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Environmental Protection Indicators for California (EPIC)
What is the EPIC project?
The Environmental Protection Indicators for California (EPIC)
project is a collaborative effort of the California Environmental
Protection Agency (Cal/EPA), the Resources Agency, the Department
of Health Services, and an external advisory group consisting
of representatives from business, public interest groups, academia,
and local government. The project, led by Cal/EPA's Office of
Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), is responsible
for developing and maintaining a set of "environmental
indicators" for California.
What are environmental indicators, and why are they important?
Environmental indicators are measurements that track environmental
conditions over time. In recent years, more and more states
and localities in the United States, as well as countries and
international organizations, have developed environmental indicator
systems. Examples of environmental indicators include the level
of air pollution, volume of solid and hazardous waste deposited
in landfills, status of chinook salmon populations, and extent
of forest acreage.
Environmental indicators improve our understanding of the environment
and how human activities, along with other factors, can influence
it. They can be used to gauge progress toward achieving goals
to improve environmental quality and reduce threats to human
health and natural ecosystems. Environmental indicators are
also useful for communicating a great deal of complex information
in a simple, concise format.
California has traditionally assessed the success of its environmental
programs based on measures of activity, such as the number of
permits granted, notices of violation issued, or regulatory
standards adopted. Environmental indicators can illustrate the
effects these activities have on the environment.
What has the EPIC project accomplished to date?
Following its establishment in 2000, the EPIC project established
a process for identifying and selecting environmental indicators.
This process generated an initial set of 84 indicators dealing
with air quality, water quality, water supply and use, waste
management, human health, ecosystem health, pesticide, and transboundary
issues.
Sufficient data have been collected for about half of the initial
set of indicators to allow the project to assess trends in environmental
conditions; these are designated as "Type I" indicators.
The remainder either requires more data collection or analysis
(Type II indicators) or requires the establishment of a data
collection system (Type III indicators). Type II and Type III
indicators identify new kinds of data that could improve our
understanding of environmental conditions. In the future, policymakers
will consider the collection and analysis of data from Type
II and III indicators when planning their agencies' activities
and programs. The chart below gives examples of each type of
indicator.
| INDICATOR STATUS | |
I. Adequate data collected to assess trends
|
Number of days with unhealthy ozone, carbon monoxide,
and/or particulate matter (PM10) Number of coastal beaches posted or closed Per capita amount of solid waste generation, diversion, and disposal Number of hazardous materials spills and releases Total reported occupational illnesses and injuries associated with pesticide exposure Status of threatened and endangered species Extent of change in range land and forest habitat Air temperature |
II. Further data collection or analysis needed to assess trends
|
Total emissions of toxic air contaminants
(TACs) Magnitude of groundwater contaminant plumes Extent of cleanup of illegal solid waste disposal sites Volume of hazardous waste imported or exported Number of growers adopting reduced-risk pest management systems Status of the northern spotted owl |
III. No ongoing data collection
|
Extent of indoor exposure to formaldehyde Number of environmental releases from active landfills Levels of mercury in human blood and other tissues Quantity of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in aquatic ecosystems |
What are the next steps for the EPIC project?
The EPIC project is still in its formative stages. On an ongoing
basis, the current set of indicators will be evaluated, new
indicators will be identified, and existing indicators revised
and replaced as appropriate. The project will consider the need
for indicators that produce information on specific regions
of the state as well as indicators for issues such as sustainability,
environmental justice, and pollution prevention.
The EPIC project will publish a progress report outlining its
activities on a regular basis. In addition, EPIC project staff
will work with the state's environmental agencies to use information
from the indicators in developing agency policies, budgets,
and strategic plans.
Where can I get more information on the EPIC project
