United States EPA 905/9-80-008
Environmental Protection October, 1980
Agency
Region V
wEPA Films from
U.S. EPA
Region V
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Introduction
Protecting human health and the environment from pollution, to the maximum
extent possible under the laws enacted by Congress, is the mission of the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency. In cooperation with State and local
governments, EPA's regulations enforce Federal laws that govern air and water
quality, hazardous and solid waste management, toxic substances and
pesticides, drinking water, radiation, and noise.
An important aspect of EPA's work is to inform the public about these
responsibilities. To better do this, EPA in its ten years of existence has produced
and collected a number of films that explain the environment and its problems
and stress the need to protect that environment, today and for future
generations.
This film brochure consists of titles and descriptions of films, videocassettes,
and slide shows that are available to residents of the six States of EPA's Region
V: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Unless otherwise
noted, all are 16 mm color films with sound.
Most of the films are lent without charge. Rentals are clearly identified, with
rental price specified. In either case, borrowers are responsible for paying return
postage and postal insurance or United Parcel Service costs. Films need to be
requested at least three weeks in advance of the date they are to be shown.
It is illegal to broadcast or reproduce a film without permission from the
filmmaker. For information on how to contact a film's producer or the status of
reproduction or broadcast rights, contact EPA Region V's Office of Public
Information, 230 S. Dearborn St., Chicago, IL 60604, (312)353-2072.
Please contact the same office if you wish to inquire about brochures or other
printed materials that are related in content to the audiovisual aids listed here.
Contents
Hazardous Wastes .. 3
Air 4
Air Pollution and
the Automobile .. 7
Noise 8
The Great Lakes ... 9
Citizen Involvement . 10
Toxic Substances... 12
Solid Waste 14
General Films about
the Environment . 15
Water 17
Water Treatment ... 18
Land Use/Erosion .. 21
How to Order
EPA Materials ... 23
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4rOur Hidden National Product
...is hazardous waste, the toxic chemicals and other dangerous materials that
are generated by industrial processes used in making thousands of commonly
used items, from medicines and cars to TV sets, pesticides, and fabrics.
Although Federal regulations going into effect in 1980 will control management
of these wastes from this point forward, the accumulation of some 35 years'
worth of hazardous materials remains perhaps the most serious environmental
problem in the U.S. This film reminds us of the disastrous effects hazardous
wastes can have on human health and the environment when they are carelessly
disposed of, as at Love Canal. More than that, the film is about improving
hazardous waste management. Facilities around the country are visited where
various processes are used to recycle these wastes, to treat them to reduce or
eliminate their dangerous properties, and to dispose of them in landfills that are
located, designed, and monitored to minimize risks methods that must
increase from this point on. But opposition to more rapid progress in selecting
sites for treatment and disposal is considerable, and this film includes coverage
of a public hearing in which local citizens are torn between the need for such a
site and the fear of what it might mean. General audience.
Producid by Durrin Films. Inc. lor the Wen Michigan Environmental Action Council and
U.S. EPA, Region V
1979. 25 minutes. Free. Film Comm
Attack on Hazardous Waste:
Challenge of the '80s
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) addresses the problem of
hazardous wastes generated by our society. Regulations that allow EPA to
enforce RCRA, which are being set in place during 1980, will control these
wastes from "cradle to grave." Because understanding how these regulations
will work is a matter of extreme importance, EPA in May-June 1980 held
briefings for State and local officials across the country. Presented at each was
this series of 355 slides, many with text only, which was prepared to explain
RCRA and the new regulations that govern the generation, transportation,
storage, treatment, and disposal of hazardous waste. Available as entire
presentation or as 65-slide overview of the regulations, the slide show comes
with a printed copy of all text that appears on the slides. (The booklet may be
reproduced to distribute to viewers so that they won't need to take copious
notes.) Specialized audience.
Produced* by U.S. EPA
1980. 355-slid« set approx. 3 hours; 65-slide overview approx. 30 minutes. Free
Film Comm. Complete slide set may he purchased lor $48.50 from National Audiovisual
Center, Washington. O.C. 20409. Meke check payable to National Archives Trust Fund (NAC):
include Order Number J>03106
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it Hazardous Waste Is
Everybody's Problem
This 139-slide show with audio cassette emphasizes public involvement in
dealing with hazardous waste, the result of manufacturing thousands of vital
everyday products. It is valuable for its thorough approach to a situation that
will continue to concern us for years to come. The history of hazardous waste
disposal practices. Love Canal, the 1979 Congressional Subcommitee report on
hazardous waste practices, and a summary of the new RCRA regulations all
are touched upon before viewers are urged to get involved in helping State and
Federal agencies to locate and inventory potential abandoned hazardous waste
sites. Geared to a general audience, including residents of rural areas.
Produced by the National Association of Conservation Districts for U.S. EPA
1980. 20 minutes. Free. Film Comm
it Charlie Brown Clears the Air
Charlie, Linus, Snoopy, and pals are forced to take a look at air pollution in this
special film created by Charles Schulz for the American Lung Association, with a
supportive grant and cooperation from EPA. What the Peanuts characters
themselves do and learn they had better begin to do is easy enough for
members of any viewing audience to identify with. A 32-page storyboard,
suitable for coloring with crayons or felt-tips, is available free on request to
those who borrow this film.
