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1. EPA ISSUES INFORMATION QUALITY GUIDELINES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL DATA, 2. CHILDREN’S HEALTH MONTH, 3. $4.8 MILLION AWARDED FOR RESEARCH ON DRINKING WATER SAFETY, 4. $1.5 MILLION IN ASSETS FORFEITED BY INDIANA AUTO PARTS MANUFACTURER GIVEN TO INDIANA DNR FOR ENFORCEMENT, 5. CAPE COD MAN PLEADS TO ILLEGAL DISPOSAL OF MERCURY-CONTAINING WASTE FOR RELEASE: THURSDAY, OCT. 3, 2002 EPA ISSUES INFORMATION QUALITY GUIDELINES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL DATA Suzanne Ackerman 202-564-7819/ackerman.suzanne@epa.gov EPA has issued Information Quality Guidelines to ensure and maximize the quality of environmental data and information that the Agency distributes to the American public. The guidelines were developed under an initiative headed by the Office of Management and Budget for all federal agencies to establish quality guidelines, standards and procedures for federally disseminated information. As EPA has long been committed to providing quality data, the Agency was able to build on existing procedures to develop the guidelines. Accurate and reliable environmental data and information are vital to EPA’s mission of protecting human health and safeguarding the natural environment. The complete guidelines are posted on EPA’s web site at: http://www.epa.gov/oei/qualityguidelines/index.html. CHILDREN’S HEALTH MONTH Wanda Loving 202-564-7822/loving.wanda@epa.gov October is Children’s Health Month. To honor the month, representatives of the EPA will participate in events calling on the public to discover the rewards of protecting children’s health. These events and other practical steps to protect children from environmental risks can be found on EPA’s new Children’s Health Month web site at: http://www.epa.gov/epahome/hi-childrenshealthmonth.htm. EPA is focusing on children’s health because children may be at greater risk from harmful environmental pollutants than adults. Children’s neurological, immunological, digestive and other body systems are still developing. They eat more food, drink more fluids and breathe more air than adults in proportion to their body weight. And finally, their behavior patterns, such as crawling and placing objects in their mouths, may result in greater exposure. EPA’s new web site links to a multi-agency site, www.childrenshealth.gov, that provides information on topics critical to children’s health, including prevention of childhood illnesses, protection of children from environmental health risks, education and child care, safe cycling, child passenger safety, nutrition, parenting, infant mortality, mental health and more. A unique October calendar with a “tip a day” is also available for parents and children as a fun tool to participate in Children’s Health Month. This site is part of a coordinated effort of the President’s Task Force on Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks to Children to celebrate Children’s Health Month in 2002. $4.8 MILLION AWARDED FOR RESEARCH ON DRINKING WATER SAFETY Suzanne Ackerman 202-564-7819/ackerman.suzanne@epa.gov EPA has awarded six university research grants totaling $4.8 million for research on drinking water safety and techniques to reduce risks to America’s public water systems. The grants were awarded through EPA’s Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program for research in environmental science and engineering, which employs a competitive solicitation process and independent peer review. Grant recipients at the University of Kentucky will work on an early warning tool for surface water treatment plants to detect unsafe levels of bacteria. Scientists at the Lovelace Clinic Foundation in Albuquerque, N. M., will research the health risks associated with a type of water filtration called bank filtration. At Emory University, 900 southeastern households will be examined for a possible relationship between the risks of gastrointestinal illness and conventionally treated ground water. In separate grants, the University of Virginia and University of Kentucky both will investigate whether high concentrations of aluminum in drinking water are a concern to public health. Washington State Department of Health will look at an area with high nitrate waters to investigate a possible relationship between “blue baby” syndrome and the chemicals that form methemoglobin, a suspected cause of this disease. More information on these research projects is available at: http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncer_abstracts/index.cfm/fuseaction/recipients.display/rfa_id/273 and http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncer_abstracts/index.cfm/fuseaction/recipients.display/rfa_id/275. To learn more about EPA's STAR program, see: http://es.epa.gov/ncer/. ENFORCEMENT WRAP-UP Teresa Libera 202-564-7873/libera.teresa@epa.gov $1.5 MILLION IN ASSETS FORFEITED BY INDIANA AUTO PARTS MANUFACTURER GIVEN TO INDIANA DNR FOR ENFORCEMENT On Sept. 25, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources received a check for $1.5 million from the federal government to bolster its environmental enforcement programs. The funds were forfeited by Guide Corp. of Anderson, Ind., as part of its June 18, 2001, guilty plea to misdemeanor violations of the Clean Water Act. In December 1999, Guide discharged 1,610,000 gallons of improperly treated wastewater into sewers that led to the Anderson treatment plant, causing damage to the plant and then killing approximately 100 tons of fish and aquatic life along the White River. In a related civil settlement, Guide agreed to pay $6 million to two White River restoration funds, $2 million to reimburse state agencies that responded to the fish kill and $2 million in civil penalties. The case was investigated by EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division, the FBI and the Law Enforcement Division of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Forensic support was provided by EPA’s National Enforcement Investigations Center. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s office in Indianapolis. CAPE COD MAN PLEADS TO ILLEGAL DISPOSAL OF MERCURY-CONTAINING WASTE Michael A. Raasch of Brewster, Mass., pleaded guilty on Sept. 23 in U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts in Boston to violating the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Raasch was the golf course superintendent at the Chequessett Yacht and Country Club in Wellfleet, Mass. On April 4, 2000, he illegally disposed of a four pound bag of Calo-Gran, a mercury-based fungicide, by dumping it in a deserted location near the sixth fairway. The land was owned by the National Park Service. The fungicide contained high concentrations of mercury, a toxic heavy metal, which can be absorbed through contact with the skin and can cause severe neurological damage and death. When sentenced, Raasch faces a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison and/or a fine of up to $250,000. The case was investigated by EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division and the National Park Service. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s office in Boston. R-189 # # # Release date:10/03/2002 Receive our News Releases Automatically by Email
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