&EPA
a. i
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
EPA175-K-95-001
Dear Reader,
Earth Day is a day to show how much
we care about protecting public health and
our environment. You can use this
publication as a source of ideas and
information about what you can do at home,
at work and in your community to take part
in protecting the world around you—on
Earth Day, and every day.
In the 25 years since the first Earth Day,
EPA has accomplished much to make the
world a safer and healthier place. We banned
lead in gasoline, preventing health problems
in children. We banned dangerous and
widely-used pesticides like DDT, and helped
to make recycling a household habit. We
reduced toxic air emissions and established
fuel standards for automobiles. We
established strong public health standards for
drinking water, and eliminated direct
dumping of raw sewage into our rivers, lakes,
and streams.
But much more needs to be done. Forty percent of our rivers, lakes and streams
are still not suitable for fishing, swimming, or drinking. Two in five Americans live in
areas with unhealthy air. And in many communities, residents worry about the safety
of their drinking water.
EPA can't do the job alone—we need your help to take common-sense steps that
will protect our environment. That is why I urge you to take a hands-on approach to
environmental protection. The Earth is in Your Hands.
Administrat
U.S. EPA
Recycled/Recyclable • Printed with Vegetable Oil Based Inks on 100% Recycled Paper (50% Postconsumer) • Please Recycle as Newsprint
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THE EARTH IS IN YOUR HANDS
Twenty-five years ago, in
response to national environmental
crises, this nation established Earth Day
as an annual event to recognize the
importance of the world around us. The
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
created in the wake of the first Earth
Day, is charged by Congress with the
task of protecting the nation's air, land,
and water. There is no doubt that much
has been accomplished in the last 25
years, but a lot of work is still needed.
Here are some suggestions on
how you can help,
plus a list of EPA contacts across the
country—people who will let you know
what the Agency and other groups are
doing on Earth Day and every day to
protect human health and the environ-
ment. Remember, The Earth is in
your Hands—so take a hands-on
approach!
Conserving Water
A typical American household can save
an astounding 50,000-100,000 gallons of
water annually by observing a few
simple rules:
& Repair leaky faucets, indoors and out;
just one leaky faucet can waste as much
as 4,000 gallons of water per month.
* Install faucet aerators to reduce water
usage up to 60 percent. Also install a
low-flow showerhead and take showers
instead of baths. Short showers use
one-third the water baths do.
*Don't let the water run from the tap in
the kitchen or bathroom when you are
not using it. Turning off the water when
you're brushing your teeth can save 4
gallons each time.
* Select a dishwasher with a "light-
wash" option and use it only when fully
loaded. When hand-washing dishes,
save up to 15 gallons by soaking dirty
dishes in the sink instead of letting the
water run over them.
$? When you shop for a new washing
machine, consider a water-saving,
energy-efficient model.
* Repair leaky toilets and save another
50 gallons a day; install a tank-dam and
save five to seven gallons per flush. The
new low-flush toilets save over 7,000
gallons a year.
* Water your lawn in the early
morning hours when evaporation is
slower. In most locations, one inch of
water per week to your lawn or garden
should be enough.
"& Plant indigenous species of shrubs
accustomed to local water conditions.
& Set your lawn-mower blades at the
2-3 inch level for healthy grass and
better water retention.
* When washing your car, turn the
hose off between rinses to conserve
about 150 gallons per washing.
Recycling &
Preventing Pollution
* Use household chemicals sparingly
and according to label instructions.
* At home and at work, conserve paper
by using both sides of the page and
reusing scrap paper.
* Encourage your local government to
start or expand a program to use
recycled/recyclable materials and to
dispose of toxic substances responsibly.
* Encourage establishment of special
hazardous-waste collection days for
your community.
* Meet with local groups such as the
Chamber of Commerce to promote use
of recycled materials, eliminate excess
packaging, and minimize waste.
& Urge your local service stations to
encourage recycling of used oil and car
batteries.
& Sponsor special events at work sites
and other public places to push
recycling, car/vanpooling, mass transit,
and purchase of environmentally
friendly products.
Hands-On Projects
* Plant trees in open public and private
spaces; then set up a schedule of proper
care for what you planted.
& Construct and repair hiking trails,
picnic tables, signs, and other public
items to promote safe and
environmentally sound outdoor
recreation.
& Organize an air- or water-quality
monitoring program. For details contact
your state environmental agency or
EPA Public Information Center (see
contact list on back page).
* Organize cleanups of parks, beaches,
woods, alleys, and empty lots.
