f/EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office Of The
Administrator
(1108A)
EPA 100-R-00-022
June 2000
America's Commitment
Women 2000
Meeting the Unique Challenges of Women
and Children's Environmental Health
EPA's Contribution to the President's Interagency Council on Women
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UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
WASHINGTON. D.C. 20460
AUG 14 2000
OFFICE OF
REGIONAL OPERATIONS
In 1995, the President's Interagency Council on Women was established by President
Clinton to coordinate the implementation of the Platform for Action adopted at the 1995 UN
Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China. Every executive department and agency
has a representative on the Council. First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton serves as the Council's
Honorary Chair. Secretary of State Madeline Albright is the Council's present Chair. I was
honored to serve as EPA's representative to the President's Council.
Under the leadership of the Administrator, Carol Browner, EPA has participated in a
wide variety of activities that has inspired many across the Agency to develop programs and
engage in outreach and public education to further women's progress and support the
implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action. Our EPA workgroup developed new
initiatives as well as highlighted the programs EPA already had in place that support this effort.
It is with great pleasure that I present this report emphasizing EPA's programs and new
initiatives that benefit women and the girl child in the United States as well as internationally.
They have all been implemented from sound policies that protect the public health and the
environment.
Frankee Greenberg, Director
Office of Regional Operations
Internet Address (URL) • http://www.epa.gov
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"As a woman, it has been my honor to serve in an
administration that has done so much to help women gain
some balance in their lives, allowing women to lead full,
productive, healthy lives — to reach our fullest"
- Carol M. Browner
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Table of Contents
Workgroup Members of the EPA President's
Interagency Council on Women i
Message from the Administrator. ii
Introduction 1
12 Critical Areas of Concern 3
Contributing to the Fight on Breast Cancer 4
Ensuring Healthy Future Generations: Reproductive Issues 6
RIGHT-TO-KNOW:"Keeping the Public Informed about It's Environment" 9
Safer Drinking Water for America 14
Children at Risk: Asthma\Lead 16
EPA Action Abroad 20
Women in the Workplace 23
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EPA's 1999 Workgroup on Women
Office of the Administrator
Office of Regional Operations:
Frankee Greenberg, Director
WorkGroup Chair
EPA representative on the President's
Interagency Council on Women (PICW)
Veronica Davis
Rochele Kadish
Jacqueline Rose
Erica Colberg
Office of Children's Health Protection:
Ramona Trovato, Director
Office of Civil Rights:
Ann E Goode, Director
Lucy Arenrin
Office of Congressional Affairs:
Kathy Sykes
Office of Administration and
Resources Management
Jessie Ulin, Senior Advisor
Office of Air and Radiation
Office of Mobile Sources:
Margo Oge, Director
Susan Bullard
Office of General Council
Office of Pesticides and Toxic Substances
Padmini Singh
Office of Environmental Information
Office of Information Collection
Wendy Cleland-Hamnett, Deputy
Director
Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and
Toxic Substances
Office of Program Management
Operations:
Marylouise Uhlig, Director
Caren Rothstein
Mary Louise Hewlett
Office of Pesticide Programs:
Marcia Mulkey, Director
Biopesticides and Pollution Prevention
Division:
Janet Andersen, Director
Field and External Affairs Division:
Anne Lindsay, Director
Office of Research and Development
Margaret Chu, Toxicologist
Sherry Selevan, Reproductive
Epidemiologist
Office of Water
American Indian Environmental Office:
Kathy Gorospe, Director
As well as many other contributors across
EPA.
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Message from the Administrator
Dear Friends:
In September 1995, some 8,000 Americans joined more than 40,000 people from
around the world in Beijing, China, to participate in the United Nations' Fourth World
Conference on Women and the parallel gathering of individuals and members of
non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
At the Conference on Women, the United States, along with 187 other countries,
adopted by consensus a Platform for Action. The Platform is the strongest, most
comprehensive statement on women's rights and public policy ever agreed upon by the
world's governments. The President's Interagency Council on Women, established by
President Clinton, seeks to translate the principles contained in the Platform into concrete
policies that respond to the needs of our citizens.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of the Interagency Council,
takes seriously its obligation to implement the standards of the Platform for Action. A
number of programs and research initiatives geared towards women and children have
been developed and set in motion in the five years since the Beijing Conference. We
wish to highlight some of these activities and thus provide a glimpse into the future of
environmental health and well-being for women and children.
We are proud to present this report emphasizing EPA programs and new initiatives
measured against the standard of the Platform for Action. EPA is pleased to do its part to
show that the United States is a leader in recognizing the rights and advancing the status
of women. But a leader cannot stand still. This report reflects our resolve that the
policies and programs of EPA fully meet the objectives of the Platform. This is a
dynamic process that EPA and the American people are engaged in, a process requiring a
sustained commitment from us all.
Sincerely,
Carol Browner
Administrator
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Introduction
In June 2000 the United States will join one hundred eighty-nine (189)
countries at a special session of the United Nations' General Assembly entitled
"Women 2000: Gender Equality, Development and Peace for the 21st Century." The
purpose of this meeting is to assess progress in advancing the status of women since
the historic U.N. World Conference on Women in Beijing, September 1995. The U.S.
has taken its commitment to the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action
seriously. On the eve of the Conference, President Clinton announced the formation
of an Interagency Council on Women to make sure Conference recommendations
would be urgently pursued.
That is precisely what has happened. Over the past five years, the Council has
coordinated implementation of the Platform throughout the federal government. It
has worked closely with all major agencies to:
1. assist with extensive outreach and public education on issues of critical interest
to women and children,
2. ensure that the special needs of women are represented in every relevant
governmental activity, and
3. upgrade programs of importance to the health, safety and social participation of
women and children.
This process benefits all family members, including men and children, but
women have a unique potential to accelerate social equality and environmental
restoration in their communities. Critical reforms can be facilitated if women gain
access to a range of educational and medical services, not to speak of job training and
opportunity to work for wages. Not investing in women's special skills and talents
means wasting vital resources for advancing global development. To support these
talents, on the other hand, is to maximize productivity per capita in the context of
responsible economic growth.
EPA has transformed its programs and research priorities over the past four and
a half years to address the special vulnerability of children and women of reproductive
age. A very brief overview of such initiatives is outlined in this publication. Some long
precede the Beijing Conference; e.g., our research on environmentally induced breast
cancer, enactment of the Safe Drinking Water Act, and participation in the Federal
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Women's Program. More recently, EPA has pursued research specifically targeted on
the effects of endocrine disrupters on women and their offspring; gender differences in
susceptibility and exposure to ionizing radiation, lead, radon, mercury and vehicular
exhaust; childhood asthma; and studies of environmental factors in ovarian cancer and
reproductive/developmental disorders.
The Agency's outreach activities include the use of media to raise awareness of
asthma and lead poisoning, environmental training at Superfund and Brownfield
sites, and a strategic partnership with the Girl Scouts of America on ecological issues.
