United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Air and Radiation
6609J
EPA-402-F-00-010D
March 2001
CASE STUDY
CHICOPEE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Chicopee, Massachusetts
Indoor Air Qualify
Tools for Schools
"I found that
being
proactive was
well worth
the time and
effort.
Because our
IAQ Team
represented
all the
different
personnel that
make a school
work, it was
easier for staff
to relate to
each other."
-Jim Stefanik
former Director of
Maintenance
In the fall of 1996, a series of simultaneous events led to Chicopee Public Schools'
involvement in EPA's Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools (IAQ TfS) Program. At that
time, a teacher began complaining to the Chicopee Education Association (the teachers'
association) and the Western Massachusetts Coalition on Occupational Safety and Health
(Western MassCOSH) about respiratory problems she was experiencing while in her
classroom. She threatened to take legal action against the school system if her classroom-
related health problems were not addressed and rectified in a timely manner.
At the same time, Chicopee representatives attended a Western Massachusetts Teachers
Association meeting where Susan DeMaria of Western MassCOSH, a non-profit
organization that provides training for the Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Kit, spoke
about IAQ in schools. They relayed the information presented by Ms. DeMaria to the
leadership of the Chicopee Education Association who arranged a meeting with her
during which they described some of the schools' IAQ problems—poor ventilation, vehicle exhaust
fumes entering classrooms, and mold and mildew. Ms. DeMaria then approached Chicopee Public
Schools to discuss implementing the IAQ TfS Program to address these IAQ problems and improve the
learning and teaching environment for students and staff.
Approach—Project Description
School District Description
Located in Chicopee, Massachusetts (approximately 92 miles southwest of Boston), Chicopee Public
Schools consist of 15 schools, one administrative building, one telecommunications building, and one
alternative school in a leased building. Buildings range in age from 5 to over 100 years. Approximately
7,400 students were enrolled in the Chicopee system during the 1998-99 school year.
IAQ Team
Ms. DeMaria's first step involved contacting the district's Director of Maintenance who then set up
meetings with union representatives. Their support for the IAQ program helped gain buy-in from the
Superintendent and the Chicopee School Committee. In early 1997, Chicopee formed a district-wide
IAQ Team consisting of a custodian with the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union, the
Assistant Director of Maintenance, a teacher representative from the Chicopee Education Association, a
school nurse, the President of the Cafeteria Workers Association, and a teacher with the Chicopee
Council Parent-Teacher Organization (CCPTO). Staff from Western MassCOSH trained the IAQ Team
on how to use the IAQ TfS Kit, how to conduct effective IAQ meetings, and they participated in the first
round of school walkthroughs. They also discussed who should be involved in the process of IAQ
problem identification and remediation, how to prioritize problems, and how to obtain funding for
improvements. The Team held meetings with CCPTO members to hear their concerns about potential
IAQ problems.
Problem Identification
The Chicopee IAQ Team designed a problem identification process that focused on one school at a time.
A school was randomly chosen from names in a hat, with the understanding that IAQ in all schools
would eventually be evaluated. Once a school was chosen, letters were sent to parents informing them
that the district would be evaluating and improving the school's indoor environment. The Team also
made plans to attend the school's staff meetings to talk about the IAQ TfS Program, explain and distribute
the IAQ checklists, and answer any questions regarding IAQ. The IAQ Backgrounder, a document found
in the IAQ TfS Kit, was made available in the school office for interested staff, parents, and students.
(over)
-------
CHICOPEE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
"Our committee
was so
successful
because we
put aside our
differences
and worked
together as a
team."
-Mike Muldoon
Custodian
Chicopee, Massachusetts
As they began working directly with each school, the IAQ Team quickly noticed a lack of
communication between teachers and the custodial/maintenance staff. Following guidance in the IAQ
TfS Kit, the Team worked to open these lines of communication by attending school-related meetings
and speaking with individual teachers and staff about what to do and whom to contact if a potential
IAQ problem was discovered in their classroom or school.
The IAQ Team also customized the Kit's checklists to better fit each schools' needs. They set strict
deadlines for school staff to turn in completed checklists, which were then collated and reviewed by the
Team prior to a school walkthrough. Afterward, the custodial and maintenance representatives met
with the teachers individually to discuss the problems specified on their checklists.
IAQ problems found in some of the Chicopee schools included:
• Stained ceiling tiles.
• Stained, moldy, and mildewed carpet.
