Allegheny Helps Protect a Special Rattler's Home

From the USDA:

Posted by Gary Kolesar, Allegheny National Forest, U.S. Forest Service, on January 22, 2015 at 2:00 PM

A timber rattlesnake captured in a tube will be fitted with a transmitter in order to discover and protect new dens. (U.S. Forest Service)

Throughout history, literature and movies, snakes have taken a hit in the public relations department. Think of Cleopatra and the legend of the deadly asp, or the various snakes so feared by a seemingly fearless Indiana Jones in a series of movies by the same name. Then, there is “Snakes on a Plane,” a horrifying look at being stuck on an airplane thousands of feet over the Pacific Ocean as hundreds of deadly and poisonous snakes crawl about.

Not surprisingly, ophidiophobia is rather common. But the fear of snakes in many cases is unwarranted and based on misinformation.

Since 2008, Pennsylvania’s Allegheny National Forest has worked to make certain that the timber rattlesnake habitat on lands managed by the agency is protected. The forest-dependent timber rattlesnake has gone through extensive population declines in some states largely because their habitats have been altered by development. Snakes are an important part of a healthy ecosystem, and can even play an important role in the health and well-being of humans.

For example, new research by a team of University of Maryland biologists shows that the timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) indirectly benefits humankind by keeping Lyme disease in check. Lyme disease is spread to humans by black-legged ticks that feed on infected mice and other small animals. The timber rattlesnake is a natural predator to those small animals.

A former University of Maryland graduate student, Edward Kabay, used published studies of timber rattlesnake diets at four Eastern forest sites to estimate the number of small mammals the snakes consume. He then matched that with information on available number of ticks each small mammal carried. The results showed that each timber rattlesnake removed 2,500-4,500 ticks from each site annually.

Keeping the rodent population in check naturally also helps to prevent crop damage and the spread of other diseases. And, as is the case in nature’s circle of life, rattlesnakes are also important prey for raptors and other animals.

In the northeastern U.S., timber rattlesnakes are considered vulnerable as their population is threatened by habitat loss, road kills and illegal capture. Timber rattlesnakes are a secretive, nonaggressive species. Their primary defense is to lie motionless on the forest floor, relying on camouflage to hide them from predators. The majority of bites occur when someone tries to kill, capture, or harass a snake.

On the Allegheny, forest biologists implanted transmitters into captured snakes in order to locate them and protect undocumented den sites. The goal is to sustain populations of timber rattlesnakes by maintaining and preserving dens. In the past six years, 35 snakes have been implanted and biologists have located 21 new dens.

Maintenance that has taken place to protect habitat includes reducing encroaching vegetation that would eventually create an over story canopy.

Last field season, five snakes were tracked, leading to the discovery of three previously undocumented den sites. The forest hopes to continue the tracking throughout the next couple of years.

A tracking device is implanted in a timber snake. Information gleaned from the device will help biologists find otherwise elusive dens and work to make the habitat more hospitable for the snakes. (U.S. Forest Service)



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Why Research is Vital for Eradicating the Asian Longhorned Beetle

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Rhonda Santos, APHIS Asian Longhorned Beetle Eradication Program, on April 23, 2014 at 10:30 AM

At the APHIS Otis Lab in Massachusetts, employees conduct research for several APHIS forest pest emergency response and eradication programs, including Asian longhorned beetle (ALB), Asian gypsy moth (AGM), emerald ash borer (EAB), and Sirex noctilio woodwasp.

In addition to the existing science-based eradication protocols for fighting an Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) infestation, such as surveying trees and removing infested ones, the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) relies on on-going research to not only improve current protocols, but also to develop new ones.

APHIS’s Center for Plant Health Science and Technology continues research to develop attractant-baited traps designed to lure and capture adult insects. The attractants include plant odors and pheromones, which are naturally occurring chemicals created and used by insects to communicate with each other.  These attractants are used to lure beetles to traps that are hung on trees that the beetle will attack.  Traps can aid in early detection of insects in areas where survey staff may not be working. When the traps are checked by staff members and a beetle is found, nearby trees may be surveyed to determine if they are infested. This year, the traps will be placed in the spring and early summer in strategic locations in all three ALB-affected states: New York, Massachusetts, and Ohio.  APHIS is also working with the U.S. Forest Service and Penn State University on their research with similar ALB traps.

