Grantee Research Project Results
2012 Progress Report: Understanding the Cumulative Affects of Environmental and Psycho-Social Stressors that Threaten the Pohlik-lah and Ner-er-ner Lifeway: The Yurok Tribe’s Approach
EPA Grant Number: R833708Title: Understanding the Cumulative Affects of Environmental and Psycho-Social Stressors that Threaten the Pohlik-lah and Ner-er-ner Lifeway: The Yurok Tribe’s Approach
Investigators: Sloan, Kathleen , Steinberg, Steven J , Steinberg, Sheila , Fluharty, Suzanne
Institution: Yurok Tribe Environmental Program , Humboldt State University
EPA Project Officer: Aja, Hayley
Project Period: July 1, 2008 through December 31, 2012 (Extended to December 31, 2013)
Project Period Covered by this Report: July 1, 2011 through December 31,2012
Project Amount: $974,389
RFA: Issues in Tribal Environmental Research and Health Promotion: Novel Approaches for Assessing and Managing Cumulative Risks and Impacts of Global Climate Change (2007) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Environmental Justice , Climate Change , Tribal Environmental Health Research , Human Health
Objective:
The attached table details the objectives, tasks and deliverables for the entire project. The original hypotheses, identified in the project proposal have been refined during the planning phase to four primary research questions:
- What are the chemical stressors known to be used in the Klamath River watershed, their pathways, and known adverse health outcomes associated with those chemical stressors and contaminants?
- What contaminants are currently detectable in the river and key aquatic subsistence resources?
- Is there a relationship between environmental health as reflected by resource health and community health?
- How can this study and the data produced from this study be used to identify and reduce risk and improve tribal member and resource health?
Phase
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Objectives
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Activities
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Responsibility
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Deliverables
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One: Preliminary Assessment and Planning
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A. Finalize research design
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1. Review literature and archival documents to determine the types, locations, and amounts of chemicals used in the Klamath watershed and coastal region, merge data into GIS system and determine target analytes for screening.
2. Review literature and documents; consult with Tribal elders, members, and Council to determine the types & locations of aquatic substance foods.
3. Compile, review, perform gap analysis, & QA existing tribal and outside agency data (ethnographic information, GIS data, and pesticide information) to determine utility of existing data sets and needs for the project.
4. Synthesis of activities 1-3 and prepare Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP).
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1. YTEP staff and HSU
2. YTEP staff
3. YTEP staff and HSU
4. YTEP staff
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1. List of target analytes for screening.
2. List of targeted subsistence species for sampling and site locations.
3. Summary report of gap analysis on needed information and selection of appropriate data sets for project.
4. Completed QAPP sent to EPA for review and formal approval.
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Phase
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Objectives
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Activities
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Responsibility
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Deliverables
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Two: Primary Data Collection
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A. Physical & biological sampling
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1. Tier One: broad screening for contaminants a. Water Sampling from Klamath b. Tissue Sampling from suite of aquatic subsistence species
2. Tier Two: target screening based on results of tier one screening to correlate species with positive toxin levels to harvesting sites
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1 & 2. YTEP staff and CA Dept of Fish & Game, Fish and Wildlife Water Pollution Control Laboratory
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1. Summary report of contaminants detected in subsistence species
2. Summary report of screening results differentiating levels of contaminants in subsistence species between various harvesting sites
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B. Public Participation GIS (PPGIS).
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1. Convene public meetings for Participatory Community Research and incorporation of interactive GIS focusing on health, quality, and quantity of subsistence resources.
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1. YTEP staff and HSU
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1. GIS based maps and geospacial information for tribal members’ feedback.
2. Summary report of environmental & resource health issues and perceptions
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C. Yurok health patterns
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1. Collect and evaluate general health data on Yurok Tribe with focus on health problems associated with chronic exposure to target contaminants.
2. Review and GIS acceptable tribal health data, US and Tribal Census data, to facilitate correlation of possible locational patterns obtained through analysis of existing data
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1& 2. YTEP, HSU, and CTEC staff
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1. Summary report of health issues and trends associated with common mechanism groups (CMG), and pathways involving aquatic subsistence resources
2. GIS existing Yurok health data obtained through record analysis.
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Phase
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Objectives
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Activities
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Responsibility
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Deliverables
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Three: Analysis and Outputs
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A. Interpretation
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1. Return and ground-truth preliminary results through PPGIS
2. Using GIS, the water, subsistence resource, & health data, analyze and identify intersections of exposures and outcomes in space and time between environmental conditions, subsistence resource contamination.
