Priority 3: Priority Areas, Lens 3 (Equity)
Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA)
2022 Stormwater Strategic Plan (SWSP)
PWSA released a strategic plan in December of 2022. The public has until June 30, 2023, to comment on this document and submit those ideas/concerns/questions for official review. The Mon Water Project is going to step through each Priority and provide insight.
Lens 3: Equity
Priority 3 of the Plan includes a lot of important data, analysis, and parameters used in the plan to determine the next steps. These layers of information are called lenses. We are going to evaluate each lens individually.
What the plan says:
“Environmental justice embodies the principles that communities and populations should not be disproportionally exposed to adverse environmental impacts. Historically, minority and low-income Pennsylvanians have been forced to bear a disproportionate share of adverse environmental impacts. It is our duty to ensure that all Pennsylvanians, especially those that have typically been disenfranchised, are meaningfully involved in the decisions that affect their environment and that all communities are not unjustly and/or disproportionally burden with adverse environmental impacts.”
Dividing the city of by each census block, the PWSA analysis looked at the Environmental Justice areas of the City of Pittsburgh. This researched mean digging into the socio-economic issues and determining the environmental conditions that our many of our neighborhoods or neighbors are struggling with.
The Environmental Justice Screen used by the Environmental Protection Agency data sources are:
Low Income areas
Housing cost burden
Particulate Matter (PM2.5), a type of Air Pollution.
Ozone
Diesel Particulate Matter (DPM), Air Pollution often related to communities near major roads.
Air Toxics cancer risk and respiratory hazard index
Traffic Proximity and volume
Proximity to hazardous waste
Wastewater discharge
Leaking underground storage
Linguistic Isolation
Educational Attainment
Under the age of 5 and over the age of 64
People of color
PWSA also used the Allegheny County Health Department and their environmental justice analysis. They use similar data points, but also review: Proximity to greenspace, miles of railroad track coverage, and housing vacancy.
PWSA used these blocks to weigh the priority areas of the city based on Environmental justice concerns in determining future investment and watershed priorities.
What I say:
Summary:
PWSA should provide the data to demonstrate how equity was weighted in the final decisions based on watershed prioritization, and be very transparent on its intention to change course on this issue as an agency.
Full Comment:
To use Equity within its evaluation techniques is an important first step by PWSA to acknowledge and document the disproportionate environmental and health burdens faced by marginalized and disadvantaged communities in the City of Pittsburgh.
However, equity is not merely a lens to view watershed prioritzaiton. It must be applied to each of the priority areas and to all activities of the agency moving forward.
To ensure that environmental justice is prioritized by the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA), the following considerations and actions must be taken:
Community engagement: PWSA should actively initiate and engage with local communities that have historically been marginalized or disproportionately impacted by environmental issues. This can involve conducting community meetings, seeking public input, and incorporating community feedback into decision-making processes. Ensuring that community members have a voice and are included in the planning and implementation of projects is crucial for environmental justice.
Data transparency: PWSA should provide accessible and transparent information about its operations, water quality, and any potential environmental risks. This allows communities to have a better understanding of the issues they may face and empowers them to advocate for their rights to a clean and safe environment. Human health is not political and violations can not be hidden. PWSA needs to openly discuss its failures and successes.
Health impact assessments: PWSA should conduct health impact assessments for its projects and initiatives, particularly those that have the potential to affect public health. In this plan PWSA discusses its mission to devleop projects that meet its People, Planet, Place, and Performance mission statement. With the same passion and vigor that PWSA investigates the performance of projects and stormwater flows through modeling and monitoring, PWSA must also develop analysis techniques to quantify the “increase in quality of life” that projects can achieve. By understanding the potential health impacts and potential positive outcomes, PWSA can take proactive measures to minimize risks and prioritize the well-being of affected communities.
Collaboration with environmental justice organizations: PWSA should collaborate with local environmental justice organizations and community groups that have expertise in advocating for equitable and sustainable water and sewer services. Partnering with these organizations can help ensure that the needs and concerns of marginalized communities are addressed and integrated into decision-making processes.
Affordability and assistance programs: PWSA must continue to educate and show up in communities to advertise and better implement its bill assistance programs. These programs are in place to address the affordability of water and sewer services, particularly for low-income households. Ensuring that essential services remain affordable and accessible to all residents is essential for environmental justice.
By adopting these approaches, PWSA can prioritize environmental justice and work towards providing equitable and sustainable water and sewer services for all residents of Pittsburgh.
