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MEDIA ADVISORY: EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy to Visit Orlando for Asthma Awareness Month at Dr. Phillips High School

Release Date: 05/13/2014
Contact Information: Dawn Harris Young, EPA, (404) 562-8421 (Direct), (404) 562-8400 (Main), [email protected] Kathy Marsh, Orange County Public Schools, 407-317-3200 ext. 2901, [email protected]

ATLANTA - On Thursday, May 15, 2014, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy is traveling to Orlando as part of Asthma Awareness Month at Dr. Phillips High School. Administrator McCarthy will participate in a classroom experiment to test air pollution, meet with students studying environmental science and discuss leaving a cleaner planet for the next generation. The Administrator will be joined by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and EPA Regional Administrator Heather McTeer Toney. The experiment will be led by students and EPA 2012 President's Innovative Award for Environmental Educators (PIAEE) Award recipient Deborah Wasylik, a teacher at Dr. Phillips High School.

According to the Florida Department of Health, approximately 1 in 10 children and 1 in 12 adults have asthma, but rates are on the rise. In 2012, one in six middle and high school students in Florida reported an asthma attack in the past year. From 2006 to 2012, lifetime asthma among Florida students increased by 21 percent. The disease is more common and more severe among children; women; low-income, inner-city residents; and African American and Puerto Rican communities. Asthma is a chronic, or long-term, lung disease that causes breathing problems and can be life threatening. There is no cure for the disease, but it can be prevented and controlled with proper care. Learn more about Asthma Awareness Month: https://www.epa.gov/asthma


WHO: U.S. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer
EPA Regional Administrator Heather McTeer Toney

WHAT: EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy meeting students to discuss air pollution and asthma awareness

WHEN: Thursday, May 15, 2014 at 11:05 A.M.

Note: media should arrive no later than 10:45 A.M.

WHERE: Dr. Phillips High School

6500 Turkey Lake Road
Orlando, FL

THIS EVENT IS OPEN PRESS. Interested media should e-mail an RSVP to [email protected] or call 404-562-8421. Please include your name, media affiliation and contact information. All media should arrive at the school front office to meet Kathy Marsh, with Orange County Public Schools to register.
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