EPA's Region 6 News and Events

EPA in Your State

Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and 66 Tribal Nations

Hurricane Isaac

EPA and the United States Coast Guard are working together with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality to identify and address spills and releases of oil and hazardous materials to protect public health and the environment. EPA is also providing assistance to Louisiana to assess waste water and drinking water facilities in storm affected areas.

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Recovery After a Storm

What you can do to help protect yourself and property. Never run a generator indoors. Avoid contact with flood water. Learn more about flooded drinking water wells and septic systems.

More on hurricane recovery

Mosquito Control Programs

EPA ensures that state and local mosquito control departments have access to effective mosquito control tools that they can use without posing unreasonable risk to human health and the environment. EPA's rigorous pesticide review process is designed to ensure that registered mosquitocides used according to label directions and precautions can further reduce disease-carrying mosquito populations. State and local government agencies play a critical role in protecting public health from mosquito-borne diseases. They serve on the front line, providing information through their outreach programs to the medical and environmental surveillance networks that first identify possible outbreaks. They also manage the mosquito control programs that carry out prevention, public education and vector population management.

Working Together to Protect the Environment

The EPA and states share responsibility for protecting human health and the environment. This unique relationship is the cornerstone of the nation's environmental protection system. Working together, we have made enormous progress in protecting our air, water and land resources. Under traditional environmental program grants, states receive funds to implement the various water, air, waste, pesticides and toxic substances programs.

EPA Region 6 Urges Citizens to Clear out Medicine Cabinets for National Prescription Drug Take Back Day

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is lending its support and expertise to the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, sponsored by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, which will take place at sites throughout the country on Saturday, September 29, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Citizens may bring unwanted solid prescription and over-the-counter medicines to any collection location to be disposed of safely. Liquids, such as cough syrup will not be accepted. Unused drugs that sit on shelves around the home may present a danger to people as well as ecosystems. Removing unused medications from households can help prevent intentional misuse and unintentional poisonings of children and pets. Dumping the medication down the drain or flushing it down the toilet can become a source of water contamination.

2012 Children’s Heath Fall Festival

In celebration of Children’s Health Month, the Environmental Protection Agency is partnering with the City of Dallas, Children’s Medical Center and Parkland Hospital to host a Children’s Health Fall Festival on October 6, 2012 at the Nash Davis Recreation Center located at 3710 N. Hampton Road in Dallas, Texas. Exhibitors from numerous organizations around Dallas will provide information to parents on how to protect children from environmental risks to their health. EPA recognizes Children's Health Month each October by developing publications and activities that highlight the importance of protecting children from environmental risks.

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Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Opens Water Treatment Facility in Las Cruces

On August 23, officials from the Environmental Protection Agency, City of Las Cruces, Doña Ana County and the New Mexico Environment Department celebrated the opening of a water treatment facility in Las Cruces to remove contaminants from groundwater during a ribbon cutting ceremony.

The new facility will remove the chemical perchloroethylene, commonly known as PCE, from groundwater in the area known as the Griggs and Walnut Groundwater Plume Superfund site. PCE is a man-made substance widely used for dry cleaning fabrics and textiles and for metal degreasing operations.

News release

Use Smart Irrigation

Did you know that more than 50 percent of water used to irrigate lawns and gardens is wasted? The amount of water wasted by the average homeowner in just one year could be enough to fill three backyard swimming pools! Properly watering during the long hot summers in EPA’s South Central region can result in health plants as well significant water savings.

Visit EPA's WaterSense page for tips to help you conserve and use water efficiently. EPA’s WaterSense Program also provides cost-efficient and environmentally friendly solutions for landscaping, By taking a few simple steps when designing and maintaining your yard, you and your family can enjoy a unique, attractive landscape that saves water.