EPA Signs Agencywide Cooperative Agreement With ASTHO to Support States on Environmental Health
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced in Washington on November 4 that it has entered into a new agencywide cooperative agreement with the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) to support states and territories in addressing environmental health challenges, according to the agency's official release received by GSM.
"Protecting public and environmental health works best when federal, state, and territorial partners work together," said Associate Deputy Administrator Travis Voyles. "This collaboration between EPA and ASTHO puts cooperative federalism into action by bringing public health and environmental expertise to the same table, delivering impactful and timely results to improve environmental outcomes for communities across the country." Dr. Meredith Allen, ASTHO's vice president of health security, said the agreement strengthens the partnership between ASTHO and EPA and supports state and territorial health agencies in addressing environmental health challenges and protecting the health of their communities.
Under the agreement, EPA and ASTHO will continue collaborating on shared environmental health priorities, including water safety, wildfire smoke, data centers, PFAS, lead, and indoor air quality. EPA scientists and engineers will provide technical assistance to enhance state and territorial capacity through knowledge sharing and capacity building, including webinars, in-person meetings, and technical training.
The agreement also supports a recently signed memorandum of agreement among EPA, ASTHO, and the Environmental Council of the States (ECOS) to collaborate on environmental health projects, protect public health from environmental threats and hazards, and strengthen environmental health systems nationwide. EPA said the work also supports its contributions to the Federal Lead Action Plan and President Trump's Make America Healthy Again initiative.
(Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：美国环境保护署总部大楼（GSM 联邦机构固定图库）。 / Photo: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency headquarters building (GSM federal fixed image library).
