Latest Developments from the EPA, Sept. 17 9/17/2003
From: John Millett of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 202-564-7842; e-mail: millett.john@epa.gov web: http://www.epa.gov/newsroom WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 -- Following are some Agency developments which may be of interest. For more information on any of these subjects, call the appropriate contact: EPA PROPOSES AMENDMENTS TO AIRCRAFT ENGINE EMISSION STANDARDS Contact: John Millett 202-564-7842 / millett.john@epa.gov EPA is proposing to amend the existing emission standards for oxides of nitrogen (NOx) for new commercial aircraft engines. These new standards are equivalent to the latest NOx emission standards of the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization, and thereby would bring the United States aircraft standards into alignment with the international standards. These standards would go into effect in 2004 and would apply to new aircraft engines utilized on commercial aircraft that include small regional jets, single-aisle aircraft, twin-aisle aircraft, and 747s and larger aircraft. General aviation and military aircraft using commercial aircraft engines subject to this proposal will also contribute to NOx emission reductions. The proposal and related documents are available at: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/aviation.htm . Comments can be submitted by sending an email to: aircraft@epa.gov. A public hearing will be held at the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA East, 1201 Constitution Ave., N.W., Room Number 1153, Washington, D.C. 20004. Detailed information about the date and time of the hearings will be published in the Federal Register and at: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/aviation.htm . --- NOMINATIONS BEING ACCEPTED FOR PRESTIGIOUS "GREEN CHEMISTRY" AWARDS Contact: David Deegan 617-918-1017 / deegan.dave@epa.gov EPA is now accepting nominations for the 2004 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards. These prestigious Presidential rank awards recognize innovative chemical technologies that incorporate green chemistry into chemical design, manufacture and use - and that have broad applications in industry. Green chemistry is the use of chemistry to prevent pollution. Nominated technologies should reduce or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances from a chemical product or process. Any individual, group or organization, both nonprofit and for profit, including academia, government and industry, may nominate a green chemistry technology for these awards. Self-nominations are welcome and expected. Typically, five awards are given each year: one to an academic researcher, one to a small business, and the rest in specific areas of green chemistry. Each nominated technology must have reached a significant milestone within the past five years in the United States. Nominations must be postmarked by Dec. 31, to be eligible for the 2004 awards, which will be presented at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C., on June 29, 2004. For more information, go to: http://www.epa.gov/greenchemistry/howto.html --- STATES FOCUS ATTENTION ON REDUCING ENVIRONMENTAL TRIGGERS OF CHILDHOOD ASTHMA Contact: Wanda Loving 202-564-7822 / loving.wanda@epa.gov The Environmental Council of the States (ECOS) and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) recently released a report, "Catching Your Breath: Strategies to Reduce Environmental Factors that Contribute to Asthma in Children." The report was developed under cooperative agreements with EPA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and builds on several years of work by ECOS, ASTHO, and their state members to develop state capacity in this area. Asthma is a major public health problem of increasing importance to state health and environmental agencies. "Catching Your Breath" identifies six areas of opportunity for state involvement in the national action agenda. It highlights concrete, workable steps states can take to decrease environmental factors contributing to asthma in indoor home environments, schools and childcare facilities, and outdoor environments. Additionally, the action agenda discusses the collection, use, and integration of state health and environmental data and calls for a continuing focus on research. To obtain an electronic version of the report or summary, go to: http://www.ecos.rog or: http://www.astho.org --- NEW VIDEO ASKS QUESTION: COULD POLLUTION BE MAKING KIDS SICK? Contact: Wanda Loving 202-564-7822 / loving.wanda@epa.gov The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) has produced a new video which investigates the policy implications of childhood susceptibility to environmental hazards. This new NCSL video, "Children's Health and the Environment: An Introduction for State Policymakers," was developed under a cooperative agreement with EPA to provide state legislators and their staff with basic information about children's environmental health. The 18-minute video examines such topics as: rising rates of childhood diseases, such as asthma and developmental disabilities, environmental factors such as mercury, pesticides and air pollution, and whether these contaminates contribute to increases in childhood disease and examples of state policies. The video can be viewed