The Environmental Protection Agency recently named five cities that are the first to participate in the Greening America's Capitals program and receive free assistance from the government. This program will stress turning the capitals into models of sustainable design, and institute measures to modernize their facilities.

The state capitals chosen are Boston, Jefferson City, Mo., Hartford, Conn., Charleston, W. Va., and Little Rock, Ark. The program itself launched this summer and is listed under the Partnership for Sustainable Communities initiative. The EPA is working in partnership with the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Transportation.