Penn State was one of sixteen project sponsors to share $2.7 million in grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to continue progress on solving local health and environmental issues.

The Community Action for a Renewed Environment grants address a wide variety of environmental health issues in both rural and urban areas.

Penn State University received a Level II CARE cooperative agreement grant to develop IPM management practice recommendations and policies at the national, regional, state and local levels. Philadelphia neighborhoods targeted for this project are located in low income areas.

These communities were selected because they contain a large percentage of family households with significant populations of elderly and children less than 18 years of age. Houses in these communities were built between 1940 and 1960. Residents in these communities are vulnerable to pest and pesticide exposures.

The goal of this two year, Level II risk-reduction project, is to measurably reduce the negative environmental and public health impacts by pesticides on the selected community. It is expected to result in a significant reduction of human exposure to pesticide pollutants in the home, air and water.

Critical topics include pesticide contamination issues in multiple environments and simple steps to reduce these exposures. The major effort is to educate the community in using specific, effective, affordable and less toxic IPM solutions to address pest problems.

Specific goals are: raise awareness and understanding of pest infestation causes and pest and pesticide risks to personal and environmental health; reduce personal pesticide risks and releases into the environment though increasing residents’ ability to apply less toxic IPM solutions; and create educational materials for families, health professionals, educators, and housing entities on prevention of pesticide contamination.

The IPM program formed a three year-old community-based partnership-- Philadelphia School and Community IPM Partnership—which include: The Nurse Family, Philadelphia Health Management Corporation, Children Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia Water Department, Schuykill Center for Environmental Education, and Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

For more information visit the Penn State project description.

11/17/2006