EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy to promote Asthma Awareness Month at Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando, Fla.

EPA News Release:

MEDIA ADVISORY
May 13, 2014

MEDIA ADVISORY: EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy to promote Asthma Awareness Month at Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando, Fla.

Contact Information: Dawn Harris Young, EPA, (404) 562-8421 (Direct), (404) 562-8400 (Main), harris-young.dawn@epa.gov
Kathy Marsh, Orange County Public Schools, 407-317-3200  ext. 2901, katherine.marsh@ocps.net

On Thursday, May 15, 2014, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy is traveling to Orlando as part of Asthma Awareness Month at Dr. Phillips High School.  Administrator McCarthy will participate in a classroom experiment to test air pollution, meet with students studying environmental science and discuss leaving a cleaner planet for the next generation.  The Administrator will be joined by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and EPA Regional Administrator Heather McTeer Toney. The experiment will be led by students and EPA 2012 President's Innovative Award for Environmental Educators (PIAEE) Award recipient Deborah Wasylik, a teacher at Dr. Phillips High School.

WHO:   U.S. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer
EPA Regional Administrator Heather McTeer Toney

WHAT:   EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy meeting students to discuss air pollution and asthma awareness

WHEN:  Thursday, May 15, 2014 at 11:05 A.M.
Note: media should arrive no later than 10:45 A.M.

WHERE: Dr. Phillips High School
6500 Turkey Lake Road
Orlando, FL

According to the Florida Department of Health, approximately 1 in 10 children and 1 in 12 adults have asthma, but rates are on the rise. In 2012, one in six middle and high school students in Florida reported an asthma attack in the past year. From 2006 to 2012, lifetime asthma among Florida students increased by 21 percent. The disease is more common and more severe among children; women; low-income, inner-city residents; and African American and Puerto Rican communities.  Asthma is a chronic, or long-term, lung disease that causes breathing problems and can be life threatening. There is no cure for the disease, but it can be prevented and controlled with proper care. Learn more about Asthma Awareness Month: http://www.epa.gov/asthma

THIS EVENT IS OPEN PRESS. Interested media should e-mail an RSVP to harris-young.dawn@epa.gov or call 404-562-8421.  Please include your name, media affiliation and contact information.  All media should arrive at the school front office to meet Kathy Marsh, with Orange County Public Schools to register.
Connect with EPA Region 4 on Facebook: www.facebook.com/eparegion4

And on Twitter: @EPASoutheast

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