![[logo] US EPA](http://www.epa.gov/epafiles/images/logo_epaseal.gif){kind=logo}
Programs: Healthy Communities and Ecosystems
A [Metadata] link on any item leads to that item's entry in the Registry of EPA Applications and Databases (READ). READ is an authoritative source of information about EPA application systems and other information sources.
Global Earth Observation
System of Systems Tools
System of Systems Tools
National Fish Tissue Study - Four-year national screening-level freshwater fish contamination study.
Oceans, Coasts, & Estuaries - Coastal environments are strongly influenced by upstream sources of pollution and freshwater inflow, and are subject to an ever-growing coastal population. EPA protects these resources through a watershed approach and its regulatory and cooperative management programs.
Sustainability - Sustainability is the ability to achieve economic prosperity while protecting the natural systems of the planet, and providing a higher quality of life for its people.
Smart Growth - Smart growth is development that serves the economy, the community, and the environment. It changes the terms of the development debate away from the traditional growth/no growth question to "how and where should new development be accommodated."
Aging Initiative - The mission of the EPA is to protect human health and safeguard the natural environment. As we age, our bodies may become more susceptible to environmental hazards because of the diminished capacity of various organ systems that occur in the natural aging process. For example, our bodies are less able to detoxify and eliminate toxins.
Coastal Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Program - The Coastal Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Program (Section 6217) addresses nonpoint pollution problems in coastal waters. Section 6217 requires the 29 states and territories with approved Coastal Zone Management Programs to develop Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Programs. In its program, a state or territory describes how it will implement nonpoint source pollution controls, known as management measures, that conform with those described in Guidance Specifying Management Measures for Sources of Nonpoint Pollution in Coastal Waters. This program is administered jointly with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Brownfields Cleanup and Redevelopment - An ambitious initiative to change the way people think about contaminated properties. For decades, uncertainty about the presence of contamination, fear of potential cleanup liability, and finite cleanup resources resulted in thousands of potentially contaminated properties blighting the American landscape. EPA's Brownfields Program has been working to address this national environmental issue.
Software for Environmental Awareness SEAHOME - At this site you can download free interactive software on environmental topics. These programs are produced by Purdue University in cooperation with US EPA.
Mercury - Mercury is a naturally occurring element that is present throughout the environment. Human activity can release some of that mercury into the air, water and soil. This site provides information on effects on health and wildlife, regulatory programs, and spill clean-up/waste disposal.
Partners
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coastal Change Analysis Program - This program is dedicated to the development, distribution, and application of land cover and change data for the nation's coastal zone. C-CAP land cover and land cover change products are designed to assist coastal resource managers in their decision-making processes. These national data sets can be used to assess urban growth, determine changes to natural resources, and develop trend analyses.