Environmental and public health protection in the United States begins on the front lines at the state and local levels. The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Research and Development (ORD) provides vital scientific and technical resources to states and their communities, including the technical support and training, science-based tools, and innovative approaches and methods they need to meet their highest priority environmental and public health challenges. To make our research and resources more responsive to state science priorities and needs, EPA ORD engages and collaborates regularly with our state partners including the Environmental Research Institute of the States (ERIS)—the research arm of the Environmental Council of the States (ECOS)—and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO).
Staff from ECOS, ASTHO and ORD will co-present this webinar, highlighting mutually beneficial projects stemming from EPA’s partnership with state environmental and public health agencies. These efforts include involving states in the development of EPA’s Strategic Research Action Plans 2019-2022 and collaborative projects with state environmental health experts, including the development of a PFAS Risk Communications Hub and the Wildfire Smoke Guide for Public Health Officials. We will also feature new web resources on how EPA research supports states. Webinar participants will learn how to access these resources that illustrate the positive impacts of our ORD-state partnerships.