Superfund Research Program

Community Engagement Core

Project Leader: Shannon Lea Watkins
Co-Investigator: Scott N. Spak
Grant Number: P42ES013661
Funding Period: 2006-2025

Project-Specific Links

Final Progress Reports

Year:   2019  2014  2009 

The Mission of the Iowa Superfund Research Program (ISRP) Program Community Outreach Core (COC) is to address community concerns related to the sources, remediation, and human impacts of hazardous chemicals, particularly PCBs, and to improve scientific literacy from the junior high to the adult level. To meet this mission, broad Aims and specific Objectives have been developed to facilitate coordinated activities between the Community Outreach Core personnel, the Community Advisory Boards, and partner schools. The Aims are:

1. To address community concerns regarding the effects of dredging in East Chicago, Indiana, in terms of potential airborne PCB sources, remediation strategies, human impacts and relative health risk;
2. To provide education programs in East Chicago and Columbus Junction in partnership with the Community Advisory Boards and the schools; and
3. To develop an Airborne PCBs: Sources, Remediations, and Human Impacts science education module targeted to the junior high level. Additionally, a PCB Sustainability Case Study targeted to senior high and first year community college and university students is to be developed.

Studies and Results:

To accomplish these Aims, the Community Outreach Core continues to work with schools and Community Advisory Boards in East Chicago and Columbus Junction.

A key output of the Core's education efforts are inquiry based airborne PCB learning materials. These materials have been developed and tested in several junior high school classrooms in each of the partner communities and a high school summer camp. As the Core's partnership grows in each community's school district, researchers have trained presenters to ensure that learning materials are delivered consistently and successfully. Trainees and staff within the ISRP also benefit from these activities since they are routinely involved in engagement efforts. Researchers ask the junior high and high school students to share what they learned during engagements, and ask their teachers to assess engagements as well.

Every spring the Core hosts the Columbus Community Schools 7th grade students on the University of Iowa campus for a 2.5-hour interactive tour of ISRP science and engineering laboratories. This engagement involved approximately 60 students, 4 teachers and over 10 ISRP faculty and staff. This event occurred on April 24th, 2014, and students learned about mouse necropsy, airborne PCB sampling, PCB toxicity and more. On May 1st, 2014, COC personnel taught classes for 8th grade students in Columbus Junction, IA, in the classroom of Jan Rutt.

On March 6th & 7th, 2014, COC personnel engaged 7th and 8th grade students in East Chicago, IN, in the classrooms of Kimberly Martinez and Joe Stankovich. These teachers are long-time partners in this effort and personnel were able to interact with over 200 students through the experiential PCB curriculum developed by the COC.

On February 20th, 2014, the Community Advisory Board in Columbus Junction, IA, was convened to discuss the progress to date and future directions of the partnership. School Superintendent Marlene Johnson, local nurse Barb Mendenhall, and Principal Jeff Maeder were in attendance. The group expressed continued support for the partnership and a letter of support for the proposed renewal of the ISRP was signed.

The Community Advisory Board in East Chicago, IN, was convened on March 6th, 2014. In attendance from the East Chicago area was Bessie Dent, Fernando Trevino, Ruth Turpin and others. Updates about the dredging process were shared, information about the school education program was exchanged, and thoughts for future engagement areas were brainstormed. A Superfund site nearby was identified as one area/topic that the community would like more information about. The members present signed a letter of support to continue funding for the program.

Community Outreach Core personnel attended the Superfund Research Program meeting in San Jose, CA, in the fall of 2014.

The COC continued to work with Phytoremediation to Degrade Airborne PCB Congeners from Soil and Groundwater Sources and Ecolotree, Inc. to engage Altavista, Virginia, in exploring the use of hybrid poplar trees to stabilize and remediate a PCB contaminated site. Ecolotree President Lou Licht is attempting to apply ISRP poplar tree PCB metabolism research findings toward the cleanup of an actual site. The actual ability of poplar trees and other plants to remediate PCB sites effectively remains an active research component of the ISRP and is an active engagement activity of the COC.

Significance:

As measured by the articulations of the Community Advisory Boards and partner school personnel, the COC has been quite successful in East Chicago, Indiana, and Columbus Junction, Iowa. The ongoing success of the COC, and the ISRP, will require continued partnership in these communities and future plans for success include opportunities for growth and for deepening of relations. The COC has contributed to the development paths of East Chicago and Columbus Junction. The COC has and will continue to address community concerns and improve scientific literacy at these locations.

Plans:

Now that dredging has commenced in the Indiana Harbor and Shipping Canal, the COC plans to increase work with the CAB in East Chicago to insure that city officials and the public are aware of any potential associated health risks. The COC has also proposed a study to determine how empowered residents in homes with higher levels of PCBs are when it comes to making potential remediation decisions.