APHIS has a number of additional ALB-related research projects, including defining the specific wood-chipping and grinding methods needed to kill all ALB in wood from infested areas, determining if treating trees with insecticides in the fall can be as effective as the current practice of treating trees in the spring, developing treatments for nursery stock that allow it to be moved safely out of ALB-infested areas, gaining better information on ALB’s ability to attack and develop on different kinds of trees, DNA analysis, and understanding how ALB infestations grow and spread in different types of habitats.  This kind of information can help the ALB program decide where to carry out key activities such as surveys and control treatments.

All ALB-related research supports the goal to eradicate the pest from the U.S. and protect hardwood forests and park lands, trees within affected communities, and many different forest product industries.

You can help.  When you are outside, take a look at a tree and see if it has round holes on the trunk and/or branches – these holes are caused by the adult beetle when it exits the tree.  The holes are a little bit smaller than a dime and just a bit bigger than the circumference of a pencil.  You may also see an adult beetle on the tree itself or surrounding surfaces.  If you see signs of ALB, please make a report online because the sooner we know about an ALB infestation, the sooner we can do something about it.

Decades of Research Show Increased Sustainability for American Agriculture

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Darryl Earnest, AMS Deputy Administrator, Cotton and Tobacco Program, on April 22, 2014 at 1:00 PM

The Pioneers of Progress booklet illustrates how U.S. cotton has increased sustainability over the last 4 decades. The original cover art was inspired by vintage almanacs, acknowledging the heritage of the U.S. cotton industry. Image courtesy Cotton Inc.

U.S. agricultural producers have been engaged in sustainable farming practices for many years as an inherent part of their work.  They need the environment to flourish and thrive in order to continue producing the foods we eat and the materials we use.  Agricultural research and promotion groups, with oversight from USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), allow producers and businesses across a commodity industry to pool their expertise and resources in order to help create new markets and invest in research.  The research they conduct helps improve production, discover new uses, and plays an important part in helping their industry identify and adopt sustainable practices.

Cotton: Pioneers of Progress
Cotton Incorporated, a research and marketing company used by the Cotton Board, recently produced a chronicle of its historic and ongoing commitment to sustainability. Called Pioneers of Progress, the booklet illustrates how the cotton industry has used research to identify more sustainable production practices and significant environmental gains over the last forty years.

And that commitment continues. From the module builder and boll weevil eradication program, to chronicling advances made in water, energy and chemical usage, and the creation of the first ever Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of cotton garments, industry decisions and practices continue to be shaped by a desire to improve efficiency and reduce environmental impact.

America’s Egg Farmers: Lifecycle Analysis
Researchers conducted a lifecycle analysis of U.S. egg production from 1960 to 2010 to evaluate environmental performance measures.  The study, funded by the American Egg Board, the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association, the United Egg Association-Allied and the Egg Industry Center, looked at the complete lifecycle from crops to hens to the farm gate.

The findings indicate that over time, significant environmental efficiencies have resulted from a wide range of factors, including the reduction of natural resource use, improved hen feed, better disease control and advancements in hen housing systems.

Key results from the study found that compared to 1960:

• The egg production process releases significantly less polluting emissions, including 71 percent lower greenhouse gas emissions.
• Hens now use 32 percent less water per dozen eggs produced.
• Today’s hens use a little over half the amount of feed to produce a dozen eggs.
• At the same time, today’s hens produce 27 percent more eggs per day and are living longer lives.

With the growing U.S. population and egg demand on the rise, egg farmers play an important role in providing an abundant and affordable source of high-quality protein. Efforts to further improve feed efficiency, hen housing facilities and manure management will result in even greater reduction of the industry’s environmental footprint.

These are a just a couple of examples of how American agriculture is striving to be more sustainable.  For more insight into how research and promotion programs are investing in health of our planet, follow @USDA_AMS on Twitter, where we’re celebrating Earth Day by showcasing projects from across the commodity spectrum.

An infographic detailing how today’s egg production is more efficient than previous decades and leaves a smaller environmental footprint. Click to view a larger version. Image courtesy www.IncredibleEgg.org.

Celebrating Our Glorious Planet

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Tara Weaver-Missick, USDA Agricultural Research Service Information Staff, on April 22, 2014 at 10:00 AM

Map of USDA’s Long-Term Agro-ecosystem Research (LTAR) sites and farm resource regions.

During the month of April we will take a closer look at USDA’s Groundbreaking Research for a Revitalized Rural America, highlighting ways USDA researchers are improving the lives of Americans in ways you might never imagine. For example, finding sustainable ways to produce food for Americans and the growing global population.