Produced fay the American Lung Association
1979. 6 V, minutes. NOT CLEARED FOR TV OR COMMERCIAL SHOWINGS. Free. Film Comm
Air Pollution: The Facts
An excellent, general-audience film that examines four pollutants ozone,
carbon monoxide, participates such as dust and fine ash, and sulfates and
the known harm they cause humans. Twelve leading physicians, scientists, and
engineers explain the pollutants and their sources, effects on health, present
means of controlling emission of these pollutants, and the need to be concerned
about bringing air pollution under control. "It took 40 years for proof of the
typhoid bacillus to be believed," says one of the physicians. "Those of us in
medical science who feel a clear association exists between air pollution and
the number of chronic diseases cannot wait 40 years." Says another scientist,
speaking of the costs of air pollution control: "No matter what it costs, it is
morally indefensible to make people sick with something we can control."
Produced by the American Lung Association in cooperation with U.S. EPA
1979. 27 minutes. Free. Film Comm
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Air Pollution and Plant Life
A very elementary look at the damage a number of air pollutants sulfur
dioxide, fly ash, hydrogen fluorides cause field crops, a California forest,
citrus leaves, tobacco leaves. Examples are shown of crops harmed by sulfur
oxides that mix with rain to become what we now call "acid rain," but the film
predates mentioning that phenomenon, as well as as economic effects such
pollution causes. Many frames of dead (necrotic) leaves and plants do, however,
set the stage for a discussion of acid rain.
Produced by the Department of Health, Education. & Welfere and the U.S. Public Hearth Service
1969. 19 minutes. Free. Film Comm
"ft Acid Rain: The Choice Is Ours
An excellent, 80-slide/tape presentation about a pollution problem that only
recently has come to public attention. This audio-visual package gives thorough
explanations of the history of acid rain, its causes, what it does, as well as what
people must do if we are to stop the destruction to the Nation's lakes, crops
and to ourselves.
Produced by Media Associates, Inc. for Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness, Inc.
1980. 19 minutes. Free. Film Comm
Those Hazy Days of Summer
Ozone its nature, formation, effects, and control is the topic for this five-
segment videotape that was made for television weathercasters. (A script is
available which can be followed by weathercasters for their own voice-overs.)
"Hazy Days" also is available in a 5-minute, single-showing videocassete.
Important points made, on location and in interviews, are that ozone is not just a
problem of Los Angeles or any other city but can drift for miles; that ozone
"plumes" can overlap and thus exceed national air quality; and that ozone has
dramatic negative impacts on both human beings and agricultural crops.
Produced by U.S.EPA. Region V
1978. 5 minutes, "/.-inch videotape cassette. (Also available for television stations
on 2-inch videotapo in original, five-segment format.) Free. Film Comm
Tall Stacks
An evaluation of the effect of tall stacks as a solution to disperse the gaseous
emissions from coal-burning power plants, particularly sulfur oxides. Conclusion
of this film, which is suited to engineering students as well as concerned
members of the general public, is that such towering structures do not solve the
problem and indeed create a new one in the form of atmospheric transport of
these pollutants. Provides a good background for a discussion about acid rain,
which is only hinted at in this film.
Produced by U.S. EPA
16 minutes. Free. FHm Comm
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Wisconsin's Air
An examination of the way one State approached the task of cleaning its air
of pollutants from power plants, paper mills, foundries, lumber production, and
so forth. The film explains the relationship between sulfur dioxide and plant
damage (now known as damage caused by acid rain), gives examples of what
industries were doing, explains air quality monitoring networks, takes viewers
inside a laboratory, and links land use and increased automobile usage to
pollution of the air. Valuable even though States' roles in air pollution control
have changed since this film was made.
Pro*K«l by tin IMmnity it Wncomni ind tin Wimiam Oipwtnmt of Nmril Itouwcn
1974. 30 mmut. Frti. Fftn Conn.
Gateway to Clean Air
Another regional example of air pollution control, this film concentrates on the
five-year regional air pollution study in the St. Louis area. That study, which
began in 1972. integrated investigations of air quality via 25 monitoring
stations around St. Louis, meteorologic conditions, and the like and fed them
into a computer. Results became the basis for mathematical modeling, of which
this film makes a good explanation for science and math students. (EPA's
current modeling is done on a nationwide, rather than a regional, basis.)
ProAuri by U.S. EPA
1976. 19 mMMM. Fin. Film Conn
Modeling Photochemical Air Pollutants
by Computer
A technical film that can give viewers engineers, students of urban planning,
and such a foundation in how EPA made decisions to get a handle on
pollution in the Los Angeles Basin that was complicated by highways, airports,
industries, power plants, and marine inversion of the air. Technical
considerations in predicting transport and dispersion of air pollutants are
explained; charts and graphs used throughout require a knowledge of chemistry
for easy comprehension. (Current EPA publications are available on this subject
and should be ordered before showing this film. Document numbers are EPA-
450/2-77-021 a, 11/77 and 021b, 2/78. Telephone number for EPA's library
in Research Triangle Park, NC is 919-541-2777.)
Proniced by U.S. EPA
22 mimitn. Frn. Film Conm
C.H.E.S.S.
One method EPA followed in determining national air quality standards for
known pollutants was an intensive study of effects these pollutants seem to
have on human health. This film explains the Community Health and
Environmental Surveillance System (C.H.E.S.S.), a series of epidemiological
studies in sets of communities with similar climate, socio-economic makeup,
terrain, and so forth. Communities in New York, Charlotte, Birmingham, St.
Louis, the Salt Lake Basin, and Los Angeles were selected for this study; the film
shows EPA and local public health officials, university and private business
personnel taking part in the tedious work of defining the relationship between
community pollution levels and rates of illness. Although C.H.E.S.S. has been
criticized, EPA stands by the study's conclusions and has used those conclusions
for setting standards for both sulfur dioxide and participates. The film is
appropriate for students of air pollution and environmental health.
