United States
Environmental Protection
Agency New England
October 2007
Environmental News in New England
INSIDE
Special Issue
Back to School
& Children's Health!
Dear Community
Leader:
In honor of Children's Health
Month, EPA New England is
pleased to present you with the
most recent edition of the Lo-
cal Landscape. EPA recogniz-
es the vital role that municipal
leaders play to ensure a bright
future for our youngest minds
and EPA is here to help meet
those goals of improving pub-
lic health and our surrounding
environment.
Inside we hope you will find
resources and information
that is both inspiring and use-
ful, as we highlight some of
our programs and congratu-
late communities who lead the
way for improving the health
and learning environments for
New England's children.
Sincerely,
Robert W. Varney
Administrator
EPA New England Office
Giant Strides to Improve Indoor Air
Quality with "Tools for Schools"
New England is a national model for
taking steps to improve indoor air
quality in its schools. EPA New Eng-
land has been successful in helping
the highest number of schools in the
United States achieve healthy learning
and teaching environments. In 1995.
EPA developed the Indoor Air Quality
Tools for Schools (IAQ TfS) program
to try to reduce exposure to indoor
environmental contaminants. Since
the program's inception, hundreds of
schools across the country have made
efforts to reduce indoor health hazards.
Studies have shown that poor indoor
air quality leads to negative impacts on
student and teacher health, leading to
lower student achievement and induc-
ing conditions such as fatigue, nausea
continued on page 2
1. ORGANIZE dedicated individuals with support from senior management
2. ASSESS current IAQ conditions and issues
3. CREATE a PLAN that will identify, resolve and prevent IAQ problems
4. TAKE ACTIONS to improve student and staff health and productivity
5. EVALUATE and track results
6. COMMUNICATE the intent, results and next steps
^Annual
Heads Up! National Schools Symposium
Washington D.C. December 6-8, 2007
This December EPA will host an annu-
al Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools
National Symposium, in Washington
D.C. Past events have drawn as many
as 500 attendees, from air quality ex-
perts, teachers, parents, school admin-
istrators, maintenance staff, school
nurses, community leaders and more. It
is the premier event to learn about the
IAQ Tools for Schools management
programs and the chance to highlight
continued on page 2
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(cont.) Indoor Air (cont.) Symposium
and exacerbating long-term problems
such as asthma. In fact, national sta-
tistics show that childhood asthma is
responsible for over 15 million missed
school days. EPA's Tools for Schools
aims to reduce exposure to indoor con-
taminants by providing free guidance
and educational materials for voluntary
adoption by towns and school systems.
Successful school systems that have
utilized this program have identified
common necessary steps to ensuring
the programs success.
National statistics
show that childhood
asthma is responsible
for over 15 million
missed school days.
Be sure to check in with your state's
opportunities as well as EPA resources
to tackle indoor air quality issues. If
your district is not yet on board with
EPA's Tools for Schools, EPA New
England is here to help and urges that
you give it a try this school year. Avail-
able and free resources include the IAQ
Action Kit, fact sheets, brochures and
software.
For a complete list of available pro-
gram tools and success stories please
visit: www.epa.gov/iaq/schools •»•
award-winning school districts. Participants can learn about the following:
• Using the IAQ TfS Action Kit and adopting IAQ management practices
• Latest issues in environmental health, including radon and mold
• Asthma management
• Maintaining ventilation systems for good IAQ
• Components of high-performing schools
• Green cleaning and environmentally friendly product selection
• Building science and school building design
• Facility management
• Effective risk communication
Visit the official Website of the IAQ TfS Symposium to learn more about the
upcoming Symposium, how to register, and to find presentations and materials
from previous symposia at www.iaqsymposium.com •»•
Indoor Air Quality Excellence Award to
Hartford Schools
The Hartford School District in Con-
necticut was among six school districts
nationwide recognized this past year
for exceptional efforts to improve air
quality. This recognition is EPA's most
prestigious award for exemplary indoor
air quality programs and commitment
to providing a healthy learning envi-
ronment for students and staff. The
winners were selected from hundreds
of schools and districts nationwide who
have successfully initiated programs to
improve indoor air quality.
"Children spend so much time in schools that we need to ensure
they have a healthy environment to learn in, " said Robert Varney,
regional administrator of EPA's New England office. "This award
recognizes those schools that are taking care of indoor environ-
mental pollutants and irritants that may affect the health and pro-
ductivity of students and staff. "
Energy Efficiency in K-12 Schools
As a new school year is underway,
budget constraints seem to be loom-
ing around every corner, but there are
more ways than one to save. On aver-
age, American K through 12 schools
spend approximately $6 billion a
year on energy expenses, more than
is spent on computers and textbooks
combined! Many schools across New
England have proven that the usage of
energy efficient technology has saved as
much as 25-30 percent in energy bills.
