September 2020 Issue 3 U.S. EPA Region 6- South Central -0- SAFER CHOICE Meets U.S. EPA Safer Product Standards epa.gov/saferchoice & ANNIVERSARY In this issue: Children' Health Month Pollution Prevention Program Celebrates 30 Years National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week America Recycles Day The Trash Free Texas Program SCHOOLS I a H ^ ; i -'is- Ml fie - *- ' "V - rving Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahom New Mexico, Tei«MMUl£6 Tribes Helping Kids Learn in a Pollution Free Environment Safer Choice Meets U.S. EPA Safer Product Standards Looking for safer cleaning products as you head back to school this fall? Let EPA's Safer Choice program be your guide! Products that have the Safer Choice label have been assessed by EPA and must meet requirements for performance, packaging, and ingredient disclosure, making each product safer for the environment and for human health! Every chemical ingredient in the product is assessed- no minimum level and no exceptions. The label can be found on over 2,000 products, including 700 for at-home use. If you have fragrance sensitivities, be sure to check your product for the Safer Choice Fragrance Free label. From hand soaps to athletic field paint, Safer Choice products are an easy change that could have a lasting effect on the people and places that are most important to you. You can find Safer Choice certified products wherever you would normally shop for chemical products, making them just as easy to find as standard products. They are also available at the institutional purchasing level if your school is ready to make the switch to safer products! Whether your classroom is in a school, home, or elsewhere, the Safer Choice label can help empower you to create the safest possible environment for your students, staff or family. You can also reach out to our Region 6 Safer Choice lead, Whitney Lehrer at Lehrer.whitnev@epa.aov. Region 6 P2 Program Celebrates its 30th Anniversary In celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Pollution Prevention (P2) Act of 1990, the Region 6 P2 Program is showcasing the measurable results from the pollution prevention and source reduction grants from 2016 to 2019. The Region 6 P2 Program has been successful in reducing carbon dioxide emissions by about 23,900 MtC02e (metric tons of CQ2 equivalent); reducing solid waste by about 17,300 tons: conserving about 392,000,000 gallons of water; conserving about 39,000,000 kWh; and finding about $34,200,000 of related cost savings! EPA implemented The Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 that made P2 and Source Reduction a priority. Pollution Prevention/Source Reduction is any practice that reduces, eliminates, or prevents pollution at its source. Region 6 is comprised of 5 states: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico and 66 Tribes. Both the Pollution Prevention and the Source Reduction Programs have grant programs that are available for states, tribes, universities and non-profit organizations. P2 has six voluntary programs that provide an array of support: guides for E3-Economy. Energy, and Environment assessments; Environmental Management Systems planning: Environmentally Preferable Purchasing for the federal government: Safer Choice: and green chemistry. P2 Week is September 21st- 27th this year, and we'll be hosting a live virtual P2 assessment on Sept. 23rd. Register for the webinar here. For more information: reach out to Annette Smith, the Region 6 P2 Lead at Smith.annette@epa.gov. ------- Page 2 Healthy Schools Issue 3 Learning Links-Educational Resources United States Geological Service: www.usqs.gov/science- support/osqi/ves/resource s-teachers National Institutes of Health: www.nih.gov/research- traininq/science-education: www.kids.niehs.nih.gov U.S. State Department: https://diplomacv.state.gov/ U.S. Department of the Treasury: www.usmint.gov/learn/kids: https://mvmonev.gov/Page s/for-vouth.aspx: Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality: www.deG.louisiana.oov/ page/for-kids-and- educators Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality: www.deg.ok.gov/external- affairs-divisiori/ environmental-education U.S. Department of Energy: www.energy.gov/eere/ education/education- resources North Central Texas Council of Governments: www. n ctcoo. o rg/e n vi r/p u bl i cations National Aeronautics and Space Administration: www.nasa.gov/stem National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: www.noaa.gov/education U.S. Energy Information Administration: www.eia.gov/kids Notes for Nurses-October is Children's Health Month ( SCHOOL NURSES i Keeping Students J Healthy & Safe Throughout the month of October organizations across the country emphasize the importance of protecting children