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1. YTEP staff, & HSU
2. YTEP, HSU, and CTEC staff
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1. Final report of community experiences and perceptions of project results
2. GIS Eco-Toxicological Assessment Tool
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B. Inform Tribal policy.
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1. Meet with Tribal Council and staff to determine how the findings can best be used to inform Tribal Policy, reduce Tribal Members’ exposure and reduce the degradation or decline of Yurok subsistence resources.
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1. YTEP Staff
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1. Summary report with policy recommendations for Tribal Council
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C. Sharing Results
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1. Determine how results may be applied within the Klamath basin and for other Tribes that rely on subsistence resources. 2. Analyze methods (not tribal-specific confidential data) on study design and for other potential applications.
3. Compile & review project; write results and recommendations
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1. YTEP, HSU, and CTEC staff
2. YTEP, HSU, and CTEC staff
3. YTEP Staff
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1. Educational materials, presentations & publications
2. Educational materials, presentations & publications
3. Final report to EPA
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Progress Summary:
Tasks Completed in Year 4:
- All Tier 1 and Tier 2 samples were collected in Year 3. Task completed.
- The CRIHB CTEC completed all Yurok tribal member health data acquisition and analysis and completed the Yurok Tribe Community Health Profile in Year 4. The CRIHB TEC worked with UIHS to complete all data acquisition per the conditions of an MOU negotiated between CRIHB TEC and UIHS.
- All PPGIS data collection conducted by the Drs. Sheila and Steven Steinberg was completed in Year 3, as reported in Year 3 Annual Report. No additional PPGIS sessions were held or data collected in Year 4.
- All Tier 1 tissue and water samples collected and analyzed by the lab in Year 3 were reviewed and analyzed by YTEP during Year 4. Interpretation and presentation of the Tier 1 results has been ongoing and has been developed to inform the Yurok Tribal Community of the results.
- All Tier 2 samples have been submitted to the labs for further testing and analysis in Year 4. Lab results for Tier 2 samples have been received from the lab and are in the process of being QA’d and analyzed by YTEP. This process is ongoing and near completion at the end of Year 4. Final interpretation and presentation of Tier 2 results is in-progress and will be completed by the end of the Project period.
- All Yurok Health Data was analyzed by CRIHB TEC in the completion of the Yurok Community Health Profile completed in Year 4. The CRIHB TEC conducted analysis of the acquired Yurok tribal member health data to identify rates of the targeted diseases and health outcomes. CRIHB TEC prepared a working draft report that was shared with Sloan and Fluharty for review and discussion. YTEP and CRIHB TEC worked closely together to complete the final version which was presented to the Yurok Tribal Council in March 21, 2012. The Yurok Tribe Community Health Profile is now complete, has been shared with the tribal community at the Yurok Tribe’s Annual Meeting, Yurok Salmon Festival, has been posted to the YTEP website and has been made available to interested tribal members upon request. It will be included in the final mailout of educational materials to tribal households in the last quarter of the grant.
- Drs. Sheila and Steven Steinberg completed their analysis of the PPGIS data in Year 4 and has been delivered to YTEP and has been utilized to analyze past and present resource procurement and harvesting patterns and observed trends and conditions in ecosystem health within the Tribal Community and validate the sampling locations selected for this study. Due to the sensitivity and confidentiality of the PPGIS data, this information will not be shared publicly.
- The Eco-Toxicological GIS Tool was completed in Year 4 of the Project. A draft tool was developed and tested with YTEP during Year 4 and went through several revisions prior to completion in September 2012. A user guide and the self-installing toolkit is complete and has been provided as a final deliverable to YTEP by the HSU Team. YTEP is in the process of working with our Information Services Department to upload the tool to our website and will be made publicly available.
Future Activities:
One quarter (90 days) remains in the Project Period. During this time, the YTEP team will complete all analysis and deliverables (educational materials designed for the Yurok Tribal Membership) will be completed. All final analysis and interpretation of Tier 2 lab results will be completed by YTEP. A final report is in progress and will be completed and submitted to NCER within 90 days of the Project end date.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 17 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
Toxicology, contaminants, endocrine disrupters, tissue sampling, PPGIS, GIS, health outcomes, disease, tribal communities, cumulative risk assessment, Yurok Tribe, Yurok Tribe Environmental Program, YTEP, California Rural Indian Health Board, CRIHB, Humboldt State University, HSURelevant Websites:
Yurok Tribe Environmental Program: http://www.yuroktribe.org/departments/ytep/ytep.htm Exit
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.
Project Research Results
- Final Report
- 2013 Progress Report
- 2011 Progress Report
- 2010 Progress Report
- 2009 Progress Report
- 2008 Progress Report
- Original Abstract