GoGreen November 2020 US EPA Newsletter

GoGreen November 2020 US EPA Newsletter

EPA RESPONSE TO CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)

EPA’s Coronavirus website provides key EPA resources and links to additional information about the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Read the most up-to-date information about EPA actions, disinfectants, drinking water and waste water, and other resources.
https://www.epa.gov/coronavirus

Protecting children during the COVID-19 public health emergency. EPA is continuing to work in close partnership with CDC, states, local governments, and tribes to provide up-to-date information to protect public health as school districts, private schools, and universities develop and implement COVID-19 re-entry plans for their students, staff, and parents.
https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/protecting-children-during-covid-19-public-health-emergency

List of Approved SARS-CoV-2 Surface Disinfectant Products Passes 500. This important milestone ensures American businesses, families, schools, and other organizations have as many tools as possible to disinfect surfaces and protect themselves and their families against the novel coronavirus.
https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epas-list-approved-sars-cov-2-surface-disinfectant-products-passes-500

More resources related to COVID-19 response:

• List-N disinfectants – for use against coronavirus (COVID-19):
  https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/list-n-disinfectants-use-against-sars-cov-2
• Proper use of disinfectants – infographic with six steps for safe use.
  https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/six-steps-safe-effective-disinfectant-use
• COVID-19 resources in other languages:
  En español: https://espanol.epa.gov/espanol/enfermedad-del-coronavirus-2019-covid-19
  Other languages: https://www.epa.gov/lep

ENVIRO-TIP OF THE MONTH

November 15 is America Recycles Day. Deciding to recycle items is just the first step. You can also make sure items are recycled correctly. Learn how you can recycle common items such as paper, plastics, used oil, batteries and electronics, and many others.
https://www.epa.gov/recycle/how-do-i-recycle-common-recyclables

RECENT NEWS

President Trump signs executive order on modernizing America’s water resource management and water infrastructure. President Trump’s executive order formally establishes a Water Subcabinet of senior Federal agency officials to facilitate efficient and effective management and modernization of our water supplies and systems while also eliminating duplication between agencies. “The federal government has the responsibility to ensure all Americans, regardless of their ZIP Code, have access to reliable sources of clean and safe water,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “By creating the Water Subcabinet, President Trump is supporting 21st century water infrastructure that will provide all Americans with safe drinking water and surface water protection.”
https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/president-trump-signs-executive-order-modernizing-americas-water-resource-management

Advances in children’s health research. As part of Children’s Health Month in October, we’re highlighting key advances in children’s health research. Throughout the agency’s 50-year history, EPA has made significant progress to protect children from environmental risks in places where children live, learn, and play and continually educate the public through the agency’s annual Protecting Children’s Health brochure. “We must keep the rate of our progress in research ahead of the pace of emerging challenges. To do this, we will focus more of our research and attention on what influence environmental stressors have on early childhood development,” said EPA’s Andrew Wheeler.
https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-highlights-advances-childrens-health-research-and-releases-outreach-materials
Read the booklet: https://www.epa.gov/children/protecting-childrens-health-october-2020-booklet

National Lead Poison Prevention Week 2020. Held annually during the last week of October, NLPPW serves as a “call to action” to bring families, individuals, community-based organizations, state, tribal and local governments, and others together to protect current and future generations from exposure to lead. “In 2020 EPA has awarded or announced nearly $49 million to remove lead in drinking water in schools and day cares, announced a final rule to cut the level of lead in new plumbing material, and proposed a rule to cut lead dust levels on windowsills and floors. Just last week, EPA selected 10 projects to receive funding under the WIIN Act’s Reduction in Lead Exposure via Drinking Water grant program, including selecting seven grantees to receive $22.8 million to reduce lead in schools and child care facilities,” said Administrator Wheeler.
https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-recognizes-lead-poisoning-prevention-week-2020

Federal strategy for addressing global marine litter. EPA, US AID, and NOAA are collaborating with the Alliance to End Plastic Waste to implement innovative programs and finance initiatives around the world to provide approaches and tools to countries that are struggling with this problem. Domestically, EPA works directly with states, municipalities, and businesses to reduce litter, prevent trash from entering waterways, and capture trash that is already in our waters. “Internationally, up to 28 billion pounds of waste makes it into our oceans every year, harming marine life and coastal economies,” said Administrator Wheeler. “Marine litter is a top priority for this Administration, and working together with our global partners, we aim to solve the current growing marine litter problem in our shared oceans.”
https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/administrator-wheeler-releases-trump-administrations-federal-strategy-addressing-global

EPA marks third year of historically high Superfund site deletions. In FY2020, the Agency deleted all or part of 27 sites from the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL). This marks the third year in a row that EPA has deleted a historically high number of Superfund sites, sending a clear message that human health and the environment are protected and paving the way for redeveloping these properties into community assets. “Cleaning up these Superfund sites brings real environmental benefits to places that have suffered environmental degradation while also helping move them forward,” said Administrator Wheeler.
https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-deletes-all-or-part-27-superfund-sites-national-priorities-list-continuing-recent