from environmental risks. So, this is a perfect time to share information about kid's unique vulnerabilities. Children are more susceptible to environmental exposures than adults because their bodily systems are still developing. For example, exposure to toxicants during a child's developmental period can cause permanent damage to organs or the central nervous system. Children also have faster metabolisms and eat more, drink more, and breathe more in proportion to their body size than adults do. Of course, children also behave differently, especially when they are younger. They play on the ground, put things in their mouths, and their dermal barrier is not as protective. Distribute Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home pamphlets Print a checklist poster and hang it in a visible area Share these Children's Health Month Resources Learn about the History of Children's Environmental Health Protection at EPA Read what CDC said about Children's Health Month in October 2019 Visit the NEEF's Children's lealth Month website Custodian's Closet-More on List N The new school year is on everyone's mind after the last school year. And with the return to school comes the worry over cleaning school spaces and keeping spaces clean. To assist schools and school personnel, EPA has developed List N which is a list of disinfectants for use against SARS-CoV-2 also known as COVID-19. All products on List N meet EPA criteria for use against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). EPA expects the products on List N to kill SARS-CoV- 2 (COVID-19) because they: Demonstrate efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19); Demonstrate efficacy against a virus that is harder to kill than SARS-CoV-2 (COVID- 19); or Demonstrate efficacy against another type of human coronavirus similar to SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). EPA expects ail products on List N to be effective against SARS-CoV-2 when used according to label directions. List N can be found at https://www.epa.gov/pestici de-registration/list-n- disinfectants-use-against- sars-cov-2-covid-19 ------- Healthy Schools Issue 3 Page 3 Trash Free Texas Adopt-a-Spot Program Expands The Trash Free Texas (TFTx) Adopt-A-Spot site and online mapping tool works to foster a litter-free environment in Texas watersheds and track trash removal activities by connecting volunteers to litter cleanup opportunities. Locations from Waco, Texas have just been added to the Trash Free Texas network thanks to ongoing engagement with regional stakeholders and partners including affiliate chapters of Keep Texas Beautiful, the Texas Department of Transportation, the North Central Texas Council of Governments, and more. New communities are coming on board each month as the initiative expands across the state. The TFTx team is currently developing a Communications and Outreach Strategy for the program to help enhance reach and solidify brand and messaging. This strategy will be complemented by new outreach material explaining the responsibilities of joining as a coordinator and helpful resources to get started. In addition, on April 15, 2020, TFTx Champions from the City of Fort Worth, Keep Texas Beautiful, and the host, Texas State University, held a webinar in which they explained the history, use and evolution of this important tool. For additional information on the Trash-Free Waters Program, please go to https://www.epa.gov/ trash-free-waters. And remember personal protective equipment should be disposed of properly in the trash. America Recycles Day is November 15, 2020 Recycling is the process of collecting and processing materials that would otherwise be thrown away as trash and turning them into new products. Recycling can benefit your community and the environment. Benefits of Recycling Reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills and incinerators Conserves natural resources such as timber, water and minerals Increases economic security by tapping a domestic source of materials Prevents pollution by reducing the need to collect new raw materials Saves energy Supports American manufacturing and conserves valuable resources Helps create jobs in the recycling and manufacturing industries in the United States The following are resources for students and educators on reducing, reusing, and recycling. Recycle City Planet Protectors Club Teach English. Teach About the Environment Science Fair Fun Learning By Doing: Students Take Greening to the Community The Quest for Less: Activities and Re- sources for Teaching K-8 Tools to Reduce Waste in Schools Pack a Waste Free Lunch EPA has also produced 3 videos and one radio Public Service Announcement to encourage more recycling and as well as not litter personal protective equipment (PPE) or place