Last week, Administrator Jackson traveled to Texas to meet with families, students, business owners and local leaders. The two-day trip was part of the Administrator’s ongoing effort to highlight the benefits of clean energy innovation for all Americans and draw attention to environmental pollution’s disproportionate health impacts on poor and minority communities.

Administrator Jackson began her trip in El Paso, Texas, on Thursday with representatives from Congressional Hispanic Caucus member, U.S. Representative Silvestre Reyes’ office (Reyes himself was grounded by bad weather in DC).  They received an on-site briefing of the former American Smelting and Refining Company (ASARCO) facility – once a source of significant air pollution in the region. Today, the air is cleaner, and as plans to revitalize the site take shape EPA is assisting local leaders to see that the land is cleaned up safely and put to good use.  Next, the Administrator hosted a forum on environmental justice issues at El Paso Community College. There she listened to and spoke with citizens about their environmental concerns and addressed the health and economic benefits of clean air and water for communities. Many people expressed concern about negative health impacts the ASARCO plant may have caused themselves and their families. Administrator Jackson pledged that EPA will continue to monitor clean up until the job is done.  The Administrator’s last stop in El Paso was a tour of the Tech H20 Water Resource Learning Center, where the innovations at work are models for communities across the nation. 

On Administrator Jackson’s second day in Texas she traveled to San Antonio where she was joined by Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair U.S. Representative Charles for meetings with local community members, business leaders and students. She, Gonzalez and San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, toured St. Philips College. There the Administrator got a first-hand look at the college’s green jobs training program and how the school is harnessing the abundant clean energy resources in Texas, like solar and wind, to power their campus. Later, Administrator Jackson hosted a round table discussion on environmental justice issues with community members. She ended her time in Texas with a visit to St. Mary’s University, where she hosted a student forum and answered questions about winning the future through investment in green job innovation and other major environmental issues.

This week, Administrator Jackson traveled to Ohio and Michigan to kick off new partnerships that will bring EPA researchers and innovators together with American entrepreneurs to help improve our health, the environment and the economy.

On Tuesday the Administrator was at EPA’s National Risk Management and Research Laboratory in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she joined Small Business Administrator Karen Mills, local leaders, research partners, small businesses and large corporations to announce the formation of a Water Technology Innovation Cluster (WTIC). 

In her remarks, the Administrator spoke about the potential for protecting the health of millions of Americans by bringing together the resources and talents present in the Cluster.  The WTIC will lead the way in state-of-the-art safeguards for clean water and drinking water, and represents EPA’s latest step to rethink the way we confront 21st century water challenges.

To learn more about the Cluster, please read the piece
Administrators Jackson and Mills co-wrote for the Cincinnati Enquirer.

From Cincinnati, Administrator Jackson traveled to EPA’s National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Lab in Ann Arbor, Michigan. There, Administrator Jackson and Sergio Marchionne, Chairman of Chrysler, initiated a new partnership to explore innovations that will power the cars of the future.

The partnership’s first order of business is to work to employ hydraulic hybrid technology – a cost-effective way to improve fuel efficiency already being used by commercial trucks – in light-duty vehicles starting with minivans. In her remarks, Administrator Jackson addressed the possibilities for working with Chrysler and other carmakers to find new, innovative technology that can cut greenhouse gases and increase fuel economy. “The partnership we’re marking today shows that – if we take the right steps – we can preserve our climate, protect our health and strengthen our economy all at the same time.”

Last week EPA commemorated its 40th anniversary with events across the nation. Administrator Jackson spent the week speaking to students, scientists, EPA employees and others about the Agency’s role, goals for the future, and many accomplishments since its founding on December 2, 1970.

The Administrator kicked off EPA’s anniversary week at the Aspen Institute, which unveiled its list of “10 ways the EPA has strengthened America.”(PDF 8pp 346KB)  This list helps all Americans recall what life was like before EPA opened its doors — when Los Angeles was known as the smog capital of the world and Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River actually caught fire because of industrial waste and other pollution contaminating its waters.

In addition to reflecting on EPA’s accomplishments, Administrator Jackson visited with people working to confront today’s environmental challenges. She talked with students in Atlanta and New York City who are taking action to protect their local environments, and spoke before the National Academy of Sciences on efforts to incorporate sustainability into EPA’s mission of protecting human health and the environment.

On Friday, Administrator Jackson keynoted Harvard University’s conference on EPA’s 40th anniversary, discussing the challenges the agency will confront in the future.  In the last 40 years, “hard won advances have created healthier families, cleaner communities and a stronger America,” Administrator Jackson said at Harvard.  “Some think it’s time to roll back the clock on those advances.  But we know that is not what the American people want.  This is a time to use this agency – built and shaped through bipartisan and nonpartisan actions – to serve this country.”

Throughout the week, the Administrator took time to thank EPA employees for the work they do each day, saying that every American has benefitted from the dedication and passion of EPA’s workers. This week we honor their work for healthier families, cleaner communities and a stronger America by ensuring that EPA continues to improve the lives of every American for the next 40 years and beyond.

For more information about EPA’s 40th anniversary – including a video that highlights some of the Agency’s significant achievements in protecting Americans’ health and environment – please visit EPA@40’s Anniversary web site.

Today EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson joined White House Domestic Policy Council Director Melody Barnes, Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Ray LaHood and Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan to highlight more than $400 million in investments made through the EPA-DOT-HUD Partnership for Sustainable Communities. This funding will be used to accelerate job growth and rebuild our foundations for prosperity by making American communities more economically and environmentally sustainable.

The Partnership for Sustainable Communities brings together the three agencies’ resources and expertise, allowing targeted investments to have a greater impact and ensuring that all development strategies meet the housing, transportation and environmental needs essential to the success of every community. These efforts are already helping to create healthier, more sustainable communities, and opening up better opportunities to attract new jobs and investments.

Over the past year, HUD, DOT and EPA have worked together to promote economically and environmentally sustainable growth.  In her remarks, Administrator Jackson spoke about EPA’s recent work through the Partnership to enhance Brownfields cleanup and redevelopment, provide Smart Growth assistance to communities across the nation, and work for environmental justice.

“It’s a testament to the leadership of this administration that – in very tough times, when it would have been easy to tell EPA to sit back and wait – we were instead mobilized to do things that we know will benefit local economies and create good, green jobs,” said Administrator Jackson. “EPA is very proud to be part of the solution in these tough times for so many American communities. And we’re very proud of what this Partnership with HUD and DOT has accomplished in just a short time.”