Why
   Develop
              a
       Program?
A chemical cleanout and prevention
program will:

   Protect the health and safety of
   children and school personnel
   Demonstrate community leadership
   Improve your local schools
   Protect the environment
   Prevent fires and spills

Successful cleanout and prevention pro-
grams are customized to meet the specif-
ic needs of the community. You can be a
key player in a program's success by:

   Raising community awareness of
   chemical problems in schools
   Providing safe chemical use and
   management training
   Offering technical assistance for these
   programs
   Assisting schools in arranging
   for and carrying out proper
   disposal
   Partnering with other organizations to
   achieve program goals
                                                                                                Community Partners
,1 8 II
•o o '
111
Z> LU :
•F «s i±
| o 2
•5 =1= CD
-? O Q-
 What's
      Stake?
From elementary school mainte-
nance closets to high school chem-
istry labs, schools house a variety of
chemicals. Every year, throughout
the country, hundreds of thousands
of dollars are spent on K-12 school
accidents involving chemicals, which
in some cases have been unused for
decades. When improperly used or
stored, chemicals can put students,
staff, and the community at risk from
spills, explosions, or other accidental
exposure.
          Chemicals
                Found
             in Schools

         Explosives « Picric Acid
         Corrosives ••* Acetic Acid
       Flammables  Paint Thinner
       Toxics « Lead and Mercury

-------
        What
                  Can
           You  Do?
    Organizations like yours, local business-
    es, and government, shape the commu-
    nity. You can be a leader by partnering
    with organizations such as emergency
    response teams and your local school
    district to help create safer schools. You
    can develop a school chemical cleanout
    program with these goals in mind:

       Removing dangerous chemicals
       from K-12 schools
       Preventing future chemical,
       environmental health and safety
       issues
       Raising awareness of the issues
       related to dangerous chemicals
       in schools
Working to keep children
and school personnel safe:
The Schools Chemical
Cleanout Campaign

To learn more please visit:
  www.epa.gov/sc3
o
Chemical
Suppliers
•  Provide technical assistance

   Provide full service chemical
   management

         Waste Handlers
w
•   Offer cost-effective waste analysis
   and handling solutions
         Fire, Police, and
         Emergency
         Response
   Learn about chemical risks in schools

   Assist schools in developing chemical
   management and emergency
   response plans
   Establish effective communication
   with schools
Colleges and
Universities
                                   Work with schools in assessing
                                   chemical cleanout, management
                                   and disposal issues

                                   Offer courses and training in
                                   environmental health and safety
                                   for teachers and school district
                                   employees
                                         Environment,
                                         Health, and
                                         Education
                                         Agencies
                                   Fund school chemical cleanout and
                                   prevention programs

                                   Provide technical assistance to
                                   schools in conducting chemical
                                   inventories and cleanouts


  In the News:

       School

 Partnerships  in

  Rhode Island

Rhode Island (Rl) formed the
Chemical Safe Schools
Committee, which includes Rl
Departments of Health, Labor,
Education and Environmental
Management; Brown University;
Rl Committee on Occupational
Safety and Health; Community
College of Rhode Island; and
Miriam Hospital. They are work-
ing together to help schools min-
imize the health, safety and envi-
ronmental risks associated with
chemicals in schools.Through
the efforts of this committee
more than 800 hazardous chemi-
cals are no longer allowed in
schools.The committee created a
handbook on laboratory safety,
reviewed chemical inventories,
conducted training, and helped
clean out a number of schools.
For more information on other Healthy School Environment issues, visit: www.epa.gov/schools

-------