U.S. EPA
17 minims. Free. Film Comm.
6
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AIR POLLUTION
AND THE AUTOMOBILE
AIR POLLU'
AND THE A
"fCOn the Road to Clean Air
An excellent film that makes several straightforward points: All of us must be
aware of the negative effects of air pollution; because the automobile is a
primary source of pollution, nearly everyone's problem becomes everyone's
responsibility; mandatory auto inspection/maintenance (I/M) programs are an
effective way of lowering levels of certain auto-created pollutants. Ordinary
people explain how I/M programs work; the point is made that a 5-minute
carburetor adjustment ($10) can effect a 26 percent decline in carbon dioxide
emissions. I/M testing stations in New Jersey and in Tampa are shown; the idea
that proper auto maintenance also saves gasoline is mentioned. A good film for
anyone who drives a car or plans to drive one after completing driver
education classes. Good, also, for public officials considering an I/M program.
Produced by the American Lung Association for U.S. EPA
1979. 16 minutes. Free. Film Comm
*New Rules of the Road
Another excellent film that zeroes in on automobile pollution, this one takes a
more philosophical, even arty approach. Air pollution causes carnations to die
and orchids to wither; it can make cattle sick and does destroy paint pigments.
What it does to humans is just as dramatic. The narrator proposes that today's
fuel shortages and air pollution problems suggest that people rely less on the
car and, if they do drive, to drive wisely (no jack-rabbit starts or idling engines)
and to keep a car tuned. This film, too, is excellent for any drivers or potential
drivers.
Produced by U.S. Office of Education, New Hampshire and Vermont Department of Education,
and American Consolidated Industries
10 minutes. Free. Film Comm
I/M Demonstration
A short videotape cassette prepared by EPA to summarize what
inspection/maintenance programs consist of, what they cost as opposed to
what they can save individual car owners and society in general, and how the
New Jersey mandatory I/M program (in operation since 1974) works in that
State. An abbreviated, more technical version of "On the Road to Clean Air."
Produced by U.S. EPA
1980. 8 minutes. Available only as a '/4-inch videotape cassette. Free. Film Comm
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4r Car-Tune: Bobby Unser's Special on
Auto Tune-ups and Clean Air
Famed auto racer Bobby Unser, two-time winner of the Indianapolis and the
California 500s, shows viewers that keeping cars tuned saves gas and money
and, most importantly, cuts down on air pollution. The film follows an
automobile through a mobile I/M testing station and pits Unser speaking
against fast-track auto racing. "Car-Tune" makes a convincing appeal to
viewers who identify with its star.
Produced by U.S. EPA, Region V
1977. 7 minutes. Free. Film Comm
*Does It Have To Be This Way?
Television comedian Tim Conway deadpans his way through a grueling drive
from home to work that makes a timely point: There's got to be a better way than
to depend on the automobile. Banjo music and cacophony accompany him
through numerous situations that are familiar to any auto commuter, situations
that are both hilarious and an almost subliminal reminder that clean air and
energy are both limited. When he looks longingly at a bus or at a group of people
car-pooling, so do most viewers.
Produced by US EPA
1975. 10 minutes. Free. Modern
' Jet Roar
The U.S. has more than 50 major airports. Noise pollution from air traffic has
been and continues to be a concern to the people who live near those airports, a
number of whom have brought pressures to bear on the air transportation
industry. Changes have been made, among them the cutting of late night -early
morning flights, modifications to certain aircraft, and modifications by traffic
controllers of the taxiing patterns of commercial flights. This film concentrates
on how a number of these changes came about; it goes to citizen group leaders
and people affected by jet noise as well as to air transportation experts. It also
takes a stand for better land-use and construction practices around major air
centers. With strong visuals and the intermittent roar of jets, the film makes the
point that people can do, and have done, something about this source of noise
pollution.
Produced by Richtsr-McBride for U.S. EPA
15 minutes. Free. Modern
8
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* A Quieter World
Mime artist Bill George is featured in this short, two-part film that begins with
"Noise!" Street sounds, airplane noise, and finally household noise assault him.
The second segment, "A Quieter World?", suggests that urban life can be made
less nerve-jangling if all of us work at it.
Produced by U.S. EPA
8 minutes. Free. Fim Comm
The Great Cleanup
An outstanding documentary produced by the Canadian National Film Board for
corresponding environmental agencies in the two countries that share the
world's largest freshwater system. The first half concentrates on the history,
magnitude, tremendous offerings, and problems of the Great Lakes; a
fisherman, a steelworker, environmentalists, and others appear to explain their
positions. The second half goes into more detail of progress being made to clean
up the Great Lakes, with clear explanations of the bi-national efforts, specific
pollution problems and methods to combat them, and the need for continuing
attention to the 300,000-square-mile area that directly depends on the Great
Lakes ecosystem. Filmed throughout the Great Lakes Basin.
Produced by the Canadian National Film Board for U.S. EPA and Environment Canada
1976. 51 minutes. Free. Film Comm
"Can We Fish Again?"
(Listed under Toxic Substances)
Project Hypolimnion
A short, relatively technical film that explains the intensive, U.S.-Canadian
research project in 1970 that zeroed in on the oxygen-depleted waters of Lake
Erie's central basin. Algae, underwater photographic studies, various
monitoring devices and methods are explained. A good film for examining water
quality monitoring that is also valuable for its historical content regarding the
shallowest and most phosphorus-troubled of the Great Lakes.
