EPA National News: Press Advisory: (1) EPA Awards Environmental Justice Grants to 73 Community Organizations; (2) Training Video to Help Health Care Providers Prevent Potential Drinking Water Health Risks; (3) El Paso Company and Managers Plead Guilty in Waste Fraud Scheme
Skip common site navigation and headers
United States Environmental Protection Agency
National News
begin hierarchial links EPA > National News > End hierarchial links



 

Press Advisory: (1) EPA Awards Environmental Justice Grants to 73 Community Organizations; (2) Training Video to Help Health Care Providers Prevent Potential Drinking Water Health Risks; (3) El Paso Company and Managers Plead Guilty in Waste Fraud Scheme

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

(1) EPA Awards Environmental Justice Grants to 73 Community Organizations

Contact: Enesta Jones 202-564-7873 / jones.enesta@epa.gov


During the last two fiscal years EPA awarded a combined total of $1.28 million to 73 non-profit organizations which work at the local level on behalf of communities to address environmental/public health issues. Since 1994, EPA has awarded $17.68 million to 1,052 grant recipients.

In FY 2003, the program focused on two areas: 1) education, outreach and community involvement and 2) research specific to hazardous substances. A total of 56 grants were awarded. Each recipient received between $8,000 and $20,000 each.

Beginning in FY 2004, the program was renamed the Environmental Justice Hazardous Substance Research Small Grants Program, and focused on research projects related to multiple environmental risks. Because such environmental harms and risks have the most impact at the community level, the grants were awarded to community-based organizations. A total of 17 grants worth $25,000 were awarded.

In FY 2005, the Environmental Justice Hazardous Substance Research Small Grants Program will make available $500,000 in grant funds to community-based organizations. The Request for Application will be available after Dec. 1, 2004. You may obtain a copy by calling your local regional office, calling the hotline at 1-800-962-6215 or visiting our Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/compliance/environmentaljustice/grants/ej_smgrants.html . A list of the 73 awards for FY 2003 and 2004 is also available on this Web site.

(2) Training Video to Help Health Care Providers Prevent Potential Drinking Water Health Risks

Contact: Cathy Milbourn 202-564-7824 / milbourn.cathy@epa.gov

EPA is releasing an educational training video intended to help health care providers recognize, report and prevent waterborne illness from drinking water sources. “Tap into Prevention: Drinking Water Information for Health Care Providers,” was developed in cooperation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the CDC’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. This video explains potential health risks from exposure to microbial and chemical contaminants in drinking water and demonstrates positive actions health care providers can take in their communities. Continuing education credit is available to those health care providers who watch the video and then complete an online test and evaluation. The video is among a number of EPA's activities to educate health care providers about environmental issues. Those include funding a multi-year nursing education program, "Protecting Children from Environmental Threats," developed by the American Nurses Association and the University of Maryland School of Nursing.

The video provides case studies of the1993 cryptosporidiosis outbreak in Milwaukee, a city-wide testing program for lead in drinking water in Philadelphia's schools and the efforts of public health nurses in rural Minnesota who educate expectant parents about the importance of testing well water for nitrates and bacteria. EPA will present excerpts of the video during upcoming presentations at the Groundwater Foundation’s Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 5 and at the American Public Health Association’s Public Health and the Environment Conference in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 8 and 9. To order the video in a DVD or VHS format and to view supplemental materials, which include additional resources about drinking water for health care providers, visit: http://www.epa.gov/safewater/healthcare .

Enforcement Wrap-up

Contact: John Millett 202-564-7842 / millett.john@epa.gov

(3) El Paso Company and Managers Plead Guilty in Waste Fraud Scheme

Villafam Contracting Services, LLC, of El Paso, Texas, and one if its managers, Denise Y. Villa-Aceves, pleaded guilty on Oct. 19, 2004, in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas in El Paso, to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and knowingly concealing a felony. Co-defendant Hector Villa pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud on Oct. 7, 2004. The defendants submitted fraudulent invoices to the city with inflated amounts for the hazardous waste collected and disposed of by the company under a contract with the city. When sentenced, Villafam faces a maximum fine of $500,000. Denise Villa-Aceves faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison and/or a maximum fine of $250,000. Hector Villa faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000 and a payment of $685,410.35 in restitution. The government is seeking the forfeiture of proceeds derived from the defendants’ scheme including company assets and a monetary judgment of $391,393.07. The case was investigated by the El Paso Office of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division, the FBI and the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in El Paso is prosecuting this case.


R207 ###

Release date:11/04/2004 Receive our News Releases Automatically by Email

 

 
Begin Site Footer

EPA Home | Privacy and Security Notice | Contact Us

URL:
Last Revised: 11/15/2004 01:15:47 PM