it in recycling collection carts. Additional information has also been added to our website entitled Recy- cling During Covid-19 at https:// www.epa.gov/coronavirus/recvcling-and- sustainable-management-food-during- coronavirus-covid-19-public-health Administrator's Message Recycling During the Health Crisis Don't Recycle PPE Public Service Announcement National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week October 25-31, 2020 Each year National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (NLPPW) is a call to bring together individuals, organizations, industry, and state and local governments to raise awareness of lead poisoning prevention and reduce childhood exposure to lead. This year's NLPPW highlights the many ways parents can reduce their children's exposure to lead and prevent the serious health effects of lead. EPA, along with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), works to raise awareness, provide resources, and encourage preventive actions to decrease childhood lead exposure during the week and beyond, https:// www.epa.gov/lead/national -lead-poisoning-prevention- week Lead^^Free KIDS for a Healthy Future ------- EPA Region 6 South Central 1201 Elm Street Suite 500 EPA Region 6 Children's Health Team Paula Selzer, Children's Environmental Health Coordinator Selzer.paula@epa.qov 214 665-6663 Cathy Gilmore, SEE for Healthy Schools Newsletter Gilmore.cathv@epa.qov 214 665-6574 Protecting human health and the environment. 5t) Proj-t-4 fw o Sfrco^f fvfwt The EPA has many opportunities to increase the safety and sustainability of your school. Please contact us to schedule a live webinar on any of the subjects below: Sustainable Management of Food: It's important now more than ever for all of us to not waste food. Learn how our food choices impact the environment and how we can reduce food waste and save money. Stephen Sturdivant, Sturdivant.stephen@epa.qov. 214 665-6673 Recycling: Recycling, along with reduction and reuse, is a great way for your students to participate in your sustainability goals. By providing increased access to recycling receptacles and awareness of recycling best practices, you can reduce your waste and your carbon footprint. Deanna Debose, debose.deanna@epa.qov, 214 665-6762 Safer Choice: Developed to give consumers an easy way to choose products with safer chemical ingredients, the Safer Choice label indicates that a chemical product has met the EPA's rigorous standards for safety, which means the products are better both for the environment and human health. Whitney Lehrer, lehrer.whitnev@epa.gov. 214 665-6553 Lead Based Paint: The Renovation, Repair, and & Painting (RRP) Rule helps protect children from exposure to lead based paint dust caused by renovation and repairs conducted in a building built prior to 1978. Our lead-based paint program is here to help answer questions and to provide guidance on the regulation and removal. Mikeal Adams, adams.mikeal@epa.gov. 214 665-6711 Integrated Pest Management: The Region 6 Contact for the Integrated Pest Management Program under Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) is Ken McPherson, mcpherson.kenneth @epa.gov, 214 665-6754. Upcoming Newsletters Contacts Disclaimer Feedback ODDS AND ENDS \P P \ % PR«^" ¦2- LU o In our next issue, the Region 6 Healthy Schools Newsletter in December 2020 will highlight the following: Radon Month in January, National Pesticides Safety Education Month in February, Various other topics will be discussed in addition to the quarterly columns on Notes for Nurses, Custodian's Closet, and Learning Links. Healthy Schools is published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 - South Central in Dallas, Texas. Region 6 includes the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas as well as 66 Tribes. For general information about Healthy Schools, to provide feedback on this newsletter, or to be added or removed from the distribution list, please contact Cathy Gilmore, Senior Environmental Employee (SEE) for Healthy Schools at Gilmore.cathv@epa.gov We would love your Feedback on this newsletter or suggestions for future topics. Please email EPA at Gilmore.cathv@epa.gov. This page may provide links to non-EPA web sites that provide additional information about topics that may be of interest to schools and school districts. EPA cannot attest to the accuracy of information on any non-EPA page. Providing links to a non-EPA web site is not an endorsement of any non- government website, company or application; nor does EPA recommend membership in, donations to or commercial sales from non-government organizations. Also, be aware that the privacy protection provided on the EPA.gov domain (see Privacy and Security Notice) may not be available at the external link. ------- |