U.S. EPA and the Lewis Research Center
1972. 13 minutes. Free. Film Comm
9
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Promises To Keep
In 1964, realizing that solving the Great Lakes pollution problem was important
to citizens of both countries, the Governments of the United States and Canada
asked the bi-national International Joint Commission to study the problems and
recommend action. This 80-slide presentation with audiotape cassette sets the
scene of the Great Lakes and traces the development of the 1972 Great Lakes
Water Quality Agreement, signed by each country's chief executive. It
continues from 1977, when the IJC reported to both Governments that more
needs to be done, specifically to control toxic chemicals, phosphorus, and
pollutants that fall into the Great Lakes from the air. The emphasis of this slide
show is on points agreed to in the subsequent Water Quality Agreement of
1978, with specific illustrations. It also advocates getting involved personally in
the Great Lakes cleanup and suggests ways of doing this.
Produced by the International Joint Commission
1980. 12 minutes. Free. Film Comm
CITIZEN
INVOLVE!*
Meecology
This film, idea) for children between the ages of 4 and 9, enthusiastically invites
young viewers to add "me" to "ecology" and thus to get involved in their
environments, be they rural, suburban, or inner-city. Youngsters are urged to
look for a natural place to help protect.to fight litter, to ride their bikes more
instead of expecting someone to chaffeur them, to recycle old toys, even to plant
a small garden. The children on film speak out to their audience, inviting viewers
to create their own meecology situationsand to consider "weecology," as
well. Accompanied by a catchy, original tune.
Produced by Christopher Productions for the McDonald's Corporation and
the Dayton Museum of Natural History
26 minutes. Free. Film Comm
Come Learn with Me
The Watershed Heritage Project, in cooperation with Cleveland's Institute for
Environmental Education, has developed a learning-by-doing approach to
environmental education that stresses student involvement. This film follows
several projects: grade school pupils monitoring a stream, high school students
monitoring a tributary to Lake Erie and conducting independent research
projects that include tapping maple trees (and selling the syrup they learn to
make in order to fund their own environmental education programs), and junior
high students conducting traffic, housing, and population studies. An excellent
film for dedicated teachers, education students, parents' groups, school
curriculum directors, and older students. (A wide range of educational materials
is available from the Watershed Heritage Project. Write for information c/o
Institute for Environmental Education, 8911 Euclid Avenue Cleveland OH
44106.)
Produced by RHO Enterprises, Inc. for U.S. EPA. Region V
1972. 15 minutes. Free. Film Comm
10
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Get Together
This film opens with a montage of turn-of-the-century photographs and quickly
introduces a Green Bay fisherman, mending his nets and worrying about
pollution. Its theme is that people who get involved in cleaning up the
environment do make a difference, and its proof is in the people: the fisherman;
citizens who speak about a landfill in Franklin, Ohio and about overdevelopment
around Lake Geneva, Wisconsin; the operator of a hog feedlot who controls
runoff of wastes; inner-city kids in Chicago on a cleanup campaign; members of
a Detroit block club who speak out against air pollution from a nearby cement
company; and others. Geared to a general audience.
Produced by Durrin Films for U.S. EPA, Region V
27 minutes. Free. Film Comm
Clean Water Is Kid Stuff
The point of this film is that anyone, from kids on up, can and must become
involved if we are to have fishable, swimmable waters by 1983. People in White
Clay Lake, Lake Henry, and Sun Prarie, Wisconsin communities explain what
they're doing to improve the quality of their water, and so do students in a
Madison elementary school.
Produced by Cusack and Carlson Productions for U.S. EPA. Region V. and the Wisconsin Department of
Natural Resources.
1978. IS minutes. Free. Film Comm
In Order To Change
Produced in Chicago, this two-reel film provides a case study of the steps a
community anti-pollution group found it necessary to take in order to awaken
public officials to air pollution being caused by a local utility. Footage of Earth
Day 1970 is interwoven; the group's efforts are considered to have been
important to a strong air pollution ordinance that was passed by the Chicago City
Council the week following Earth Day.
Produced by the University of Illinois
1970-71. 75 minutes. Free. Film Comm
Voices
William Conrad narrates this tribute to the Nation's environmental activists.
Beginning with Chicagoans fighting against a billion-dollar crosstown
expressway, the film visits a California biologist who urges reduced use of
pesticides, Cleveland citizens who protest building a jetport in Lake Erie, a
Missouri farming community threatened by loss of valuable land to a flood plain
and reservoir, and outspoken members of Pittsburgh's GASP (Group Against
Smog and Pollution), whose pollution sight-seeing tours might be worth
repeating. Folksinger Pete Seeger and singer-composer Don McLean are
featured.
Produced by U.S. EPA
1973. 52 minutes (two reels). Free. Film Comm
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River of the Onions
The action takes place along the North Branch of the Chicago River (the Indian
meaning for Chicago was "river of the onions"), which was badly polluted until
the early 1970s. At that time a number of civic groups, including Boy Scout
troops, decided to haul out the debris, replant trees, and otherwise restore the
place to a condition nearer its original state. This film documents efforts of
nearly 8,000 people over a number of years; its how-to approach to community
involvement makes it a training film for others with an obvious pollution problem
to correct. (This project continues with a different cast of characters.)
Produced by Film Comm for the Portage District Chicago Area Council, Boy Scouts of America,
and U.S. EPA. Region V
1975. 13 minutes. Free. Film Comm
A Question of Values
Citizens become involved when an oil company proposes to build a modern
refinery in Penobscot Bay along Maine's coast: More tankers would mean more
on-land jobs, but they also would present risks to lobsterers and fishermen and a
radical change in the seascape to people who retreat to Maine from
overcrowded cities. Pitched community battles are fairly presented; issues
raised are not limited to any part of the country. (Citizens succeeded in opposing
the refinery.)