Today is Earth Day, which gives us the opportunity to celebrate the magnificence of our planet.  It’s a day to observe and support our environmental commitment to our planet now and in the future.

USDA scientists play an important role in protecting our environment.  Much of our research is focused on finding sustainable agricultural solutions to producing food, feed and fiber to meet our nation’s and the world’s ever-growing demand.  We develop environmentally friendly practices that farmers, ranchers, and others involved in food production can integrate into their operations.

One such project spearheaded by USDA-Agricultural Research Service scientists is the Long-Term Agro-ecosystem Research (LTAR) network, which addresses how to intensify production while minimizing environmental impact.  ARS established LTAR—which includes 18 experimental watersheds, rangelands and farms—to more closely coordinate and examine large-scale, multi-year research, environmental management and technology transfer efforts related to the nation’s agricultural ecosystems.

ARS scientists are gathering data from these sites to evaluate and develop practices that help keep farmers in business, but that are economical as well.  To do so, scientists will analyze agricultural production, environmental quality, natural resource use and economic return over the next 30 to 50 years, against a background of global population growth, land use change and climate variability that makes predicting future trends difficult.  LTAR sites are spread across the United States and are located in major watersheds—each with its own unique landscape, environmental influences and habitat. Each region has its own unique environment and growing conditions that farmers and ranchers have to weigh.  Information derived from this project will be used to develop site- and region-specific agricultural production practices that protect and enrich our natural resources.

LTAR network research will help producers provide agricultural and other ecosystem-related goods and services under changing environmental conditions to meet society’s changing demands on natural resources.

When the network was formed in February 2011, it began with 10 sites.  Seeing a critical need for even more robust data, in 2014 ARS added eight more LTAR sites, filling network gaps in key agricultural regions. The driving factor behind this network approach to gathering and conducting long-term research was the need to provide enough food, feed, fiber and fuel for a global population expected to grow to more than 9 billion people by 2050.

Changing climatic conditions, like extreme temperatures and precipitation, have a major impact on our global food production system—and related natural resources used to produce that food.  ARS scientists and our partners are searching for sustainable solutions that will help us be good stewards of the earth and its environment.

USDA scientists are doing their part to preserve our planet for generations to come.  Happy Earth Day!

Geospatial Data Needs to Grow Across the Continent

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Rick Mueller, Spatial Analysis Research Section Head, National Agricultural Statistics Service, on April 8, 2014 at 10:00 AM

This post is part of the Science Tuesday feature series on the USDA blog. Check back each week as we showcase stories and news from the USDA’s rich science and research portfolio.

During the month of April we will take a closer look at USDA’s Groundbreaking Research for a Revitalized Rural America, highlighting ways USDA researchers are improving the lives of Americans in ways you might never imagine.

Over the past several decades, satellite imagery has emerged as one of the most valuable new tools in modern agriculture. At USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), we strive to remain at the forefront of this technology to continually advance our statistical products in service to U.S. agriculture. To keep abreast of how our counterparts in other countries are implementing this exciting new technology, last month we hosted representatives from the Canadian and Mexican agriculture departments in a Tripartite meeting. As geographic neighbors and statistical collaborators, we are particularly interested in each others’ work and how we can learn from each other.

It was exciting to see that Statistics Canada, working with Agriculture and Agri-food Canada, is researching new remote sensing-based yield models, using vegetative indices, agro-climactic data, and survey data for 21 crops. As a result of this innovation, Stats Canada is planning to use only remote sensing to set their official estimates for these crops rather than conducting traditional surveys. This is a tremendous step forward for a statistical estimates program that we will be watching with great interest.

In Mexico, our counterparts at the National Institute of Statistics and Geography conducted a ground survey campaign to identify field crops and performed crop classifications to identify sorghum, maize, and lemons in various parts of Mexico and worked with their NASS and Statistics Canada colleagues to characterize vegetation condition indices. At the same time, our colleagues at the Mexican Agrifood and Fisheries Information Service used Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) for drought monitoring and are researching vegetation indices and how they relate to yield.

On NASS’ end, we discussed our remote sensing models for corn and soybean yields using NDVI and daytime surface temperatures from MODIS. We also discussed the current and future status of the Landsat program and demonstrated how to access the free data. I presented an overview of the Cropland Data Layer (CDL) and how we continue to evolve and update this program. I have previously discussed in this blog our satellite imagery progress and tools, such as CropScape, which we have developed in partnership with George Mason University. We continue to update that tool and have recently made available 2013 geospatial data for U.S. crops.

