December 6th Portland Harbor Collaborative meeting

Hello everyone! Below please find information about next week’s December 6^th Portland Harbor Collaborative meeting, other events, and relevant updates:
*Online Only* December 6 Portland Harbor Collaborative Group Quarterly Meeting
*Optional Review by Jan 8, 2024* Community Impacts Mitigation Plan Annotated Outline ü Update to EPA Portland Harbor Superfund Site Team Staff
*Coming Soon* Portland Harbor Community Grant Opportunity
*Comment Opportunity by Jan 16, 2024* Update to EPA’s Public Involvement Policy Updates from EPA’s Environmental Justice Work

1. *Online Only* Wednesday, December 6 Portland Harbor Collaborative Group Quarterly Meeting (5:30-7:30 p.m. Pacific)

Everyone is welcome to observe the next quarterly Portland Harbor Collaborative meeting that will be hosted online. Date: Wednesday, December 6, 2023 Time: Meeting is 5:30-7:30 p.m. Pacific, the Zoom will open at 5:00 p.m. How do I join the meeting online? Please join the Zoom meeting online by using the following link: ·
Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87096882184 ·
Meeting ID: 870 9688 2184 ·
Call-in: +16694449171,,87096882184# US
Agenda: The following agenda is subject to change. A final agenda will be shared in advance of this Collaborative meeting.   5:00-5:30pm: Optional pre-meeting meet and greet, informal discussion about the Portland Harbor Community Impacts Mitigation Plan 5:30-7:30pm: Main Meeting   Topic Spotlight: EPA Superfund Lead Project Areas with Josie Clark and Laura Hanna, EPA Region 10 7:30-8:00 pm: Adjourn to optional breakout rooms for informal discussion about the main presentation, Superfund 101, or Community Impacts Mitigation Plan Having problems signing into the Zoom meeting? Please contact Anna Hamilton at 206-458-5710 or ahamilton@triangleassociates.com Captioning & Translation: Live closed captioning will be provided in English. Please let the Triangle Facilitation team know if you or someone you know who might be attending needs any translation services as soon as possible, and we will do our best to accommodate the request. Contact: Anna Hamilton at 206-458-5710 or ahamilton@triangleassociates.com.    Disclaimer on Recording: This meeting will be recorded. Please be aware that when you join the Zoom meeting your name and/or video may be displayed to other meeting participants and captured in the meeting recording. The meeting sections will be recorded and posted to the Portland Harbor Collaborative Group YouTube Page. By joining the Zoom meeting, you are consenting to the recording and dissemination of the recording as noted above. If you would prefer not to share your name and/or video, please email phcollaborative@triangleassociates.com.   Participation for Public Members vs. Observers: Please note that while everyone is welcome to attend this meeting, participation will be focused on Collaborative members. As a public observer, you may view the meeting with Collaborative members in-person or in Triangle’s Zoom. We invite you to participate by observing the meeting among the members from 5:30-7:30 pm. If you are interested in becoming a Collaborative member, please e-mail phcollaborative@triangleassociates.com. You may also review the Collaborative Group Charter document, which was developed in collaboration with Portland-area community leaders and members and approved in principle at the group’s September 13, 2023 meeting.

2. *Optional Review by Jan 8, 2024* Community Impacts Mitigation Plan Annotated Outline

As you may know, EPA is developing a Community Impacts Mitigation Plan (CIMP) for the Portland Harbor Superfund Site. The CIMP is a living document that will serve as a guide and enforcement tool to reduce adverse impacts to the community from Portland Harbor activities. Please note that during the December 6^th Collaborative meeting we will share a CIMP draft annotated outline that includes information gathered so far. This outline is not comprehensive, rather it provides a status update on the current content and layout of the CIMP. If you want to provide any feedback on this CIMP Annotated Outline (completely optional) please: Consider attending the December 6 Portland Harbor Collaborative meeting (information above on how to join) Review the annotated outline by January 8, 2024 and share your thoughts with us by either (1) filling out this survey or (2) reach out to Dani Jochums, Triangle Associates, via email at djochums@triangleassociates.com to provide written comments or schedule a time to meet.

3. Update to EPA Portland Harbor Site Team staff

Our current Superfund Team Lead Caleb Shaffer will be going on a four-month assignment in EPA’s Water Division in Seattle starting in December. During this time, we are happy to share that Madi Novak has been selected to serve as Team Lead for the site beginning in mid-December. Madi has over 23 years of experience in scientific and policy aspects of implementing clean up under CERCLA and state regulations. She has worked as a consultant, with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, and at EPA in the Region 10 Superfund Remedial Cleanup Branch as an RPM. Much of this experience has been on sediment sites spanning all phases of work. She is also the Region’s Contaminated Sediment Technical Advisory Group Representative. She lives in Portland and works out of EPA’s Oregon Operations Office. Please join us in congratulating Madi in this new role!

