EPA and National Sunshine Week: March 14-20, 2010
You Talked, We Listened
EPA is committed to expanding the conversation on environmentalism through our open government Initiatives. Transparency is business as usual for EPA - but we can and will do more. We recently launched our open government Web site, and established OpenEPA to obtain your feedback for our open government plan. We've listened to your feedback over the past month on this forum, and are taking action. Here are some highlights:
- Transparency: One of your top ten suggestions to date on OpenEPA was to release our Toxic Substance Chemical Act Inventory - we released this inventory on Monday, March 15. Visit the inventory | Information about EPA’s increasing transparency on chemical risk information
- Participation: We launched a new shout out feature (located under MyCollaboration) in MyEnvironment to applaud the environmental efforts of local communities and let neighbors know of all the good that is being done for the environment right in their own backyards!
- Participation: We are seeking your input on how we can better protect and improve the health of our waters. For a two-week period, we are holding a Web discussion forum on how the nation can better manage some of the most significant water pollution problems facing our nation. Join the discussion!
- Participation: We just launched a new video project - "It's My Environment." Shoot a 10-15 second clip showing some simple environmental action and pass along a sign that says "It's my environment." Submit your clips by April 15 and we'll compile selected clips into a video that we'll release on Earth Day, April 22. Instructions
- Participation: We initially intended to use the OpenEPA site to gather your ideas for our initial open government plan. Since it's due April 7, 2010, we were going to close the discussion on March 19 to give us time to write. But we've decided to keep OpenEPA going since that was one of your top ten suggestions. We'll periodically update our plan to incorporate new ideas.
- Participation: EPA Administrator, Lisa P. Jackson, is now on Twitter (http://twitter.com/lisapjackson).
- Collaboration: EPA launched the Pestwise web site. Pestwise is an EPA partnership program through the Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances. Through this program EPA works collaboratively with companies, non-profit organizations, communities, and individuals, addressing a wide variety of pest management issues and risks to human health and the environment. Learn more
- Don't forget to provide us feedback on our Open Government Plan 1.0.