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ANNUAL REPORT 2016 www.pureearth.org 1 Pure Earth Annual Report 2016 www.pureearth.org 2 In 2016, Pure Earth remained true to the projects typically cost between $10,000 and The most important role we play at Pure Earth Today, in addition to the 110 projects we mission of identifying and cleaning up toxic $100,000, and provide proof of concept and is that of a catalyst. We seek out community have completed improving the lives of over hot spots. Before each cleanup project lead to larger investments from multilateral leaders and government representatives 4.5 million people, Pure Earth is serving as becomes a reality, Pure Earth staffers log funders and foundations. A successful concerned about pollution, partner and a catalyst for change on the global research hundreds of hours building relationships cleanup project also mobilizes regional and marshal the resources to start the process and policy front. By convening The Lancet in the affected communities, empowering national governments to commit additional of cleaning up toxic sites. Our staff create Commission on Pollution and Health, we local champions, gaining trust, forging resources to expand the work. This strategic and deliver education materials, conduct brought together a global brain trust of over partnerships and getting government buy in. approach enables initial investments of just soil, water, and air sampling to determine 50 leaders in environmental health, policy, On this basis, community education can be thousands of dollars to leverage millions, the concentration of toxins and assesses the research and economics, and produced a accomplished. allowing donor dollars to save and better lives health of the population exposed. In the best landmark report that will be published in with greatly enhanced affect. cases, this results in a cleanup project, where the fall of 2017. Commission researchers In the dozens of projects our teams have we work along side locals building capacity collected the latest data available on the Letter from the executed, I never get used to the fact that so Beyond the financial leverage, these projects Letter from the so they can continue after we leave. totality of pollution, its affect on public Chair of the Board many people around the world are unaware leverage human capacity and potential. President health, its economic impact, as well as the of the dangers associated with constant A community no longer under the daily We see the long-term benefits of our efforts, practical solutions for solving the pollution exposure to toxic heavy metals and other assault from dangerous toxins immediately rippling out over people’s lives for years to crisis. The goal of the report is to increase pollutants. In the U.S. we are inundated daily experiences health gains for all, but come. For example, one of our first projects commitment to fight pollution and to trigger with anxiety-provoking news stories about particularly pregnant women, babies in utero, in Haina, Dominican Republic continues to increased investments from the international exposures to pollutants that are relatively low infants and young children. Children born have a positive impact on the community’s community. risk in comparison to the threats we see in without in utero exposure will have higher IQs health. A highly toxic residential area built the developing world. The people Pure Earth and better overall health and productivity. I on top of abandoned lead smelters was In all our efforts, I witness concerned helps are awash in mercury, molten lead, am especially inspired when I think about the causing brain damage in many local children. community leaders, government officials, hexavalent chromium and other toxicants, benefits a cleaned up community will enjoy W e raised private funds to start the cleanup. donors, parents, young people turn from as they work hard every day doing informal, for generations into the future. I invite you to This served as a financial catalyst attracting feeling overwhelmed and helpless into subsistence industrial work to support their join us in this unique effort. more funding. Hopelessness and resignation hopeful, active campaigners, who change the families. transformed into enthusiasm and energy. toxic status. Sincerely, We got the job done, and a decade later Leveraging small investments into larger blood lead levels are normal, down to 5 μg/ Thank you for being part of the solution. grants is something Pure Earth does very dL from 23 μg/dL. All the babies born in this well, and as a former banker, this is one of community since we finished our project in Sincerely, the reasons for my passionate support of our H. Conrad Meyer III 2010 are no longer victims of the ravages work. Small investments from private donors Pure Earth Chair of lead poisoning. The return on investment are used to implement