Citizen Science

We received the notice below by email from the EPA Environmental Justice Listserv.  For a heads up on what how their modeling tool works and what it does, check out this video.

UPCOMING WEBINAR

Easy Modeling to Assess and Address Near-Road Air Quality

Thursday 20 April 2017 at 2pm – 3:30pm Eastern

Register Here Today!

Summary

Sometimes the groups most exposed to near-road air pollution are also the most disadvantaged and marginalized to do something about it. Land values near roads are typically devalued because of noise, pollution, and visual blight. Long-term exposure to near-road pollution can have serious health effects, contributing to diseases such as cancer and respiratory illness; and short term exposure can exacerbate existing conditions, like childhood asthma attacks. Children, elderly, and folks with pre-existing conditions are especially sensitive to roadway pollution.

This webinar will present the Community-LINE Source Model (C-LINE) (https://www.epa.gov/healthresearch/community-line-source-model-c-line-estimate-roadway-emissions): a scientifically sound, near-road air pollution model that plays almost like a video game, available to any user with a computer or tablet.

C-LINE allows users to not only evaluate what is going on in their local area, but also what might happen if things change, such as from increases in traffic or diesel trucks cutting through town. Users can easily manipulate model inputs to also examine upwind and downwind effects, or estimate the areas most influenced annually by near-road pollution. In addition to roads, railways and railyards, ports, ships, and industrial sources also influence near-source neighborhoods.

The model is being further developed to include these and other sources for public use. Would you use this model? How? How might we help you do that? Learn more in this interactive webinar!

C-Line Webinar – Estimating Roadway Emissions in Communities with EJ Concerns

• Date: Thursday 20 April 2017

• Time: 2pm – 3:30pm Eastern

• Register Here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/webinar-tools-for-mapping-air-pollution-from-local-traffic-tickets-32895959701

Speakers

• Betsy Smith is a research biologist in the EPA Office of Research and Development. She has worked for the Agency for 20 years primarily in the areas of interdisciplinary science using spatial analysis to identify patterns and trends that can inform local- to national-scale decision-making. Betsy is currently the lead for EPA’s Sustainable Port Communities Study.

• Tim Barzyk is a research scientist at the EPA. Tim works with community organizations, state and local agencies, EPA Regions and Program Offices, and academic partners to develop and apply near-source air quality models, citizen science portable sensor technologies, and decision analysis methods for use in local scale environmental health assessments. While focused on environmental health, his research acknowledges that local values and knowledge about social, environmental, and economic conditions must inform the assessment process in order to support evidence-based decision making by local residents, policy makers, or commercial interests to improve environmental conditions.

• Vlad Isakov is a research scientist at the EPA. His current research focuses on the development and testing through applications and innovative approaches to model spatially and temporally resolved air quality concentrations in support of exposure and health studies.

000955

If you are not already a member, the Office of Environmental Justice would like to invite you to join the EJ ListServ. The purpose of this information tool is to notify individuals about activities at EPA in the field of environmental justice. By subscribing to this list you will receive information on EPAs activities, programs, projects grants and about environmental justice activities at other agencies. Noteworthy news items, National meeting announcements, meeting summaries of NEJAC meetings, and new publication notices will also be distributed. Postings can only be made by the Office of Environmental Justice. To request an item to be posted, send your request to environmental-justice@epa.gov and indicate in the subject “Post to EPA-EJ ListServ”