More news from EPA: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/search

WHAT YOU CAN DO, WHAT YOU CAN USE

Coming in November! Register to attend the Virtual 2020 EPA America Recycles: Innovation Fair and Summit. For America Recycles Week, we’re inviting everyone to register for free, virtual events that focus on advancing the future of recycling, November 16-17. The virtual fair will feature more than 40 exhibitors advancing the recycling system through strategies such as artificial-intelligence robots to enhance operations at recycling facilities; hard-to-recycle plastics in 3D printing materials; small-system sorting units in stadiums and small communities; new construction materials from hard-to-recycle plastics; and much more. Learn more about the America Recycles: Innovation Fair and how you can attend.
https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/registration-now-open-virtual-2020-epa-america-recycles-innovation-fair-and-summit

Helping keep children safe from environmental hazards. In celebration of Children’s Health Month, EPA released a new report about protecting children’s health and a poster of tips you can use to keep children and families safe from environmental hazards.

• Read the 2020 booklet:
  https://www.epa.gov/children/protecting-childrens-health-october-2020-booklet
• Download the tips poster:
  https://www.epa.gov/children/protecting-childrens-health-october-2020-tips
• Read more about protecting Children’s Health:
  https://www.epa.gov/children
• Related: Protecting children’s health in Schools:
  https://www.epa.gov/schools

Lead poisoning and what you can do:

• Prevent childhood lead poisoning. Each year, National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (was October 25-31) helps raise awareness of lead poisoning prevention and reducing childhood exposure to lead. This year we highlighted the many ways parents can reduce their children’s exposure to lead and prevent the serious health effects of lead.
  Learn more about NLPPW and what you can do:
  https://www.epa.gov/lead/national-lead-poisoning-prevention-week

• Remember: plan for lead-safe work. If you’re planning a home renovation, look for contractors certified for lead-safe renovation. Lead paint is the main way people are exposed to lead in the U.S. now and lead exposure can cause a range of serious health problems. Lead exposure especially puts young children and their developing nervous systems at the greatest risk. EPA has fined contractors who violated lead-safe work practices that are designed to prevent or reduce lead hazards from renovation or home repair activities, which could cause delays on work at your home – read more:
  https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-enforcement-actions-help-protect-vulnerable-communities-lead-based-paint-health-2
  Search for certified lead-safe contractors: https://www.epa.gov/lead

Wildfire response:

• California: EPA is working with local, state and federal partners on the response to the Northern California fires, to identify locations of household hazardous waste (HHW) and other hazardous materials and containers, to ensure safe conditions and remove materials that are unstable, corrosive or toxic. EPA has also launched a site to maps fire-affected areas and progress. https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/us-epa-fire-response-northern-california-update
  ONLINE MAPPER: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/collections/eafc1655aefc43c1b4f7c25cd7d36bee
• Oregon: EPA launched a dedicated phone number, 541-225-5549, for Oregon property owners to ask questions about EPA’s removal of household hazardous waste at their property. Hotline is in both English and Spanish.
  https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-launches-phone-hotline-wildfire-affected-property-owners-oregon-questions-about
• Oregon: EPA is now assembling teams and setting up a temporary equipment staging area near Salem, Oregon, to help residents in Marion, Linn, and all remaining fire-affected counties recover from the fire.
  https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-stands-second-wildfire-recovery-response-staging-area-oregon-state-fairgrounds-and

Be wise with Burnwise. It’s never too late to improve the efficiency or cleanliness of wood burning, if you use wood in your fireplace or (wood) stove. Replace your old wood stove to save money, fuel, and time and you may increase your energy efficiency by up to 50 percent while using significantly less wood. Learn more about Burnwise:
https://www.epa.gov/burnwise

Nominate for outstanding environmental education. We’re now accepting applications for the 2021 President’s Environmental Youth Awards (PEYA) and for the Presidential Innovation Awards for Environmental Educators (PIAEE). PEYA recognizes outstanding environmental stewardship projects from K-12 grade by promoting environmental awareness and encouraging community involvement. PIAEE outstanding K-12 teachers who employ innovative approaches to environmental education and use the environment as a context for learning for their students. Learn more about the PEYA and PIAEE awards and how to submit a nomination.
https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-calls-nominations-2021-presidents-environmental-student-and-teacher-awards

Spanish TRI app. EPA just launched a Spanish version of its new app for getting summary information about toxic chemical releases from industrial and federal facilities. The app provides mobile-friendly access to Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data, and users can learn about facility chemical releases, pollution prevention activities, compliance and enforcement, and more.
Go to the app in Spanish: https://edap.epa.gov/public/extensions/TRIBusque/TRIBusque.html
Learn more about TRI: https://www.epa.gov/tri

