7.5 Community Involvement & Outreach.  

MIT's EHS Policy clearly articulates the Institute's commitment to the well-being of the community in which it operates. Acting on this commitment, MIT participates in numerous community-focused activities that promote sound EHS practices and performance. The following select examples showcase the variety of current MIT community-focused EHS activities:

• Environmental Virtual Campus*- A web-based "virtual campus" compliance assistance tool for use by colleges and universities.
• Urban Focus: MIT-Cambridge Schools Collaboration on Education for the Environment*- A collaboration with the Cambridge Public School system to perform three urban environmental projects.   The goal of this collaboration is to provide lasting benefits to the local urban environment as well as to develop enhanced environmental consciousness among local citizens.
• Cambridge Public Schools Science Lab Project - A collaboration between the MIT EHS Office, Harvard University, and the Cambridge Public Schools to develop an EHS program for the Cambridge Public School science labs.
• Cambridge Climate Action Initiative - MIT is assisting the City of Cambridge to achieve the goals set by the Cambridge Climate Action Plan through existing and future environmental initiatives.
• Stata Center Biofiltration Stormwater System*- A biofiltration stormwater system for MIT's new Stata Center building that will help improve the health of the Charles River.
• Vassar Street Utilities and Streetscape Projects - Installation of a bicycle lane, better sidewalks, trees, new steam and condense lines, hot water piping, telephone/data and electrical duct banks, fire protection water lines, water, sewer, and storm drain on Vassar Street. This includes the burial of overhead telephone and electric lines to incorporate the physical and aesthetic connections among MIT's buildings and public spaces. This project results in a greener, more pedestrian and bike-friendly streetscape.

* This project was undertaken by MIT in connection with the settlement of an enforcement action brought by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Justice for alleged violations of the Federal Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. There was no actual harm to the environment.