4. *Coming Soon* Portland Harbor Community Grant Opportunity from the City of Portland

The Portland Harbor Community Grants will be available soon to support community-led programs related to the Portland Harbor Superfund. The goal of the grant program is to support meaningful public involvement in the Portland Harbor cleanup, particularly for communities disproportionately affected by the contamination and cleanup. The application will be open from January 15 – February 15, with technical assistance available throughout the application period. Join us for a preliminary virtual information session on December 14 to learn more about this funding opportunity. Find more information on the City’s Portland Harbor Community Grant website. Contact Miranda Mishan at City of Portland for more information (miranda.mishan@portlandoregon.gov).

5. *Comment Opportunity by Jan 16, 2024* Update to EPA’s Public Involvement Policy EPA is requesting your review on its draft “Achieving Health and Environmental Protection Through EPA’s Meaningful Involvement Policy.” This policy updates EPA’s 2003 Public Involvement Policy that guides EPA staff to provide meaningful public involvement in all its programs and regions. The revised policy builds on this premise and updates EPA’s public involvement approach. The Federal Register Notice was published on November 16, 2023 and the draft policy is available for a 60-day public comment period, ending on January 16, 2024. Comments can be submitted via: ·      Email to MeaningfulInvolvementPolicy@epa.gov ·      Comment submission form ·      The draft policy docket EPA-HQ-OEJECR-2023-0326 at www.regulations.gov Tribes may request consultation regarding this policy by January 5, 2024 by visiting EPA’s Tribal Consultation Tracking Opportunities System (TCOTS) website.

Public Outreach Events: EPA will be hosting three public informational webinars to provide an overview of the policy and to allow the public to ask questions. If you cannot speak, read, write, or understand the English language, please emailkandil.shereen@epa.gov to request interpretation or translation services free of charge. The webinars are scheduled for the following dates and times: ·      December 20, 2023 from 4 p.m.-5:00 p.m. (PT) at Register Now ·      January 10, 2024 from 2 p.m.-3:00 p.m. (PT) at Register Now ·      January 11, 2024 from 3 p.m.-4:00p.m. (PT) at Register Now For more information, please visit EPA’s website. If you have any questions, please contact MeaningfulInvolvementPolicy@epa.gov.

6. Updates from EPA’s Environmental Justice (EJ) Work ·

Check out EJScreen 2.2! This is a recent update to EPA’s publicly available environmental justice screening and mapping tool. EJScreen training is available online. ·      National Environmental Justice Community Engagement Calls will resume in January 2024. Recordings and meeting materials for calls are posted at the EPA EJ website. ·

EPA is seeking applications for the 2024 President’s Environmental Student and Teacher Awards Applications due January 15, 2024 o   For the President’s Environmental Youth Award, EPA will select up to two winners in each of the agency’s 10 regions: one regional winner for Grades K-5 and one regional winner for Grades 6–12. All student projects must be sponsored by at least one adult over the age of 21. Application and eligibility information is available on EPA President’s Environmental Youth Award page. o   For the Presidential Innovation Awards for Environmental Educators, EPA will select up to two teachers from each of EPA’s 10 regions, each from different states. Teachers will receive a presidential plaque and an award of up to $2,500 to be used to further professional development in environmental education. The winners’ local education agencies will also receive awards of up to $2,500 to fund environmental educational activities and programs. Application and eligibility information is available on the EPA PIAEE page. ·      EPA recently announced $2 Billion to Fund Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants. EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights announced the largest single investment in environmental justice in history, funded by the Inflation Reduction Act. EPA’s Community Change Grants are going directly to communities and will advance collaborative efforts to achieve a healthier, safer, and more prosperous future for all. Activities to be performed under the grants are expected to fall under the following categories:
o   Climate resiliency and adaptation.
o   Mitigating climate and health risks from urban heat islands, extreme heat, wood heater emissions, and wildfire events.
o   Community-led air and other pollution (including water and waste) monitoring, prevention, and remediation.
o   Investments in low- and zero-emission and resilient technologies and related infrastructure.
o   Workforce development that supports the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants.
o   Reducing indoor toxics and indoor air pollution.
o   Facilitating the engagement of disadvantaged communities in state and federal advisory groups, workshops, rulemakings, and other public processes.

If you have any questions, suggestions, or concerns about the Portland Harbor Superfund Site, please contact Laura Knudsen (knudsen.laura@epa.gov, 206-553-1838) or Kristin Ching (ching.kristin@epa.gov, 206-900-4344). You may also visit EPA’s Portland Harbor Superfund Site webpage at www.epa.gov/superfund/portland-harbor. Thank you!