EPA Public Engagement Highlights for the Week of March 7, 2016
- Draft Risk Assessment for Chemical Used in Adhesives Shows Health Risk
- Learn About New Environmental Justice Tools on March 11
- Proposals for Human and Ecosystem Services Grant Due April 21
- TRI University Challenge Proposals Due March 27
Draft Risk Assessment for Chemical Used in Adhesives Shows Health Risk
Protect yourself from exposure to 1-BP by wearing proper protective gear.EPA recently released a draft assessment risk assessment for 1-Bromopropane (1-BP) for public comment. The chemical is used in spray adhesives, dry cleaning applications (including spot cleaners), and degreasing products. This draft assessment will provide workers and consumers with critical information about the risks associated with using 1-BP in these applications.
The chemical has shown acute risks to women of childbearing age including adverse developmental effects. Other health risks were identified for workers with repeated and chronic exposures, including neurotoxicity, kidney, liver, and reproductive toxicity, and lung cancer. EPA recommends those using products with 1-BP or other hazardous chemicals carefully follow product label directions and take precautions that can reduce exposure.
EPA is seeking public comment of this draft assessment for 60 days.
Learn About New Environmental Justice Tools on March 11
Everyone should be protected from environmental hazards and have access to clean air, land, and water.EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice is holding an equitable development and environmental justice webinar on Friday, March 11, 2016. Experts will discuss new tools, such as EJSCREEN, as well as how community groups and policymakers are using these innovative tools to inform decisions.
EJSCREEN is an environmental justice screening and mapping tool that uses high resolution maps combined with demographic and environmental data to identify places with potentially elevated environmental burdens and vulnerable populations.
Register for the webinar.
Proposals for Human Health and Ecosystem Services Grant Due April 21
Many communities and their supporting ecosystems face high pollutant exposures and risks.For many people, the relationship between ecosystems and their own health and well-being can be unclear. Decisions, particularly at the community level, can be made significantly more robust and sustainable if benefits of ecosystems and the impacts of human activity on ecosystems are considered.
EPA, through its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, recently announced the Integrating Human Health and Well-Being with Ecosystem Services Grant to fund collaborative, community-based research that will foster better understanding of how ecosystems support human health and well-being.
Proposals are due April 21, 2016.
TRI University Challenge Proposals Due March 27
TRI Challenge partners receive national recognition and direct support from EPA.The 2016 TRI University Challenge calls on academic communities to find new, innovative, and creative ways to use Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data to promote more informed decision-making and action on the part of communities, manufacturers, and government.
The Challenge aims to generate innovative programs, activities, recommendations, or research that improve the accessibility, awareness, and use of TRI data and to make scientific data more accessible to the public.
Proposals are due March 27, 2016.