Produced by the New Film Company, Inc.
1972. 28 minutes. Free. Film Comm
It OTHER FILMS IN THIS BROCHURE THAT
ALSO RECOGNIZE THE NEED FOR CITIZEN
INVOLVEMENT ARE MARKED WITH THIS
ASTERISK (*).
Serpent Fruits
This film, which has been shown on public television, includes a brief segment
on the historical view of toxic substances the Romans with lead-tainted
water, chimney sweeps with a high incidence of cancer, and the like. Its action
follows two separate but interwoven paths, documenting the case histories of
persons whose lives have been dramatically affected by DES (diethylstilbestrol),
dioxin, and PBB (polybrominated biphenyl)... and discussions by environmental
scientists as well as industry representatives about the problems and the
choices we must make. The conclusion. That all of us need to assess the risks
versus the benefits a modern, chemical-based society presents to humans and
to human health and the environment.
Produced by Southern Educational Communications Association under a grant from
U.S. EPA
1979. 28 minutos. Free. Modern
12
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"Can We Fish Again?"
A child's haunting words to his father, after an outing on the Great Lakes,
underscore this sensitive examination of the effects toxic substances like PCBs
and PBBs have on the lives of the 44 million people who live in the Great Lakes
Basin. A short, powerful film that can be an excellent opening to a discussion or
meeting on toxics. Winner of an international Golden CINE award in 1978.
Produced by U.S. EPA. Region V
1977. 15 minutes. Free. Film Comm
Not Just Another Spill
In September 1974 some 200 gallons of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls)
spilled into the Ouwamish waterway in Washington State, which flows through
Elliot Bay into the Puget Sound. This film documents the cleanup of that spill, a
massive effort that brought EPA, the Coast Guard, and the State department of
ecology together for the first time to clean up a hazardous and toxic spill of a
then little-understood material. The methods described offer a possible
alternative to present-day PCB spill cleanup.
Produced by U.S. EPA. Region X
1974-75. 18 minutes. Free. Film Comm
* What Your School Can Do About Friable
Asbestos-Containing Materials
U.S. EPA prohibited the spraying of asbestos for fireproofing and insulation in
public buildings in 1973 and for decorating purposes in 1978. The reason: Use
of friable (easily crumbled) asbestos has been linked to lung cancer and
asbestosis, and exposure to the material over long periods of time increases
chances of damage perhaps 20 years later. Schools have been a target of EPA's
efforts to rid the environment of this type of asbestos, which was commonly
used in construction in the post World War II building boom. This film, directed
to school board officials, school principals, or concerned parents, explains how
to identify possible asbestos problems and then what to do about them. EPA's
Asbestos Materials in Schools manual and related materials are available, as
well. For specific information on publications, you may call Region V's toll-free
Asbestos Program hotline: Illinois residents call (800)972-3170; residents of
Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin call (800)621-3191.
Produced by U.S. EPA
1979. 11 minutes. Free. Film Comm
it Dealing with Toxic Chemicals:
A Citizen's Role
A fast-moving, 60-slide presentation with synchronized tape cassette that
briefs viewers on the irreversibility of our chemical-based society, certain
problems it has created, laws that have been passed to help protect people and
the environment and suggestions for making sure that these laws are being
followed. In short, the slide show emphasizes that laws exist, including
stipulations in those laws that guarantee citizen participation. "But the
Government cannot act alone," the narrator states. "The problems belong to all
of us," and well-informed Americans' help is needed to solve them.
Produced by U.S. EPA
1980. 11 minutes. Free. Film Comm
13
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* Playing It Safe
Efren Herrera of the Seattle Seahawks is narrator and featured personality in
this 63-slide presentation on the safe use of pesticides. It is directed to farm
workers whose work puts them in contact with a full range of chemical
pesticides; Herrera speaks of the special clothing he needs for his job (knee
pads, helmet, and such) and the need to obey the rules by way of emphasizing
the same points for anyone who works among pesticides. Available with
synchronized cassette for tape recorder, in either Spanish or English narration.
Product by U.S. EPA
1979. English: 10:45 minutes; Spenish: 12:18 minutes. Free. Film Comm
* Battle of the Bugs
Pesticide safety is the message of this presentation of cartoon panels, available
in either filmstrip or slides and coordinated with audio tape cassette. Several
points are made clearly enough for children to understand: that pesticides are
chemical weapons that control insects and rodents that threaten our food
supplies; that pesticides can harm people and pets unless care is taken; that it is
often possible to use smaller amounts of pesticides. Included is a basic lesson
on the number and tenacity and thus the problem of insects.
Produced by U.S. EPA
1976. 10 minut.s. Free. Film Comm (specify filmstrip or slides)
Trash to Kilowatts
A short film that offers a clear explanation of the steps that need to be taken in
order to turn the refuse garbagemen pick up into fuel that is needed to generate
electricity. The trash is compressed, ferrous metals are removed with magnets,
remains are pulverized and added to fossil fuels of a generating plant. The
facility that this film depicts no longer uses this process but the concepts
explained are valid and other communities have begun to turn solid wastes to
energy. A valuable instructional film for citizens' groups, high school students,
and elected officials.
Produced by Louis Sudna Films for the City of St. Louis. Union Electric Compeny, and
U.S. EPA. Region VII
1975. 10 minuus. Free. Film Comm
14
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* The Village Green
This film, set in New York's Greenwich Village, focuses on the challenges,
successes, and problems of a citizens' group that turned a vacant lot into a
recycling center in 1972. Interviewed are enthusiastic supporters of the project
as well as neighbors who don't approve of having such a place in their
neighborhood, two predictable reactions. (The supporters "won" until 1980,
when the center had to move to make way for a hospital addition, presumably
finding new defenders and detractors in a new location.) Geared to citizens'
groups, older school groups, churches, and other nonprofit institutions.
