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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $30,000 to the Wyandotte Tribe of Oklahoma. The Tribe will use the funds to improve water quality in the Neosho River, Spring River, Sycamore Creek, Lost Creek, and Brush Creek watersheds. The funds will also be used for public education and water, sediment and specimen sampling.

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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $100,000 to the Delaware Nation of Oklahoma. The Tribe will use the funds to provide continued support for their water pollution control program. Surface water sampling on Tribal lands will continue to determine if a more thorough watershed management program is needed to develop water quality standards. Data analysis after water sampling will determine if Tribal water quality needs are being met, note any changes in the quality or condition of the Tribe’s water, and understand and define the function and health of water stream ecosystems.

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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $157,106 to the Pueblo of Pojoaque in New Mexico. The Pueblo will use the funds to provide continued support for their water pollution control program. Surface water sampling on Pueblo lands will continue to determine if a more thorough watershed management program is needed to develop water quality standards. Data analysis after water sampling will determine if Pueblo water quality needs are being met, note any changes in the quality or condition of the Pueblo’s water, and understand and define the function and health of water stream ecosystems.

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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $300,000 to the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA). The funds will be used to administer a comprehensive and effective pesticides program. In addition to TDA’s regulatory and enforcement programs, activities include applicator certification and training, worker protection standards, surface and groundwater quality, endangered species, and implementation of the new container/containment rule.

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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $65,000 to the Pueblo of Sandia in New Mexico. The Pueblo will use the funds to provide continued support for their water pollution control program. Surface water sampling on Pueblo lands will continue to determine if a more thorough watershed management program is needed to develop water quality standards. Data analysis will help to determine if the Pueblo’s water quality needs are being met, note any changes in the quality or condition of the Pueblo’s water, and understand and define the function and health of the stream ecosystems.

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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $105,000 to the Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma. The Tribe will use the funds to provide continued support for their water pollution control program. Surface water sampling on Tribal lands will continue to determine if a more thorough watershed management program is needed to develop water quality standards. Data analysis after water sampling will determine if Tribal water quality needs are being met, note any changes in the quality or condition of the Tribe’s water, and understand and define the function and health of water stream ecosystems.

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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $80,000 to the Citizen Potawatomi Nation of Oklahoma. The Tribe will use the funds to provide continued support for their water pollution control program. Surface water sampling on Tribal lands will continue to determine if a more thorough watershed management program is needed to develop water quality standards. Data analysis after water sampling will determine if Tribal water quality needs are being met, note any changes in the quality or condition of the Tribe’s water, and understand and define the function and health of water stream ecosystems.

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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $65,000 to the Pueblo of Jemez in New Mexico. The Pueblo will use the funds to provide continued support for their water pollution control program. Surface water sampling on Pueblo lands will continue to determine if a more thorough watershed management program is needed to develop water quality standards. Data analysis after water sampling will determine if Pueblo water quality needs are being met, note any changes in the quality or condition of the Pueblo’s water, and understand and define the function and health of water stream ecosystems.

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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $166,000 to the Pueblo of Santa Clara in New Mexico. The Pueblo will use the funds to provide continued support for their water pollution control program. Surface water sampling on Pueblo lands will continue to determine if a more thorough watershed management program is needed to develop water quality standards. Data analysis after water sampling will determine if Pueblo water quality needs are being met, note any changes in the quality or condition of the Pueblo’s water, and understand and define the function and health of water stream ecosystems.

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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $65,000 to the Muscogee (Creek) Nation of Oklahoma. The Tribe will use the funds to provide continued support for their water pollution control program. Surface water sampling on Tribal lands will continue to determine if a more thorough watershed management program is needed to develop water quality standards. Data analysis after water sampling will determine if Tribal water quality needs are being met, note any changes in the quality or condition of the Tribe’s water, and understand and define the function and health of water stream ecosystems.

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Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth are leading the nation in Energy Star qualified homes, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today. The enormously successful program achieved a major milestone recently with one million Energy Star qualified homes constructed in the United States since the program began labeling new homes. Americans have saved $1.2 billion on their energy bills and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 22 billion pounds. This year alone, families in Energy Star qualified homes will save more than $270 million on their utility bills, while avoiding greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from about 370,00 vehicles.

