U.S. EPA Aging Initiative List Serve October 2010

President Obama Signs Executive Order Officially Forming Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force
With an executive order in place setting up the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force to continue the recovery after the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, EPA Administrator and Task Force Chair Lisa P. Jackson today started a series of meetings in the region to focus on the next steps.

"The president has made clear that he wants restoration plans to come from the gulf coast, and not be imposed on the gulf residents by Washington. We're counting on the people who know these areas best — the people who call the gulf home — to shape our work," Administrator Jackson explained during her meetings on Tuesday. "As someone who grew up here, I know the ecosystem is the key to our future. Our economy, our health and our culture are built on the coastline and the gulf waters. I know this, the president knows this, and we are going to stand with you."

President Obama today signed the executive order formally creating the task force. Its mission is to coordinate efforts to implement restoration programs and projects in the gulf coast region. The task force also will coordinate with the Department of Health and Human Services on public health issues and with other federal agencies on ways to enhance the economic benefits that ecosystem restoration will bring to the region.

The executive order follows the release last week of the long-term restoration proposal, written by Navy Secretary Mabus. Included in the report was a recommendation for Congress to authorize a Gulf Coast Recovery Council to manage the overall restoration efforts in the gulf coast. The president created the task force to enhance the coordination and implementation of important restoration efforts, even before Congress acts. View the executive order.

Presidential Proclamation—National Energy Awareness Month
America's energy resources are inextricably linked to our continued prosperity, security, and environmental health. When it comes to our Nation's energy future, we face fundamental choices between action and inaction, between embracing the possibilities of a new clean energy economy and settling for the status quo, and between leading the world in clean energy and lagging behind. We must choose wisely and invest in clean energy technologies to position our country for a sustainable future, create new jobs, improve the health of our environment, and lay the foundation for our long term economic security and prosperity. Read the full proclamation

Webinar Sponsored by the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Public Policy & Aging Report on Healthy Aging and the Environment
The American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) presents a distinguished panel of guest speakers to bring you a groundbreaking series of webinars on aging, environmental health, and disability. This series, which begins October 12, is sponsored by the John Merck Fund.

The series mirrors the contents of a thematic issue on healthy aging and the environment of the Public Policy & Aging Report of the Gerontological Society of America's policy institute, the National Academy on an Aging Society. An electronic version of this publication will be made available for free to all webinar attendees.

Access additional information and register for any of the webinars below on the AAIDD web site.

Environmental Threats to Healthy Aging with Ted Schettler, Maria Valenti
Tues Oct 12th from 2-3pm Eastern Time
Built Environment with Kathy Sykes, Rodney Harrell, Regina Gray
Tues Oct 19th from 2-3pm Eastern Time
Psychosocial Environment with Danny George, Peter Whitehouse
Tues Oct 26th from 2-3pm Eastern Time
Chemical Environment with Maye Thompson, Marybeth Palmigiano
Tues Nov 2nd from 2-3pm Eastern Time
Food Environment with Michelle Gottlieb, Emma Sirois
Tues Nov 9th from 2-3pm Eastern Time

Environmental and Policy Change for Healthy Aging Conference Series
Creating Aging-Friendly Communities has announced a conference series called "Environmental & Policy Change for Healthy Aging" offered by the CDC Healthy Aging Research Network from September 2010 through January 2011. There will be online presentations, webinars, and resources. Sign up today

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II. News, Research, Reports and Presentations

EPA Will Propose Rule to Protect Waterways by Reducing Mercury from Dental Offices
The U.S. EPA announced it intends to propose a rule to reduce mercury waste from dental offices. Dental amalgams, or fillings containing mercury, account for 3.7 tons of mercury discharged from dental offices each year. The mercury waste results when old mercury fillings are replaced with new ones. The mercury in dental fillings is flushed into chair-side drains and enters the wastewater systems, making its way into the environment through discharges to rivers and lakes, incineration or land application of sewage sludge. Mercury released through amalgam discharges can be easily managed and prevented.

EPA expects to propose a rule next year and finalize it in 2012. Dental offices will be able to use existing technology to meet the proposed requirements. Amalgam separators can separate out 95 percent of the mercury normally discharged to the local waste treatment plant. The separator captures the mercury, which is then recycled and reused.