Product by Gordon Gfyn for the EnviroominUl Action Coalition of Now York City and St. Vincent's
Hospital with a grant from U.S. EPA
1974. 17 minutes. Frao. Film Comm
4fThe Lorax
A faithful adaptation of the 1971 Dr. Seuss book of the same name, this film
takes viewers on an animated, narrated journey to the magical land of "truffula"
trees, swanny swans, and humming fish. A magical land, that is, until the Once-
ler drives along and decides to turn the splendid truffulas into "thneeds," a
product the world cannot live without that in turn strips the magical land of all
but the Lorax, who speaks for the trees that have no tongues. It is an eloquent
statement about what happens when simple things get out of hand
"unless...someone like you cares." Suitable for children and for Dr. Seuss fans
of any age.
Produced by CBS Broadcasting Systems, Inc.
1972. 25 minutes. Free. Film Comm
Links in the Chain
Like "The Lorax," this film looks at what development of land can mean. But
in "Links" there are no clearly identifiable good/bad persons. Instead, the
viewer is introduced to people who are concerned about changes affecting three
areas of the Midwest: in northern Wisconsin about the far-reaching impacts of
proposed copper and zinc mines; in southern Illinois, where interstate highways
and strip-mining of coal have already brought changes; and in Cadiz, Ohio,
where a coal miner and his family talk about the air pollution high-sulfur coal can
cause, which in turn leads to a discussion about the Clean Air Act and its
provisions regarding jobs. A timely film for older students and general adult
audiences.
Produced by RHO Enterprises. Inc. for U.S. EPA, Ragion V
1978. 28 minutes. Fraa. Film Comm
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The Men in Charge
The 1969 oil slick in Santa Barbara, California is generally credited as the
trigger for the environmental movement that began in earnest in 1970. But all
the environmental laws on the books need a commitment from industry to make
them work. This film visits a major chemical company, a small foundry, an
electroplating firm, a copper and brass products company, and a poultry
processing plant. In each, a spokesman explains anti-pollution systems that in
several cases even saved money for the business. (Companies featured still are
using or are updating the systems explained in this film.)
Produced by U.S. EPA. Region V
1973. 28 minutes. Free. Film Comm
Solar Energy: The Great Adventure
Eddie Albert narrates this film that encourages the viewer to "be a pioneer,"
even if it's without Government support, in developing alternatives to
petroleum. Featured are several subjects that have done just that: a small
company that manufactures solar-conversion components; a mobile
demonstration unit on a barge in Seattle's harbor that uses both sun and wind
for energy; New Hampshire businessmen who have harnessed tbe wind via
vertical-access wind turbines that create electricity; urban homesteaders on
New York's Lower East Side who use both wind and sun to save money; a farm in
the Ozarks that produces natural gas from wastes; another group in Oregon that
converts wastes to energy; an entire public housing project in California that
relies on the sun; and Eddie Albert himself, whose greenhouse is hydroponic. A
convincing, challenging film.
Produced by Monumental Films for die Department of Energy in cooperation with U.S. EPA and the
Defense Civil Preparedness Agency
1979. 28 minutes. Free. Film Comm
What Have You Accomplished?
At the beginning of the 1970s, when landmark environmental laws were passed
and U.S. EPA was created, it was accepted that the Midwest had borne the brunt
of the Nation's industrial and agricultural pollution. This film takes a look at
several formerly badly polluted sections of the Midwest, from Gary to Green Bay
and Muskegon, and improvements that have begun to be made in them. It
includes a spokesman for Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Company, who
explains 3-M's "pollution prevention pays" program for industrial recycling and
recovery and an admonition to viewers both to keep the pressure on
Government and to save energy and conserve resources for the future.
Produced by RHO Enterprises. Inc. for U.S. EPA. Region V
1977. 15 minutes. Free. Film Comm
Beyond Environmental Regulation:
Industry Takes the Initiative
On January 17, 1977 EPA Region V and the U.S. Department of Commerce
sponsored a two-day conference that was attended by representatives of more
than 300 companies. Highlights from this conference feature speakers from the
sponsoring agencies, from 3-M and Dow Chemical Company, from Congress
(Rep. James Florio, D-N.J.), and a brief synopsis of questions and answers.
Included are considerations of industry's need to by motivated by profit that
includes the stance of the Internal Revenue Service toward environmental
cleanup. Geared toward the business community and students of business.
Produced by U.S. EPA. Region V, and the Department of Commerce
1977. 60 minutes. Free. Film Comm. ".-inch videotape only.
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Five Stories
This 110-slide/tape presentation profiles five women who have taken charge of
the environmental concerns that confront them: a Dallas mother whose asthma,
and that of her daughter, led her to do battle with air pollution on a personal
level; a Washington, D.C. environmentalist who speaks up for "small changes,
small victories" in urban pollution; a Chicago-born farmer's wife in Arizona,
whose crops are grown with a minimum of pesticides; an Ohio woman who
spearheaded a drive to save the Cuyahoga Valley Recreation Area; and a
Massachusetts educator who knew drinking water supplies depended on
preserving a swamp.
Produced by U.S. EPA
1979. 16 minutes. Free. Film Comm
* Water Follies
Animated cartoon characters need no words to demonstrate uses and all-too-
common abuses of the water we use daily. Leaky faucets, long showers, and
many other household uses of water are quickly illustrated in this short, well-
paced film that is humorous to children and adults alike for its examples of self-
recognition. The point that we ought not to take water for granted is
stronger for being made so subtly.
