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N e w s l e t t e r
October 2019
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MID-ATLANTIC LEAD FORUM
GATHERS STAKEHOLDERS TO ADDRESS
CHILDHOOD LEAD EXPOSURE
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Bob Weir from the City of Wilmington, Delaware, joined other city representatives
to discuss local challenges and successes in reducing lead exposure |
Hosted by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 3 with support from the Environmental Finance Center, the Mid-Atlantic Lead Forum convened federal, state, local, academic and nonprofit partners from across the region to discuss strategies to reduce children's exposure to lead. Held in Hunt Valley, Maryland on the first two days of National Children's Health Month, the event aimed to advance the goals of the
Federal Action Plan to Reduce Childhood Lead Exposure
s and Associated Health Impacts
and to equip Mid-Atlantic communities to address local lead-related challenges.
The event shared information and allowed for peer-sharing about state and local efforts to reduce childhood lead exposure, the role of community advocacy in tackling environmental health risks, and federal and state resources available to support lead reduction efforts.
Presentations by
US EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler as well as Regional Administrators Cosmo Servidio (US EPA), Joseph DeFelice (US HUD), and Dalton Paxman (US HHS) highlighted federal and regional initiatives
related to children's environmental health.
A central theme throughout the event was the importance of collaboration between all levels of government as well as non-governmental partners in meeting the call to eliminate childhood lead poisoning. Stay tuned for presentation slides, resource links, and other event materials coming soon
on EFC's website.
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EFC AWARDS SUSTAINABLE MARYLAND CERTIFICATION TO 17 CITIES AND TOWNS
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| Sustainable Maryland Certified Class of 2019 |
- Annapolis (Anne Arundel County - certified in 2013, 2016)
- Bladensburg (Prince George's County - first certified in 2013)
- Bowie (Prince George's County - certified in 2013, 2016)
- College Park (Prince George's County - certified in 2013, 2016)
- Colmar Manor (Prince George's County - first certified in 2016)
- Edmonston (Prince George's County - certified in 2013, 2016)
- Frederick (Frederick County - certified in 2013, 2016)
- Hyattsville (Prince George's County - certified in 2013, 2016)
- Middletown (Frederick County - first certified in 2016)
- Salisbury (Wicomico County - first certified in 2013)
- Thurmont (Frederick County - certified in 2016)
Check out the certification reports of all of our Sustainable Maryland Certified municipalities here.
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NEW MOST CENTER COURSES COMING SOON!
The MOST Center team has been hard at work producing three new online courses to be released this fall/winter. Stay tuned for these exciting offerings!
Climate change impacts - including hotter temperatures, rising sea levels, and longer periods of extreme weather - are already being felt in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and are expected to worsen. This course will present sustainable landscape practices that can be used to help mitigate climate change and promote community resilience.
Funding Urban Forestry Programs
Urban trees provide a wealth of environmental, social, and economic benefits to communities. They are a cost-effective component of stormwater management programs as well as powerful carbon sinks and oxygen producers improving air quality, enhancing public health, and contributing to climate change mitigation. This course will present practical strategies for funding and financing municipal urban tree canopy programs throughout the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and beyond!
Making Pet Waste Management Work for Your Water Quality Goals
Pet waste that isn't properly disposed of poses a threat to both water quality and human health. Implementing a pet waste management program can help local governments protect their community and meet their MS4 permit and TMDL requirements. This course will provide an overview of two pet waste management approaches and presents case studies of programs currently being implemented in the Bay watershed. Stay tuned to get the Scoop on Poop!
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EFC STAFF ATTEND ONE WATER SUMMIT IN TEXAS
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| One Water Summit, Austin, TX |
EFC staff recently attended this year's
One Water Summit in Austin, Texas, hosted by the
US Water Alliance. The Summit brings together government officials, utility managers, watershed organizations, business owners, environmental groups, researchers, and technical assistance providers from across the country to discuss current water management issues related to all land uses and across the stormwater, wastewater and drinking water sectors. An unusual element of this conference is that many attendees come as part of a geographic or issue-based delegation. UMD EFC staff participated in the Chesapeake Bay Delegation. Initiated for this year's summit, the delegation was convened by the Chesapeake Bay Funders Network and included representatives from the Hampton Roads Sanitation District, Baltimore Public Works, DC Water, the Alliance for the Shenandoah Valley, James River Association, Blue Water Baltimore, the Potomac Riverkeeper, EFC and several foundations. EFC looks forward to continuing to participate in the One Water Chesapeake Delegation and working with communities seeking to integrate water management in the mid-Atlantic region.
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STOP BY THE EFC EXHIBIT AT THE RASCL SUMMIT IN DELAWARE
Stop by the EFC staff exhibit table at the upcoming Resilient and Sustainable Communities League (RASCL) annual summit on November 15 in Dover, DE. We'll have examples of our work throughout EPA Region 3 that might inspire project ideas in your community or region. It's not too late to register for this event, whose theme this year is "Surf and Turf: Implications for Future Management of Our Land and Waters".
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FOLLOW EFC ON SOCIAL MEDIA
 You can follow EFC and some of our programs on social media: EFC is on Twitter @EFCUMD, Sustainable Maryland is on Facebook, and the Municipal Online Stormwater Center (MOST) is on Twitter @TheMOSTCenter
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The Environmental Finance Center's
supporters include:
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