monitoring and research activities as citizen scientists and researchers, collaborators and participants. Specifically, community grants (e.g Air grants, the Community Action for A Renewed Environment (CARE), Environmental Justice grants, Brownfields grants), stakeholder engagement (e.g the Superfund programs), community monitoring programs e.g Urban Waters program and Air Toxics program and extramural research grants and fellowships through the National Center for Environmental Research Science to Achieve Results (STAR) provide key opportunities for diverse communities to engage in EPA’s work. Dr. Bob Perciasseppe at the November 2013 “New Visions for Citizen Science” held at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for scholars stated that “ citizen science or public participation in scientific research… involves and empowers participating public that when properly characterized and managed can be a powerful tool that supports the complexity and expertise processes that agencies like EPA employ. In addition, data provided through citizen science activities contributes to our scientific knowledge base.” When working with impacted communities, community-engaged research (CenR) approaches such as demonstrated in the examples foster and nurture trust, build capacity, encourage sharing of research and outreach responsibilities, identify sustainable, culturally acceptable and relevant health outcomes and interventions while also being responsive to Agency mission and goals to protect human health and the environment. Federal funding from the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Center of Environmental Research (NCER) Science To Achieve Results (STAR) Program ( has primarily supported bench, field and monitoring research projects on water and other media. An example are the 2006 CAFO grants, Fate and Effects of Hormones in Waste From Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOS) which contributed data and models that improve estimates of the occurrence and risks of steroid hormones associated with animal waste and developing new or improved animal waste handling systems and risk management options and best management practices for steroid hormones in animal waste. Six grants were funded and are now completed, with numerous resultant publications, conference proceedings, theses and news items. In fact, two of the grantees (P. Lee Ferguson and Ed Kolodziej) are presenters during this GRC. Several STAR projects have successfully integrated environmental and human health research with community/participatory approaches that promote community engagement, outreach and translation, e.g Tribal Environmental Health, Children’s Centers Research, Environmental Public Health Indicators Research, and Cumulative Risks. Other programs at NCER that have incorporated aspects of community engagement are the STAR Fellowships, the People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) and the STAR Water Research grants. This poster provides examples of research from NCER STAR programs that incorporated community-engaged research and capacity building. These projects have yielded data, tools, products, methods and knowledge that have enabled communities and their partners to better define and reduce the health risks and exposures, protect natural resources, encourage the ecological knowledge and tribal practices of protecting and preserving the earth for future generations, allowed the leveraging of funds, and influenced local, state and regional regulations and policies. The Technical Outreach Services for Communities (TOSC),Technical Assistance to Brownfields (TAB), and Technical Assistance to Native American Communities (TOSNAC) are examples of NCER/OSWER community engagement initiatives. These included ~ more than 200 communities, supported ~ 15 university-based outreach entities, and were guided by ~30 external advisors (complementary to the Science Advisory Committee was a Tech Transfer and Outreach Advisory Committee, including EPA HQ, lab, and regional folks). These projects invested $25M over their life within the Superfund Research Centers (20% of the sizeable grants were required to be devoted to Technology Transfer and Outreach, most of which went to these programs). Funding was split $665,000 for research and $135,000 for other Center activities, including training, technology transfer, technical assistance, and outreach, was available to support this effort. The mission of the TOSC program was to give communities an independent understanding of hazardous substance contamination issues so they may participate in decision making. TOSC services were provided through a national network of university staff and students coordinated by five regional Hazardous Substance Research Centers (HSRCs).Hazardous Substance Research Centers The solicitation (2001) addressed priority hazardous substance research on mining waste and training, technology transfer, and technical for the Region 8 states. EPA Region 8; Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming and 27 Tribal Nations ColoradoMontanaNorth Dakota South DakotaUtahWyoming27 Tribal Nations Water issues along the Texas/Mexico border communities Many residents of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in southwest South Dakota, home to the Oglala Sioux Tribe (also known as the Oglala Lakota Nation), rely on private wells as their drinking water source. Due to significant levels of arsenic and uranium contaminate the reservation’s groundwater, A P3 grant, “Use of Bone Char for the Removal of Arsenic and Uranium from Groundwater at the Pine Ridge Reservation,” focused on the development of inexpensive, easy-to-use technology based on bone char, an indigenous material, to remove arsenic and uranium from the groundwater used by the residents of the reservation. The researchers tested reservation wells and developed a map that highlights the location of contaminated sources, and are working with citizens of the reservation and local leaders of the Oglala Lakota College to determine whether the use of bone char filter for water purification is appropriate for the reservation. P3 Student project: Pine Ridge Reservation Important websites NCER STAR Extramural Research Program (NCER Homepage) (EPA/NIEHS Children’s Centers) (Tribal Environmental Research) (CAFO RFA announcement) NCER grants abstracts and project summaries: (CAFO projects) (Hazardous Substance Research Centers projects) (Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE Program Homepage) (Superfund Community involvement website) (Urban Waters Program) (EPA Region 2 Citizen Science) Takeaways Collaborative research and full engagement of impacted communities and key stakeholders in Agency decision-making processes are critical to the success, sustainability and acceptance of decisions and research outcomes from EPA and other federal agencies. Ever-emerging complex environmental questions and shrinking budgets beg for more cross-reaching and inclusive strategies that recognize the role of these partnerships. Future funding opportunities must ensure that community participation reaches beyond “research subjects”, “participants” to recognition and acceptance as credible principal investigators, collaborators and research partners. Community engaged research and other participatory approaches: Provide a lens through which risks and exposures can be assessed from a local and community perspective Create culturally-relevant and community-focused educational and training materials Inform and develop interventions, remediation, and risk reduction strategies that are specific to impacted communities Use data on contaminant levels to help community members protect their health Encourage and validate the importance of partnerships with communities and diverse stakeholders Communicate and disseminate research respectfully, creatively and effectively Inform and shape local, regional and federal policy and regulatory decisions Fill critical data gaps on exposures and risks Potential to increase the quality of the data collected and assist in its interpretation