Produced by Stan Phillips for U.S. EPA
1976. 7 minutes. Free. Modern
Wetlands: A Case for Protection
A new 80-slide or videotape presentation that takes note of a number of aspects
of wetland protection; the role wetlands play in flood control, shoreline
protection, groundwater replenishment, water purification, food production, and
animal habitats; the relative aspects of dredging, filling, and draining wetlands
and the roles of EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers as administrators of the
404 Dredge and Fill Permit Program; and the importance of citizen interest in
wetlands and participation in protecting them. The impact of construction is also
addressed.
Produced by U.S. EPA
1980. 12 minutes. Fro. Film Comm (specify 3/4-inch videotape cassette or slides)
Water
An excellent film that dramatically makes the point that water must be
conserved and be protected if mankind is to survive. "Through me (water) man
has worshipped his deities....! am supplier of food, backbone of commerce....In
my end is earth's end," concludes the narrator of this award-winning, dramatic
work filmed in India, Japan, Kenya, the Netherlands, Thailand, and the U.S.
Produced by Dick Younj Productions, Ltd. for the United Nitjons Environment Program
1976. 11 minutes Rental («30|. Dick Young Productions, Ltd.
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A Man and a River
Richard Chamberlain narrates this film that features the late Thomas Hart
Benton great citizen, painter, author, and conservationist and the river he
loved, the clear-running Buffalo in the Ozarks. Benton lived and worked in
Europe and New York before returning home to enjoy the countryside and river
that inspired him. "Tell 'em this," he says, after canoeing a scenic stretch of the
Buffalo. "Clean it up before you go away."
Produced by Crown Studios for U.S. EPA
1973. 14 minutes. Free. Film Comm
Mandate for Clean Water
This film gives viewers a good historic perspective on the 1972 Amendments to
the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, possibly the most far-reaching law of
the 1970s: reasons it was passed; what it requires of Federal, State, and local
governments as well as of industries and municipalities: still-effective deadlines
for the cleanup of the Nation's water; and provisions for penalties and for
public participation. It is effective to show this film with another film relating to
water.
Produced by U.S. EPA
1973. 12 minutes. Free. Film Comm
Water Passages
The water we flush down our toilets and sinks is 99.5 percent pure water. How
to cope with the remaining halt-percent is a problem that has plagued urban
planners for the past half-century. This film deals with that problem by exploring
five distinct, far-flung applications of a clean-water technology known as "land
treatment" facilities in Muskegon, Ml; Clayton County, GA; Irvine, CA; Walt
Disney World in Orlando, FL; and a NASA facility in Mississippi. A crux of the
problem is the need to remove wastes from wastewater and recycle the water
that remains in order to help avert water shortages. Land treatment can
accomplish that. It is a technology that can remove most toxic substances and
phosphorus but will not remove heavy metals; it is particularly appropriate for
smaller communities' municipal treatment because it can cost less and deliver
the benefit of irrigation-land water. This film, geared to the general public, is
particularly helpful to anyone who faces decisions about finding better and
alternative ways to meet stringent wastewater treatment standards during the
1980s. Narrated by veteran actor Eli Wallach.
Produced by Oregon Educational and Public Broadcasting Service under a grant from
U.S. EPA
1980. 30 minutes. Free. Film Comm
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Is Your Drinking Water Safe?
There are roughly 50,000 different community water supply systems throughout
the U.S. that supply some 25 billion gallons of drinking water a day. Sources of
this vast amount of water range from mountain streams, whose water must be
kept pure, to river and lake waters that need increasingly sophisticated
treatment to remove toxic chemicals. This film visits several places across the
country, explaining how and why each treats its drinking water. It also explains
the 1974 Safe Drinking Water Act, which directed EPA to establish safe
standards and the States to enforce these standards, and the 1977 requirement
that water suppliers notify customers by mail of higher-than-standard levels of
pollutants. Finally, it urges the viewer to become involved in protecting his/her
local drinking water and suggests appropriate ways of doing so.
Produced br Btrt Stitpiro for U.S. EPA
1977. 21 miniitii. Free. Film Comm
An Investment To Protect
Hundreds of millions of tax dollars have been spent to build wastewater
treatment facilities to clean the Nation's lakes and rivers. The plants themselves
are an investment, and protecting them requires that the people who paid for
them and operate them are well-informed. This film was produced to generate
public awareness of the environmental importance and economic dividends that
can result from a well-run facility; it focuses on such a plant in Hinsdale, Illinois,
a residential community in the Chicago suburban area. The film includes a
section on the history of Hinsdale, an older suburb that, like many others, was
affected by the post World War II trend to leave the inner city. It is valuable for
wastewater treatment personnel, local officials, and any taxpayers concerned
about getting the most for their money.
Produced by U.S. EPA
1977. 13 mimilii. Frti. Film Comm
The Cleaner the Water:
Approaches to Sludge Management
Making sure that water is clean enough to meet certain standards is one thing.
What to do with the millions of tons of residue that result from treating that
water - sludge is quite another. It is that that this film concentrates on, using
the approach that the Mayor of Anytown, U.S.A. needs to know what other
communities do with sludge before committing his/her community to one
particular method. The film visits a composting facility in Maryland and
examines land-application techniques used in Effingham, IL and Manhattan, KS;
landfilling as used by the North Shore Sanitary District in Lake County, IL and
incineration methods used in Cowlitz County, WA. It is directed to city managers,
public works officials, and the general public.