Until the rule is final, EPA encourages dental offices to voluntarily install amalgam separators. Twelve states and several municipalities already require the installation of amalgam separators in dental offices.

Approximately 50 percent of mercury entering local waste treatment plants comes from dental amalgam waste. Once deposited, certain microorganisms can change elemental mercury into methylmercury, a highly toxic form that builds up in fish, shellfish and animals that eat fish.

Fish and shellfish are the main sources of methylmercury exposure to humans. Methylmercury can damage children's developing brains and nervous systems even before they are born.

More information on mercury from dental offices.
More information on mercury and the environment.

An Estimate of the Global Burden of Anthropogenic Ozone and Fine Particulate Matter on Premature Human Mortality Using Atmospheric Modeling
Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) Vol. 118 (9) September, 2010. Anenberg et al.
Editor's summary: Exposure to ground-level ozone (O3) and fine particulate matter [< 2.5 µm in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5)] is associated with many adverse health effects, including premature mortality. Approximately 800,000 premature mortalities worldwide (1.2% of all deaths) have been estimated to result from exposure to urban outdoor PM2.5. However, this estimate does not take into account the impact of O3 and includes only urban areas for which econometric models were used to predict concentrations.

Anenberg et al. (p. 1189) estimated the global burden of mortality due to O3 and PM2.5 from anthropogenic emissions using global atmospheric chemical transport model simulations of preindustrial and present-day (2000) concentrations to derive exposure estimates. They estimated attributable mortalities using health impact functions based on long-term relative risk estimates for O3 and PM2.5 from the epidemiology literature.

Using simulated concentrations allows for the inclusion of rural areas where measurements are often unavailable, and avoids making assumptions for background air pollution. Anthropogenic O3 is reportedly associated with about 0.7 million respiratory mortalities, whereas anthropogenic PM2.5 is associated with about 3.5 million cardiopulmonary and 220,000 cancer annual mortalities. Estimated excess mortalities were most dense in highly populated areas but also occurred in rural areas affected by the increased regional or global background of air pollution since preindustrial times. Read more...

OECD Economic Surveys, September 2010
A recent report of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development reports that the most cost effective strategy to reduce green house gas emissions is to price them and to support development and deployment of emission reducing technologies, which will reduce future abatement costs. The report also describes how U.S. participation in global mitigation would create two-fold benefits by reducing local air pollution and reducing dependence on oil from politically unstable regions. Read the full report (PDF) (142 pp, 2.7MB, About PDF).

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III. New Resources and Opportunities

Introducing Viable Futures Toolkit #2 — Community Planning for Boomers: The Engine to Drive a Viable Future
The second in a series of Viable Futures Toolkits, this one also asks and answers the question: How can communities plan for a growing elder population in ways that work for all generations? Fully electronic, it provides a host of new ideas and strategies for win-win initiatives in your community, instant access to a wide collection of case examples, and hyperlinks to even more resources. Topics include: Lifelong education and civic engagement; Community and economic development; Individual and family wellness; Affordable quality housing; Land use, transportation and natural resources. The Toolkit is a product of the Viable Futures Center of JustPartners, Inc., which provides practical, state-of-the-art strategies, products, services and cost-effective solutions to today's pressing issues. Read more...

National Gardening Association and Home Depot - 2010 Youth Garden Grants Program
National Garden Association awards Youth Garden Grants to schools and community organizations with child-centered garden programs. In evaluating grant applications, priority will be given to programs that emphasize one or more of these elements: educational focus or curricular/program integration, nutrition or plant-to-food connections, environmental awareness/education, entrepreneurship, and social aspects of gardening such as leadership development, team building, community support, or service-learning.

Five programs will receive gift cards valued at $1000 and 95 programs will receive a $500 gift card to The Home Depot and educational materials. Schools, youth groups, community centers, camps, clubs, treatment facilities, and intergenerational groups throughout the United States are eligible. Applicants must plan to garden with at least 15 children between the ages of 3 and 18 years. Please contact National Gardening Association and Home Depot for more information and to apply for this funding.