Houston has the most Energy Star qualified homes with 144,000 constructed since EPA began the program in 1995, and the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is second with 103,000. Other Texas areas in the top 20 national markets are San Antonio with 19,000 homes (No. 8) and Austin with 13,000 homes built (No. 14).

“By making smart energy choices, thousands of Texans are saving millions each year,” said EPA Acting Regional Administrator Lawrence E. Starfield. “By taking a few common sense steps to conserve home energy use, we can get the most out of our energy dollars and save on utility bills.”

To earn the Energy Star label, a home must meet strict energy efficiency guidelines set by EPA. Those guidelines can be met through established, reliable building techniques available to most American homeowners. Those include effective insulation systems, high-performance windows, tight construction and ducts, efficient heating and cooling equipment, and high-efficiency lighting and appliances. In addition, a home energy rater conducts onsite testing and inspections to verify that the home’s performance meets Energy Star requirements.

There are more than 6,500 builders across the nation building homes that earn the Energy Star label and qualified homes can be found in every state in the country.

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The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $325,263 to the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry. The funds will be used to administer a comprehensive and effective State Pesticide Regulatory Program and maintain an effective pesticide enforcement program. ODAFF will also use the funds for applicator certification, worker protection standards, and groundwater and endangered species programs.

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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $125,000 to the Otoe-Missouria Tribe to continue the Tribe’s water quality program. The funds will be used for water quality sampling to assess surface water quality on the Tribal lands. Data analysis will also help detect any changes to the quality and the condition of the Tribe's water, and assess the health of stream ecosystems.

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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $91,903 to the Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo of New Mexico to continue the Pueblo’s water pollution control program. The funds will be used for water sampling to assess surface water quality on the Pueblo’s reservation. Data analysis will also help detect any changes to the quality and the condition of the Pueblo's water, and assess the health of the stream ecosystem.

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Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson announced President Barack Obama’s selection of Dr. Alfredo “Al” Armendariz to be the Agency’s Regional Administrator for EPA’s region 6. This region encompasses Louisiana, Arkansas, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma and 66 Tribal Nations.

"I look forward to working closely with Al Armendariz on the range of urgent environmental issues we face, in region 6 and across the nation," said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "At this moment of great challenge and even greater opportunity, I'm thrilled that Al will be part of our leadership team at EPA. He will certainly play an instrumental role in our Agency's mission to protect our health and the environment."

Regional Administrators are responsible for managing the Agency’s regional activities under the direction of the EPA Administrator. They promote state and local environmental protection efforts and serve as a liaison to state and local government officials. Regional Administrators are tasked with ensuring EPA's efforts to address the environmental crises of today are rooted in three fundamental values: science-based policies and programs, adherence to the rule of law, and transparency.

Dr. Alfredo “Al” Armendariz is an Associate Professor at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas where he has taught environmental and civil engineering. For the past 15 years, Armendariz has worked in a variety of research and academic positions and has published several research papers. After college, he worked as a research assistant at the MIT Center for Global Change Science at their Atmospheric Chemistry Laboratory in Massachusetts. He later joined Radian Corporation in North Carolina as a chemical engineer and in 2002 he joined the faculty at Southern Methodist University and also spent a summer on special assignment to EPA’s Dallas office as an Environmental Scientist. At Southern Methodist University he’s received several outstanding faculty awards and was selected as a Royster Society Fellow at the University of North Carolina. Armendariz received his Science Bachelor in chemical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), received his Masters of Engineering in Environmental Engineering from the University of Florida and his Doctorate in Environmental Engineering from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $226,593 to the Arkansas State Plant Board. The funds will be used to administer a comprehensive and effective State Pesticide Regulatory Program, ensure pesticides are used in compliance with labeling instructions, and ensure pesticides produced and/or distributed in Arkansas comply with federal and state regulations. The funds will also provide laboratory support for pesticide analysis and an effective pesticide enforcement program.