Intramurally, EPA has opened up opportunity and thus visibility for women
contractors, making sure they are not inadvertently overlooked. The Senior Executive
Service Accountability Framework tries to ensure that women inhabit a workspace
purged of invidious discrimination. The Agency has also appointed additional women
to its critical Science Advisory Board, where they serve with distinction. EPA will
not tolerate the antiquated excuse that "no qualified women are available", since it is
obviously false.
In a broader arena, the Agency works as a member of the International Negoti-
ating Committee to reduce the threat of persistent organic compounds (POPS), which
may interfere not only with fertility, but with the etiology of fetuses and newborns as
well. EPA has improved access to safe drinking water and sanitation services in El
Salvador, Nicaragua and Honduras, especially vital for children and women during
their reproductive years. In cooperation with the Czech Republic, the Agency is
calculating the effects of air pollution on women and neonates. EPA has a training
course in Guatemala to help cut women's and girls' exposure to lead. It is also
sponsoring a policy planning workshop on lead in Bangkok, Thailand, to design a
regional approach applicable to Asia as a whole.
For more information on these programs, just access the EPA website,
[Internet: http://www.epa.gov]. For information on the President's Interagency
Council on Women or the Platform for Action, please visit [Internet: http://
secretary.state.gov./www/picw/index.html].
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Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing China, 4-15
September 1995
12 Critical Areas of Concern
1. Poverty: develop macroeconomics mechanisms to improve access to economic
resources.
2. Education and Training: ensure equal education and promote lifelong
education and training for girls and women.
3. Health: increase women's life-long access to affordable, appropriate, and
quality health care, and to information dealing with maternal mortality,
sexually transmitted diseases, HIV/AIDS and sexual and reproductive health.
4. Violence: adopt and implement legislation to end violence against women,
ratify the UN Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination
against Women, encourage international cooperation to dismantle trafficking in
women.
5. Armed Conflict: increase participation of women in conflict resolution at
decision-making levels, condemn ethic cleansing and rape as a consequence of
war and a violation of human rights.
6. Economy: promote women's economic rights and independence, including
access to employment and appropriate working conditions and control over
economic resources.
7. Decision-Making: ensure women's equal access to and full participation in
public sector power structures, increase women's capacity to participate in
decision-making and leadership positions.
8. Institutional Mechanisms: create/strengthen national bureaucracies to ensure
that advancement of women is vested in the highest possible level of
government.
9. Human Rights: promote human rights of women by fully implementing all
human rights instruments, especially the convention on the Elimination of all
Forms of Discrimination against Women.
10. Media: promote a balanced and non-stereotyped portrayal of women in the
media.
11. Environment: integrate gender concerns and perspectives in policies and
programs for sustainable development.
12. The Girl-Child: eliminate discrimination against the Girl-Child: enforce rights
to succession, and to inherit, eliminate female genital mutilation, son
preference, economic exploitation of child labor, and strengthen the role of the
family in improving the status of the Girl-Child.
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Contributing to the fight on
Breast Cancer
Breast cancer incidence rates have steadily increased over the last 20 years, and it is
now the most common type of cancer among women in many Western countries.
Much scientific research is underway to better understand the causes of this disease.
The U.S. EPA contributes to this research through study of chemical, physical, bio-
logical, or other causative agents that might cause this disease.
"Congress passed and the President signed a new Food Quality Protection Act and
a new Safe Drinking Water Act. And in both of those laws, we worked with Con-
gress to put in a provision to require the testing of chemicals that disrupt the hu-
man endocrine system — chemicals that change how our hormones function.
Without the advocacy, the activism, the pressure exerted by the breast cancer coali-
tion — that chemical testing would not have passed the Congress and would not be
in the law today." -Carol Browner
Agricultural Health Study
The Agricultural Health Study, a collabo-
rative effort between the EPA, the National
Cancer Institute, and the National Institute of
Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), offers
important opportunities to examine potential
links between breast cancer and environmental
risks. This research program includes a study
group of 90,000 certified pesticide applicators
and their families from North Carolina and Iowa,
and it will provide an unprecedented amount of
new information on pesticide exposures for both
residential and worker settings. EPA will be able
to collect considerable information on
participants' work history and practices and the
chemicals to which they have been exposed.
Rapid Response Project
The Rapid Response Project of the
President's National Action Plan on Breast
Cancer is a collaboration between the EPA, the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), the Human Health Services (HHS), and
other federal agencies. In an effort to provide
health
information to people in areas with high breast
cancer incidence and mortality, these agencies,
with assistance from advocacy groups, are
conducting a project to provide information on
breast cancer treatment and resources for several
high priority areas - San Francisco, California,
The State of Illinois, New York City, Hawaii and
the region of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. This
project maintains a web site that enables citizens
to quickly locate breast cancer surveillance
workers, as well as control and prevention
programs. [Internet: http://www.napbc.org/ ]
Research : Endocrine Disrupting Com-
pounds in Mammary Gland Development
The EPA contributes to research on the
effect of endocrine disrupting compounds on
mammary gland development. The Endocrine
Disrupter Screening Program, created under
authority from the 1996 Food Quality Protection
Act, will detect the potential of chemicals to
produce a number of endocrine-related effects in
addition to breast cancer, including reproductive
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Contributing to the fight on Breast Cancer
disorders and birth defects.
EPA is currently establishing a process
for selecting chemicals to be subjected to screen-
ing and testing, developing endocrine disruptor
screening and testing methods, and standardizing
and validating screening and testing methods for
regulatory programs.
Endocrine disrupters are chemicals that
interfere with the normal function of glands
(pituitary, thyroid, testes, ovaries) or the
hormones (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone,
thyroid hormone, etc.) produced and secreted by
the glands. These chemicals may cause
permanent irreversible effects that seriously
impact human health. Examples include birth
defects and certain endocrine sensitive tissue
cancers (breast, ovarian, vaginal, testicular,
thyroid, etc.) EPA is in the process of a plan by
establishing a priority setting process for ap-
proximately 87,000 chemicals found through
endocrine disruptor screening and testing
methods.
The EPA participates in the Long Island
Breast Cancer Study Project, a comprehensive,
multiagency research program led by the
National Cancer Institute and the National
Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
(NIEHS). Mandated by Congress at request of
Long Island communities, the study will examine
the causes of breast cancer in that area. Forty-one
Long Island hospitals, New York area medical
research centers, and over 3,000 Long Island
women are participating in epidemiological
studies. Study results will be published in 2001.
[Internet: http://www.napbc.org/ ]
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Ensuring Healthy Future Generations:
Reproductive Issues
Protecting the reproduction, development and growth of human beings is vital to the progress of
societv Among 50 known vertebrate hormones, estrogen, androgen, and thyroid hormones play
major roles in these processes. Because these hormones are so important, methods and procedures to
assess harmful effects of chemicals on these three systems are being closely studied.
"By acting now, to protect the health of women, of children, of the elderly and to guarantee
environmental justice for all, we safeguard a healthy future for generations to come far into the
new century." -- Carol Browner
Results of EPA's Integrated Urban Air Toxics
Strategy
The EPA released the Integrated Urban
Air Toxics Strategy in 1999 as required by the
Clean Air Act. The strategy developed a broad
framework for addressing the risks posed by
emissions of air toxics. Hazardous air pollutants,
referred to as "air toxics," are pollutants known
to cause or suspected of causing cancer, other
serious health effects, or ecosystem damage.
