Grantee Research Project Results
2021 Progress Report: Engaging the Galena Park Community to Build Resilience to Excess Industrial Pollutant Releases after Hurricanes and Floods in Greater Houston
EPA Grant Number: R840046Title: Engaging the Galena Park Community to Build Resilience to Excess Industrial Pollutant Releases after Hurricanes and Floods in Greater Houston
Investigators: Chiu, Weihsueh A
Institution: Texas A & M University
EPA Project Officer: Aja, Hayley
Project Period: August 1, 2020 through July 31, 2023 (Extended to July 31, 2024)
Project Period Covered by this Report: August 1, 2020 through July 31,2021
Project Amount: $799,928
RFA: Contaminated Sites, Natural Disasters, Changing Environmental Conditions and Vulnerable Communities: Research to Build Resilience (2019) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Safer Chemicals , Sustainable and Healthy Communities
Objective:
Hurricane Harvey demonstrated how natural disasters and changing environmental conditions can substantially increase pollutant releases from industrial facilities. The location of many of these facilities in already vulnerable communities may further exacerbate the public health impacts of these releases. In this study, we focus on the Harris County neighborhood of Galena Park, an underserved community in Greater Houston that suffers from frequent flooding and environmental justice issues, as well as being the location of the largest reported chemical spill after Harvey. Our long-term goal is to improve the resilience of this community to hurricane/flood-induced releases of metals and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
We will accomplish this goal through three Objectives: (1) comprehensively characterize the potential for hurricanes/floods to cause releases of metals and VOCs from use, production, and storage facilities located in Galena Park, thereby resulting in exposures to young children and the elderly; (2) identify/characterize important non-chemical stressors in this neighborhood, including social vulnerability and baseline health data, and their potential to exacerbate health impacts from metal and VOC exposures; (3) identify and evaluate promising structural and non-structural infrastructure solutions to reduce risks from metals and VOCs released by industrial facilities. All of these objectives incorporate active Community Engagement to ensure that the work is accurate and responsive to the community’s needs.
Progress Summary:
Objective 1 involves two complementary components: (i) identifying and characterizing relevant facilities and populations and (ii) hydrodynamic modeling of hurricane/flood scenarios. We have developed a preliminary list of relevant facilities through search and curation of several databases, including the U.S. EPA Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) and multiple program databases from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. With respect to hydrodynamic modeling, we are developing the Galena Park predictions and flood scenarios using the Delft3D-FM (for Flexible Mesh) model. We used wind data from Hurricane Ike to test the model implementation. We also tested the model’s sensitivity to the inclusion of discharge values in the waterways leading to Buffalo Bayou. In addition to historical storms, we are also investigating the possible impact of future climate scenarios on industrial flooding in Galena Park.
For Objective 2, primary data collection has begun to collect surveys from the community utilizing the Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER) method from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The survey contents benefited from feedback and specific inputs from the organizations engaged in this research. This was accomplished to ensure the information gathered was important and of use to community members. Zones within the community have been created in conjunction with Objectives 1 and 3 in order to create regions of low, medium, or high risk based upon historic hazard exposures (i.e flooding) and proximity to industrial buildings and potential environmental pollutants.
Objective 3 involves the identification and evaluation of promising structural and non-structural infrastructure solutions to reduce risks from metals and VOCs released by industrial facilities. Data sets gathered include Precipitation, Tree Canopy, Impervious Surface, Building Footprint, Parcels, Land Use, Traffic Counts, Circulation, Water Features, Watersheds, Flood Plain, Hurricane Risk Area, Sea Level Rise Inundation, and Storm Surge Inundation. These data are being integrated with the contamination data gathered from other objectives, evaluated, and visualized for community members via ArcGIS Dashboards. An undergraduate landscape architecture studio worked with the community using Zoom and Social Pinpoint software to develop preliminary green infrastructure growth plans for Galena Park. Finally, risk maps using geospatial analytical tools incorporating contamination levels and flood vulnerability have been created for each parcel in Galena Park to identify those lots that are most susceptible to hazardous substance transferal during flood events.
Over the past year, we’ve developed the community engagement strategy. We established a core team that will help see the master plan project through to completion. We began recruiting a community task force to guide the project. The Task Force is a diverse group of ideally 8 community members or key stakeholders who provide feedback and guidance on the master plan. Presently, our Task Force consists of the Fire Chief, community activist, member of the County’s Flood Control District, Community Relations & Events personnel for Harris County, and a Senior Policy Advisor for Harris County. Additionally, the project will include roughly 30 master of urban planning students in the PLAN 661 Plan Communications course to assist with community engagement. The students have prepared discussion prompts to facilitate conversation with focus groups to better understand current challenges, threats, and opportunities perceived by Galena Park residents. The team will employ survey mailers, as well as a digital survey via the virtual engagement platform, Social Pinpoint.
Future Activities:
For Objective 1, in the next year, we will complete the characterization of TCEQ facilities and their potential chemical releases to the extent feasible. We will also obtain sub-census-tract-level data on populations at risk for Galena Park. Additionally, with respect to hydrodynamic modeling, we will continue to develop and test the Delft3D-FM implementation for Galena Park, adding verification with available data to insure model fidelity.
For Objective 2, the next year will see the completion of survey data collection, analysis of findings linking conditions and outcomes, spatial analytics combining landscape conditions and mental and physical health results, and specifics resulting from buyout desires and community perceptions.
For Objective 3, in the next year, we will finalize a master plan for the high risk area identified in Galena Park, suggest structural and non-structural mechanisms to assist in solving local issues related to flooding and contamination, and apply built environment performance models to test these scenarios for optimal risk reduction. This plan will be created based on a series of engagement sessions and feedback loops so that is it locally driven and informed.
For Community Engagement, in the next year, we plan to work closely with the community task force in at least 4 meetings to facilitate the engagement of residents of Galena Park. Summarizing the community’s feedback, a report will be generated and submitted to the city for further input regarding future efforts and initiatives. Lastly, at least one public meeting will be conducted to present findings, offer recommendations, and gather more input to prepare a more thorough master plan.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 25 publications for this projectRelevant Websites:
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.