Product* by U.S. EPA
1978. 26 mimitti. Fret. Film Comm
A New Look at an Old Idea
Slide/tape presentation on the pros and cons of land treatment irrigation,
rapid infiltration, and overland flow as an alternative to wastewater
treatment. Includes case histories and methodologies.
Produce* by U.S. EPA
1980. 15 minutn. FrM. Film Comm
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Stormwater Pollution Control:
A New Technology
This film opens with a brief history of how sewer systems were built and how
combined sewers can pose tremendous health problems. The reason: When it
rains hard, these systems can overflow, and filth by the ton can suddenly flood
into systems that weren't built to handle the load. When this happens, heavily
polluted water bypasses normal treatment and pours into waterways, where it is
a hazard to human health and the environment. EPA is spending millions of
dollars to resolve this problem; this film gives viewers an idea of the way ten
cities are using innovative methods to protect their citizens. Minneapolis-St.
Paul, Seattle, Chicago, Chippewa Falls, Wl, Boston, New Orleans. Denver,
Dallas, Racine and Kenosha, New Providence. NJ, San Francisco, Milwaukee,
and Mt. Clemens, Ml are visited, and methods are explained that range from
swirl concentrators to detention ponds to various filters. Basic concepts such as
cleaning city streets and repairing old sewer lines, and the use of remote
sensing devices, are offered as possible ways to control this problem. Extremely
useful to public officials, citizens groups, and schools.
Produced by U.S. EPA
28 minutes. Frie. Film Comrn
The Water Plan
Three communities in San Francisco's Livermore Valley, faced with the growing
need to upgrade and expand their facilities to maintain the excellent quality of
water from the Sierras, decided to work cooperatively rather than independently
to develop a water quality management plan. This film traces their efforts and
concentrates on a system that includes recycling of water, treatment of sewage,
wastewater disposal that includes an irrigation system, and creation of a
reservoir for recreation and a salt marsh suitable for migratory fowl. The film
also includes a quick but effective history of the 200-year-old farming area that,
like much of the U.S., changed radically during the post World War II migration
from cities into open-land areas, creating water shortages and new demands on
existing water treatment facilities.
Produod by Production House. Inc. for U.S. EPA
28 minutes. Fro. Film Comm
Within Our Reach
The 1972 Clean Water Act Amendents required cleaner water from municipal
sewage treatment plants and provided vast sums of money to help local
governments pay for modernizing and building new facilities. This film, which
explains the construction grants program and its goal for cleaner water as one
that "for the first time in 100 years is within our reach," follows the community
of Parsippany-Troy Hills, New Jersey through its decision to upgrade facilities,
from hiring a consulting engineer onward. Although costs cited and deadlines
specified no longer apply, this film provides good information for mayors, city
managers, and city planners on how EPA's construction grants program works.
Produced by U.S. EPA
1976. 15 minutes. Free. Film Comm
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LAND USE/EROSION
jf Runoff: Land Use and Water Quality
The way we use the land affects our water quality. That is the tenet of this film,
which explains that we've changed the land in this country during the past 200
years and takes viewers to locations that illustrate the point: logging areas,
strip mines, farms, construction sites, city streets whose runoff contains
pollutants including lead. Ways of managing these situations are suggested,
and so is increased involvement by the general public. The film is valuable for
citizens' groups or students, city planners and elected officials, and
agriculturists.
Produced by the University of Wisconsin-Madison for
U.S. EPA's Great Lakes National Program Office
1978. 21 minutes. Free. Film Comm
Non-Point '83
Water makes the difference: When it becomes polluted, the quality of our lives
is endangered. In order to reach the goal of clean water by 1983, as stipulated in
the 1972 Amendments of the Clean Water Act, pollution from diverse, often
indirect sources must be controlled. Doing this will require cooperation between
conservation specialists and all those who use the land: rangers, farmers, and
homeowners. This film emphasizes best management practices for farmers
such as chisol plowing, crop rotation, terracing, tile outlets. It explains two
highly successful EPA agricultural projects, the Red Clay Project in
Wisconsin/Minnesota and the Black Creek Project in Indiana. And, by visiting a
dozen locations where such innovative methods are in use, it shows the viewer
how to get involved. Valuable for any concerned adult audience.
Produced by the National Association of Conservation Districts and the
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay for U.S. EPA
1977. 28 minutes. Free. Film Comm
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Hold This Land
"Some scientists say erosion is the number one environmental problem in the
world today," says Robert Bedford, the actor-conservationist who narrates this
film. " It takes nature 50 years to build up '/4-inch of soil" lost to erosion, and the
point of the film is that it is much easier to prevent erosion than to correct for it.
"Hold This Land" illustrates agricultural practices that work: plastic drains,
cover crops, an irrigation/stream control system that costs less than sprinkler
irrigation. Although it was filmed in the West, the same techniques have
universal significance, just as the problem of erosion does. "To everything
there is a season...and the season to hold onto this land is right now," the film
concludes. Agricultural students and farmers seem the logical audience.
Produced for U.S. EPA by Randall Morgan Associates (Idaho)
1976. 23 minutes. Free. Film Comm
Firewood: The Other Energy Crisis
Throughout much of the Third World, people gather wood for heat and for
cooking fuel. This deforestation has resulted in incredible losses of topsoil,
which in turn results in deserts, losses of food, landslides, floods, changes in
water and a virtual reworking of the entire planet. This short, personalized
look at a little-understood problem was filmed in Bangladesh, India, and Nepal.
What it says affects citizens of the world.
Produced by Dick Young Productions. Ltd. for the U.N. Environment Program
1977. 10 minutes, tomal (»30). Dick Young Productions, ltd.
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