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EPA Administrator Highlights Importance of Agency’s Science Laboratory in New Jersey; Announces new resources for national Environmental Response Team lab facilities

Release Date: 08/03/2010
Contact Information: Mary Mears (212) 637-3673, [email protected]

(New York, NY) Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson toured the Agency's Edison Environmental Center in Edison, NJ. Jackson was joined by Congressman Frank Pallone and Edison Mayor Antonia Ricigliano to highlight the Agency’s commitment to science, and protecting human health and the environment.

Administrator Jackson announced new trailers will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology to enhance the Agency’s national Environmental Response Team’s ability to analyze samples quickly to respond during emergencies.

"Science is the foundation of everything we do at EPA. As someone who started at EPA as a staff scientist and spent my career in this area, I have seen the results from these labs translate into real environmental protection," said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "The ongoing response to the BP spill in the Gulf and the Enbridge spill in Michigan, demonstrates just how crucial good science is to protecting communities and confronting environmental emergencies. Expanding the capacity of these labs will strengthen EPA's ability to serve the American people, especially when our service is needed the most."

The Edison Environmental Center is equipped with several laboratories where key analysis and scientific information is gathered to support the agency's regional environmental programs. The 281,000 square-foot Edison campus is also home to a national emergency operations center, a newly refurbished center that allows EPA to efficiently coordinate with field personnel during emergencies and to run a 24-7 operation during major emergencies. The Environmental Response Team’s laboratory resources include two specialized mobile labs, which support the Agency’s air monitoring efforts during emergencies. These mobile labs are currently supporting Agency efforts to monitor air quality at oil spills in the Gulf and in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Finally, the EPA’s National Risk Management Research Laboratory is housed in the center. The lab examines innovative, green approaches to control and treat contamination from stormwater runoff and also studies ways to address aging water infrastructure.

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