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Related Environmental Pilot Programs and Initiatives

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Watershed

The Watershed Protection Approach is a strategy for effectively protecting and restoring aquatic ecosystems, as well as protecting human health. The strategy's premise is that water quality and ecosystem issues are best resolved at the watershed level rather than at the local water body or discharger levels. The major goals of a Watershed Protection Approach are to target priority problems, promote stakeholder involvement, integrate solutions and work in cooperation with multiple agencies, and measure success through monitoring and data gathering.

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Land Revitalization

As part of its overall mission to protect human health and the environment, EPA is undertaking an Agency-wide initiative to revitalize land by restoring and reusing cleaned waste sites, regardless of the specific EPA Program it falls under. The Land Revitalization Initiative emphasizes that cleanup and reuse are mutually supportive goals and that property reuse should be an integral part of the way EPA does business. Whether a property is a Superfund site, an operating waste disposal site, a petroleum facility, a former gas station, or an abandoned industrial facility, EPA believes that environmental cleanup across all EPA programs must be achieved.

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Clean Air/Brownfields Partnership Pilot

The Clean Air/Brownfields Partnership Pilot demonstrated the effectiveness of innovative strategies designed to enhance both air quality and economic vitality in Baltimore, MD; Chicago, IL; and Dallas, TX. The Clean Air/Brownfields Partnership Pilot project was the result of concerns raised by the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) on how the Clean Air Act and the Brownfields Program work together. The USCM established a focus group to monitor the progress of the Pilots, provided information and feedback where appropriate, ensured that the results will be transferrable to other cities, and generated awareness of the project across the nation. Federal, state, and non-governmental partners are working together with the USCM to meet the goals of the project.

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Green Buildings

In addition to requiring enormous amounts of energy, water, and materials, the construction and operation of buildings creates large quantities of waste. Where and how buildings are built affect the ecosystems around them in countless ways. As the environmental impacts of buildings becomes more apparent, a new approach called "green building" is arising to reduce the impact at the source. Green or sustainable building is the practice of creating healthier and more resource-efficient models of construction, renovation, operation, maintenance, and demolition. Elements of green building include using energy efficiently; using water efficiently; and using building materials that, in comparison to competing brands, have a reduced effect on the environment, reduce the waste from construction, and provide healthy indoor environments.

The Green Buildings on Brownfields Initiative is an EPA effort designed to promote the use of green building techniques at brownfield properties in conjunction with assessment and cleanup. Through several pilot projects, EPA is providing communities with technical assistance to facilitate the development of green buildings on their brownfields. Building environmentally-friendly buildings on what was once contaminated (or perceived to be contaminated) land can be symbolic of a new, environmentally-sound direction for communities, as well as tangible growth for their economies.

For more information on Green Buildings, visit: http://www.epa.gov/greenbuilding/

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