What You Can Do - Land Topics

General Land Topics	Guide for Industrial Waste Management Managing Hazardous Waste in Your Community The Hazardous Waste Permitting Process: A Citizens Guide Wastes Environmental Justice Program Consumers Handbook for Reducing Solid Waste Tips for Reducing Solid Waste
Land Cover	Preserve open space in your community to provide opportunities for recreation, safeguard important environmental and ecological functions, and enhance quality of life. Preserve trees and native vegetation in your landscape to the extent possible. Learn about national land-cover data and related information gathered by various federal agencies. Explore EPA's Window to My Environment database which integrates environmental data with local geography to answer questions about air, land, and water in your community.
Land Use	Get involved with development in your community and encourage developers to follow smart growth principles. When building a new house, choose a developed site rather than building on undeveloped land. Also, support reinvestments in existing community infrastructure, such as efforts to preserve historic buildings. Apply greenscaping practices to your property that protect and preserve natural resources. Become familiar with and support sustainable programs and practices that meet the requirements of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Wastes and the Environment	Consider reusing items like containers and bags. Rent or borrow things you use infrequently, and donate clothes, furniture, and other objects you no longer need, rather than discarding them. Whenever possible, purchase household products with the least amount of toxic chemicals and dispose of leftover materials properly. Donate your old computers and electronic products to a local eCycling program which can ensure their recovery, reuse, and proper management of any hazardous components. Explore ways to ensure the safe recovery or disposal of used cars and automotive parts and products including tires, batteries, antifreeze, and motor oil. If you are a small business owner that generates hazardous waste, understand your responsibilities (31pp, 995K) under the law and find out if management regulations apply to you. Recycle whenever possible and check your local waste disposal service to determine what containers are accepted for recycling in your community.
Chemicals Applied and Released to Land	Consider ways to reduce or eliminate your use of fertilizers and use products that contain natural organic or slow-release ingredients to reduce nutrient runoff into ground and surface waters. Use the Toxics Release Inventory Explorer to find out about toxic and hazardous chemicals released from facilities in your community. Contribute ideas and information during the permitting process of facilities that transport, store, or dispose of hazardous waste in your community. Ask your grocer about organic foods and products which are now available in many supermarkets. If you grow your own vegetables or buy from a local community market, practice and support integrated pest management practices as an alternative to pesticide use.
Contaminated Land	Locate sites on the Superfund National Priorities List and find information about their status, contaminants of concern, and other details. Participate in a Superfund community involvement program to have an early and meaningful voice in cleanup decisions. Support land revitalization initiatives which clean up previously contaminated sites and ensure their reuse as public parks, community development sites, or other projects. Consult the RCRA Corrective Action Baseline to track the progress of high-priority cleanups at hazardous waste management facilities in your state.

What You Can Do - Land Topics

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