Available data indicate that about a third of these
pollutants affect development or reproduction,
which means that exposure of a fetus or young
child may hinder development. Exposure of
women may alter the ability to conceive or give
birth to healthy children. The strategy identifies
thirty-three hazardous air pollutants posing
threats to public health in urban areas, a list of
the various categories, or pollutants and a
strategy to achieve substantial risk reductions,
including a seventy-five percent (157c) cut in
estimated cancer incidence from exposure to
hazardous air pollutants.
Alaskan Native Cord Blood Monitoring
Program
Researchers have found evidence of
pollutants from distant sources in the subsistence
foods of Native Alaskans, raising concern about
the potential effects on maternal and child health.
The U.S. EPA's Office of International Activities
has co-funded, with the HHS's Indian Health
Service and the CDC, monitoring of umbilical
cord blood and maternal blood of Alaska Natives
in the Arctic region during the year 2000. The
goal of the project is to determine links between
contaminant and potential health effects to
mother and child. This program has the potential
to be applied internationally. There is consider-
able interest from other Alaskan, Russian, and
Siberian Native groups for use of this program.
Early Pregnancy Loss and Effects of
Chemicals
EPA scientists are studying the effects of
specific chemicals on early pregnancy and
embryo implantation in animals in order to
identify risks, including miscarriage, to the
health of pregnant women.
Pesticide Regulatory Decisions Affecting
Women and Children
The Food Quality Protection Act of 1996
(FQPA) prohibited the use of multiple pesticides
shown to have harmful effects on humans,
including vulnerable population subgroups such
as women and children. EPA's regulatory deci-
sions have tightened protections for women and
provided an extra margin of safety for children
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Ensuring Healthy Future Generations:
Reproductive Issues
through prohibition of pesticides linked to
reproductive and developmental effects, cancer
of the reproductive system, and neurotoxicity.
Modifications to Hazardous Waste Risk
Assessment Models
EPA is modifying risk assessment models
to give special consideration to children and
women of childbearing age. These risk
assessments are used to guide the toxic waste
cleanup process at sites where people may have
been exposed and to determine the necessity for
further regulation of chemicals and waste.
Specific contaminants for which the risk
assessments are being modified include lead (Pb)
and compounds that can accumulate in the body
and be passed on to children through breast milk.
Recent efforts have established more realistic
scenarios for evaluating risks for women and
children. The Office of Solid Waste and
Emergency Response continues to improve the
analysis of risk to both children and pregnant
women.
Efforts to Protect Women and Children from
the Effects of Mercury
Exposure to high levels of mercury has
been associated with serious neurological and
developmental problems in humans. EPA, under
authority of the Clean Air Act, is working to
control mercury emissions and conduct
assessments to boost understanding of how
mercury affects the environment. Mercury is
transported through the air and deposited in
water where humans ingest it by eating
contaminated fish. The developing human
nervous system is particularly sensitive to
mercury; thus women of child bearing age and
young children are among the most affected. To
combat this problem. EPA has underway or has
completed multiple actions to reduce mercury
emissions significantly such as the establishment
of stringent emission limits for a variety of waste
incinerators and plants using mercury, and is
studying emissions (to be completed in
December 2000) of coal-fired electric power
plants to determine if control of mercury emis-
sions from this source is necessary.
Additionally, EPA. in conjunction with
the Department of Energy (DOE), the U.S.
Geological Survey (USGS), and the Electric
Power Research Institute, is in the process of
developing promising mercury control technolo-
gies. EPA is also funding a review by the Na-
tional Academy of Sciences of recent research on
health effects of mercury in fetuses and children.
Under the authority of the Clean Air Act,
EPA is working to control mercury emissions
and conduct assessments to boost understanding
of how mercury affects the environment. Mer-
cury is transported through the air and deposited
in water where humans ingest it by eating con-
taminated fish.
Study of Exposure of Mohawk American
Indian Women to Polychlorinated Biphenyls
(PCBs)
A 1995 study was conducted to deter-
mine if breast-fed Mohawk infants were at a
higher risk to PCBs since Mohawk land is in
close proximity to three PCB-contaminated
Superfund Sites in New York State. This study
was supported under EPA's Superfund program,
through a grant from the Agency for a Toxic
Substance and Disease registry in the New York
State Department of Health (NYDH). The study
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Ensuring Healthy Future Generations:
Reproductive Issues
indicated thai the Mohawk women studied for
the 1W5 report (samples taken 1991-1992) had
no significantly greater breast milk PCB average
levels than a controlled population.
This compared favorabh to an earlier
stiidv (samples taken 1986-1989) which indi-
cated that Mohawk women had at that time
higher average breast milk PCB concentrations
than Mohawk women who did not consume local
fish, and than the controlled population. This
study, coupled with fish advisories issued bv the
NYDH. the Mohawk Tribe and Canada, have
resulted in a decline of fish consumption and cut
PCB levels in Mohawk women.
Health Risks of Dioxin
Studies evaluating the adverse effects of
dioxin and chemicals causing endometriosis are
underway, plus a follow-up study to determine
why dioxin causes these effects. A special issue
of Mutation Research, organized by EPA and
NIEHS. focused on the biology and genetics of
female risk. The research demonstrated that in
spite of the greater difficulties in assessing
genetic damage in female germ cells.
identification and assessment of genetic hazards
should not be limited to studies of males.
Participating agencies include HHS (NIEHS.
OWH. CDC. FDA and NIH). EPA, National
Aeronautic Space Administration, and NSF.
Additionally, EPA has undertaken a
number of measures to better account for gender
differences in environmental health. EPA's
Office of Research and Development and Office
of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances
require that industry, in tests submitted to EPA,
should more carefully evaluate the risks to
reproductive development and function in both
males and females.
EPA partnered with the American Indus-
trial Health Council on a project to assess
varying susceptibility to chemical exposure of
various sectors of the population. It focused on
four types of health effects: reproductive and
developmental toxicity, pulmonary toxicity,
neurotoxicity and cancer. The final report
"Human Variability in Response to Chemical
Exposure: Measures, Modeling, and Risk
Assessment" was published in 1995.
EPA established the Developmental and
Reproductive Toxicology (DART) database,
available online from the National Library of
Medicine's TOXNET system.
[Internet:http:// www.toxnet.nlm.nih.gov]
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RIGHT-TO-KNOW: "Keeping the public
Informed about the Environment"
Providing the American public with access to sound environmental information and involving the
public in our work are essential parts of a comprehensive approach to protecting the environment.
"We believe that local residents know what is best for their own communities and, given the facts,
they will determine the best course of action to protect public health and the environment. Put-
ting environmental and public health information into their hands is one of the most effective
ways to reduce local pollution and prevent it from happening in the future." — Carol Browner
Protecting Women and Children in the
Migrant Farm Worker Environment
The Federal government estimates that as
many as five million migrant and seasonal farm
workers labor each year to produce food in the
United States. Entire families often travel and
work together in the fields. Housing is often
located near or even in the fields, which exposes
entire families to one of the greatest hazards in
agriculture-pesticides. Recent EPA activities
benefitting women and children in farm worker
families include a safety video geared toward
migrant worker communities, student workbooks
on pesticide safety, EPA involvement in related
workgroups, and further research into the effects
of pesticides on children. [Internef.http://
www.epa.gov/oppfeadl /safety]
Fish Consumption Advisory Program
EPA has demonstrated special concern
for the more susceptible populations including
children, pregnant women, and nursing infants.
