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Water Headlines for November 5, 2007Benjamin H. Grumbles Water Headlines is a weekly on-line publication that announces publications, policies, and activities of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Water. In This Week’s Water Headlines:
Administration Announces Marine Debris InitiativeOn Friday, November 2, First Lady Laura Bush announced a new Marine Debris Initiative and designated the J.L. Scott Marine Education Center in Mississippi as the 21st Coastal America Coastal Ecosystem Learning Center. In 2004 as part of the Ocean Action Plan, the President directed EPA and NOAA to co-chair an Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee that ensures the coordination of federal agency marine debris activities both in the U.S. and internationally. As part of the event, the Ocean Conservancy released a new EPA-funded five year national study on marine debris which sets a nationwide scientific baseline on the problem. The study found that general-source marine debris trash that comes from both ocean- and land-based activities increased across the United States by more than 5 percent each year. "Marine debris threatens the health and beauty of America's coasts and waterways," said Benjamin H. Grumbles, EPA's Assistant Administrator for Water. "This scientific report is a giant step to advance ocean stewardship, locally and globally. It will help raise public awareness to fight a pervasive and preventable problem, and measure progress towards litter-free seas and cleaner coasts."
The Administration is furthering its commitment by increasing public education and awareness through educational events at Coastal Ecosystem Learning Centers including interactive exhibits by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Gulf of Mexico Program Office at Gulf of Mexico centers, an informative ocean kiosk at the Smithsonian, coordinated outreach events on Earth Day 2008, websites and public service announcements. The federal government will continue to work with regional and local partners to clean up marine debris, turn debris into energy, recover lost fishing gear, and recycle fishing lines. The U.S. will lead the global effort by working with international organizations to prevent fishing gear from becoming lost, developing environmentally friendly fishing gear, and promoting the annual International Coastal Cleanup in 100 countries around the world. To learn more about Coastal Ecosystem Leaning Centers, visit http://www.coastalamerica.gov/text/education.html Improving and Maintaining the Health of Estuaries – National Estuaries Celebrates 20th AnniversaryThanks to EPA's National Estuary Program (NEP), more than 1 million acres of critical habitat has been sustained or restored--- that's a figure that is just shy of the total area of the state of Rhode Island. The NEP, which includes 28 estuaries across the country, was developed 20 years ago to protect and restore these national resources.
Stories of success and on-the-ground environmental results are evident from coast-to-coast. These examples help tell the story:
Hypoxia Task Force Completes AssessmentThe Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force has completed its assessment of progress to reduce the size of the Gulf hypoxia zone. The Task Force, at its 15th meeting in Cincinnati, October 29-30, 2007, approved draft revisions to the 2001 Action Plan, and authorized release of the draft for public comment. The final draft will be posted to the Task Force website at http://www.epa.gov/msbasin/ by November 9, 2007, and the comment period will be open until January 4, 2008. Guide Available to help Public Water Systems Communicate with the PublicEPA is releasing Talking to your Customers about Chronic Contaminants, a best practices guide that helps public water systems communicate with the public about drinking water risks. Chronic contaminants are those that can cause health effects after continuous long-term exposure. This fact sheet discusses the importance of communicating with the public about chronic contaminants - both regulated and unregulated - and describe effective strategies for getting the message out. For more information visit: http://www.epa.gov/safewater. EPA's Watershed Academy to sponsor free November 28th Webcast on Smart Growth and Green InfrastructureEPA's Watershed Academy sponsors free monthly Webcasts for watershed practitioners from around the globe. On Wed., Nov. 28, 2007, Geoffrey Anderson, EPA’s Director of Development, Community and Environment Division; Nancy Stoner, Director of the Natural Resources Defense Council’s (NRDC) Clean Water Project; and Noelle Mackay, Executive Director of Smart Growth Vermont, discuss how various Smart Growth and Green Infrastructure tools are being used at the regional, watershed and site levels to preserve, enhance, and protect our water resources. The speakers will also discuss various approaches, including messaging, research, and partnering, to ensure that these tools are successfully implemented. Registration opens November 7th. The Academy's sold out October 3rd Webcast on Water, Energy, and Climate Change featuring Susan Kaderka, director of the National Wildlife Federation’s Gulf States Regional Office, and Don Elder, President of River Network, is now available for downloading (or as a Podcast). For more information or to access other archived audio versions of past Webcasts, please visit http://www.epa.gov/watershedwebcasts/. Spotlight: Watersheds at Work
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