Deadline: November 1, 2010
http://www.kidsgardening.com/YGG.asp

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IV. Building Healthy Communities - Sustainable Communities

Save the Date: 10th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth Conference
Registration is now open for the 10th annual conference of New Partners for Smart Growth: Building Safe, Healthy and Livable Communities. Take in some southern charm in Charlotte, NC February 3-5, 2011. Join planner, public health professionals and elected local government officials from across the country who are working together to find innovative ways to finance smart growth, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, expand transportation and housing for all Americans and meet the needs of a growing aging population.
http://www.newpartners.org/registration.html
http://www.newpartners.org/

Urban Form and Extreme Heat Events: Are Sprawling Cities More Vulnerable to Climate Change Than Compact Cities?

Environmental Health Perspectives Vol. 118(10) Oct 2010. Brian Stone, Jeremy J. Hess, Howard Frumkin
Editor's Summary: There is increasing concern that urban development patterns may be contributing to the increased frequency of extreme heat events in large U.S. cities. Stone et al. (p. 1425) examined the association between a metric of urban form (the sprawl index) and the frequency of extreme heat events over a five-decade period. The authors report that the annual occurrence of extreme heat events is increasing in large metropolitan regions of the United States, and that the rate of increase is higher in sprawling areas than in more compact metropolitan regions. This association was independent of metropolitan population size and the rate of population growth. The authors conclude that the design and management of land use in metropolitan regions may offer an important tool for estimating heat-related health effects associated with ongoing climate change. Read more...

Getting Smart about Climate Change
A recent ICMA product, Getting Smart about Climate Change provides practical guidelines for communities wishing to develop and grow in a sustainable fashion. This report outlines nine strategies for successfully applying smart growth principles to climate concerns on the local and regional levels. Read more...

Urbanism and the Value of Cities
John Norquist, President and CEO of Congress for New Urbanism gave the Paul Offner Memorial lecture entitled "Urbanism and the Value of Cities." The lecture is available on-line from at the UW Wisconsin-Madison for 6 months. Read more...

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V. Pharmaceuticals in the Environment

Congressional Legislation Moves Forward to Amend the Controlled Substance Act
On September 30th Congress passed the S. 3397, the Safe and Responsible Drug Act of 2010. The Act gives authority to the Attorney General to promulgate rules to deliver unused or unwanted prescriptions drugs to appropriate entities for disposal in a safe and effective manner. One of the barriers to establishing take-back programs to disposal of unused medications has been the requirement to have two law enforcement officials collect unused medications from individuals wanting to safely dispose of medications. Read more...

Consultation with EPA
The destruction of controlled substances must be in accomplished in accordance with Federal, state, and local environmental laws, and while passed legislation does not mention the U.S. EPA, the U.S. Department of Justice Attorney General did clarify in a letter to the House sponsor of the legislation, Congressman Inslee, that "As a matter of course, the Department would consult with the Environmental Protection Agency, (EPA) on any environmental issues that may be raised by the legislation." Read the entire letter (PDF) (2 pp, 58K, About PDF).

DEA National Drug Take-Back Day A Success
On September 25th, the Drug Enforcement Agency held the first nation-wide take-back effort across the country to enable persons to empty their medicine cabinets of unused, unwanted or expired medications. According to the DEA, More than 121 tons of medications, both controlled and non-controlled medications were collected in some 4, 094 locations. The DEA will hold another event in six months until new legislation takes effect that amends the Controlled Substance Act allowing for private entities to create take -back programs.

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VI. Intergenerational Activities

4th Annual Rachel Carson Intergenerational Sense of Wonder Contest
Vote for your favorite among the 2010 Finalists
Have you voted for your favorite poem, essay or photo? Did you look at the many mixed-media entries that combine multiple creative forms? Did you watch the dance video? Please visit our website and cast your vote for the 2010 Rachel Carson intergenerational contest. November 1st is the deadline. Remember that old rule--one person one vote. EPA is pleased to partner with Generations United, the Dance Exchange and the Rachel Carson Counsel, Inc. Read more...

Rachel Carson Trails Conservancy Fall Hike October 17th
Join the Rachel Carson Trails Conservancy on a fall hike. The hike will follow the Rachel Carson Trail from Hartwood Acres to the Harmar shelter in North Park for approximately seven miles, rain or shine. Refreshments will be served at the end of the hike. Meet at 9:30 AM for instructions and car pooling at the Harmar shelter in North Park, located next to the Pie Traynor field near the swimming pool. This event is free and open to the public. For more information contact rct@rachelcarsontrails.org.