* Establish neighborhood or
community composting programs to
convert yard waste, vacuum-cleaner
lint, wool or cotton rags, sawdust,
shredded paper, and fireplace ash into
topsoil.
Travel Tips
'$? Since cars and trucks are a major
source of air pollution in most areas,
upgrading your driving and vehicle
maintenance habits can make a
substantial contribution to a better
environment.
$B Combine your trips. Try to avoid
driving at times of stop-and-go traffic.
Walk or bike for short errands and
leisure activities.
* Share a ride. Carpool whenever
feasible. Use mass transit.
$? Avoid jackrabbit starts and stops;
maintain a steady speed within cruising
range; don't corner so fast that your tire
squeal.
^ Keep your tires properly inflated.
$? Turn the engine off if it would
otherwise idle for more than 30 seconds
* Use an energy-conserving grade of o
and, where available, "clean fuels."
& Think about ways to save fuel, such
as emptying your trunk and back seat o
unnecessary loads to save weight.
&• Carefully read and follow the
maintenance tips in your owner's
manual.
Wise Pesticide Use
$? Adopt integrated pest management
practices in and around your garden
and home to cut use of pesticides.
& Buy only enough pesticides to last th
season or for immediate use.
'$? Follow use directions carefully. Use
only the amount directed and for the
purpose listed. Don't think that twice
the dosage will do twice the job.
* Reduce exposure risks in storage.
Store pesticides away from kids and
pets in a well-ventilated but locked
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THE EARTH IS IN YOUR HANDS
cabinet, and never store them close to
food, cleaning compounds, or medical
supplies.
* Keep pesticides tightly closed in
original containers, with legible
directions and antidotes. Never transfer
to containers associated with food or
drink.
$? Never store pesticides where flood
waters may inundate them or in the
open where containers might rust and
leak into the soil or waterways.
$s Dispose of pesticides in accordance
with instructions; for guidance, call
your local health department, solid
waste management agency, or EPA
regional office.
Community Projects
* Meet with business and community
leaders to identify facilities or practices,
such as waste disposal, that are putting
neighborhood residents at risk.
$? Organize neighborhood cleanup
efforts and start integrated pest control
systems in local schools and other
facilities.
* Survey the need for toxic clean-up in
your neighborhood. Bring information
to the attention of appropriate public
agencies and community leaders.
$? Arrange testing programs to find out
if lead from peeling paint in older
buildings is affecting children, and
organize efforts to monitor the safety of
drinking water and air.
Educating
$? Get your organization, school system,
or local college to run Earth Day essay,
photo, and poster contests.
$? Assist your school system in
developing dramas about the
environment, poetry readings, field
trips, and school garden or lab projects.
$? Organize a speakers' bureau; arrange
talks by experts to schools, business
clubs, and community organizations.
$B Sponsor science and invention fairs,
debates, forums, and competitions
related to issues in environmental
science.
& Set up an Earth Day conference with
environmentalists, and industrial,
agricultural and labor leaders in your
community to exchange views on local
and regional concerns.
* Invite local officials, scientists, and
environmentalists to participate in
public forums to discuss environmental
issues that affect your community.
$? Encourage local officials and the
news media to assess environmental
conditions and trends in your town or
county, comparing the 1970-1995 period
with what's projected for 1995-2020.
* Group-tour sewage treatment and
water purification plants and energy-
efficient demonstration homes.
^ Learn about what chemicals are
being released in your community by
calling the Community Right-to-Know
Hotline at (800) 535-0202.
* Encourage libraries, museums, and
managers of public and private
buildings to display environmental
exhibits.
* Present club or association awards to
citizens, business leaders, and officials
who donate time to environmental
causes.
Specific Subjects
For information about specific EPA environmental programs, please call these offices:
Headquarters Public Information
Center (general EPA publications)
(202) 260-2080
National Center for Environmental
Publications & Information (EPA
publications) (513) 489-8190
Indoor Air Quality Information
Clearinghouse
(800) 438-4318 / (202) 484-1307
Safe Drinking Water Hotline
(800) 426-4791 / (202) 260-7942
National Lead Information Center
(800) LEAD-FYI
National Poison Control Center
Hotline (202) 625-3333
Pollution Prevention Information
Clearinghouse (202) 260-1023
National Radon Hotline
(800) SOS-RADON
Asbestos and Small Business
Ombudsman
(800) 368-5888 / (703) 305-5938
Acid Rain Hotline (202) 233-9620
Wetlands Protection Hotline
(800) 832-7828
Emergency Planning and
Community Right-to-Know (What
chemicals are in your community?)