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Annual competition gives students chance to raise awareness, win prizes; deadline: April 7, 2010

Students can help raise awareness about sun safety and win prizes by entering the 2010 SunWise with SHADE poster contest. The annual contest is a joint effort by the SHADE Foundation of America, WeatherBug Schools and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to teach children ways to protect their skin and eyes from excessive sun exposure. Last year’s winner, a 13-year-old from Bernville, Pennsylvania, showed a girl talking to her friend about her unhealthy relationship with the sun.

Too much sun can lead to skin cancer, cataracts and other eye damage, and immune system suppression. Sun protection is especially important for children because unprotected exposure in childhood increases the chances of developing the most dangerous form of skin cancer, melanoma. One in 55 children born in 2005 will develop melanoma during their lifetime—almost 30 times higher than the rate for people born in 1930.

“As the school year gets under way, this contest is the perfect forum to remind families and schools that simple steps like wearing hats, sunglasses and shirts, using sunscreen, and staying in the shade can greatly reduce their risk of getting a sunburn, or worse, skin cancer,” said Acting EPA Regional Administrator Lawrence E. Starfield. “In fact, skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. The SunWise with SHADE poster contest is a fun, creative way to increase awareness of the importance of being safe in the sun.”

In 2009, the poster contest featured entrants from all states in EPA’s Region 6, a noteworthy accomplishment. State winners included:

Arkansas: Alexis B. of Greers Ferry

Louisiana: Deborah K. of Mandeville

New Mexico: Angel R. of Las Cruces

Oklahoma: Jessica S. of Tulsa

Texas: Kaylie M. of Hewitt

The contest due date is April 7, 2010. Starting this year, there are two age categories for poster entries—kindergarten through third grade, and fourth through eighth grade. Students in both categories must submit hand-drawn posters on 8.5 x 11 inch pieces of paper. Entries must be original, creative, show ways to prevent skin cancer and raise sun safety awareness, and must be attached to an official entry form, which can be found at www.shadefoundation.org/programs/poster-contest/.

Poster winners receive state and national prizes, with the national winner in the 4th-8th grade category receiving a family trip to Disney World and a WeatherBug Tracking Station for his/her school with lifetime access to WeatherBug Achieve. The WeatherBug Schools Program (www.weatherbugschools.com) is committed to providing an engaging teaching tool for schools nationwide. With WeatherBug, teachers can create customized learning activities based on current and historical weather conditions from the WeatherBug Tracking Station and compare local conditions to 8,000 other stations nationwide.

The SHADE Foundation’s mission is to eradicate melanoma through the education of children and the community in the prevention and detection of skin cancer and the promotion of sun safety.

EPA’s SunWise Program is an environmental and health education program that uses classroom and community tools to teach children and their caregivers how to protect themselves from overexposure to the sun.

More than 80,000 students have helped spread the message of sun safety by participating in the annual contest since its creation in 2003. Additional information on SunWise and the 2010 SHADE poster contest is available at epa.gov/sunwise/

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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $85,000 to the Pueblo of Santa Ana in New Mexico. The Pueblo will use the funds to provide continued support for their water pollution control program. Surface water sampling on Pueblo lands will continue to determine if a more thorough watershed management program is needed to develop water quality standards. Data analysis after water sampling will determine if Pueblo water quality needs are being met, note any changes in the quality or condition of the Pueblo’s water, and understand and define the function and health of water stream ecosystems.

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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $200,000 to the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. The Tribe will use the funds to continue implementing a Lead-Based Paint Program authorized by EPA. The overall goal is to administer the program, provide training for inspectors, conduct inspections of licensed contractors engaged in lead-based paint activities and take appropriate enforcement actions when needed. The Cherokee Nation will continue to operate the program by conducting investigations, certification and accreditation, compliance and assistance, and risk communication.

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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $13,151,000 to the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) to provide loan assistance to eligible public water systems for infrastructure improvements needed to ensure safe drinking water. The following types of set-aside activities will also be funded: administrative, small systems/technical assistance, state programs management, and local assistance.