EPA releases new booklet to help houses of worship identify and reduce environmental health hazards
Booklet focuses on keeping children safe and healthy where they worship
WASHINGTON (October 2, 2019) — In accordance with Children’s Health Month, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced the release of a new EPA booklet, Supporting Healthy Houses of Worship: Effective, Affordable Measures to Protect the Health of Congregations and Staff, on a call today with faith-based leaders across the country. This booklet is designed to provide places of worship with information on actions they can take to reduce environmental health risks, with a special emphasis on children’s health, as children are particularly vulnerable to many environmental risks.
“Churches and houses of worship play a vital role in American society, and we are providing them with voluntary recommendations for effective and affordable measures to protect the health of their congregations and staff,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “This booklet is an important part of EPA’s efforts during Children’s Health Month to highlight all our programs and resources available to protect children where they live, learn and play.”
The booklet is designed to identify some of the most common types of environmental health concerns (e.g., lead, mercury, mold/moisture, radon exposures, etc.) found in older facilities and contains voluntary recommendations that maintenance staff may use to limit risks to congregations. It also provides one-stop access to learn some facts about these issues and existing low-cost or no-cost measures to prevent, reduce and resolve each of the highlighted environmental issues.
To view the booklet: https://www.epa.gov/education/supporting-healthy-houses-worship.
To learn more about EPA’s activities and programs that support environmental education, visit: https://www.epa.gov/education.