Having seen how remote sensing and geospatial programs are implemented by our international neighbors reminded us once again that progress does not stand still. We can learn a great deal from each other. Going forward, we hope to continue to push the boundaries of this technology to enhance our statistics and ensure easy public access to interactive visualizations of U.S. agriculture.

Members of the Canadian, Mexican and U.S. agricultural Tripartite delegation during meetings on uses of satellite imagery to enhance agricultural data products.

Research, Public Can Help Bats Survive White-Nose Syndrome

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Cynthia Sandeno, Eastern Region, U.S. Forest Service, on March 25, 2014 at 4:00 PM

Little brown bats, like these found in a cave in Maine in 2013, are increasingly being found with white-nose syndrome. The U.S. Forest Service is researching many angles to help wildlife managers and the public to combat the disease. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

Take a moment to look at the night sky and watch the swift flight of bats on their daily mission as they dart through your backyard or forest. Now, think about how it’s becoming harder to spot these winged wonders, and ask why. The answer: The quickly growing spread of a disease known as white-nose syndrome has been decimating bat populations, as explained in a recently released film on the subject.

This increasingly devastating disease has killed more than six million bats in just six years, a serious problem for a creature that provides so many benefits to the environment – as both a plant pollinator and as a major predator in keeping insect populations in check.

“White-nose syndrome is caused by a non-native fungus that has invaded North American caves and mines and is killing entire populations of hibernating bats as it spreads across the continent,” said Cathy Johnson, a Forest Service bat biologist.

Bats eat insects —a lot of insects. They consume more than half their body weight in insects each night making them the primary predators of night-flying insects, including many crop and forest pests. The loss of these industrious agricultural workers could cost up to $53 billion in increased pesticide costs and crop damages each year, according to a recent study.

The new film, “Battle for Bats: Surviving White-Nose Syndrome,” released in partnership with state and federal agencies and conservation organizations, highlights how government agencies and conservation groups are working together to combat this destructive disease. It provides an in-depth look at the current status of WNS and illustrates ways in which the public can help protect bats and provide them with healthy habitats.

“The potential for White-Nose Syndrome to spread to bat populations in the Western states and additional Canadian provinces is cause for concern,” said Monica Tomosy, the national wildlife research program leader with U.S. Forest Service Research and Development. “We are working every research angle, including soil fungal pathology, invasive fungal species control, bat ecology, monitoring design, and landscape ecology in an effort to provide managers with mechanisms to slow the spread of the disease.”

WNS has spread very quickly since it was first discovered in a cave in New York in 2006. As of March 2014, bats with WNS have been found in more than 22 states and five Canadian provinces as the disease continues to spread in all directions across the landscape.

“There are lots of opportunities for the public to learn more about bats and become involved in the fight to save them,” Johnson said. “Bats have never needed our help more than now.”

The following tips offer ways you can join the effort and make a difference to help save our bats and keep them as an important part of the night sky.

• Volunteer! You can help protect bats on public lands by helping with bat counts, acoustical monitoring and much more. Contact your local national forest for more information.
• Adhere to cave closures. If caves are open, follow all decontamination protocols recommended by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to clean clothes, footwear and equipment used in caves and mines.
• Stay out of caves when bats are present.
• Build and install a bat house to provide a safe place for bats on your property.
• Teach your friends and family about the benefits of bats. Visit BatsLIVE: A Distance Learning Adventure to learn how to make bats come alive in your home or classroom.
• Join us for the showing of the film, “Battle for Bats: Surviving White-Nose Syndrome,” at the 2014 Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capitol on March 27, 2014 at 7 p.m. to learn more.
• Take time to see live bats by visiting public bat viewing sites.
  
  

  Members of Cub Scout Pack 22 learn more about white-nose syndrome at Indiana Caverns near the Hoosier National Forest as part of the filming for “Battle for Bats.” The scouts learned how to clean gear as part of the effort to prevent the spread of WNS. (U.S. Forest Service/Cynthia Sandeno)

EPA Announces Funding for Research to Improve Air Quality, Protect Health

Press release:

EPA Announces Funding for Research to Improve Air Quality, Protect Health

Release Date: 08/06/2012

Contact Information: Latisha Petteway (News Media Only), petteway.latisha@epa.gov, 202-564-3191, 202-564-4355; En español: Lina Younes younes.lina@epa.gov,202-564-9924 , 202-564-4355

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded five grants totaling almost $2 million to academic institutions for research on innovative processes to further improve air quality in the U.S. and help track the effectiveness of pollution control measures. Pollutants such as ozone and fine particles are linked to a variety of serious health effects, including aggravation of asthma and other lung diseases, heart attacks, increased hospital admissions and medication use, and premature death.

