In Your Community

Earth Day events
How do I learn about environmental conditions in my community?
How can I help to prevent pollution?
How can I help manage waste?
Is the air outside healthy?
How can I learn about toxic releases?
How can I protect my drinking water?
Is it safe to swim at my favorite beach?
How can I prevent marine engine pollution?
How can I protect my watershed?
Get even more tips that you can use to help protect the environment.

How do I learn about environmental conditions in my community?
Window To My Environment helps you make a map of your community with links to data and information about air quality, water quality, drinking water safety, and toxic releases in your area. It combines interactive maps with links to federal, state and local environmental resources to answer questions about what is being done to protect the environment in your community.
For more information:

• Window to My Environment

How can I help to prevent pollution?
Now you can prevent pollution in lots of environmentally and economically beneficial ways. Extracting and using raw materials creates pollution and uses energy. By changing the way you use products and resources you can prevent pollution and save money. Preventing pollution provides cleaner air and water, less waste in landfills, conservation of natural resources, reduced soil erosion, lower electricity and water bills, and increased property values.
For more information:

• Reduce your "environmental footprint" at home and in your community through these pollution prevention activities

Top of page

How can I help manage waste?
Citizens in every community - including schools, businesses, and local governments - must work together to reduce and better manage our waste.
For more information:

• The What You Can Do Web site provides resources that explain solid and hazardous waste issues at the local level, and help you improve your community environment.
• El reciclaje

Is the air outside healthy?
EPA's Air Quality Index (AQI) provides daily air quality reports. The AQI tells you how clean or polluted your outdoor air is, and what associated health effects might be a concern for you. The AQI focuses on health effects you may experience within a few hours or days after breathing polluted air.
For more information:

• Learn more about your air quality at the AIRNow Web site.
• Hoja de datos sobre el índice de calidad aéreo

How can I learn about toxic releases?
EPA's Toxics Release Inventory contains information on releases of nearly 650 chemicals and chemical substances from facilities including manufacturing, metal and coal mining, electric utilities, and commercial hazardous waste treatment, among others.
For more information:

• Use the TRI Explorer to make your own report on the sources of toxics releases in your community, county or state.

Top of page

How can I protect my drinking water?
There are lots of ways that you can help keep your local water supply safe. You can help to protect the watershed that surrounds it.
For more information:

• How you can protect your drinking water
• Cómo puedo ayudar a proteger el agua potable

Is it safe to swim at my favorite beach?
Find out whether your favorite beach water quality is being monitored, who is responsible for the monitoring, the pollutants that are being monitored, and whether advisories or closures have been issued.
For more information:

• Plan your trip to the beach
• Earth 911's Beach Water Quality Site  

How can I prevent marine engine pollution?
If you’re one of 12 million boat owners in the United States, you can find ways to reduce hydrocarbon and nitrogen oxides emissions from your engine.
For more information:

• Boating Pollution Prevention Tips

How can I protect my watershed?
You can join the Watershed Information Network, discover what you can do to make a difference in your watershed, and learn more about nearby estuaries, lakes, streams, and rivers.
For more information:

• Watershed Information Network
• Fifteen Things You Can Do to Make a Difference in Your Watershed