The Rachel Carson Trail is a hiking trail north and east of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, spanning 35.7 miles (57.4 kilometers) between Harrison Hills County Park in the extreme northeast corner of Allegheny County, and North Park in the north-central area of the county. The trail is extremely varied, traversing several county parks, following power and gas lines, skirting suburban homes and farms, crossing creeks, meandering through woods and fields, and passing along the edge of steep bluffs.

If you can't make it, find a place great place to hike near you. Rachel Carson would be pleased. Read more...

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VII. EPA Funding Opportunities

Proposal Guidelines for Brownfields Assessment Grants
The Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act ("Brownfields Law", P.L. 107-118) requires the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to publish guidance to assist applicants in preparing proposals for grants to assess and clean up brownfield sites. EPA's Brownfields Program provides funds to empower states, communities, tribes, and nonprofits to prevent, inventory, assess, clean up, and reuse brownfield sites. EPA provides brownfields funding for three types of grants — Brownfields Assessment, Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund (RLF), and Brownfields Cleanup Grants. Under these guidelines, EPA is seeking proposals for Assessment Grants only.
Deadline: Oct. 15, 2010. Read more...

Proposal Guidelines for Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund Grants
The Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act requires the U.S.EPA to publish guidance to assist applicants in preparing proposals for grants to assess and clean up brownfield sites. EPA's Brownfields Program provides funds to empower states, communities, tribes, and nonprofits to prevent, inventory, assess, clean up, and reuse brownfield sites. EPA provides brownfields funding for three types of grants.

Brownfields Assessment Grants - provides funds to inventory, characterize, assess, and conduct planning (including cleanup planning) and community involvement related to brownfield sites.
Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grants - provides funding for a grant recipient to capitalize a revolving fund and to make loans and provide subgrants to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites.
Brownfields Cleanup Grants - provides funds to carry out cleanup activities at a specific brownfield site owned by the applicant.

Deadline: Oct. 15, 2010. Read more...

Bed Bug Education/Outreach and Environmental Justice Grants-Request for Applications
The Office of Pesticide Programs, within EPA's Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention is soliciting applications for states and tribes to strengthen their ability to address bed bug infestations in communities disproportionately exposed to environmental harms and risks. The projects supported through these grants are designed to build broad, results-oriented partnerships for education and outreach programs to reduce bed bug infestations in communities disproportionately exposed to environmental risks. Awards are intended to support a diverse set of outreach and education projects, which are designed to be replicable in other communities facing similar challenges.

EPA anticipates that approximately $550,000 will be available under this announcement, each assistance agreement is anticipated to range between $50,000 and $200,000. Eligible applicants include the 50 States, District of Columbia, U.S. Virgin Islands, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, any territory or possession of the United States, any agency or instrumentality of a state including state universities, and all federally recognized Indian tribal governments.
Deadline: October 18, 2010. For more information (PDF) (30 pp, 200K, About PDF).

2010 Indoor Environments, Reducing Public Exposure to Indoor Pollutants
EPA Region 9 is soliciting proposals from eligible entities for projects in Region IX to support demonstration, training, outreach and/or education projects to reduce exposure to indoor pollutants for K-12 schools and homes. These projects are expected to achieve environmental results in one or more indoor air quality priority areas as outlined in Section I.B. of this Request for Proposals.

Projects funded under this RFP must be carried out within the jurisdiction of EPA Region 9, which consists of the states of California, Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada, and the Pacific Islands (U.S. territories of Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and other unincorporated U.S. Pacific possessions). EPA Region 9 is the lead region for the Navajo Nation; accordingly, this RFP addresses work anywhere in the Navajo Nation regardless of state boundaries.

Proposals will be accepted from private and public universities and colleges, states, local governments, hospitals, laboratories, Indian Tribes, territories and possessions of the U.S., international organizations, and other public and private non-profit organizations.
Deadline: October 18, 2010. Read more.

