f)
First
A heal
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uWhen a three-year-old boy inhales sooty
fumes from a Boston city bus, he is much
more likely than his mother or father to
suffer an asthma attack. When a three-year-
old girl eats bass from a river in Maine, she is
far more vulnerable than an adult to the toxic
effects of mercury. Pound for pound, children
drink more milk and water, breathe more air
and eat more food than adults.55
—Mindy Lubber
Regional Administrator
EPA New England
ecause children are so vulnerable to environmental problems,
the New England Office of the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency has launched a coordinated campaign called Children
First, to reduce asthma, lead poisoning and other diseases that are
prevalent among children and have an environmental basis. This cam-
paign is focused on creating healthier environments in the three places
children spend most of their time—at home, in schools and outdoors.
The campaign was launched in September 2000 with a Safe Schools
initiative to create healthier and safer classrooms, science labs and
playgrounds for our children. It continues with the Healthy Homes
agenda, designed to limit children's exposure to such toxics as lead
paint and second-hand smoke, as well as the indoor air pollution
that aggravates asthma. Finally, the campaign is dedicated to a
cleaner outdoors, achieved by reducing the contaminants that
poison the air our children breathe, the ground they play on and
the water they drink.
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School:
TOOLS FOR SCHOOLS: New England's school build-
ings suiler 1'roin a variety of environmental problems, includ-
ing portr maintenance and inappropriate cleaning products,
lliat make our children ill. EK-Ys Tools for Schools program
helps educators and administrators identify ways to improve
indoor air quality. According to a 1°'»"» (Jem-nil Accounting
()llice report, more than half the schools in this country have
poor ventilation and significant sources of pollution. In 2000
and beyond, EPA New England will enlist an additional 200
schools a year to undertake the Tools lor Schools program.
(^www.epa.gov/regionO 1 /eco/iaqj)
TOXICS-FREE SCHOOLS: Schools use chemicals in
classrooms, science laboratories and vocational shops as well
as in facility maintenance. Toxic chemicals such as mercury
are also prevailate in medical equipment, lighting, and elec-
trical devices in schools. Many educators are unaware of the
potential dangers posed by chemicals and don't know how to
make better choices in the types and quantities of chemicals
I IK night into the school. Through workshops, visits to high
schools .ind vocational schools, EPA New England will edu-
cate teachers and administrators on safer use. storage, and
disposal of chemicals and equipment.
(jvww.epa.gov/regionO 1 /steward/neeat/voc.htmP)
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Healthy
omes
up
LEAD SAFE YARDS: New England's children are
particularly at risk lor lead poisoning because the region's older
wooden houses often contain lead paint and lead-contami-
nated yards. In some urban neighborhoods, up to 10 percent
ot children have elevated blood lead levels. EPA NVu
England's pilot Eead Sate Yards project has already tested ")()
Boston yards lor lead and made them safe, paving the way lor
similar programs throughout New England and the nation.
Communities nationwide have been invitfd to apply for fund-
ing for similar lead sale yard programs. EPA New England
also works with community activists interested in setting
similar programs,
(www.cpa.gov/regioiiO 1 /leadsafej)
^ LEAD ENFORCEMENT: EPA New England recently
made lead paint aip^ority by creating a team to enforce laws
requiring that larjtflord.s inform tenants of the presence of
lead paint. Dovetailing with this eflbrt, EPA rermilv changed
its policy to make it easier lor landlords to dispose of lead
paint. Eead paint debris is no longer classified as ha/ardous
the federal -ov. i iimeui, and can now Ix- throun
lore cheaply and easiK \\ith regular garbage, where
id local laws permit.
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ASTHMA REDUCTION: Asthma affects at least 5
million children and costs the I'S economy $11 billion ayear.
It is responsible lor 10 million missed school days each \ear.
The rate of asthma attacks among children has doubled in
the last decade, and has become the leading cause of hospi-
tali/alion ol" children. EPA New England's Asthma Summit
lor the first lime drew together federal and stale agencies along
with private health groups and asthma coalitions to address
this issue. The group pledged to track asthma rales in chil-
dren; promote new building guidelines Ibr healthier indoor
spaces; and create a council to recommend policy aimed at
rediu-ing asthma. EPA New England is also funding organi-
tions that teach families at home and in health centers how
to reduce the risks of asthma attacks.