online at: http://www.ncsl.org/programs/esnr/cehvid2.htm or to obtain a copy, call 303-856-1341 or go to: http://www.ncsl.org/programs/esnr/toxics.htm. --- NATION'S LARGEST HEALTHCARE SYSTEM PLEDGES INVOLVEMENT IN HEALTHY HOSPITALS INITIATIVE Contact: David Deegan 617-918-1017 / deegan.dave@epa.gov The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the largest integrated healthcare network in the country, has committed to reduce its environmental impact by becoming a "Champion for Change" in the innovative Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (H2E) program. The VA is now the first government-owned healthcare system to commit to the proactive goals of the voluntary H2E program. The program is designed to help health care facilities reduce their environmental impact while saving money, reducing liability and increasing compliance. The H2E program has set ambitious goals of eliminating the use of mercury in health care by 2005, cutting health care waste in half by 2010 and reducing the use and production of toxic and hazardous substances. To date, more than 460 H2E Partners and 55 Champions, representing nearly 1,800 health care facilities, have signed on to help achieve these goals. In the program, "Partners" are individual hospitals and healthcare facilities, while "Champions" are larger, multi-facility healthcare networks and associations. Operating nearly 170 hospitals across the country, the VA will also be one of the largest healthcare systems to become an H2E Champion. Hospitals for a Healthy Environment is a joint program of the American Hospital Association, EPA, Health Care Without Harm and the American Nurses Association. For more information about H2E, go to: http://www.h2e-online.org/ --- EPA WINS AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE: A KEY PART OF PRESIDENT'S E-GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES Contact: Suzanne Ackerman 202-564-7819 / e-mail: ackerman.suzanne@epa.gov On Sept. 11th, EPA received an Excellence in Enterprise Architecture Award from E-Gov magazine, Federal Computer News and the Enterprise Architecture Institute. The award recognized EPA's development of a successful enterprise architecture that builds the links between the information technology needs and investments of the Agency to federal performance requirements and EPA's strategic goals. EPA's enterprise architecture also is designed to support the information management component of the President's Management Agenda. The presidential agenda requires federal information technology (IT) investments to clearly demonstrate a need, return on investment for the Agency, and the positive benefits that the investment will provide to American citizens. EPA has successfully implemented an on-line software tool that provides this information for over 80 percent of the Agency's IT projects. Requiring justification of IT investments helps eliminate redundant federal IT systems and improves the government's customer service for citizens and businesses. EPA has received several awards during the last year in recognition of continuing progress in breaking new ground through new technologies and good governance processes. EPA's project was selected from a pool of approximately 100 submissions. The criteria for selection were that the enterprise architecture project increases productivity, helps an agency save resources, and improves the quality, timeliness and accuracy of services. --- EPA SPONSORS NATIONAL ART CONTEST FOR STUDENTS TO ENCOURAGE WASTE REDUCTION, REUSE AND RECYCLING Contact: Dave Ryan 202-564-7824 / ryan.dave@epa.gov EPA's Office of Solid Waste is sponsoring a national art contest for students to increase awareness of and encourage reducing, reusing and recycling waste. The contest theme for younger students (kindergarten through sixth grades) is "Paint a Path to a World With Less Waste, and for older students (seventh to twelfth grades) the contest theme is: "Design a World With Less Waste. The contest runs in all 50 states and U.S. territories and began Aug. 18 and will end Nov. 1. To receive an official contest flyer that contains more information and contest rules, teachers and students can call EPA's toll-free hotline at 800-424-9346; go to: http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/edurec.htm, or write to: EPA's Office of Solid Waste 2003/2004 Art Contest, (Mail Code: 5305-W), 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20460. --- OFFICE OF CHILDREN'S HEALTH PROTECTION WINS AWARD Contact: Wanda Loving 202-564-7822 / loving.wanda@epa.gov EPA's Office of Children's Health Protection is the recipient of a 2003 National Health Information Award, which recognizes the Nation's best consumer health information programs and materials. The Agency's "Tips to Protect Children from Environmental Risks Growth Chart" (English and Spanish) received a Bronze Award in the Health Promotion/Disease and Injury Prevention Information Class, Government (Public Sector) Division. The awards program is coordinated by the Health Information Resource Center, a national clearinghouse for consumer health information programs and materials. The Center, which houses a large collection of such public and private sector materials, promotes the distribution of accurate, timely consumer health information materials to professionals and managers in the field. |