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EPA Selects Eight Universities to Help Improve Public Health Data and Research

Release Date: 07/25/2013
Contact Information: Cathy Milbourn (News Media Only) [email protected] 202-564-7849 202-564-4355; En español: Lina Younes, [email protected] 202-564-9924 202-564-4355

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today, its selection of academic partners for the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) University Challenge, a project designed to find innovative ways to increase public awareness of toxic chemical releases in their communities and around the country.

“For more than 25 years, EPA has gathered critical environmental data to provide communities with information that empowers them to protect their air, water, and land,” said Renee P. Wynn, acting assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Environmental Information. “Through the TRI University Challenge, we hope to raise student awareness of environmental data and programs while improving research on our environmental challenges to further our work to protect Americans’ health and the environment.”

TRI provides communities with information about toxic chemical releases to the air, water, and land and helps industry, government, non-governmental organizations, and the public make more informed decisions to protect their health and environment.

Through these partnerships, EPA will work with eight diverse academic institutions to develop practical and replicable projects focused on pollution prevention, sustainability, community engagement, and technology for improving the presentation and understanding of TRI data.

The TRI University Challenge is open to anyone connected with an accredited college or university, and project timelines are flexible. The selected projects were proposed by faculty and students from Drew University, Huston-Tillotson University, Indiana University-Bloomington, SUNY Plattsburg, University of California-Los Angeles, University of Washington-Bothell, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, and Washington University in St. Louis.

While there is no financial award for this Challenge, academic partners will receive support from TRI Program staff and national recognition by being featured on the TRI website. In addition, partners will be encouraged to pursue opportunities to speak at relevant conferences and events.

The selected projects will begin in the fall of 2013 and are expected to conclude at the end of the academic school year in the summer of 2014.

More information on the TRI University Challenge: www.epa.gov/tri/university

More information about TRI: www.epa.gov/tri