(ww\\.epa.gov/children/asthma.htirr)
[> KEEPING TAP WATER CLEAN: Every community
water supplier in the nation is required to issue a public re-
port so that families know the quality of the water flowing
from tjieir taps. Suppliers that don't provide those annual re-
being cited by EPA New England, the only region
e country to do so.
n •
v\rv\w.epa.gov/safewatei7kids/health.htrnr)
SECOND-HAND SMOKE CAMPAIGN: Through a
blitx. of letters and marketing, EPA New England has encour-
^aged day care providers and parents not to smoke around
"dren. The agency is launching a massive publicity cam-
aign that includes mailings to alert New England teachers
and dav care workers to the particular dangers of smoking
around children. EPA New England also supports commu-
nity groups who educate low income and minority families in
urban areas about the dangers of second-hand smoke, espe-
cially in combination with other contaminants.
\\u< .v/iaq/ets.htmr)
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Cleaner Outctoors
OP
PESTICIDES: Children are exposed to harmful pesti-
cides I rom residues on lood, in schools and at playgrounds as
well as I'roni common home uses of fcrtili/.crs, pesticides and
nxleniicides. Successful alternatives can minimize the use of
chemicals and EPA is educating c iti/ens about these alterna-
tives through consumer education and clearer label instruc-
tions. EPA is also working with community groups to develop
programs to educate residents on sate use of pesticides.
(^www.epa.»o\y pesticides /consumed! tin/)
AIR QUALITY ALERTS: Air pollution causes lung and
other respiratory diseases and threatens the health of our chil-
dren. Every summer. New England sutlers from do/ens o|
days with unhealthy air. EPA New England gives hot weather
reports on air quality to the public through the media and
through electronic messages to 1 .00(1 camps, daycare centers
and individuals. Tighter air pollution laws have resulted in
significant improvements. A decade ago, New England suf-
fered nearly three times as many days as today with poor air
quality. Changes in regulations continue to make improve-
ments. Recently, EPA proposed tougher emission standards
for heavy-duty vehicles that would significantly reduce smog-
causing emissions from trucks and buses.
(w\vw.e|>a.go\/regioii()l/eco/air<|iiaM
Air monitors in Boston and Portland, Maine, evaluate air
toxic-s, o/one and tiny particles and give real time air quality
statistics back to the public on a web page. In Portland, tech-
nology Banded by EPA measures air toxics in a congested area.
In Boston, monitors that work 24 hours a day have been
established in two dense urban neighborhoods where children
suffer from high asthma and lead poisoning rate's. Students
from a nearby high school raise colored Hags to alert people
to the air quality.
(www. epa . gov/regionOl /omsT)
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MERCURY: About one in linn children nationally is
exposed to mercury at unsafe levels. Mercury exposure may
lead to irreversible neurological ellects. Most of these chil-
dren are exposed because their mothers were not .mare dur-
ing pregnancy of the dangers of eating lish contaminated
with mercury. Across Ne\v Kngland, more than 80 percent of
the inland waters have lish too polluted with mercury to eat.
EPA is working lo reduce the presence of mercury in the envi-
ronment, through such programs as Partners for Change
Mercury Challenge, which has encouraged hospitals lo re-
duce mercury waste entirely by the year 2003. The program
has already eliminated hundreds of pounds of mercury from
New England's environment ( )ne mercury thermometer can
contaminate up to 25,000 gallons of water. EPA New En-
gland is also teaching parents the dangers of mercury and
mercury poisoning.
(www.epa.goy/regionO] /stewaTdTneeat/mercuryJ)
VACANT LOTS: Empty lots are a significant risk to
children in urban areas because of illegal dumping of waste
that may include lead and arsenic. In Providence, h< >me to 4,000
vacant and abandoned lots, EPA works with local officials and
community groups to sample and transfer these lots to local
residents for the cost of one dollar. Through this program, a
national model, urban eyesores are turned into flower gardens.
parks and open spaces for the community's enjoyment.
(^www.brown.edu/DepartmenLs/Environmental_Studies/sunTniit^)
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, N
1 ,
r~ ^
SUNWISE: Overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation
can cause serious health effects, including skin cancer and
other skin disorders, eye damage and cataracts, and immune
system suppression. One in five Americans develops skin
cancer. Every hour one person dies from this disease. The
incidence of melanoma, the most serious type of skin
cancer, is increasing faster than almost any other form of
cancer. Most of the average person's lifetime sun exposure
occurs before the age of 18. Boston is one of three pilot
cities for a national EPA program teaching children the dan-
gers of ultra violet ray exposure from the sun. EPA New
England distributes information to parents, teachers, recre-
ation directors and camp counselors so caretakers can help
children avoid the harm of these rays.
