EPA Office of Air and Radiation Transfers Excess PPE for Use Fighting COVID-19

 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Air and Radiation (OAR) announced that it is transferring nearly 9,500 items of excess personal protective equipment (PPE) to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide emergency and health professionals on the COVID-19 frontlines. The agency maintains a supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) for mission-critical work such as lab work and responding to emergencies, including chemical, oil, radiological and biological incidents.

“EPA is working hard to support our nation’s first responders as they make personal sacrifices during the coronavirus pandemic,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “After searching our inventory of personal protective equipment, we identified excess supplies and sent them to the first responders on the frontlines of this fight.”

The National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory (NVFEL) in Ann Arbor, MI, the National Analytical Radiation Environmental Laboratory (NAREL) in Montgomery, AL, and the National Center for Radiation Field Operations (NCRFO) in Las Vegas, NV identified nearly 9,500 pieces of excess personal protective equipment after assessing how much equipment would be needed to support EPA’s essential functions. Among the items are face shields, protective disposable gloves, and full-body protective suits. EPA is transferring the excess equipment while still maintaining its emergency response readiness.

EPA is following through on an agency-wide plan for distribution of available PPE to FEMA to support ongoing COVID-19 operations.