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Media Advisory: EPA official to be in Fort Wayne, Ind., Monday for Clean School Bus and Great Lakes Earth Day Challenge events

Release Date: 04/17/2008
Contact Information: William Omohundro, 312-353-8254, [email protected] Krista J. Stockman, 260-467-2022, [email protected] Craig Voros, 260-449-7335, [email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
No. 08-OPA065

Chicago (April 17, 2008) - A senior manager with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 will join Fort Wayne, Allen County and private sector officials Monday, April 21, for two environmental events in Fort Wayne.

At the first event, EPA will recognize the Fort Wayne Community School District for its work using a $50,000 EPA Clean School Bus grant to reduce harmful diesel emissions from its school bus fleet. The event will be at 10:30 a.m. at the South Transportation Center, 6006 Ardmore Ave. In case of rain, it will be at Elmhurst High School next to the transportation center.

Scheduled to be at this event are: Cheryl Newton, acting director of EPA Region 5's Air and Radiation Division; Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry; Fort Wayne Community Schools Transportation Director Gary Lake and other school officials.

At the Great Lakes Earth Day Challenge event, Cheryl Newton will present a check for $24,700 to Tony Burrus, director of the Allen County Solid Waste Management District, for the county's expired and unused medication collection media campaign. The event will be at 1 p.m. at the Walgreen's storefront at State and Wells streets. In case of rain, the event will be inside the store.

Also scheduled to be at this event are: County Commissioner Linda Bloom, Jean Joley of the Allen County TRIAD, Greg Smith of Walgreen's and representatives of the Allen County Sheriff's office and the Fort Wayne Police Department.

EPA's Great Lakes Earth Day Challenge aims to collect at least 1 million pills and 1 million pounds of electronic waste to keep contaminants out of the Great Lakes. More than 70 organizations, communities and businesses across the Great Lakes basin will participate. (Not all communities, including Fort Wayne, will have electronic waste events.)

An unwanted medication collection will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, April 25, at seven Walgreen drug stores in Allen County. The stores are at Clinton Street. at St. Joe Center Road, West Jefferson at Getz Road, Bluffton Road at Lower Huntington Road, State Street at Wells Street, Lincoln Highway West at Brookwood (New Haven), Chapel Ridge at 10170 Maysville Road and 1701 E. Paulding Road at South Anthony Boulevard.

More information on EPA's Clean School Bus USA program is at www.epa.gov/cleanschoolbus. More information on the Great Lakes Earth Day Challenge is at www.epa.gov/greatlakes/earthday2008. Share ideas on EPA's blog at flowoftheriver.epa.gov/greatlakeschallenge.