States and tribes have primary responsibility for
protecting their residents from the health risks of
contaminated, noncommercial fish by issuing
fish advisories. EPA is increasingly working
with states and tribes to ensure that advisories
are issued, particularly addressing the needs of
sensitive groups.
In December 1998, EPA and the Agency for
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry provided
a brochure for health care professionals about
the health consequences of high consumption of
contaminated noncommercial fish. [Internet:
http://www.epa.gov/OST/fish]
Food: Right-to-Know Consumer Brochure
and Website
In 1999, EPA released a right-to-know
brochure informing consumers and their families
of practical steps to reduce their exposure to
pesticides used on food. EPA distributed over
four million brochures and launched a related
Website. [Internet: http://www.epa.gov/pesti-
cides/food]
National Pesticide Telecommunications
Network
The National Pesticide Telecommunica-
tions Network (NPTN), a cooperative effort
between Oregon State University and EPA, is a
toll-free telephone service that provides impartial
information about pesticides to anyone in the
contiguous United States, Puerto Rico, and the
Virgin Islands. Because many women use
pesticides in the home and stay at home with
their young children, it is not surprising that the
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RIGHT-TO-KNOW: "Keeping the public informed
about the Environment"
majority of callers to the NPTN are women. In
1998, 66% of callers were women. Of these
calls, about 45% were health-related, and about
14% had to do with pregnancy or children's
health.
State Radon Grant Program
EPA's Indoor Air Grant Program funds
state and local activities to increase the number
of homes tested and fixed for radon problems.
This particularly affects women and children
because they spend a large amount of time in the
home. Recent national outreach programs
include "A Citizen's Guide to Radon - The
Guide to Protecting Yourself and Your Family
from Radon."
Children's Health Protection Website
EPA's Office of Children's Health
Protection has designed a Children's Health
Protection Website to provide comprehensive
information about children's environmental
health threats. The website offers simple
information to help parents protect children from
environmental risks. [Internet: http://
www.epa.gov/children]
The Sun Wise School Program
The Sun Wise School Program was
developed by EPA, in response to the epidemic
increase in UV-related health effects, including
skin cancer and cataracts. The effort focuses on
elementary school students, while also
conducting outreach to educators, school nurses,
administrators, and parents. The program
teaches children and their care givers to avoid
sun overexposure. Children are particularly at
risk since the average person's lifetime sun
exposure occurs before the age of 18.
The SunWise School Program is an
environmental and health education program in
which participating schools receive educational
materials and tools promoting sun-safe behavior.
Pilot testing of SunWise began in May, 1999,
with 25 schools participating in 14 states, and the
program will be launched nationwide in the fall
of 2000. More than 50 national and local
organizations, as well as citizens across the
country, are participating in the development of
SunWise. [Internet: http://www.epa.gov/
sunwise]
"My Kids" Cable Television Show and Video
EPA in partnership with the National
Safety Council developed a short video to pro-
vide parents and others with easy things they can
do to protect children from environmental
hazards. The program aired in June and July
1999. The video, produced in English and
Spanish, is being distributed across the country.
The National Safety Council received $250,000
through a grant to produce and distribute the
"My Kids" cable television show (and video) on
children's environmental health protection.
The National Environmental Education Act
of 1990
The National Environmental Education
Act of 1990 requires EPA to provide national
leadership to raise environmental literacy. The
Act encourages partnerships and builds upon
long-standing environmental education efforts
conducted by federal and state agencies, colleges
and schools, non-profit organizations, and the
private sector. Estimates show that 60 percent of
those in or directly affected by the programs are
women and children.
10
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RIGHT-TO-KNOW: "Keeping the public informed
about the Environment"
The Act establishes, in part, the following two
programs available to women:
1. Environmental Education Grants. Each year
EPA awards more than 200 grants providing
between $2 and $3 million to support quality
environmental education projects. The grants
provide grass-roots funding for projects at
schools and environmental education for
teachers.
2. Training for Education Professionals: EPA
awards a multi-year cooperative agreement to a
consortium of universities and nonprofit
organizations to deliver training and related
support to educators. The ultimate goal of the
program is to augment the public's ability to
make responsible environmental decisions.
[Internet:http://www.epa.gov/enviroed]
League of Women Voters
The League of Women Voters Education
Fund (LWEF), working with local and state
Leagues throughout the country, has been
educating citizens about water issues for
decades. Since 1973, the League has worked
collaboratively with EPA on a variety of
water-related projects. In 1996, through a
$90,000 cooperative agreement with EPA, 30
local league members representing 23 states
were trained to become resource and discussion
facilitators on wetlands. Participants were
challenged to build awareness and appreciation
of wetlands when they returned to their
hometowns. During 1997 and 1998, several
local Leagues of Women Voters used small
grants to carry out creative citizen education
programs focused on wetlands. The projects
varied from student boat tours to bus trips for
elected officials, and from workshops on wetland
models to creating a Wetlands Week.
[Internet: http:www.org/webwalk/index.html]
Public Service Campaign
A series of videos, posters, and
pamphlets have been created to target Washing-
ton, DC Metro riders, supermarket shoppers,
moviegoers, and other segments of the general
public. Topics such as environmental risks from
lead were focused upon. EPA developed this
campaign in partnership with private
organizations such as the National Safety
Council and DC Metro.
"It All Adds Up to Cleaner Air" Initiative
The 'It All Adds Up to Cleaner Air"
program, an interagency collaboration between
EPA and the Department of Transportation, was
initiated in 1994 to support and facilitate state
and local government efforts to meet goals set
for traffic congestion and air quality under the
Transportation Equity Act for the 21 Century and
the Clean Air Act. The program's goal is to
inform the public about the link among
transportation choices, traffic congestion, air
pollution, and public health. It stresses an
individual's ability to make a difference, once
informed about the environmental consequences
of daily travel. "It All Adds Up" is targeted to
specific segments of the general driving public.
Research conducted during program
development indicates that the audience most
receptive to the messages is women who are
concerned for their children's health.
[Internet: http://www.epa.gov/omL/traq/]
Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools
Throughout 1998 and 1999, EPA's
Region 2 (New York) provided technical
assistance and grant funds to a mentoring
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RIGHT-TO-KNOW: "Keeping the public informed
about the Environment"
program for pilot schools implementing the
Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools kit (a kit
for developing and maintaining a program for
good indoor air quality). Three high-school girls
participated in the mentoring program. Also,
over the last five years EPA provided over
$300.000 in grants to Rutgers University for
training of school personnel, such as school
nurses, business administrators and facilities
staff, on indoor air quality and the Indoor Air
Quality Tools for Schools kit. [Internetrhttp://
www.epa.gov/reg5oair/radon/toolskit.htm]
"Expanding Your Horizons in Science and
Mathematics"
Texas in EPA's Region 6 participated in
a one-day conference held February 20, 1999, for
sixty-one 7th and 8"1 grade girls. The conference
was sponsored by the American Association of
University Women and held at Texas Woman's
University in Denton, Texas. It was designed to
emphasize the importance of math and science
classes through hands-on experience and expand
the participants' knowledge of careers in math
and science. Approximately 400 young women,
parents and teachers attended the conference.
