August 1, 2006 -- OEC Wins EPA Children's Environmental Health Excellence Award

Portland, OR — The Oregon Environmental Council has been named as a recipient of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2006 Children’s Environmental Health Excellence Award for outstanding commitment to protecting children from environmental health risks.   OEC was the only winner on the West Coast.

“This is such a great honor,” said Jeff Allen, OEC’s Executive Director. “We are gratified to receive national recognition for our children’s environmental health work. Through these and other programs, OEC empowers Oregonians to make easy choices that improve our environment and our health. This award highlights our success at that.”

OEC received the award for two innovative programs -- Eco-Healthy Child Care and Tiny FootprintsTM.  These programs are designed to help parents and caregivers protect Oregon children from toxins and other environmental health hazards.

Tiny FootprintsTM enables new parents to create a healthy home environment. The Tiny Footprints Baby Shower Kit offers information and tools for throwing an eco-healthy baby shower. At www.tinyfootprints.org, parents can find eco-healthy resources and online conversations on topics of shared interest.

Eco-Healthy Childcare recognizes childcare providers who take steps to reduce the presence of potential environmental health threats. Childcare providers qualify as Eco-Healthy if they can meet 20 of 25 items on a best practices checklist. Qualifying facilities receive a colorful sticker and poster that demonstrate their commitment to being Eco-Healthy.  Nearly 70 childcare providers, serving over 1,500 children across the state, have already qualified as Eco-Healthy (see www.oeconline.org/kidshealth/ecoqualified for the most up-to-date list of qualified providers).

The Children’s Environmental Health Excellence Award was created by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Children’s Health Protection to raise awareness and highlight the importance of protecting children from environmental risks. The awards are designed to increase awareness, stimulate activity, and recognize efforts that protect children from environmental health risks at the local, regional, national, and international level.

“This year’s winners demonstrate strong commitment to children’s environmental health, and EPA is proud to be recognizing them for their dedication and leadership,” said Dr. William H. Sanders III, Acting Director Office of Children’s Health Protection and Environmental Education.

Founded in 1968, the Oregon Environmental Council (OEC) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization with members throughout the state. We bring Oregonians together for a healthy environment. Through programs such as the Bottle Bill, curbside recycling and the creation of local watershed councils, OEC has played a leadership role in helping Oregonians be part of the solution to environmental problems. Our current programs focus on protecting kids’ health from toxic pollution, cleaning up Oregon’s rivers, and protecting our climate by curbing vehicle pollution.

For more information about these and other OEC programs, visit www.oeconline.org.

For more information about the Children’s Environmental Health Excellence Award, see http://yosemite.epa.gov/ochp/ochpweb.nsf/content/2006_CEH_Awards.htm.

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