pilot projects. These goes on for generations. Richard Fuller President Cover Photo: Zambia—Kabwe man on black mountain with smelter in background, by Larry C. Price 3 Pure Earth Annual Report 2016 CAMPAIGN FOR 10 MILLION LIVES Pollution kills 9 million In late 2016, Pure Earth made a bold We thank Pure Earth’s Board and people each year— commitment to raise $10 million to Campaign Committee for taking the more than the implement proven pollution solutions lead, and making $836,000 in gifts and “ We find Pure Earth is simply and directly improve the health and lives pledges in 2016, and providing excellent population of New the best way for us to help of 10 million endangered women, men guidance and input. families in far-off places help York City. It also and children. their children grow up healthy. permanently damages We are also proud to report that Imagine… $1 helps 1 life. $510,000 was raised in new Campaign Not only does Pure Earth clean the brains and bodies gifts, including two leadership gifts: up toxic places where children of millions more, Join our community to raise $10 miIlion. Together, we can: u Alcoa Foundation supporting the live and play, but it retrains especially children. their parents in safe methods to u impact the health of at least 10 million identification of toxic hot spots in perform their livelihoods such as Pollution knows no people, including 3.2 million children Brazil and developing a resource manual for the government gold mining, lead-acid battery borders, the mercury u cleanup 35 of the world’s most toxic u smelting, and electronic waste used by gold miners sites and improve livelihoods Armenia Fund USA funding the cleanup of one of the most recycling. Our money cleans up in Peru and Indonesia u launch Health and Pollution Action contaminated lead sites in the world, lead from homes and educates is poisoning the tuna Plans with at least 4 national and the first of its kind in Armenia mothers on how to keep governments in our homes and mercury out of their food. Please u restaurants. The air increase research in understudied join us, and help Pure Earth save areas such as the impact of mercury pollution in Asia travels thousands of lives this year.” and lead on human health which will across continents, guide our programs and policy makers — Charlotte Triefus & Sheldon Kasowitz, affecting us all. Campaign Co-chairs u leverage $38 million in public funding for wide-scale replication Akhtala Monastery, Armenia Letter from the Chairman of the Board 1 The Toxic Sites Identification Program (TSIP) 33 Letter from the President 2 Measure and Visualize the Problem to Craft Solutions 34 Campaign for 10 Million Lives 3 TSIP Highlights in 2016 35 The Basics 7 Bangladesh 35 Human Impact 9 Mongolia 35 Leverage—Our Model in Action 11 Senegal 35 Kabwe, Zambia—Lead Remediation 13 Cameroon 35 Dong Mai, Vietnam—Leverage and Expansion 15 Global Alliance on Health and Pollution (GAHP) 38 to More Projects The Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health 40 Key Accomplishments in 2016 17 Health and Pollution Action Planning: 40 TABLE OF Projects 18 Creating Road Maps to End Pollution Toxic Sites Identification Program (TSIP) 18 UNEA3: The United Nations Environment Assembly 40 CONTENTS Global Alliance on Health and Pollution (GAHP) 18 Financial Highlights 41 2016 Project Highlights 19 Board of Directors 44 South and Southeast Asia 21 Pure Earth Staff 46 Philippines—Marilao, Meycauayan and 21 Regional and Country Program Coordinators 47 Obando River Fisheries Project Technical Advisory Board 48 Patna, India 21 Campaign for 10 Million Lives Committee 49 Pesarean Village, Indonesia 24 Pure Earth Leadership Council 50 Eastern Europe and Central Asia 24 Donors 52 Akhtala, Armenia 24 Individuals 52 Sovetskoe, Kyrgyzstan 25 Corporations & Foundations 54 West Bank, Israel 25 In-Kind 55 Latin America 28 Government and Multilateral Organizations 55 Brazil 28 Colombia 28 Rural Mexico 29 Peru—Puno and Madre de Dios 29 Africa 32 Agbogbloshie, Ghana 32 Photo: India, by Larry C. Price 7 Pure Earth Annual Report 2016 Low-income countries have to COMPARE THIS TO… tackle many urgent priorities and are only able to devote The Netherlands had expenditures of 930 million THE BASICS 1 to 2% of their national dollars on air pollution alone in 2012. annual budget, or less, to environment and health. Pollution Kills The United Kingdom spent 22.5 billion dollars on This can result in annual environment protection in 2010, according to the OEC. Pollution is one of the leading causes of death and disease in the expenditures of perhaps a few world, killing 9 million people a year according to the Institute for hundred thousand dollars, Health Metrics Evaluation and the World Health Organization. which often has to cover the The US EPA has a budget of around 8 billion dollars annually and a staff of more than 15,000 people.