Region 6 EPA participants conducted several
sessions, presenting an overview of EPA's goals
and a brief description of the work they do.
Session topics included safe drinking water and
potential harmful effects of improperly disposed
waste.
"Let Kids Lead. Involving Youth in Transpor-
tation Choices"
This pilot program, a partnership between
EPA and the Academy for Educational Develop-
ment, was created to empower youth to partici-
pate in transportation choices that improve
air quality and quality of life in their communi-
ties. The "Let Kids Lead" pilot phase was a
three-year program ending in March, 2000.
Emphasis will then shift to applying lessons
learned in communities throughout the country.
"Let Kids Lead" is being undertaken in
three diverse pilot communities, and resource
materials are being developed for use by
communities that want to encourage youth to
participate in transportation and air quality
decision-making and problem-solving across the
country. Youth may evaluate current transporta-
tion options, propose bus route upgrades, suggest
alternatively fueled bus fleets or pursue commu-
nity-wide pedestrian and bike paths.
For example, youth in Massachusetts
successfully rallied to enforce a state idling law
for buses by issuing their own "tickets" to diesel
buses idling more than five minutes. [Internet:
http://www.letkidslead.org]
Volunteer Monitoring Program
EPA has provided strong support for
various groups across the country to organize
and train teams of volunteers to protect streams,
estuaries, wetlands and lakes by monitoring
water quality conditions and becoming active
stewards of their environs. Data collected by
these volunteers is used to build awareness of
pollution problems, encourage a water cleanup,
and help water quality managers make pollution
control decisions. Approximately one-half of all
volunteer monitoring program coordinators are
women, and half of all programs work with
school-aged children and their teachers.
[Internet:http://www.epa.gov/ow/monitoring/
vol.ht MI]
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RIGHT-TO-KNOW: "Keeping the public informed
about the Environment"
The Girl Scouts of America
The Girl Scouts of America and EPA
have formed an innovative partnership to
promote environmental stewardship amongst
girls. Girl Scout troops in Washington, D.C., can
earn a badge for community-based watershed
activities. EPA's Region 8 (Colorado) has
participated in a Girl Scout Health Fair and is
working with the Agency's Substances and
Disease Registry to find a Girl Scout Council
interested in developing a badge for asthma
awareness and prevention. These initiatives
could potentially lead to the development of
more badges relating to health and the
environment. The Girl Scout badges provide an
excellent opportunity for girls, including those in
low-income and/or minority communities, to
learn about the importance of protecting the
environment, both for public health and
long-term environmental stewardship. Also,
through these badges girls can get into scientific
issues and projects which may interest them in
environmental protection careers.
BEACH Watch
In 1997, EPA announced the BEACH
Program to strengthen beach water protection,
better inform the public of risks, and promote
research. Children, a target population of the
program, are more likely than adults to develop
infections after swimming in polluted water.
This program seeks to help states and
communities improve beach testing methods and
provide better information to the public about
water quality conditions and the risks of
exposure to contaminants. BEACH Watch is the
first federal Internet-based information system to
inform the public about beach closings and
advisories. [Internet: http://www.epa.gov/OST/
beaches.]
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Safe Drinking Water for America
Approximately 157,000 public water systems in the U.S. draw all or part of their drinking water from
groundwater sources. At present, the use of disinfectants to prevent waterborne disease is required
only in public water systems supplied by surface waters, such as rivers, lakes and streams. New
research indicates that ground water supplies can also be susceptible to contamination from a range
of sources.
"This Administration has made delivering safe, healthy drinking water to communities through-
out the country a major priority. The proposal to extend drinking water protections to ground
water sources builds on our commitment to making our communities healthier"
— Carol Browner
Delivering Safe and Clean Water
In addition to the obvious health benefits
of preventing disease, particularly in women of
child bearing age, sound wastewater treatment
and drinking water infrastructures contribute to
our economic, environmental, and social
well-being. Since the 1972 enactment of the
Clean Water Act, EPA has provided $70 billion
dollars in federal grants to states, communities,
and tribes for the construction of publicly-owned
wastewater treatment plants. As a result, today
188 million people are served by public
wastewater treatment systems that provide at
least secondary treatment. In 1996, Congress
created a new federal program enabling EPA to
support the construction of public drinking water
systems. Since 1997, Congress has appropriated
$2.7 billion for states and tribes, much of which
provides low-cost loans and other assistance to
states for the creation or improvement of local
systems. As of September 1999, 45 tribes have
received support for constructing systems and all
50 states and Puerto Rico have received financial
assistance.
Safe Drinking Water Act
The EPA implements the Safe Drinking
Water Act, which ensures that drinking water is
safe to consume. The Act calls for considering
special populations such as pregnant women,
children senior citizens, and those with
compromised immune systems. EPA provides
more information on the quality of drinking
water than ever before.
Furthermore, the law calls for stronger
preventive action by pollution assessment of
local sources of water.
[Internet: http://www.el2a.2ov/OGWDW]
Water Quality Criteria
In August 1998, the EPA proposed
revisions to its methodology for developing
water quality criteria, which included revisions
to enhance the protection of children and women
of child-bearing age. These criteria guide states
and tribes as they set standards to protect the
quality of the waters within their jurisdiction.
These standards ultimately form the basis for
controlling discharges or releases of pollutants.
[Intemet:http://www.epa.gov/ost/standards/
wqcriteria.html]
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Safe Drinking Water for America
Ground water Contamination
High levels of nitrate in drinking water
can cause a potentially fatal blood disorder in
infants called "blue baby syndrome" or
methemoglobinemia. Pregnant women could be
at risk for adverse birth outcomes from exposure
to nitrate above the federal drinking water
standard. The EPA Region 10 is working closely
with numerous federal, state, and local partners
to develop long-term solutions to nitrate
contamination of ground water in the Columbia
Basin of eastern Washington state. EPA supports
a locally driven ground water management area
program that specifically addresses widespread
nitrate contamination of aquifers that serve as the
area's principal source of drinking water.
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CHILDREN AT RISK: AsthmaXLead
Many chemicals are particularly toxic to children. At high levels lead damages the brain and ner-
vous system and can result in behavioral and learning problems. Certain contaminants found indoors
are known to play significant roles in triggering asthma episodes in children who have the disease,
and in some cases, are causally associated with the development of the disease itself.
"Many of you know all too well that at the end of this century, many public health challenges still
remain to be solved, especially in our urban communities. Asthma deaths among children and
young people have more than doubled over little more than a decade. Asthma is now the leading
cause of hospital admissions for children. Especially in low-income communities, in African-
American communities, we have more children than ever before being rushed into the emergency
room gasping for breath. Lead poisoning in children is declining, but still, today, nearly a million
young children in America suffer high levels of lead in their blood."
