Research Highlights

Earth Day Activities Extend EPA Outreach

"Pandy Pollution" has represented EPA Cincinnati at environmental community activities for many years. Podcasts Listen to or download the podcast to learn more about how NRMRL research helps to support the protection of human health and the environment.

While its mission focuses on laboratory research and engineering, EPA’s National Risk Management Research Laboratory has never been an Ivory Tower, isolated from the real-world concerns of its community. Take Earth Day, for example. Employees of the EPA facility in Cincinnati have been involved in the growth of this grass-roots celebration nearly from its birth. This April 19, EPA Cincinnati’s Office of Public Affairs will partner with the Greater Cincinnati Earth Coalition to present Earth Day as a major community event.

Earth Day Cincinnati

EPA’s Earth Day 2008 programs will be offered at two locations: in-house at the EPA facility and downtown on the shores of the Ohio River at Cincinnati’s Sawyer Point. EPA volunteers have been part of the downtown activities since 1990 and presentations have grown annually along with attendance. In 2007, nearly 10,000 visitors ranging from pre-schoolers to seniors visited EPA/Greater Cincinnati Earth Coalition exhibits to sample hands-on learning activities and gather information on environmental issues. Most of these programs will be available again this year. Here’s a sampling:

A 9-foot by 28-foot tank of raw Ohio River water contributed by the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission allows visitors to see the varieties of fish that can now be found in the river thanks to pollution control measures.

Homeowners concerned about household contaminants, such as mold, lead, asbestos or radon, appreciate the information on these topics available from various exhibition booths. Last Earth Day, thousands of handouts were distributed to help people understand and control these potential health risks.

Teachers may preview and order EPA’s free lesson plans that offer interesting new ways to help students respect the natural world and its immense variety. Many thousands of these lesson plans have been provided to science teachers at Earth Day celebrations. One favorite EPA activity booklet, “Always a River,” has been distributed locally and mailed all over the United States to show students the ecological and environmental impact of the Ohio River on their lives.

An annual contest for third and fourth graders challenges them to create wearable costumes using recycled materials. Winners appear on stage on Earth Day to show and tell how they assembled their materials. Cash prizes and a community audience provide the incentives for these imaginative creations.

EPA staffers assist with annual Earth Day awards, presented by the Greater Cincinnati Earth Coalition to nominees whose environmental efforts have made the city a better place to live. Awards are given to winners in five categories: Citizen, Business Organization, Student, Government Agency, and Teacher.

Since the 1990s, EPA Cincinnati employees have distributed more than 10,000 Earth Day tree seedlings, both evergreen and deciduous varieties, which are provided annually at no charge by regional forestry agencies.

Over 50 exhibitors, representing local gardening clubs, birding hobbyists, and environmental craft groups, participate in Sawyer Point Earth Day activities. The Sierra Club’s rock-climbing wall attracts vigorous visitors, while its environmental preservation activities interest earth-bound folks.

In the 1990s, the Cincinnati EPA facility began showcasing juried high school science projects in the lobby of its building on Earth Day. Over the years, more than 200 young scientists-to-be have displayed projects based on such research questions as:

“What types of soft drinks do the most damage to tooth surfaces?”

“Does vitamin C in orange juice degrade over time?”

“Can a rat learn a maze quicker than a gerbil?”

“Does temperature affect the growth of cockroaches?”

Some area high schools have presented research projects for over five years.

Other in-house Earth Week activities designed for EPA employees include fitness and hiking events, neighborhood cleanups, and a bird-watch study.

This April 19, after Cincinnati’s mayor signs the official Earth Day 2008 Proclamation, community members of all ages will find a wide range of fun and learning activities to remind them of the importance of our natural environment and the role of EPA science and engineering in its preservation.

Contact

Cindy Kirchmer, NRMRL Office of Public Affairs (513) 569-7737

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