The grants announced today are focused on generating better data and tools to enable regulatory authorities to more effectively ensure that the air we breathe is healthy. The information gathered through this new research will help inform policy decisions that affect air quality, including the way states and cities address short-term air quality challenges.

"These grants will encourage innovative solutions for incorporating new information, technology advances, and current scientific understanding into air quality management,” says Bob Kavlock, deputy assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Research and Development. “This research will help improve our efforts to respond quickly to short-term air pollution issues such as heat waves or seasonal impacts on air quality."

The funding covers projects that will examine links between short-term air pollution drivers and existing management strategies, development of decision-making models, and air quality forecasting techniques. The five grantees include:

University at Albany-SUNY, Albany, N.Y., will help incorporate short-term forecasts of emissions from electricity generation and traffic into modeling and air quality forecasts.
University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, will include the design and testing of innovative methods to link electricity generation and emissions pricing for the prevention of air pollution episodes.
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Ga., will develop a system for estimating and minimizing the impacts of prescribed burning on air quality, particularly in Georgia.
Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, Texas, will address the issues of multi-pollutant air quality management and develop integrated decision-making models for air quality policy making.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, N.C., will develop new tools for linking air quality modeling and forecasting with forecasts of electricity demand.

These grants are part of EPA’s Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, which supports human health, ecology, economics, and engineering sciences through grants, centers, and fellowships. EPA provides air quality and environmental information to the public through websites including AIRNow, Window to My Environment, and Envirofacts. These tools help educate the public and increase their participation in decisions that affect air quality.

More information on the grantees: http://www.epa.gov/ncer/dynair
More information on the EPA’s STAR program: http://www.epa.gov/ncer
More information on AIRNow: http://www.airnow.gov
More information on Window to My Environment: http://www.epa.gov/enviro/wme/
More information on Envirofacts: http://www.epa.gov/enviro/

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OKEANOS TECHNOLOGIES, LLC IN COVINGTON, KY AWARDED MORE THAN $79,000 FOR LOW COST DESALINATION RESEARCH

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 22, 2012

OKEANOS TECHNOLOGIES, LLC IN COVINGTON, KY AWARDED MORE THAN $79,000 FOR LOW COST DESALINATION RESEARCH

Contact Information: Dawn Harris-Young, (404) 562-8421, harris-young.dawn@epa.gov

ATLANTA -- Okeanos Technologies, LLC in Covington, Ky. has been awarded more than $79,000 from the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program to develop a low cost desalination system to produce potable water at off-grid, remote, developing, and/or disaster stricken areas.  The SBIR program is part of EPA’s Technology Innovation for Environmental and Economic Progress: An EPA Roadmap, which focuses on linking research and development, policy and finance.

EPA’s SBIR program supports small businesses’ development of new technologies addressing key environmental areas. The technological concepts submitted to this year’s competition include drinking water monitoring and treatment, sustainable infrastructures, green building, innovation in manufacturing, greenhouse gas reduction, air pollution monitoring and control and waste monitoring and management.

Nationally, SBIR awarded $2 million in contracts to 25 companies to compose Phase I of this year’s annual competition. The winners will compete for Phase II funding to commercialize their technologies, helping to protect Americans’ health and the environment. To be eligible to participate in the SBIR program, a company must be an organized, for-profit U.S. business and have fewer than 500 employees. Phase I awards may be up to $80,000, and Phase II awards may be up to $300,000.

More information on the winners:  http://www.epa.gov/ncer/sbir/12awards

More information on the Technology Innovation Roadmap:  http://www.epa.gov/envirofinance/innovation.html

Haskell Indian Nations University & EPA Announce Partnership

News release from EPA Region 7:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7

901 N. Fifth St., Kansas City, KS 66101

Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Nine Tribal Nations

Haskell Indian Nations University and EPA Announce Partnership Agreement to Promote Environmental Careers

Contact Information: Kris Lancaster, 913-551-7557, lancaster.kris@epa.gov

Environmental News

NEWS MEDIA ADVISORY

(Kansas City, Kan., Jan. 26, 2012) - EPA and Haskell Indian Nations University officials next week will gather in Lawrence, Kan., to announce a partnership agreement to support American Indian students pursuing careers in environmental and scientific fields.