Energy Star and EPA have teamed up to
light the way for wasted energy dollars
to go where it really counts: education.
For more information on energy
efficient schools and educational re-
sources please visit:
www.energystar.gov/schools
EPA New England challenges
communities to save money and
reduce air pollution by assessing
their energy use. Join the Commu-
nity Energy Challenge to identify
potential energy savings in your
municipal buildings! More infor-
mation: www.epa.gov/ne/eco/en-
ergy/energy-challenge
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Do Your Students Have Brilliant Ideas to Protect the Environment?
President's Environmental Youth Awards
The October 31st deadline for this
year's projects past, but a new year
begins for new ideas! Since 1971,
EPA has sponsored this program
to recognize K through 12 stu-
dents who demonstrate their com-
passion and commitment to pro-
tecting the environment. Projects
submitted in the past have includ-
ing recycling programs in schools
and communities; construction of
nature preserves; major tree
planting programs; videos, skits,
and newsletters created by stu-
dents focused on environmental
issues. To be eligible to compete,
a student or group of students,
sponsored by an adult, must sub-
mit to their local EPA regional
office evidence of a completed
project as defined in the PEYA
application, as well as a complet-
ed application. Winners from each
region will be invited to attend a
ceremony in Washington B.C. and
have in the past been recognized
personally by the President.
For information on this contest,
past winners, applications and more
please visit EPA's Environmental
Education website:
www.epa.gov/enviroed/peya
Get Ready for the 2008
Earth Artists Contest
* Entries due by March 2008 *
Open to K-6 • For rules and additional information
visit: www.epa.gov/ne/students/poem.html
Get Kids Involved!!
From beetles to beluga whales kid's love learn-
ing about nature. Yet, only after their imagina-
tion is captivated can they understand the need
for humans to help protect the environment
which supports the Earth's creepy, crawly, and
cute inhabitants. Help inspire environmental
care and concern in the young minds that attend
your schools by promoting environmental edu-
cation. Learning about the environment encour-
ages an understanding of how our individual ac-
tions affect our planet, near and far.
For more information on grants, resources and
current EPA educational programs please visit:
www.epa.gov/enviroed
Promote Environmental Education! bigger
Educating ourselves about the impacts of
our decisions and the small things we can
all do to help is necessary to protect our air,
water, and local landscape, only then can
we hope for a healthier future. Help New
England's children become environmental
stewards early on.
Visit www.epa.gov/students for free resources,
EPA publications, information for teachers
about upcoming grants and contests, activities
for kids and much more.
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Say NO to School Bus Fumes!
While school buses are the safest
way to transport children to and from
school, diesel exhaust from idling
buses accumulates in and around the
bus and inside nearby buildings, pos-
ing a serious health risk. Diesel ex-
haust contains significant levels of
fine particulate matter. These particles
can easily pass through the nose and
throat, lodging themselves deep in the
lungs. When inhaled repeatedly, the
fine particles in diesel exhaust may ag-
gravate asthma and allergies or cause
other serious health problems includ-
ing lung cancer.
The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency is working aggressively to
reduce pollution from new diesel en-
gines through the adoption of stringent
emissions standards. In addition, EPA
has also drastically reduced the sul-
fur content in diesel fuel. As a result,
new diesel engines manufactured in
2007 and beyond will be significantly
cleaner than the existing fleet of buses.
However, since diesel engines can last
from 25 to 30 years it will take time
for the full health benefits of these new
standards to be realized.
For this reason, EPA's National
Clean Diesel Campaign is actively
promoting voluntary efforts to reduce
emissions from existing diesel engines.
EPA's Clean School Bus USA program
was launched in 2003 with three goals:
reduce idling and reinforce smart driv-
ing practices; retrofit existing buses
with advanced pollution controls; and
replace the oldest school buses with
new ones.
More than 1.7 million children in
New England ride a bus to and from
school every day. Through local and
regional partnerships such as Greater
Boston Breathes Better and the North-
east Diesel Collaborative, EPA New
England is working with state and
local governments, school communi-
ties, institutions, and others to reduce
pollution from school buses and other
diesel vehicles.
