Kids grow
and learn better
in pollution-free
schools
EPA Region 10 Healthy Schools Team
vvEPA
EPA 910-N-10-001
February 2010
Washington • Oregon • Idaho • Alaska
Welcome to the first edition of
EPA Healthy School NEWS!
Kids spend a lot of time in school, and they need a safe,
healthy environment in which to learn. In this newsletter, we
have a singular goal in mind: offer information that will keep
schools environmentally healthy and pollution-free.
Children in pollution-free school environments learn and
produce significantly better than in schools where there are
indoor and outdoor environmental problems. Through articles,
tips and links, we aim to assist facility managers, school
leaders, teachers, and parents to recognize and address
potential environmental health issues in their schools.
Please enjoy Healthy School NEWS and contact us with any
questions or feedback.
Sincerely,
Margo Young, EPA Region 10
Children's Health & Environmental Education
young.margo@epa.gov or 206-553-1287
Prevent Child Injury & Costly Mercury Cleanups
Numerous mercury spills have occurred in schools
over the past several years with cleanup costs ranging
from $20,000 to $1.5 million. Mercury is a highly toxic
substance—especially to children. Unfortunately, students
frequently don't know the dangers of mercury and are
intrigued by its silvery and slippery properties.
Locating and removing mercury from schools will help
prevent health consequences as well as costly clean-ups.
Most mercury incidents stem from students who bring the
substance into school or improper handling and storage
by school personnel in classrooms or science labs. It is
important to educate students and staff about the dangers
and sources of mercury exposure.
Here's what you can do:
• Inventory buildings for mercury
and mercury-containing items
• Increase awareness among
students and staff
• Phase out all mercury containing
devices
• Recycle mercury and mercury
containing items
For assistance with removal and
disposal, please contact your
state environmental or health
department, or contact Jack Boiler, at 206-553-2953 or
boller.jack@epa.gov.
In This Issue
• Prevent costly mercury
problems
• New lead law takes effect
April 2010
• National Healthy Schools
Day
Indoor air quality grants
available soon
Unplug and save $
Asbestos alert
Indoor air quality award
What's happening in your
state
Hot Topic
New Lead Safety Law Means Schools Must Use
Certified Firms and Workers
Starting April 22, 2010, individuals and firms hired to work on
renovations, repairs, or painting in facilities that are "child-
occupied" must be certified to use lead-safe work practices.
The new federal regulation, called the Renovation, Repair,
& Painting Rule (RRP), applies to pre-1978 facilities and to
where children under age 6 are located.
The RRP rule applies to facilities where pre-K, kindergarten,
or child-care services are being offered. To learn more about
the RRP rule, go to EPA's lead website at www.epa.gov/lead
or contact Wallace Reid, Lead Team Leader at 206-553-6389
or reid.wallace@epa.gov.
Celebrate National Healthy Schools Day
Help your school celebrate on April 26th. The 2010 campaign
focuses on using certified green cleaning products which help
reduce pollutants from indoor air. Did you know:
• 25% of chemicals in the cleaning products used in schools
are toxic and contribute to poor indoor air quality, smog,
cancer, asthma, and other disease, and,
• that's more than 450 contaminants of air found in widely
used products?
Source: Healthy Schools Network, Inc.
Watch these informational videos on safe and healthy school
environments at: www.sph.emory.edu/PEHSU/PEHSU_Vid-
eoPg/PEHSU_videopage.html.
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Healthy School News
February 2010
Indoor Air Quality Grants - Available in March
Visit the website soon to apply for this funding program
that provides indoor air quality project support for schools,
buildings, and homes. Learn more at: http://yosemite.epa.gov/
R10/AIRPAGE.NSF/webpage/lndoor+Air+Grants+Request+fo
r+Proposals+in+EPA+Region+10. Contact Davis Zhen at 206-
553-7660 or zhen.davis@epa.gov for more information.
What's Happening In Your State
Idaho
Read about Clean Air Zone, Idaho's statewide program
to reduce children's exposure to diesel/vehicle exhaust
through anti-idling. Visit http://www.deq.state.id.us/air/
educ tools/clean air zone idaho/index.cfm
Washington
Check out a new resource guide: Improving Indoor
Air Quality in King County School at www.govlink.org/
hazwaste/publications/SCH_HEALTHY_2.pdf
Oregon
Oregon Clean Diesel Initiative provides funding to convert
school buses to cleaner-burning fuel to protect school
children. http://www.deq.state.or.us/AQ/Factsheets/04-
AQ012_Diesellnitiative.pdf
Alaska
Request a handy checklist from EPA to assess your
school's environmental issues by contacting Don Dossett
at 206-553-1783 or dossett.donald@epa.gov
Spokane School District Receives
Indoor Air Quality Award
Congratulations, Spokane Public Schools! They received
EPA's National Model of Sustained Excellence Award,
joining a select group of only 12 others in the nation to
receive this award at a ceremony in Washington, DC. This
award acknowledges schools and school districts that
provide outstanding indoor air quality for their students. For
more information, visit http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/
tfsawards2009.html
Unplug and Save
Lower your "plug load" and save money. "Plug loads" refers
to the energy consumed by appliances and other devices that
you plug into the wall. In a school, this includes computers,
electric lights, printers, coffee machines and many others.
These devices continue to draw power even when they are
turned "off" because they contain low voltage transformers.
As an example, computers and monitors can drain as much
as eight to ten watts of power even when powered down, and
printers can be even worse. Think about the dozens devices
left on at night and on weekends. You could save a lot!
The best thing to do? Use the switch on a power stripe to turn
them all off. Your school budget will show the savings over
time. For more energy saving tips, please contact Jim Borthen
at 206-553-1485 or borthen.jim@epa.gov
Heads Up: Inform Contractors About Asbestos in
Advance
Asbestos remains a critical issue, especially for those
who are responsible for school maintenance and repair of
buildings that are older than 1978.
According to federal law, if a contractor is not informed
about the presence of asbestos in a school where work is
underway, the school district is liable for non-compliance
with the law, and for potentially exposing the contractor,
employees, teachers and school children to dangerous
asbestos fibers. Newer schools still need to document
whether asbestos is present or not.
EPA can help. Read about school district responsibilities
related to asbestos at www.epa.gov/asbestos. For more
information, you can contact Wallace Reid, R10 EPA
Asbestos Team Leader at 206-553-6389 or reid.wallace®
epa.gov
Healthy School NEWS is published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 10. Region 10 includes the states of Washington, Idaho, Alaska
and Oregon and the tribes within those boundaries. For general information about school environmental health or to provide feedback on this newsletter,
please contact Margo Young at young.margo@epa.gov. To be added or removed from the distribution list, please email pollow.george@epa.gov with your
request. Contact Region 10's Public Environmental Resource Center, the education, publication and information gateway to EPA's Region 10 Office, for
free publications and educational resources for your school. Call at (800) 424-4EPA or email epa-seattle@epa.gov.
EPA Environmental Education: www.epa.gov/enviroed/ EPA Children's Environmental Health: www.epa.gov/children
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