— Carol Browner
Reaching Children with Asthma
An epidemic of childhood asthma is
occurring in the United States. Nearly one in 13
school-aged children has it, and the percentage is
rising rapidly among preschoolers. EPA is
developing outreach campaigns targeted toward
women and other care-givers to improve indoor
environments and help prevent childhood
asthma. EPA distributed a fact-sheet to these
groups, entitled "Asthma, Air Quality, and
Environmental Justice: EPA's Role in Asthma
Education and Prevention."
Environmental Tobacco Smoke
Environmental factors such as airborne
allergens and tobacco smoke may play a major
role in the onset of asthma in children. EPA has
developed a National Second-Hand Smoke
Campaign that includes publications informing
parents and care givers about the risks of second-
hand smoke to children and to increase the
number of smoke-free homes.
Air Pollution, Motor Vehicles, and Public
Health: Public Education Initiative
EPA and the American Lung Association
(ALA) are focusing efforts on fighting asthma in
children, providing education on air quality,
public health, and the impact of mobile sources.
Each year, EPA provides funding to the ALA for
community-based projects relating to asthmatic
children.
AIRNOW Website
EPA's Community Right-To-Know
Initiative included real-time air quality informa-
tion to the public via the Internet and other
media. It is of particular value to asthmatic
children, who are at risk from exposure to ozone
and paniculate matter. In the first two years of
the program (FY 98 and 99), it was successfully
implemented in 30 states and DC through the
ozone mapping project. The AIRNOW website
received over 1.9 million hits in the summer of
1998 and over one million hits per month in the
summer of 1999. EPA will continue to build
infrastructures in the remaining states to allow
for real-time reporting in all states by the year
2001 and to maintain the center. [Intemetrhttp://
www.epa.gov/airnow]
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CHILDREN AT RISK: AsthmaNLead
Puerto Rico
In April of 1996, EPA's Region 2 (New
York) sponsored an asthma workshop in Catafto,
Puerto Rico. The focus of the workshop was the
high rate of asthma in Puerto Rican children and
determining how to combat it. The most urgent
recommendation was to examine the impact of
indoor allergens in Puerto Rico. Because the
Puerto Rico Department of Health had no staff
available to dedicate to asthma issues, Region 2
granted $100,000 over three years to support an
asthma coordinator whose task is to implement
the recommendations of the Catafto Workshop.
Reducing Cockroach and Rodent Infesta-
tions without Pesticides
Researchers reported that cockroach and
rodent infestations have been strongly linked to
asthma. Children are at a higher risk of
developing asthma because they spend a large
proportion of their time on the floor, where
pesticides and allergen-laden dust settles.
Indeed, control methods may also put children in
danger of pesticide poisoning. EPA's Region 2
has funded a demonstration of simple techniques
to reduce or eliminate cockroach and rodent
infestations from inner-city housing. Integrated
pest management, using only small amounts of
low-toxicity pesticides and maintaining a
healthier indoor environment, was presented to
community members through educational photo
literature. They learned the facts about pest
infestations, their relation to asthma, and the use
of integrated pest management.
Child Health Champion Campaign
In 1998, EPA's Region 2 (New York)
selected the Ironbound section of Newark, New
Jersey to be designated as a "Child Health Cham-
pion" community. This is a national program
empowering local citizens and communities to take
steps to protect children from environmental health
threats. The Ironbound Community Corporation, a
local non-profit organization, has been leading this
effort and formed a workgroup to focus on the issue
of childhood asthma triggers. The Region and the
Corporation have developed a final asthma "action
plan" and are working to implement it in the near
future. The Ironbound community is highly aware of
the condition of its environment. Hazardous waste,
Brownfield sites and incinerators exist in the area,
and 50 percent of the community's local park space
has been closed due to contamination.
The Black Pearls Program
In fiscal year 2000, EPA's Region 2 (New
York) will provide $20,000 to the Arthur Ashe
Institute for Urban Health for its Black Pearls
program. It is designed to educate black women
about risk factors and symptoms associated with
significant health issues that are preventable or
curable if detected, diagnosed, and treated early.
By conducting outreach and training for women
through 37 beauty parlors in Brooklyn, New
York, the Black Pearls project will reach hun-
dreds of traditionally under-served individuals
and provide them with important health
information. Women will learn about the health
effects of tobacco smoke on their children and
about the links between exposure and asthma.
Clients will be given information about ways to
cut tobacco smoke exposure, as well as to reduce
or eliminate other asthma triggers at home.
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CHILDREN AT RISK: Asthma\Lead
Campaign Against Smog and Soot
EPA's air quality standards were com-
pleted in July 1997. The first update in 20 years
for ozone (smog) and the first in ten years for
paniculate matter (soot), the new standards are a
major step forward in public health protection
for 125 million Americans, including 35 million
children, from the health hazards of air pollution.
Each year, these new, stronger standards will
prevent approximately 15,000 premature deaths;
350,000 cases of aggravated asthma; and one
million cases of significantly decreased lung
function in children.
Combating Lead Poisoning
Lead exposure among young children has
been slashed dramatically over the last two
decades because of the phase-out of lead from
gasoline, food and beverage cans, and new house
paint, and because of reductions of lead in
industrial emissions, drinking water, consumer
goods, hazardous waste sites, and other sources.
As a result of these past and ongoing efforts,
children's blood lead levels have declined over
80% since the mid-1970s. In 1978 there were
about 14.8 million poisoned children in the
United States. By the early 1990s, that number
had declined down to 890,000 children.
Goal:
By 2010, the long-term vision of this strategy is
to eliminate childhood lead poisoning in the
United States in children through:
Tighter compliance with existing policies
concerning blood lead screening; and closer
coordination across federal, state and local
agencies responsible for outreach, education,
technical assistance, and data collection related
to lead screening and lead control.
Community Pediatric Units Specializing in
Environmental Medicine
In 1997, EPA and the Agency for Toxic
Substances and Disease Registry jointly
established pediatric health units in communities
exposed to environmental pollutants. These
units focus on education, training and expert
consultation, as well as clinical specialty
referrals for children. Health impacts on young
women and girls in these areas should soon
decline.
National Ambient Air Quality Standards
Twenty years ago, automotive sources
were the major contributor of lead emissions to
the atmosphere. As a result of EPA's regulatory
efforts to remove lead from gasoline, the
contribution from the transportation sector has
fallen dramatically. Currently, the lead NAAQS
strategy targets airborne emissions from
stationary sources of lead and focuses on attain-
ment of the NAAQS. The result is a program
that aggressively implements existing require-
ments by expanding the monitoring network
around sources of concern, followed by
inspections of any facility where violations are
detected by the monitoring network. The
progress of this approach is apparent in the Lead
Management Report that tracks compliance,
implementation activity, and the status of the
monitoring networks on a current basis.
Between 1988 and 1997, maximum quarterly
average ambient lead concentrations plummeted
67% and lead emissions dropped 44%.
