All News Releases By Date

 

EPA TO ANNOUNCE NEW INITIATIVE PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM OVEREXPOSURE TO THE SUN

Release Date: 05/23/2000
Contact Information:

On Thursday, May 25, Robert Perciasepe, EPA Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation, will hold a media conference at a Washington, D.C. school kicking off a new national educational initiative warning kids about skin cancer, eye damage and other dangers from overexposure to the sun. Working through a national network of 150 voluntary elementary schools in 38 states, EPA’s SunWise School Program aims to enhance kindergarten through eighth grade children=s understanding of ultraviolet (UV) radiation, stratospheric ozone depletion and health risks from overexposure to the sun.

Although UV-related health risks affect people of all ages, the American Academy of Dermatology estimates that people receive 80 percent of their lifetime exposure to the sun by the time they are 18 years old. This means that protecting young children from overexposure to the sun can have an enormous impact on lowering lifetime risk. UV overexposure causes cataracts and skin cancer.

The SunWise program is part of EPA Administrator Carol M. Browner’s national policy, announced in 1995, to consistently and explicitly take into account health risks to children and infants from environmental hazards. To implement this policy, EPA has established an Office of Children’s Health Protection
.
To kick off the SunWise School Program, EPA is hosting the “SunWise Field Day” and media conference on Thursday, May 25, at 10:00. The event will take place at Our Lady of Victory School in Georgetown, Washington, DC. Details of event:

SPEAKER: Robert Perciasepe, EPA Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation

DATE: Thursday, May 25

TIME: 10 a.m.

LOCATION: Our Lady of Victory School (Auditorium)
4755 Whitehaven Parkway, NW, Washington, DC 20007
(202) 337-1421

DIRECTIONS from Downtown D.C.: From K Street, NW/Whitehurst Freeway, take a left onto Canal Road. Proceed onto MacArthur Boulevard, and follow MacArthur past Georgetown Reservoir (reservoir is on the left) to Whitehaven Parkway. School is on the corner of Whitehaven and MacArthur, and
parking for event is just past school in the Our Lady of Victory Church lot off U Street, or across the street in the commercial lot on U Street.

For technical information about SunWise, call or e-mail Kevin Rosseel at (202) 564-9731 or [email protected]. Also visit the web site at www.epa.gov/sunwise. Additional information is available by calling call the Stratospheric Protection Hotline at (800) 296-1996.


R-76 ###