For more information online:
EPA's Clean School Bus USA program
and funding opportunities:
www.epa.gov/cleanschoolbus/
EPA New England's diesel program:
www.epa.gov/ne/diesel
Northeast Diesel Collaborative: www.
northeastdiesel.org
Wipe Out Chemical Hazards in Schools
Chemical accidents in schools put
students at serious risk, in addition to
disrupting schedules and costing thou-
sands of dollars. EPA's School Chemical
Clean-out Campaign intends to dimin-
ish this risk by ensuring that schools
are taking the proper steps to manage
chemicals, from labs to utility clos-
ets, and properly disposing of what is
unnecessary and harmful. EPA New
England's Office of Environmental
Stewardship has spearheaded efforts
to develop a "pharmacy approach"
to chemical management in Massa-
chusetts schools. Working with the
middle schools in Quincy, Mass.,
EPA New England has removed 303
thermometers, 8 barometers, 36 oth-
er mercury devises and 31 pounds
of elemental mercury. In addition,
EPA New England has partnered
with Everett High School, Braintree
High School, Quincy High School
and North Quincy High School to
conduct chemical inventories in
their science departments. Invento-
ries allow school officials to make
clearer decisions regarding usable
and waste chemicals. Unecessary
chemicals are properly disposed of
using the schools' existing contracts
for chemical waste disposal. While
this year's numbers have not yet been
tallied, EPA New England's partner-
ship with schools last year resulted in
the proper disposal of approximately
2,800 pounds of unused or outdated
chemicals.
For more information on school
chemical clean outs, please visit EPA's
"Schools Chemical Cleanout Cam-
paign" web site:
www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/conserve/
clusters/schools
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EPA's Summer Top Stories for a Greener New England
Connecticut Bans Boat Discharges
along Connecticut's Entire Coastline
As of July 26, 2007 Connecticut has
followed in the footsteps of Rhode Is-
land and New Hampshire to become
the first three states in the country to
designate their entire coastlines as no
discharge areas.
EPA'S Ocean and Coastal Research
Vessel Visits Newport, RI
Over 200 visitors and residents of
Newport had the unique opportunity
to tour EPA's single state of the art re-
search ship this July. Minds of all ages
were able to explore the ships features
from the captain's deck to the bottom
imaging technology as well as interact
with native Rhode Island ocean animals
and organisms collected offshore.
New England Coastal States 2007
Beach Funding Surpasses $ 7 Million
Since 2001, EPA New England
launched It's a Shore Thing Beach
Initiative to protect public health by
reducing pollution levels that cause
beach closures. Grant funding im-
proves monitoring along New Eng-
land's coastline to ensure that beaches
are closed when bacteria levels from
polluted runoff and untreated sewage
are present. By extensively monitoring
the bacteria levels and type, New Eng-
land can come closer to eliminating the
sources of contamination and keeping
our beautiful beaches open and clean.
It's a Shore Thing 2007 Grants
Maine $254,730
New Hampshire $204,530
Massachusetts $254,440
Rhode Island $212,640
Connecticut $223,370
Vermont, New Hampshire &
Connecticut Lead the Nation in
Energy Star Home Construction
In 2006, energy star home construction
accounted for over 17 percent of new
homes in all three states.
Governor of Connecticut Jodie Rell, EPA New England Administrator Robert
Varney and Connecticut DEP Commissioner Gina McCarthy
EPA's state-of-the-art Ocean and Coastal Research Vessel
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Highlighting 2007 New England Success In Children's Health
Connecticut Department of Public
Health (Statewide)
Building a Statewide Comprehensive,
Sustaining Tools for Schools Program
The Connecticut Department of Public
Health's Environmental & Occupation-
al Health Assessment Program is on
course to have nearly 100% of schools
adopt EPA's Tools for Schools program
after this current school year; a great
model for fellow New England states
to follow. Connecticut law requires
that all schools implement and main-
tain indoor air quality programs and
the Connecticut Department of Public
Health strongly recommends Tools for
Schools as the most effective program
to meet this mandate.
American Lung Association of Maine
Maine Cool Communities
The Maine Cool Communities project
seeks to improve energy efficiency in
schools through outreach and educa-
tion efforts. The project will achieve
this goal by hosting an energy efficiency
workshop for school districts statewide.
Massachusetts Coalition of Occupa-
tional Safety & Health (Statewide)
Asthma Prevention through Healthy
Schools
The "Asthma Prevention through
Healthy Schools Initiative" aims to
boost the capacity of low-income com-
munities to improve the environmen-
tal health of their neighborhoods.
In partnership with eight Boston
schools with high asthma rates, Mass
COSH will integrate environmen-
tal assessments into the schools and
boost the leadership roles of parents
and teachers for establishing or ex-
panding asthma coalitions elsewhere
and promoting city-wide policies that
support those piloted efforts.
