| Highlights from EPA’s Office of Public Engagement
September 7 – 13, 2012 Table of Contents: 1. EPA Awards Almost $11 Million to Advance Chemical Safety Research 2. Hypoxia Task Force Launches New Monitoring Efforts to Track Water Quality Improvements 3. EPA Partnering with State Capitals on Green Design 4. United States and Canada Sign Amended Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement 5. Scotts Miracle-Gro Will Pay $12.5 Million in Criminal Fines and Civil Penalties for Violations of Federal Pesticides Laws 6. Celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, 2012 7. Pollution, Poverty, People of Color: Warnings about contaminated fish fail to reach people most at risk 8. Request for Additional Nominations of Candidates for the EPA’s Science Advisory Board (SAB) Chemical Assessment Advisory Committee 9. EPA Pesticide Program Updates 1. EPA Awards Almost $11 Million to Advance Chemical Safety Research WASHINGTON – Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced nearly $11 million in grants to eight universities through EPA’s Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program. These grants will help the universities develop fast and effective methods to test chemicals’ toxicity to people and the environment. These innovative testing methods will be used to predict a chemical’s potential to interact with biological processes that could lead to reproductive and developmental problems, and disruption of the endocrine system. The grantees will focus on developing methods and models to predict how exposure to environmental and synthetic (man-made) chemicals and chemical mixtures may harm the public. Some synthetic chemicals are known endocrine disruptors, which interfere with or even mimic natural hormones and cause damage to the development and function of vital organs, particularly in young children and developing fetuses. There are currently thousands of chemicals in use and hundreds more introduced every year. “These projects highlight EPA’s commitment to protecting people’s health and the environment by developing innovative methods that are on the cutting edge of chemical toxicity research,” said Lek Kadeli, acting assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Research and Development. More information on the grant awards: http://www.epa.gov/ncer/hi_thruput_assays More information on STAR grants: http://epa.gov/ncer/ More information on EPA’s chemical safety research: http://www.epa.gov/research/chemicalscience/ 2. Hypoxia Task Force Launches New Monitoring Efforts to Track Water Quality Improvements DES MOINES, IOWA – The Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient (Hypoxia) Task Force announced today that it is launching two new efforts to monitor reductions in nutrients – nitrogen and phosphorus – throughout the watershed. The joint federal, state and tribal task force, chaired by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the State of Iowa, has established the Mississippi River Monitoring Collaborative to evaluate progress toward reducing the amount of nutrients entering local waterways and ultimately to the Gulf of Mexico. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). A member of the Task Force is also preparing to update its technical standard for water quality monitoring to better measure the amount of nutrients coming from farm fields. Nutrient runoff from agricultural, urban and industrial sources has polluted waterways for decades and contributed to the hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico – an area of low oxygen that is largely uninhabitable by fish and other marine life. Federal, state and local agencies, together with private landowners and water users, have been working to reduce the amount of nutrients that reaches the Gulf. http://water.epa.gov/type/watersheds/named/msbasin/index.cfm 3.EPA Partnering with State Capitals on Green Design WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that the capital cities of Kentucky, Iowa, Louisiana, Montana and Indiana will be awarded design assistance from EPA to create healthy, prosperous communities through green development. EPA’s Greening America’s Capitals (GAC) program will help these capital cities stimulate economic development, provide more housing and transportation choices, and reduce infrastructure and energy costs. Through this project, EPA will provide design assistance from private-sector experts to help these capital cities demonstrate sustainable designs that create vibrant neighborhoods while strengthening the local economies and protecting people’s health. The following five cities were selected through a national competition for assistance. • Frankfort, Ky. will receive assistance to enhance walkability and add bike lanes between the historic downtown and the State Capitol. The project will also connect the downtown with the proposed Kentucky River trail. • Des Moines, Iowa will receive assistance to incorporate green infrastructure elements into a proposed streetscape plan for a one-mile segment of 6th Avenue. The project will revitalize the commercial street that serves as the northern gateway to the city’s downtown. • Baton Rouge, La. will receive assistance to incorporate green infrastructure elements into a proposed walking and biking trail that connects Louisiana State University with the city’s downtown. • Helena, Mont. will receive assistance to improve the walkability and add bike lanes along Last Chance Gulch, a street that connects the northern part of the Helena business district with the historic downtown. The project will also explore design alternatives for a five-way intersection to enhance walkability. • Indianapolis, Ind. will receive assistance to make streets more pedestrian-friendly and revitalize public plazas within and adjacent to the Market Square redevelopment area. The project will tie in with the city’s larger plan to develop businesses in a new green cultural district. GAC is a project of the Partnership for Sustainable Communities among EPA, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). The partnership is helping communities across the country create more housing and transportation choices, reinforce existing investments, and support vibrant and healthy neighborhoods that attract businesses. This is the third year of the Greening America’s Capitals program. Capital cities selected in the first two years included Boston, Mass.; Charleston, W.Va.; Hartford, Conn.; Jackson, Miss.; Jefferson City, Mo.; Lincoln, Neb.; Little Rock, Ark.; Montgomery, Ala.; Phoenix, Ariz.; and Washington, D.C. More information on GAC: http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/greencapitals.htm More information on the Partnership for Sustainable Communities: http://www.sustainablecommunities.gov 4. United States and Canada Sign Amended Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement Agreement will protect the health of the largest freshwater system in the world “Protecting cherished water bodies like the Great Lakes is not only about environmental conservation. It’s also about protecting the health of the families—and the economies—of the local communities that depend on those water bodies for so much, every day,” said Administrator Jackson. “The amended Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement we signed today outlines the strong commitment the U.S. and Canada share to safeguard the largest freshwater system in the world. Our collaborative efforts stand to benefit millions of families on both sides of the border.” To view the text of the agreement: http://www.binational.net/home_e.html 5. Scotts Miracle-Gro Will Pay $12.5 Million in Criminal Fines and Civil Penalties for Violations of Federal Pesticide Laws WASHINGTON – The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, a producer of pesticides for commercial and consumer lawn and garden uses, was sentenced today in federal district court in Columbus, Ohio, to pay a $4 million fine and perform community service for eleven criminal violations of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), which governs the manufacture, distribution, and sale of pesticides. Scotts pleaded guilty in February 2012 to illegally applying insecticides to its wild bird food products that are toxic to birds, falsifying pesticide registration documents, distributing pesticides with misleading and unapproved labels, and distributing unregistered pesticides. This is the largest criminal penalty under FIFRA to date. In a separate civil agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Scotts agreed to pay more than $6 million in penalties and spend $2 million on environmental projects to resolves additional civil pesticide violations. The violations include distributing or selling unregistered, canceled, or misbranded pesticides, including products with inadequate warnings or cautions. This is the largest civil settlement under FIFRA to date. “The misuse or mislabeling of pesticide products can cause serious illness in humans and be toxic to wildlife,” said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Today’s sentence and unprecedented civil settlement hold Scotts accountable for widespread company noncompliance with pesticide laws, which put products into the hands of consumers without the proper authorization or warning labels.” “As the world’s largest marketer of residential use pesticides, Scotts has a special obligation to make certain that it observes the laws governing the sale and use of its products. For having failed to do so, Scotts has been sentenced to pay the largest fine in the history of FIFRA enforcement,” said Ignacia S. Moreno, assistant attorney general for the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Department of Justice. “The Department of Justice will continue to work with EPA to assure that pesticides applied in homes and on lawns and food are sold and used in compliance with the laws intended to assure their safety.” More information about the civil settlement and recalled products: http://www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/cases/civil/fifra/scottsmiraclegro.html More information about EPA’s criminal enforcement program: http://www.epa.gov/enforcement/criminal/index.html More information about EPA’s pesticide program: http://epa.gov/pesticides/ 6. National Hispanic Heritage Month in Washington, DC September 15-October 15By Rachel Cooper, About.com Guide See More About: Holiday Inn Express Hotel Official Site. Free Hot Breakfast! Call 800-261-9168 or Book Online.www.hiexpress.com Food & Wine Tasting Event Sophisticated Culinary & Beverage Experiences- Park Hyatt Washington.park.hyatt.com/masters Hotel Indigo Official site. A unique lifestyle, boutique hotel created to inspire.www.hotelindigo.com
During National Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15-October 15, America celebrates the culture and traditions of Spanish speaking residents who trace their roots to Spain, Mexico, Central America, South America and the Caribbean. Hispanic Heritage Month Events
7. Pollution, Poverty, People of Color: Warnings about contaminated fish fail to reach people most at risk Every state has issued health advisories that warn of the dangers of eating fish tainted with industrial compounds and other chemicals. People of color eat a lot of locally-caught fish for economic and cultural reasons. And yet they are the least likely to be warned because state efforts fail to reach minority and low-income populations. Environmental Health News 8. Request for Additional Nominations of Candidates for the EPA’s Science Advisory Board (SAB) Chemical Assessment Advisory Committee SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) invites public nominations of additional scientific experts to be considered for appointment to the EPA’s Science Advisory Board (SAB) Chemical Assessment Advisory Committee (CAAC) to provide advice through the chartered SAB regarding Toxicological Reviews of environmental chemicals available on EPA’s Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS). DATES: Nominations should be submitted in time to arrive no later than September 19, 2012. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nominators unable to submit nominations electronically as described below may submit a paper copy to the Designated Federal Officer for the committee, Mr. Aaron Yeow, DFO by email at yeow.aaron@epa.gov or contact him by telephone at 202–564–2050. One specific area of expertise being sought is expertise in health disparities to sensitive and susceptible populations. Also, complete Federal Register Notices is available at FR Notice at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-08-29/pdf/2012-21337.pdf 9.EPA Pesticide Program Updates September 13, 2012 In This Update: Federal Register Items for August 27- September 7, 2012 The following eight items related to pesticides were published in the Federal Register this week: 1. Dichlorvos (DDVP); Order Denying NRDC’s Objections on Remand 2. Notice of Receipt of Requests for Amendments To Delete Uses in Certain Pesticide Registrations 3. Thifensulfuron Methyl; Pesticide Tolerances 4. Pendimethalin; Pesticide Tolerances 5. Clothianidin; Pesticide Tolerances 6. Pesticides; Microbial Pesticide Definitions and Applicability; Clarification and Availability of Test Guideline 7. Cancellation Order for Certain Pesticide Registrations: MGK 264, Pyrethrins, Pyriproxyfen, and Permethrin; Correction 8. Exemption from the Requirement of a Tolerance: Nitric Acid
Office of Public Engagement Office of External Affairs and Environmental Education Office of the Administrator / U.S. Environmental Protection Agency / Tel 202-564-4355 / PublicEngagement |
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