EPA Latest Developments July 31 7/31/2003
From: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 202-564-4355 Web: http://www.epa.gov/newsroom WASHINGTON, July 31 -- Following are the latest U.S. Environmental Protection Agency developments. For more information on any of these subjects, call the appropriate contact. --- EPA AND AMERICAN CHEMISTRY COUNCIL ANNOUNCE $2 MILLION TO DEVELOP ADVANCED POLLUTION EXPOSURE MODELS Contact: Suzanne Ackerman 202-564-7819, e-mail: ackerman.suzanne@epa.gov To better protect human health and the environment, EPA and the American Chemistry Council (ACC) will provide $2 million over the next three years for research grants to develop innovative statistical methods and models of human exposure to pollutants. Human health and ecological risk assessments are key elements in EPA policy development, and a risk assessment's quality is directly related to the caliber of the models used to extrapolate laboratory data to humans or to track movement of pollutants through the environment. Dr. Paul Gilman, Assistant Administrator of EPA's Office of Research and Development, has directed the Agency to continuously update and refine the science that underpins EPA's assessment work. In 2003, EPA, as part of its Science to Achieve Results grant program, and the American Chemistry Council, through its Long-Range Research Initiative, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop joint Requests for Applications (RFAs) in research areas of mutual interest. This request for applications is the first joint effort under the agreement and should fund five to ten grants. Examples of the types of research to be funded are: modeling of pollutant exposure by demographics such as age, gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status, or urban versus rural location; modeling of multi-pathway exposures by linking information about contaminant source, transport, and human interactions with their environment; analysis of biological and behavioral factors that contribute to individual differences in exposure to pollutants. Additional information about the RFA is available at: http://es.epa.gov/ncer/rfa/partners/acc/2003envstat_acc.html. For more information about the EPA/ACC partnership, go to: http://es.epa.gov/ncer/rfa/partners/acc/. ---- EPA ORDERS 'STOP SALE' OF BIO-STOP FOR UNREGISTERED MOLD-CONTROL CLAIMS Contact: John Millett 202-564-7842, e-mail: millett.john@epa.gov On July 23, the EPA ordered Bug Source Inc. of Wauwatosa, Wis., to stop selling the unregistered pesticide "Bio-Stop" through its Web site. Bio-Stop is manufactured by BioChem Environmental Technologies, which claims on Bug Source's Web site that the product Bio-Stop eliminates "toxic molds" such as "Stachybotrys" and "Aspergillus" and sanitizes bacteria and viruses. EPA will be monitoring compliance with this stop sale order and will continue to monitor the Internet for illegal pesticide sales. Bio-Stop is a mixture of bacterial enzymes used in building remediation. Under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, products claiming to prevent, destroy, or repel pests, which includes molds and other microorganisms, are considered pesticides and must be registered. During EPA's comprehensive pre-market registration process, a company must first prove that the product is safe and effective for consumer use before a legal claim can be made that a product protects people from disease-causing microorganisms. The label of all EPA registered products must bear the EPA registration number along with directions for use and any safety precautions. ---- NATIONWIDE CAMPAIGN FOCUSES ON SAFE STORAGE OF PESTICIDES, OTHER HOUSEHOLD CHEMICALS TO PROTECT CHILDREN Contact: David Deegan 202-564-7839, e-mail: deegan.dave@epa.gov In an effort to protect children from poisons, clinics, health departments and hospitals around the country will shortly begin receiving display posters urging consumers to store pesticides and other household chemicals up high in a locked cabinet. The educational campaign, a collaboration between EPA and the American Association of Poison Control Centers and other stakeholders, is being launched in August as many parents take their children to clinics for immunizations in preparation of the upcoming school year. Storing pesticides and other chemicals out of children's reach, up high in a locked cabinet, can be a simple but effective means of poison prevention. The campaign will also publicize a toll-free number for people to call if a child may have been poisoned. For possible poisons, consumers should immediately call the poison center at 1-800-222-1222. From anywhere in the country, this toll-free number will automatically reach local poison center experts. Commuters in the Washington, D.C. area will continue to see "EPA's "Read the Label First!" message on local Metro buses and trains. The Agency's safe storage label campaign is part of a broader program called the Consumer Labeling Initiative, a partnership involving federal, state, and local government agencies, industry, and other entities interested in improving product labels on pesticides and toxic substances. To view a copy of the poster, go to: http://www.epa.gov/oppfead1/cb/csb_page/publications/lockit up-poster.pdf. ---- GOVERNMENT REPORT ISSUED ON IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF CHILDREN'S LIVES Contact: Wanda Loving 564-7822, e-mail: loving.wanda@epa.gov The Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics has issued a report, "America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2003," outlining 25 indicators on important aspects of children's lives, including environmental and health situations. The forum is comprised of 20 Federal agencies, including EPA, and partners in private research organizations. The report provides a broad annual summary of national indicators of child well-being and monitors changes in these indicators over time. The objective is to stimulate discussions by policy-makers and the public, exchanges between the data and policy communities, and improvements in Federal data on children and families. The report can be found at: http://childstats.gov. ---- EPA ENFORCEMENT TAPS PUBLIC FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT IDEAS Contact: John Millett 202-564-7842, e-mail: millett.john@epa.gov EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance is inviting the public to submit ideas to EPA for potential Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs). SEPs are environmentally beneficial projects that are voluntarily undertaken by a defendant in settlement of an enforcement action with the EPA. Inclusion of a potential project in the SEP Idea Library does not mean that it will automatically be included in a particular settlement. The SEP Idea Library will be piloted for one year, beginning in August 2003. Information on how to submit ideas for potential projects is available online at: http://www.epa.gov/compliance/civil/programs/seps/index.html. | |