City of Manchester Department of
Health (Manchester, NH)
Multilingual Asthma Education &
Outreach Program
The City of Manchester's Department
of Health, in collaboration with key
community partners, has developed the
"Multilingual Asthma Education & Out-
reach Program" to bring asthma educa-
tion to the homes of multilingual fami-
lies. The project will increase patient
and parental understanding of asthma
and proper treatment while also iden-
tifying and eliminating environmental
triggers in the home, such as exposure
to tobacco smoke.
Childhood Lead Action Project
(Providence, RI)
Lead Paint Citizen Engagement
Initiative
The Childhood Lead Action Project
is a non-profit organization dedi-
cated to eliminating childhood lead
poisoning in Rhode Island through
education, parent support and com-
munity involvement. The "Lead
Paint Citizen Engagement Initiative"
will focus outreach and remedia-
tion resources towards Providence,
Central Falls and Woonsocket which
have the highest incidence of child-
hood lead poisoning.
Vermont Department of Health
(Statewide)
Vermont Healthy Schools
The "VermontHealthy Schools"proj-
ect promotes environmental health in
schools through the implementation
of EPA's Tools for Schools Program
to decrease asthma incidents. The
project will educate and mentor in-
door air quality school teams, devel-
op environmental management plans
and award grants to ease implemen-
tation costs. In addition, the program
will work to reduce exposure to diesel
exhaust from idling school buses by
distributing anti-idling signs and as-
sisting to develop anti-idling policies.
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Brilliance in Energy High Performance
Upton, Mass. Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School
Blackstone Valley Tech no longer suffers from overcrowded classrooms and expensive utility bills. The updated building in-
cludes five striking solar panels on the roof and is expected to produce more than 60,000 kWh each year. Additionally, there
are solar water heating arrays, combined with displacement ventilation, high-efficiency lighting, occupancy and daylight
sensors which are all predicted to help save this school $160,000 per year.
Somerville, Mass. Michael E. Capuano Early Childhood Center
Five hundred and sixty children attend the Capuano School and are already learning to appreciate the environment. The
Capuano School is also a neighborhood resource, with playing fields, a gymnasium and public gardens. Day light enhances
indoor aesthetics and improves the learning environment. Construction costs were reduced and effective usage of natural
light will continue to decrease costs, saving an expected $58,000 per year (38% percent savings beyond state code). Oc-
cupied since September 2003, it was the first school in New England to register with the U.S. Green Building Council's
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).
Whitman, Mass. Whitman-Hanson Regional High School
The towns of Whitman and Hanson built an affordable school that conserves energy while enhancing the learning envi-
ronment through a pilot project for the Massachusetts Green Schools Initiative. The initiative is a financial and technical
assistance partnership between the Massachusetts School Building Authority and the Massachusetts Technology Collab-
orative. The new school includes solar panels on the roof of the gymnasium, daylighting, efficient appliances and features
to decrease water usage. Landscaping was designed to be drought resistant and a 20,000 gallon underground tank collects
rainwater to supply the school's plumbing system. The money saved in energy costs has gone to providing the students with
state of the art educational aids such as interactive white boards, LCD projectors for all classrooms, a "distance learning
center," "smart conference rooms" and cyber cafes.
The Medical Foundation
2007 Children's Environmental Health Excellence Award
Improving Asthma Environmental Management through Health Care Policy Change
The Medical Foundation's Asthma Regional Council was recognized in Washington D.C. on October 11. The ARC
is a coalition of government, community, academic and health organizations that seeks to address asthma burdens
across New England. The ARC's 2007-2008 project focuses on the tackling the environmental contributors that
can exacerbate or cause asthma by improv-
ing health plan opportunities for low-income
asthmatic children. The ARC will educate and
encourage at least three health plans across the
region to pay for and engage in the best prac-
tices for asthma care. To improve the financial
sustainability and availability of these services,
the ARC will work with state Asthma Manag-
ers in New England Departments of Health to
create strategies for changing health care pay-
ment and asthma service policies.
For more information visit:
www.asthmaregionalcouncil.org
Asthma Regional Council
ARC
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EPA New England EPA-901 -R-07-004
Local Government Office October 2007
Douglas Gutro
gutro.doug@epa.gov
phone (617) 918-1021
fax (617) 918-0021
Editor
Jeanethe Falvey
falvey.jeanethe@epa.gov
EPA Contributors
Eugene Benoit, Kristen Conroy,
Lucy Edmonson, Jeanethe Falvey
Halida Hatic, Chris Jendras,
Kathleen Nagle & Dwight Peavey
www.epa.gov/ne
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United States
Environmental Protection
Agency New England
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