FY 2011 National Environmental Information Exchange Network Grant Program
EPA, states, territories, and tribes are working together to develop the Exchange Network (EN), a secure, Internet- and standards-based way to support electronic data reporting, sharing, and integration of both regulatory and non-regulatory environmental data. More information about the Exchange Network is available at .
Deadline: November 5, 2010. Read more...(PDF) (73 pp, 569K, About PDF)

Fall 2011 EPA Science To Achieve Results (STAR) Fellowships For Graduate Environmental Study
EPA, as part of its Science to Achieve Results program, is offering Graduate Fellowships for master's and doctoral level students in environmental fields of study. Deadline: November 5, 2010. EPA plans to award approximately 105 new fellowships by June 30, 2011. Master's level students may receive support for a maximum of two years. Doctoral students may be supported for a maximum of three years, usable over a period of five years. The fellowship program provides up to $42,000 per year of support per fellowship.
Deadline: November 5, 2010. Read more...

8th Annual P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of the P3 Award Program, is seeking applications proposing to research, develop, and design solutions to real world challenges involving the overall sustainability of human society. The P3 competition highlights the use of scientific principles in creating innovative projects focused on sustainability. The P3 Awards program was developed to foster progress toward sustainability by achieving the mutual goals of economic prosperity, protection of the planet, and improved quality of life for its people-- people, prosperity, and the planet - the three pillars of sustainability. The EPA offers the P3 competition in order to respond to the technical needs of the world while moving towards the goal of sustainability. Please see the P3 website for more details about this program.
Deadline: December 22, 2010. Read more...

Environmental Education Grants
The Grants Program sponsored by EPA's Office of Environmental Education (OEE), Office of External Affairs and Environmental Education, supports environmental education projects that enhance the public's awareness, knowledge, and skills to help people make informed decisions that affect environmental quality. EPA awards grants each year based on funding appropriated by Congress. Annual funding for the program ranges between $2 and $3 million. Most grants will be in the $15,000 to $25,000 range.

2011 Environmental Education Grants
EPA is currently working on the Requests for Proposals for the 2011 Environmental Education Grant Program. Please sign up by clicking the blue button to the right to be electronically notified when the RFPs are available. Read more...

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VIII. Other Funding Opportunities

Critical Illness and Injury in Aging
Four Institutes of the National Institutes of Health joined together to solicit applications designed to study mechanisms and management of critical illness and injury, including trauma and neurotrama, in aging. Recently, there have been important advances in the evaluation and management of critical illnesses and injuries. However, the relationship of critical care and aging remains understudied. The treatment of critical illnesses of elders is frequently simply an extension of the treatments applied to younger adult populations. Given the age-related structural and functional changes associated with age, it is probable that such changes influence that presentation and treatment of illnesses of the elderly. Proposed studies may be mechanistic, observational or interventional in nature. Deadline: November 5, 2010. Read more...

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IX. 2010 Calendar of Events & Meetings

Calendar 2010

October 2010

Creating Livable Homes & Communities
October 10-12, 2010
St. Louis, Missouri
http://uds4.org

2010 International Symposium on Safe Medicine
Portland, Maine
October 10-12, 2010
http://www.umaine.edu/mainecenteronaging/documents/2010IntSympSafeMedSTD.pdf (1pg, 617K, About PDF)

RAIL~VOLUTION 2010
Portland, Oregon
October 18-21, 2010
http://www.railvolution.com/CallForProposals.asp

Grantmakers in Aging
October 20-22, 2010
Chicago, Ill

November 2010

American Public Health Association Annual Meeting
November 6-10, 2010
Denver, CO
http://www.apha.org/meetings/highlights/

Gerontological Society of America
November 19-23, 2010
New Orleans, LA
http://www.geron.org/Annual%20Meeting

December 2010

International Council on Active Aging Conference
December 2-4, 2010
San Diego, CA
http://www.icaa.cc/convention/overview.htm

Call for Papers

National Environmental Health Association
Abstracts are due: Deadline to submit is October 15, 2010
Read more about the abstract requirements.

International Conference of the Society for Human Ecology
Las Vegas, Nevada
April 20-23, 2011
http://www.societyforhumanecology.org/final%20program_files/CallForPapers.html

2011 Call for National River Rally Workshops
June 3-6, 2011: Join River Network for the 12th NATIONAL RIVER RALLY in North Charleston, South Carolina
Abstracts due: Oct. 8, 2010
http://www.rivernetwork.org/forms/2011-call-national-river-rally-workshops

n4a 2011 Call for Presentations
Deadline: December 3, 2010
http://www.n4a.org/training-events/annual-conference/?fa=call_sessions

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