• Moldy counter tops.
• Pests and insects.
• Dirty air filters and univents.
• Closed air vents or books blocking air vents in classrooms.
• Excessive moisture in classrooms with plants.
• Improper use of pesticides and chemicals while school was in session.
• Food left in classrooms creating odor and pest problems.
• Sewer gases in the home economics classrooms resulting from dry drain traps.
• Leaking windows and pipes.
• Temperature problems (extreme hot or cold variations).
In some cases, exhaust fumes from school buses were entering classrooms and noxious fumes from
dumpsters were entering cafeterias. Two of the schools in the district, each at least 100 years old, had
malfunctioning ventilation systems, resulting in inadequate airflow in classrooms.
Lessons Learned
Short-Term Solutions
The presence of the IAQ Team paved the way for increased communication between teachers and the
custodial and maintenance staff. Teachers were urged to contact someone on the IAQ Team or a
member of the custodial and maintenance staff whenever they noticed problems in their classrooms so
that these issues could be handled in a timely manner.
The maintenance and custodial staff completed most of the repairs, with some assistance from outside
contractors. Short-term solutions for schools in the Chicopee system included:
• Relocating dumpsters away from doorways and windows.
• Removing trees near windows to discourage bees from entering classrooms.
• Placing fans in classrooms where ventilation was a problem.
• Opening windows when children were out of the classroom to let in fresh air.
• Replacing or caulking leaky windows.
• Cleaning and, where necessary, replacing carpet.
-------
CHICOPEE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
"/ don't
understand
why every
school
doesn't use
the Indoor
Air Quality
Tools for
Schools Kit."
-Jim Stefanik
former Director of
Maintenance
Chicopee, Massachusetts
Teachers and staff members were advised to keep doors open in classrooms to improve ventilation, to
take students to the cafeteria to eat, to refrain from leaving food or food containers in the classrooms for
long periods of time, and to limit the number of plants kept in the classroom.
Larger and more costly to fix IAQ problems were placed on a list for future attention and will be
addressed as money becomes available. According to Jim Stefanik, former Director of Maintenance for
Chicopee Public Schools, costs to correct IAQ problems ranged from $1,000 for minor repairs to $350,000
in one school where windows had to be replaced.
Long-Term Practices and Policies
Chicopee Public Schools instituted many long-term practices to improve the IAQ in their schools,
including:
• Regular replacement or cleaning of all air filters (quarterly for most classrooms; more frequently for
vocational classrooms) and documentation of the event.
• Scheduled (annual) cleaning of unit ventilators.
• Purchasing an additional carpet cleaner for the school system.
• Proper use of pesticides.
• Filling drain traps to prevent sewer gas leaks.
Involvement with the IAQ TfS Program has fostered an increased understanding of the environmental
issues present in the school system and the sensitivities of building occupants. The Program also brought
issues such as pest management to the forefront; the school system is currently considering an Integrated
Pest Management program. The Director of Maintenance began holding seminars for the custodians and
maintenance staff on topics such as carpet maintenance and cleaning, proper washroom cleaning and
disinfection, indoor air quality, and filter maintenance. Chicopee plans to hire outside contractors in the
future to provide additional training.
After completing the first round of walkthroughs and improvements in the entire school system in 1999,
the IAQ Team received a Certificate of Achievement from EPA for being the first school district in the
nation to participate in the IAQ TfS Program. Since 1999, various Team members have spoken at IAQ
trainings and conferences and shared information with other school districts about their experiences with
the IAQ TfS Program. The IAQ Team intends to visit each Chicopee school on a regular 2- or 3-year
rotation to check for new or ongoing problems. They are currently preparing for the second round of
visits to each school.
Jim Stefanik was instrumental in encouraging school staff to take a proactive approach to improving
indoor air quality. The Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Program would not be as successful as it is
without champions like Jim Stefanik. This case study is dedicated to his memory.
For more information, contact:
Ron Simard, IAQ Coordinator
Interim Director of Maintenance
Chicopee Public Schools
180 Broadway, Chicopee, MA 01020
rsimard@chicopee. mec. edu
Tel. 413-594-3417/Fax. 413-594-3467
Lynn Rose, Program Director
Western Massachusetts Coalition on
Occupational Safety and Health
458 Bridge St., Springfield, MA 01103
wmcosh@javanet.com
Tel. 413-731-0760/Fax. 413-731-6688
------- |