SMART GROWTH: EPA New England helps com-
munities grow in ways that use less land and natural re-
sources and that encourage walkable, safe neighborhoods.
EPA has developed an educational program for local offi-
cials that helps them reshape development in ways that
benefit the community, including creating streets that are
safer for kids to walk and bike. EPA has helped fund a pro-
gram in Maine that shows developers and municipalities
the market for neighborhoods characterized by such fea-
tures as walkability, distinct neighborhood boundaries, pro-
tection from excessive traffic and noise and a mixture of
homes and services that residents can use. And across New
England, EPA is helping communities make smart deci-
sions about where to locate schools, playgrounds and parks,
ensuring that children are not exposed to environmental
risks in the neighborhood.
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Notes
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Notes
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PARTNERSHIPS
Community non-profit groups are gateways into New England communi-
ties. Local organizations help families and those who care for children learn'
to avoid lead poisoning, improve asthma management and seek out the help
they need to make children healthier. Since 1997, EPA New England has
invested $1.7 million in these programs, including nearly $400,000 in grants
directed to disadvantaged urban neighborhoods, neighborhoods of color and
people whose first language is not English. EPA New England also achieves
greater environmental benefit thru partnerships with businesses as well as
state and local governments. Examples of EPA initiatives that link with com-
munity non-profits include:
•The Urban Environmental Initiative addresses a range of environmental and
public health problems in Boston, Hartford, and Providence. City resi-
dents are exposed to many environmental risks and public health hazards,
which together cause a disproportionate percentage of diseases, compared
to rural and surburban residents. Many of which are preventable. Through
this program, EPA helps the community protect its own environment and
solve urban problems, ivww.epa.gov/region01/eco/uei
•The Regional Coordinating Council, chaired by EPA, the US Department of
Health and Human Services and the US Department of Housing and
Urban Development integrates a children's environmental health agenda
into the core of the region's housing, health and education agencies. These
agencies working together have the best chance of creating healthier homes
and communities for New England's children.
•The New England Lead Coordinating Committee, a joint state and federal group,
meets four times a year to coordinate among New England states, EPA
and other federal agencies to prevent lead poisoning. Efforts include the
"Keep It Clean Campaign" to teach lead safe home renovation methods.
CHILD-BASED STANDARDS
EPA is committed to setting national standards for smog, soot and water
quality, as well as pesticides, at levels that protect children. For example, new
air quality standards for ozone and particulate matter were set two years ago
to protect children from asthma attacks. EPA is now looking at all approved
pesticides to ensure that children are protected from exposure to pesticides.
At Super-fund sites, cleanup decisions are being made with the standards safe
for children in mind.
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EDUCATION
Right- to-Know: Citizens have the right to know
about the chemicals used and released in the
communities where their children live and
grow. A public that has access to information
will be more able and willling to participate'in
decisions to control hazards. EPA New England
is committed to bringing information to the
public through real time air monitors and ex-
panded web pages. EPA New England will
work this year to redesign and expand its web
pages to make information more accessible and
useable for residents.www.epa.gov/region01/
steward/emerplan/right.html
Outreach: Educated parents, teachers, business
leaders and health professionals are critical to
creating healthier homes, schools and play-
grounds. EPA employees work actively with
each of these groups to make sure citizens and
families are aware of the best ways to create
and protect a healthy and safe environment.
WMrw.epa.gov/region01/stadents/teacher
SOUND SCIENCE
Measuring Success
By mapping air quality, health outcomes, and
available socio-economic data, EPA will be
able to chart progress in treating and manag-
ing asthma. Public health surveillance and
programs to monitor exposures to toxic sub-
stances provide opportunities to follow trends,
identify clusters, study causes, and plan preven-
tive and service programs.
State-of-the art research
EPA will control chemical exposures from
Superfund sites, landfills, and industry. Recent
science has shown that exposure to many neuro-
toxins is unsafe at levels once thought acceptable.
www.epa.gov/children/wfaatwe/scientific.htin
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