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CHILDREN AT RISK: AsthmaVLead
Section 1018 Compliance Assistance Pilot
in New York & New Jersey
Real estate regulations enacted under
Title IV of the Toxic Substances Control Act
require the disclosure of lead-paint and paint
hazards prior to leasing or selling residential
property. In addition, the regulations afford
prospective buyers the right to conduct lead
inspections prior to signing a contract. EPA's
Region 2 (New York) implemented a pilot study
of the realty community, the primary object of
these regulations. The study included on-site
compliance assistance visits to Realtors in New
York and New Jersey to ensure that they are
informing sellers and landlords of their
responsibilities and are properly disclosing the
information to buyers and lessees. This can have
a profound effect on residential property
transfers, especially for families with small
children, due to lead's devastating effects on
children under age six and pregnant women.
This study is being used to develop similar
compliance/enforcement programs in other
regions. [Internet: http://www.epa.gov/region02/
health/leadpoi soning.htm]
Lead Outreach in Region 2 (New York)
In fiscal year 2000, EPA's Region 2 plans
to implement a new Lead project designed to
reach children and pregnant women. It will
target a sampling of day-care centers, Women
Infant and Children (WIC) programs and local
health departments throughout the Region (New
York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the Virgin
Islands). Presentations will include a talk, a
video presentation, and the dissemination of a
range of materials.
The Region will target areas with the highest
incidence of lead poisoning and elevated blood
lead, as well as Environmental Justice
communities and minority populations.
Educational materials will be available in
English and Spanish.
Little Moccasins Program
EPA's Little Moccasins Program,
currently under development, will provide
information about basic preventive steps to
protect children from lead poisoning in
American Indian tribal day-care settings. The
program teaches lead-safe techniques to
members of the community through crafts,
songs, and a variety of other activities for
children. [Internet: http://www.epa.gov/oppt/
lead/index]
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EPA Action
of the United States
Pollutants do not stop at geographic and political boundaries, and their propensity to migrate
threatens human health and the environment, demanding coordinated international action.
"Our countries are quite different — different in size, culture, language, and pace of growth.
But we share a common desire: to have a healthy environment and healthy people, as well as a
healthy economy." -Carol Browner
Air Pollution in the Czech Republic
EPA and the Czech Republic joined in a
research effort to investigate the impact of air
pollution on people in the heavily polluted
"Black Triangle" area. Health studies focused on
the residents of the town of Teplichay in the
northwest section of the country, comparing
them to residents of the relative!) cleaner district
of Prahatichay.
Human exposure and biomarker studies
conducted by scientists in EPA's Office of Re-
search and Development and their Czech
partners found a significantly higher prevalence
of adverse respirator)' symptoms and decreased
lung function among schoolchildren in Teplichay
than in Prahatichay. A pregnancy outcome study
found an excess of low birth weights and
premature births in Teplichay. These adverse
outcomes were more common in infants
conceived in the winter months by mothers who
smoked.
Although the initial U.S. Agency for
international Development-funded collaboration
between EPA and Czech scientists was
completed in 1997, cooperation and data ex-
change are continuing because of data gathered
on the impact of air pollution on human health,
especially women and children.
Improving Water Quality in Central America
According to the United States Agency
for International Development, the average
woman in El Salvador spends a couple of hours a
day walking to or from water sources for
household use. Unfortunately, ferrying the water
in unprotected or already contaminated
containers can compromise the quality of water.
Under a new initiative begun in fiscal year 1999,
EPA is working with El Salvador, Nicaragua, and
Honduras to improve the microbiological quality
of drinking water. That will help overcome the
water challenges affecting citizens of these
countries, particularly women and children
International Lead Risk Reduction
Although not designed to focus solely on
women and girls. EPA's Office of International
Activity's worldwide lead risk reduction program
effectively targets women in the developing
world. Studies show that women may be more
v ulnerable because lead they absorbed during
childhood is released back into their blood
streams during pregnancy, harming the
developing fetus. Moreover, many significant
lead exposures are from sources used primarily
by women such as the solder present in food
cans, ceramic glazes, and cosmetic jars.
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EPA Action outside of the United States
EPA is involved in multiple activities to reduce
lead exposure. The Office of International
Activities sponsored a two-day policy planning
workshop in Bangkok, Thailand, on achieving
lead poisoning prevention and outlining a re-
gional approach for such activities in Asia. In
Bangalore, India, EPA sponsored and partici-
pated in an international conference on the
prevention and treatment of lead poisoning and
sponsored a training course related to secondary
smelting of lead acid batteries in Guatemala City,
Guatemala. Working through a grant to the Pan
American Health Organization, EPA supported a
non-gasoline lead inventory project to identify
and prioritize sources of lead exposure in Brazil.
Pacific Islands Conference with Women
Leaders of Island Nations
As part of the 1998 and 1999 Pacific
Islands Conferences, EPA's Region 9 (California)
Deputy Regional Administrator and Regional
Administrator met with women leaders of the
island nations of Palau, Northern Marianas
Islands, Guam, Marshall Islands, Micronesia and
American Samoa. These women leaders are
policy-makers, legislators, and community
members of their nations. The purpose of the
discussions was to exchange information on
regional environmental issues, learn from each
other's experiences and challenges as growing
island nations, and ultimately, secure a quality
future for the generations to come.
Global Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
Negotiations
In 1995 the Governing Council of the
United Nations Environment Program adopted a
mandate to develop an international mechanism
for the reduction and elimination of 12 persistent
organic pollutants. The persistent quality of these
chemicals allows them to travel long distances from
their points of release. Persistent organic pollutants
are a concern to women and children and in the
global environment, because research suggests that
they affect reproduction in women and the develop-
ment of fetuses and infants.
Countries around the world are partici-
pating in negotiations to reduce the threat from
persistent organic pollutants to human health and
the environment. The International Negotiating
Committee, of which EPA's Office of
International Activities, Office of Prevention,
Pesticides, and Toxic Substances, and Office of
Air and Radiation are active members, expects to
conclude its negotiations in the year 2000 and
begin its implementation of reducing or
eliminating the 12 persistent organic pollutants
to protect future generations. The negotiations
also will develop criteria for adding new sub-
stances to the treaty.
The Great Lakes Binational Toxics Strategy
The United States and Canada agreed
under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement
of 1978 (and amended by a protocol in 1987) to
better protect human health and the environment
against persistent toxic substances. In 1997,
Canada and the U.S. developed the Great Lakes
Binational Strategy which calls for the virtual
elimination of persistent toxic substances in the
Great Lakes.
Girls, women of childbearing age, and
pregnant women who eat contaminated fish from
the Great Lakes are considered the most
sensitive population to persistent toxic
substances because of the potential harm to
reproductive systems and fetuses.
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EPA Action outside of the United States
hP-Vs programs and regional offices con-
tinue to implement programs, initiatives, and re-
search to prevent pollution and clean up persistent
toxic substances. These activities build on state
efforts, such as fish advisories, to reduce potential
human exposure to persistent toxic substances.
Partnership with Camden, New Jersey:
Reducing Environmental Risk
In 1998. EPA's Region 2 (New York) and
Region 3 (Pennsylvania), in partnership with
other federal agencies, the Annie E. Casey
Foundation, and Rutgers University began
implementation of a broad-based initiative in
Camden, New Jersey. An old, industrial city
near Philadelphia, Camden experienced severe
economic decline and is now one of the poorest
cities in the United States.