The agreement will update an existing program of activities that will enhance Haskell University’s research and educational capabilities. EPA wants to increase Haskell University’s awareness of federal opportunities while helping to create an environmentally conscious campus through student-led initiatives. The agreement also focuses on student employment and volunteer programs, research participation, lectures and seminars on environmental issues, and community outreach.

WHO: EPA Region 7 Administrator Karl Brooks, Haskell Indian Nations University President Chris Redman, and Haskell Historian Theresa Milk

WHAT: Signing of the partnership agreement and remarks

WHERE: Stidham Union, Main Hall, Haskell Indian Nations University, 155 Indian Avenue, Lawrence, Kan. 66046

WHEN: 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Wednesday, February 1

Haskell Indian Nations University is a land grant institution located in Lawrence, Kan. For more than 117 years, American Indians and Alaska Natives have been sending their children to Haskell, and Haskell has responded by offering an innovative curriculum oriented toward American Indian and Alaska Native cultures. Haskell has an average enrollment of more than 1,000 students each semester.

Haskell University offers a rich resource to address the problem of underrepresentation of American Indians in science, finance, mathematics, information technologies and environmental specialist fields, in addition to the participation of these minorities in national environmental programs.

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Envtl. Justice Grant to Prevent Lead Poisoning & Restore Wetlands

News Release from EPA Region 2:

EPA Environmental Justice Grants to Help New York City Communities Prevent Lead Poisoning and Restore Wetlands

Organizations in Northern Manhattan, the South Bronx and Jamaica to Receive Funds

Contact: Elias Rodriguez, 212-637-3664, rodriguez.elias@epa.gov

(New York, N.Y. - Jan. 23, 2012) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is providing $75,000 to two New York City organizations to help them address public health and environmental problems in Northern Manhattan, the South Bronx and Jamaica, New York. West Harlem Environmental Action, Inc. (WE ACT) will receive $50,000 to test homes for lead and conduct research on the best ways to detect lead hazards in households in Northern Manhattan and the South Bronx. The Rockaway Waterfront Alliance will be provided $25,000 to train students to restore wetland habitats.

“EPA environmental justice grants provide much needed funds to tackle local pollution problems in low income communities," said Judith A. Enck, EPA Regional Administrator. "Lead poisoning can have serious and long-term effects on children’s abilities to learn. The environmental justice grant to WE ACT will advance our knowledge about how to best protect thousands of New York City children from lead poisoning. The Rockaway Waterfront Alliance will educate middle school and high school students about water pollution and give them the skills they need to be the next generation of environmental stewards.”

It is estimated three-quarters of U.S. residential dwellings built before 1978 contain some lead-based paint. Lead poisoning in children can have serious, long-term consequences including learning disabilities, hearing impairment and behavioral problems.

WE ACT will use the grant funds to conduct a research project that will expand scientific knowledge on the best ways to detect lead poisoning hazards in homes. The research will identify potential sources of lead in dust particles in homes, public drinking water systems and consumer products. The organization will enlist 100 residents to have their homes tested for lead. The field testing will look at the differences between having people test for lead using an instructional DVD or being instructed by a field technician. Simple lead dust wipe tests costs $40 to perform compared to a professional lead inspection, which costs approximately $500. If the cheaper test can first be performed to reliably determine whether a more robust and expensive test is needed, this will increase the number of homes identified as having lead hazards and save money for residents.

The Rockaway Waterfront Alliance will use its grant funds to create a Rockaway Youth Marine Conservation Corps in Jamaica, New York to restore wetland habitats. The group will launch a year-long wetland restoration program that will train low-income high school and middle school students about water pollution problems around Jamaica Bay. The bay is severely impacted by sewage and chemical pollutants, which has damaged water quality. Students will participate in oyster gardening along the Sommerville and Norton/Conch Basins and design and implement projects that involve their schools and communities in the cleanup and restoration of the Jamaica Bay.

Environmental justice means the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of race or income, in the environmental decision-making process. Since 1994, the environmental justice small grants program has provided more than $23 million in funding to community-based nonprofit organizations and local governments working to address environmental justice issues in more than 1,200 communities. The grants further EPA’s commitment to expand the conversation on environmentalism and advance environmental justice in communities across the nation.

More information on the Environmental Justice Small Grants program and a list of grantees: http://www.epa.gov/compliance/environmentaljustice/grants/ej-smgrants.html

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