(800) 535-0202
Environmental Justice Hotline
(800) 962-6215 / (202) 260-6357
Superfund / Resource
Conservation & Recovery Act
(recycling, hazardous and solid
waste, composting)
(800) 424-9346 / (703) 412-9810
Air RISC Hotline (health, risk, and
exposure information) (Risk
Information Support Center)
(919) 541-0888
National Response Center (to
report spills of oil and other
hazardous materials 24 hours/day)
(800) 424-8802
National Pesticide
Telecommunications Network
(800) 853-7378
Hazardous Waste Ombudsman
(Assistance with problems related
to hazardous waste issues)
(800) 262-7937 / (202) 260-9361
Stratospheric Ozone Info Hotline
(recycling and production ban on
ozone depleting substances)
(800) 296-1996 / (202) 775-6677
Toxic Substance Control Act
(TSCA) Information Service
(TSCA-related chemicals, ex. PCBs)
(202) 554-1404
Wastewater Programs/National
Small Flows Clearinghouse (rural
wastewater)
(800) 624-8301 / (304) 293-4191
EPA Center for Environmental
Research Information (EPA
technical reports) (513) 569-7562
Electromagnetic Field (EMF)
Infoline
(800) 363-2383 / (202) 484-1803
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THE EARTH IS IN YOUR HANDS
Additional Information
For additional information on Earth Day 25 activities, please contact:
EPA Headquarters
Melba Meador
U.S. EPA (Mailcode 1101ED)
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460
Earth Day Office: (202) 260-1128
Public Info Center: (202) 260-2080
Region 1
(CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT)
Frank Mclntyre (REA)
John F. Kennedy Federal Building
Boston, MA 02203
Phone: (617) 565-9028
Public Info Center: (617) 565-3300
Region 2
(NJ, NY, PR, VI)
Ann Rychlenski
26 Federal Plaza, Room 1141-F
New York, NY 10278
Phone: (212) 264-7214
Fax: (212) 264-9697
Region 3
(DE, PA, MD, VA, WV, DC)
Virginia Moseley
841 Chestnut Building (3EA20)
Philadelphia, PA 19107-4431
Phone: (215) 597-9904
Public Info Center: (800) 438-2474
(215)597-7332
Region 4
(AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN)
Alice Chastain
345 Courtland Street, N.E.
Atlanta, GA 30365
Phone: (404) 347-3555 ext. 6747
Public Info Center: (404) 347-3004
Region 5
(IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI)
Nancy Sullivan
77 West Jackson Boulevard
Chicago, IL 60604-3507
Phone: (312) 886-6687
Public Info Center: (312) 323-2072
Region 6
(AR, LA, NM, OK, TX)
Alfredo Coy
1445 Ross Avenue (Mail Code 6X)
Dallas, TX 75202-2733
Phone: (214) 665-2206
Public Info Center: (214) 665-2206
Region 7
(IA, KS, MO, NE)
Bill Landis
726 Minnesota Avenue
Kansas City, KS 66101
Phone: (913) 551-7314
Public Info Center: (913) 551-7003
Region 8
(CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY)
Linda Woodworth (80EA-EISC)
999 18th Street, Suite 800
Denver, CO 80202-2466
Phone: (303) 391-6219
Public Info Center: (800) 227-8917
(303) 293-1603
Region 9
(AZ, CA, HA, NV, GU, AS)
Ida Tolliver (E-2)
75 Hawthorne Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
Phone: (415) 744-1581
Public Info Center: (415) 744-1505
Region 10
(ID, WA, OR, AK)
Sally Hanft
U.S. EPA Region 10
1200 6th Avenue (MS SO-141)
Seattle, WA 98101
Phone: (206) 553-1207
Public Info Center: (800) 424-4EPA
(206) 553-1200
ORD Laboratories
Environmental Research Lab
Narragansett, RI (401) 782-3000
Research Triangle Park Lab
RTF, NC (919) 541-5552
Environmental Research Lab
Athens, GA (706) 546-3524
Environmental Research Lab
Gulf Breeze, FL (904) 934-9208
Environmental Research Lab
Duluth, MN (218) 720-5500
Cincinnati Lab
Cincinnati, OH (513) 569-7772
Robert E. Kerr
Environmental Research Lab
Ada, OK (405) 436-8511
Environmental Research Lab
Corvallis, OR (503) 754-4601
xvEPA
United States
Environmental Protection Agency
(1101ED)
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC.20460
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use $300
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