This initiative will improve the quality of
life for Camden residents by reducing environ-
mental contamination: promoting sustainable
economic development; and reducing environ-
mental health risks to children, particularly those
from lead and asthma. A key component of this
project is outreach to persuade mothers to get
lead tests for their children. Through this part-
nership resources are being leveraged and
technical assistance is being provided to Camden
to assist in the environmental, economic, and
educational revitalization of the city.
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Women in the Workplace
The U.S. EPA created the Superfund Jobs Training Program because many of the Nation's most
contaminated sites are in severely disadvantaged communities. The initiative was also established to
address the public's requests to participate in the environmental cleanup and restoration of Superfund
sites in their communities.
Access to this training has empowered the six female participants to move from unemployment or
low-wage jobs into more promising career fields. These women have gained the technical skills
necessary to achieve greater financial independence. Upon completion of the training, the class
valedictorian, one of the female participants immediately received employment with the contractor
working on the remediation of that Superfund site. On a larger scale, the training program has
helped increase the representation of women in the environmental field.
"As women we must never give up our hopes and dreams for a better, brighter future —for
ourselves and for our children and for all the generations to come. We deserve no less."
-Carol Browner
Federal Women's Program
EPA's National Administrative Council
for Excellence (NACE - formerly the National
Secretarial and Administrative Advisory
Council) and the National Women in Science
and Engineering (WISE) are working with the
Agency's Federal Women's Program (FWP) to
remove barriers to recruitment, development and
advancement of their constituencies. The
overriding goal is to improve the employment
status of women in the Agency and to develop
strategies for promoting women's professional
and personal growth.
Women-Owned Firms
The EPA has developed two Memoranda
of Understanding (MOU) designed to promote
small businesses owned by women.
1. An MOU between EPA and the Small
Business Administration, the participation of
women-owned businesses in prime and
subcontracting opportunities at EPA will be
increased.
From 1996 to 1998, approximately $433 million
in awards has been given to women's business
enterprises.
2. An MOU between EPA and the Business
Women's Network, EPA's outreach efforts to
small businesses owned and operated by women
will be enhanced, and more information
regarding program contract opportunities
relevant to the membership will be provided.
Senior Executive Service Framework
EPA provides an outstanding example of
women in leadership positions. The
Administrator and a significant number of
executives in the Agency, and scientific and
technical staff, are women. EPA recently
established a Senior Executive Service
Accountability Framework to make senior
leadership accountable for maintaining a
workplace free from discrimination. It is
expected to raise the number of minorities and
women in leadership positions within EPA.
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Women in the Workplace
Science Advisory Board
EPA's Science Advisory Board has
committed itself to increasing the percentage of
qualified female PhDs in its membership. As a
result, the percentage of women who are
members of the Science Advisory Board has
increased from 20 percent in 1994 to 38 percent
in 1999.
Regional Mentoring Program
Since 1995, many regional offices within
EPA have established mentoring programs for
employees. Women constitute a significant
number of those participating. The relationship
between the mentor and mentoree promotes
growth of leadership capabilities and skills and
promotes contacts within and outside of EPA.
Assessment on Quality of Life Issues
EPA will conduct an assessment on
quality of life and barriers issues for all its
employees. This assessment will specifically
focus on women as well as other minority
employees; it is part of the historical work and
mission of the Agency's Office of Civil Rights.
Rutgers University's Douglass College
Extern Program
Douglass College of Rutgers University
in New Jersey is the nation's largest women's
college and is dedicated to the educational
development, professional advancement, and
personal achievement of women in contemporary
society. Since 1994, EPA's Region 2 (New York)
has participated in the annual Douglass College
Extern Program, providing the students with a
short period of work experience and the
opportunity to observe and discuss employment
opportunities. EPA Region 2 has provided
extern opportunities for over 40 students and has
hired one extern as an environmental specialist.
Participation in Take Our Daughters to Work
Day"
'Take Our Daughters to Work Day" was
launched by the Ms. Foundation for Women in
1993 in response to disturbing research findings
on the development of adolescent girls. Each
April, EPA sponsors activities in support of
Hundreds of young girls between the ages of
nine and 15 come to work with adult mentors,
parents, grandparents, cousins, aunts, and friends
to learn first-hand the vast range of exciting life
options open to them. Young girls receive a
better understanding of the Agency's work and
are inspired to share EPA's commitment to
public service and the environment that sustains
all life on this planet. We take girls seriously and
listen to their ideas; they begin to believe in
themselves, their abilities, and their futures.
The Brownfields Job Training and Develop-
ment Demonstration Pilots
EPA works to ensure that disadvantaged
residents do not bear a disproportionate burden
of the effects of environmental contamination.
Revitalization of communities that are distressed
due to uncertain liabilities related to environ-
mental contamination ("brownfields") typically
results in improved job opportunities. To help
residents take advantage of their new jobs, EPA
initiated the Brownfields Job Training and
Development Demonstration Pilots. They focus
on residents living in brownfields communities,
many of whom are unemployed women
supported by welfare.
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Women in the Workplace
The training and development pilots will
receive up to $200,000 over two years. To date,
EPA has funded 21 pilot projects and plans to
award 10 additional ones in fiscal year 2000.
The funds are used to bring together community
groups, job training organizations, educators,
lenders, developers, and other affected parties to
address the issue of providing training for resi-
dents in brownfields communities.
In addition, EPA has funded a job train-
ing initiative to train residents so that they may
be hired by companies doing actual cleanup
work, thus some funding spent on a clean up will
have a direct, beneficial impact on residents,
particularly because so many cleanups occur in
low income areas. While not targeted
specifically to women, a large number of women
are participating in this training program and
gaining valuable skills they can apply in the
workplace.
Superfund Jobs Training Program
This initiative was also designed to
address the public's many requests to participate
in the cleanup and restoration of Superfund sites
in their neighborhoods.
The first Superfund Jobs Training Insti-
tute at a National Priorities List Superfund site
was held for residents at a site in Illinois. EPA
and the National Institute of Health Sciences
cosponsored the training from April 1997-
March 1998. Recruitment efforts targeted
minorities and those most affected by site
contamination. Twenty-five participants received
specialized, hands-on training in environmental
remediation.
This not only prepared the students to get jobs in
the environmental field, it also provided them
with enhanced life skills, such as interviewing
techniques, self discipline and critical thinking.
Almost all of the participants have found em-
ployment in the environmental field. Access to
this training has empowered the six female
participants to move from unemployment or
low-wage jobs into more promising career fields.
These women have gained the technical skills
necessary to obtain greater financial
independence. Upon completion of the training,
the class valedictorian — one of the female
participants — immediately received
employment with the contractors working on the
remediation of that Superfund site. On a larger
scale, the training program has helped to increase
the representation of women in the
environmental field.
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"Hie must stand firm for tough environmental and public
health standads so that our children, and their children, and
all the generations to come won V worry as we do about the
safety of our air, water, and land. Our worries today should be
just memories tomorrow. Our children deserve no less.
And we deserve no less."
-Carol Browner
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