EPA and Partners Host Children’s Environmental Health Symposium in New Orleans, Louisiana

Media contacts: Jennah Durant or Joe Hubbard, [email protected] or 214 665-2200

DALLAS – (June 11, 2019) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Texas Tech University Health Science Center, the Louisiana Department of Health and other partners recently hosted a symposium on children’s environmental health, focusing on issues such as lead poisoning and reducing asthma rates. Healthcare professionals, public health professionals, and other participants attended sessions on a variety of environmental health issues over the two-day symposium, held Monday and Tuesday. Acting Regional Administrator David W. Gray gave opening remarks.

“Protecting children and their health is one of the most important aspects of EPA’s mission,” said Acting Regional Administrator Gray. “Bringing together healthcare providers, community leaders, and other partners at this year’s symposium will help us raise awareness of the potential environmental health impacts kids face, and help keep them safe where they live and play.”
 

“The Louisiana Department of Health prioritizes social determinants of health, including stress, housing and other environmental factors such as early childhood experiences, and their impact on health,” said Dr. Joseph Kanter, assistant state health officer of the Louisiana Department of Health. “We need not only to treat the health conditions but also address the factors contributing to disease.”

EPA program experts, children’s health providers and local health leaders held talks and workshops on a variety of topics, such as avoiding and testing for lead exposure, addressing pests and pesticide use in schools and childcare settings, and environmental justice issues. These discussions emphasized the symposium’s objectives of helping participants recognize the continuing threat of lead poisoning to children, regardless of socioeconomic level; identify emerging threats to children’s health; and identify triggers and preventive methods for environmental illnesses such as asthma.

Background

Children are not little adults! They are often more vulnerable to pollutants because of differences in behavior and biology, which can lead to greater exposure and susceptibility during development. EPA remains committed to protecting children from environmental harms where they live, learn and play. Since the fall of the 1996, the Agency has followed a seven-step National Agenda to Protect Children’s Health from Environmental Threats. In October 2018, EPA reaffirmed its support of this important policy.
More on children’s environmental health: https://www.epa.gov/children

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About EPA Region 6: https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/epa-region-6-south-central  

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EPA Prepares the Public for the 2019 Hurricane Season by Focusing on Waste Mitigation

Media contacts: Jennah Durant or Joe Hubbard, [email protected] or 214 665-2200

DALLAS – (June 11, 2019) The Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1 and ends November 30. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is calling on the public to prepare now for natural disasters to aid recovery efforts.

“EPA’s response to natural disasters is one of the many ways that we protect human health and the environment,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “We want to inform the public of how they can prepare for hurricane season and help protect their communities, the environment, and first responders by mitigating hazardous waste and securing potential harmful debris before storms strike.”

Debris and household hazardous waste management is always challenging during natural disasters and has a great impact on public safety. Based on the 2017 and 2018 responses to Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria and Florence, EPA responders were in the field during the aftermath of the hurricanes and managed a tremendous amount of waste as part of the recovery efforts, including:

• About 470,100 containers (drums, oil containers, propane tanks) recovered.
• Approximately 2,900 vessels recovered or closed.

Residents can help protect their communities, the environment, and the dedicated personnel who respond to hurricanes in order to help communities recover by making sure items such as propane tanks and paint cans are secured prior to a hurricane.

As a reminder, facility operators have certain requirements that call for preventing, minimizing and reporting chemical releases.  Facility operators have an obligation to operate facilities safely, minimize releases that do occur, and report chemical releases in a timely manner.

Unlike some natural disasters, the onset of a hurricane is predictable and allows for early preparations to lessen its effect on a facility. Before hurricane force winds and associated storm surge flooding damage industrial processes, operators can take preventive action by safely shutting down processes, place hazardous chemicals in safe storage locations, or otherwise operate safely under appropriate emergency procedures. If a chemical release does occur, operators should notify appropriate authorities immediately so that a proper response can be carried out.

On June 4, 2019, EPA and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that streamlines coordination between FEMA and the EPA-funded State Revolving Fund (SRF) programs so that funding to restore vital water infrastructure can be provided as quickly as possible in times of disaster. In disaster situations where cash reserves are stretched thin, the EPA-FEMA MOU provides a tribe or local government access to a no-interest or low-interest loan from its SRF to help pay for the immediate restoration of vital drinking water and wastewater infrastructure.

As part of its mission, the EPA is responsible for responding to natural disasters; chemical, biological, and radiological releases; oil spills; and nationally significant emergencies. EPA partners with other federal agencies and state, tribal and local governments to respond to environmental and human health risks associated with hurricanes and other natural disasters.

For more information on hurricanes, visit https://www.epa.gov/natural-disasters/hurricanes.

For more information on EPA’s emergency response program, visit https://www.epa.gov/emergency-response.

For more information on EPA and FEMA’s MOU, visit https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-signs-mou-fema-support-rapid-recovery-and-restoration-water-infrastructure-after

Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.

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About EPA Region 6: https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/epa-region-6-south-central  

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US EPA Receives New NOI

RE: New Notice of Intent to Sue EPA                

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recently received a notice of intent to sue (NOI) that may be of interest to you. The NOI concerns the nonattainment State Implementation Plan for the 2008 8-hour Ozone national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) for the Ventura County, California serious nonattainment area. This information is provided for your information only, and this notice does not require you to take any action.

A copy of the NOI can be found here: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2019-06/documents/cbd_noi_06042019.pdf

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To view other NOIs, complaints, and filings, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/ogc

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US EPA Notice of New Litigation

RE: Notice of Lawsuit Filed Against EPA – Association of Irritated Residents v. EPA, No. 19-71223 (9th Cir.)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recently received a petition for review in the above-captioned case that may be of interest to you. This information is provided for your information only, and this notice does not require you to take any action.

A copy of the petition for review can be found here: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2019-05/documents/air_19-71223_pfr_05172019.pdf  

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To view other complaints and filings, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/ogc

You are receiving this notice because this email address is subscribed to this topic. Manage your subscription at  https://www.epa.gov/ogc/email-subscriptions-new-litigation-notifications.