Learn more about what you can do at home or work: https://www.epa.gov/environmental-topics/greener-living

EN ESPAÑOL: SPANISH FEATURES

El 15 de noviembre es el Día de América Recicla. La decisión de reciclar artículos es tan solo el primer paso. Usted también puede asegurarse de reciclar los artículos correctamente. Vea cómo reciclar artículos comunes como papel, plástico, aceite usado, baterías, efectos electrónicos y muchos más. https://espanol.epa.gov/espanol/consejo-del-dia-como-reciclo-mis

• Para más consejos prácticos sobre el reciclaje, visite: https://espanol.epa.gov/espanol/consejo-del-dia-que-puede-hacer-para-reciclar-por-estacion

Ayudando a mantener a los niños seguros de los peligros ambientales. En la celebración del Mes de la Salud Infantil, la Agencia de Protección Ambiental de EE. UU. (EPA, por sus siglas en inglés) publicó un cartel con consejos para mantener a los niños y a sus familias seguros de los peligros ambientales.
https://wcms.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-50-epa-kicks-childrens-health-month-2020-celebrating-child-health-day (en inglés)

• Descargue el cartel: Consejos para la salud Ambiental infantil
  https://espanol.epa.gov/espanol/octubre-es-el-mes-de-la-salud-infantil

OREGON: La línea de teléfono gratuita para los propietarios afectados por incendios en Oregon referente a la eliminación de desechos peligrosos Paso 1. Los propietarios en Oregon que ya están para comenzar a reconstruir y recuperarse a raíz de los devastadores incendios forestales del verano ahora tienen un número telefónico dedicado (541-225-5549) a contestar preguntas sobre la eliminación de desperdicios domésticos peligrosos de su propiedad o proveer detalles adicionales sobre su propiedad que ayudarán a acelerar la labor de la EPA para la eliminación. La línea gratuita ofrece servicio tanto en inglés como en español. Aprenda más en inglés:
https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-launches-phone-hotline-wildfire-affected-property-owners-oregon-questions-about

La aplicación del TRI en español.  La EPA acaba de lanzar una versión en español de su nueva aplicación para obtener información sobre las emisiones de sustancias químicas tóxicas provenientes de instalaciones industriales y federales. La aplicación provee acceso a los datos del Inventario de Emisiones Tóxicas (TRI, por sus siglas en inglés) mediante la tecnología móvil. Los usuarios pueden aprender más información sobre las emisiones químicas de las instalaciones, las actividades de prevención de la contaminación, cumplimiento y acatamiento, y más.

• Aprenda más sobre la app: https://edap.epa.gov/public/extensions/TRIBusque/TRIBusque.html
• Aprenda más sobre el TRI: https://www.epa.gov/tri (en inglés)

EPA en español https://espanol.epa.gov

MULTIMEDIA

VIDEOS – October releases

Administrator Wheeler releases the U.S Federal Strategy for Addressing the Issues of Marine Litter. About the four pillars for tacking the issue of marine litter and existing federal programs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLvog1YSIzo

• Major Announcement on Global Marine Litter. Livestream of the event.
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2BPD5D8ipM
• Important Announcement About Marine Litter.
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_-xIcoZJhQ

State of Science on Development and Use of NAMs for Chemical Safety Testing Opening Remarks. Administrator Wheeler introduces the directive to reduce animal testing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A38TGwiSGu0

Protecting Children’s Health – from 2019 (but still good information!):

• Lead
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-si7l1Gizfg
• Lead in Drinking Water
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0VxEte0vS8
• Asthma
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEV55nRwzZc
• Integrated Pest Management
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDAkf5Yec6Y

More EPA videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/USEPAgov/videos

BLOG POSTS – October

Education Plus Action Equals Healthy Children!
By Alexandra Dapolito Dunn, Assistant Administrator, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention; and
Scott Mason, Director, American Indian Environmental Office
https://blog.epa.gov/2020/10/27/education-plus-action-equals-healthy-children

Join EPA in Observing Children’s Health Month
By Jeanne Briskin, Director, Office of Children’s Health Protection
https://blog.epa.gov/2020/10/27/join-epa-in-observing-childrens-health-month

UPCOMING EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES

EPA turns 50 this year! Join us as we celebrate 50 years of environmental protection.
https://www.epa.gov/50

November

Month
Food Recovery Month

Day
15, America Recycles Day
16-17, America Recycles: Virtual Innovation Fair
https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/registration-now-open-virtual-2020-epa-america-recycles-innovation-fair-and-summit

ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER

Americans want to help protect and improve the nation’s land, water, and air. “GoGreen” is a monthly newsletter from the US EPA summarizing our recent news and especially info you can use to make a difference in your home, community, or workplace.

Want even more news? Read EPA news releases on topics that interest you.
https://www.epa.gov/newsroom

Read our blogs: https://blog.epa.gov
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Read about EPA science: https://www.epa.gov/sciencematters