All News Releases By Date

 

1. NEW EPA RESOURCE ENCOURAGES INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT FOR SAFER SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT, 2. GRANT AWARDED FOR RESEARCH ON CHILDHOOD ASTHMA, 3. EPA TO RECOGNIZE SMART GROWTH ACHIEVEMENT, 4. NEW WEB SITE PROVIDES RESOURCE TOOLS TO SUPPORT STATE AND LOCAL AIR QUALITY ACTIVITIES, 5. EPA LAUNCHES NEW WEB SITE, "HOT TIPS FOR A COOL SUMMER", 6. SEATTLE PROPRIETOR, FUGITIVE IN MEXICO, PLEADS GUILTY, 7. FORMER NEW JERSEY TESTING FIRM MANAGER PLEADS GUILTY

Release Date: 06/28/2002
Contact Information:



Press Advisory


Following are some Agency developments which may interest you. If you need
more information on any of these subjects, call the appropriate contact.

EPA is making available a new brochure called “Protecting Children in Schools from Pests and Pesticides” to encourage school officials to consider Integrated Pest Management (IPM) as a safe and cost-effective method of controlling pests in schools. The brochure provides resources to help schools learn more about IPM techniques and how to design an IPM program to meet their needs. The brochure includes examples of success stories from schools that have adopted IPM practices. School IPM programs employ common-sense strategies to reduce sources of food, water and shelter for pests in school buildings and grounds. IPM programs take advantage of all pest management strategies, including the judicious, careful use of pesticides when necessary. Copies of the brochure can be ordered at 1-800-490-9198(reference document number EPA-735-F-02-014). More information on EPA=s IPM in schools program is available at: https://www.epa.gov/pesticides/ipm

EPA recently awarded more than $600,000 to two universities for economic research in understanding the benefits of reducing asthma in children. Childhood asthma has been increasing across the country. At the University of California/Berkeley, researchers will investigate how much a household is willing to pay to decrease asthma symptoms in its children. The studies focus on understanding the benefits to children in reducing ozone pollution and helping parents minimize the risk of asthma in their families. Scientists at Research Triangle Institute in Research Triangle Park, N.C., will study two sensitive subpopulations - young children with and without asthma. By surveying the daily activities and schedules of stay-at-home parents with children younger than nine years, researchers hope to determine the behaviors parents use to reduce asthma symptoms in their children. This information will be used to estimate the amount of activity time that children lose outside on days with high pollution, and the value of this lost time. Scientists will work with asthmatic children, ranging in age from six to ten, who live in a section of Fresno County, Calif., to determine how households change their behaviors to minimize asthma symptoms and how much these changes cost. The grants were awarded through EPA=s “Science to Achieve Results” (STAR) program, which funds research grants in numerous environmental science and engineering disciplines through a competitive solicitation process and independent peer review. For information on EPA's STAR program, visit: http://es.epa.gov/ncer/grants


EPA is accepting applications for the first annual National Award for Smart Growth Achievement. This competition is open to local or state governments and other public sector entities that have successfully created smart growth. Smart growth development approaches have clear environmental benefits, including improved air and water quality, greater preservation of critical habitat and open space and more cleanup and re-use of brownfield sites. Smart growth creates healthy communities and neighborhoods and a strong economy by moving the development debate away from the question of whether new growth should occur to how and where it should be accommodated. Interested parties from urban, suburban and rural areas are encouraged to submit applications for smart growth activities undertaken within the last three years. Applications will be accepted in four categories: Built Projects, Policies and Regulations, Community Outreach and Education, and Overall Excellence in Smart Growth. Successful applicants will incorporate smart growth principles to create places that respect community culture and the environment, foster economic development and promote a better quality of life for this and future generations. Applications are due on Aug. 30. Five winners will be recognized at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., in November. For more details about the National Award for Smart Growth Achievement, including an application packet, visit: www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/awards.htm

EPA and the Department Of Transportation (DOT) have launched a new web site where state, local and other organizations can access tools and guidance for developing outreach programs that address transportation and air quality issues. The new site and materials are part of “It All Adds Up to Cleaner Air,” a collaboration between EPA and DOT that provides information to show local citizens how to improve air quality and reduce traffic congestion. The web site highlights regular car maintenance and emphasizes combining errands into one trip and transit alternatives that can help the air, save time and money, and reduce traffic congestion. Several areas, including New York City, Madison, Wis., Sacramento, Calif., have already successfully adopted and integrated messages from the It All Adds Up to Cleaner Air initiative into their transportation and air quality outreach campaigns. In addition to providing effective outreach tools and resources, the program offers opportunities for networking and guidance on building local and regional coalitions. For more information on It All Adds Up to Cleaner Air visit the web site at www.italladdsup.gov

EPA has developed a new web site to provide tips to help the public reduce pollution and learn about the environment. The web site pulls together information about specific summer activities that families can use to protect and learn about the environment. Some of the categories include: “Air Quality and How You Can Help,” “Conserving and Protecting Our Water Resources,” “Using Pesticides Safely” and “Resources For Kids and Students.” The web site is at: https://www.epa.gov/epahome/hi-summer.htm


Sherman Smith, owner of Seawall Construction, a Seattle area marine construction company, pleaded guilty to failure to appear for a judicial proceeding on June 14. Smith was surrendered to the U.S. Marshall’s Service in Tucson, Ariz., on April 1 by the Mexican government. Smith had forfeited $20,000 bail when he failed to appear for trial in federal court in Washington state in May 1996 and had been living in Mexico. Smith had been previously charged with violating the Clean Water Act, but those charges have been dropped in return for his guilty plea for failure to appear. The charges arose from an oil spill that occurred when the Tug Omar sank in Puget Sound. Witnesses alleged that Smith had not properly maintained the tug and knew it was taking on water. Previously, in 1989, Smith had been convicted of pumping oily bilge water into Puget Sound. The case was investigated by EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division and the Washington State Environmental Crimes Task Force. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Seattle.

Alan Hodgson, former Northeast Regional Operations Manager for SGS Control Services Inc., in Edison, N.J., pleaded guilty on June 18 to failing to file required reports on reformulated gasoline. The reports are required to be provided to EPA under the Clean Air Act. Hodgson failed to file the reports in order to hide the fact that he had provided false analyses to SGS customers. These analyses falsely indicated that the customers’ gasoline met Clean Air Act standards. Meeting these standards helps reduce air pollutants that can cause a variety of respiratory diseases. The case was investigated by EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark and the Environmental Crimes Section of the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C.


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