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within the states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont
Grantee (1)
Western Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health
458 Bridge Street
Springfield, Massachusetts 01103
Project Title
Clean Air Grant Project.
Project Description
The goal of the project was to reduce and minimize asthma by eliminating sensitizers to asthma in cleaning materials used in schools. The overall project is to continue to provide resources, technical assistance, and training to appropriate school personnel in western Massachusetts's public schools. The grantee, working with the established Chicopee Public School District's Environmental Team, piloted the use of nontoxic cleaners at Streiber Elementary School. The project included reviewing and evaluating products, selecting products, substituting the preferred products into the pilot school, and training custodians on the use of the preferred products. The projects results, and it's corresponding identification of asthma-sensitive product information, will become institutionalized within the MassCOSH office and disseminated to interested school districts.
Contacts
Western MassCOSH
Lynn Rose, Phone: 413-731-0760
Toxics, Air Permits and Indoor Air Programs,
MaryBeth Smuts, Ph.D. Regional Air Toxicologist, Phone : 617-918-1512
smuts.marybeth@epa.gov
Participating Partners
Chicopee Public Schools
Grantee(2)
INFORM, Inc.
120 Wall Street, 16th Floor
New York, NY 10005-4001
Project Title
Purchasing For Asthma Prevention: A Guide to Product and Services that Reduce the Risk of Asthma in Children.
Project Description
The objective of the project is to develop fact sheets that will enable a user to identify and prioritize chemicals and products marketed to school systems containing asthmagen components. The project will become a component of the existing Purchasing for Pollution Prevention Project, which is used by the State purchasing system to develop contracts for products and/or services posing lower risk. The Grantee and partners will use the Association of Occupational & Environmental Clinics asthmagen database, along with product and chemical Material Safety Data Sheets, the product labels, company literature, and product vendors to create the finished product. The fact sheets will list specific products and manufacturers found to be asthmagen-sensitive, and will become institutionalized within the state contract procurement system. The fact sheets will also be made available to other interested parties and Buy Clean projects.
Contacts
INFORM, Inc.
Laura Sutherland, Phone: 303-377-7048
Alicia Culver, Phone: 212-361-2400 x234
US EPA Region 1, Office of Environmental Stewardship, P2 Program
Robert Guellemin, Phone: 617-918-1814
Participating Partners
Massachusetts Operational Services Division (Marcia Deebler, 617-720-3356)
Massachusetts Division of Occupational Safety (Nancy Comeau, 617-969-7177)
Massachusetts Multi-Agency Task Force on Environmental Health and Safety in the Schools (Nancy Comeau, 617-969-7177)
Mount Sinai Medical Center, Children's Environmental Health Program (212-241-6173)
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within the states of New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands
Grantee (1)
Dr. Charles E. Brimm Medical Arts High School
1626 Copewood Street
Camden, New Jersey 08103
Project Title
'Buying Green' for Chemistry Labs
Project Description
The Grantee will develop alternative chemistry laboratory classroom exercises that use lower risk chemicals. Chemical evaluation will consist of reviewing Material Safety Data Sheets, guidance literature on low-waste and low-risk laboratories, and by using the "Green Chemistry" principles and resources available through various entities, such as EPA's Green Chemistry Expert System. Implementation will be conducted through workshops offered to teachers and persons involved in the life cycle of the chemical/product (e.g., vendors and purchasing agents). The information obtained will become institutionalized as the project's results are adopted into regular school curriculum.
Contacts
Dr. Charles E. Brimm Medical Arts High School
James M. Gibbs, Phone 856-966-2500
US EPA Region 2, Strategic Planning and Multi-Media Branch, P2 Program
Deborah Freeman, Phone: 212-637-3730
Participating Partners
Science Preparation Alliance of Rutgers and Camden (SPARC)
Rutgers University (609-225-6494)
Grantee (2)
Isles, Inc.
10 Wood Street
Trenton, New Jersey 08618
Project Title
Buy Clean Program
Project Description
Isles, Inc. began by designating and training a pilot elementary school in Trenton, New Jersey, in collaboration with the City of Trenton school district. This pilot school has committed to purchasing and using environmentally friendly cleaning and pest management products. The next phase of the project will involve working with community groups to address indoor air issues. Project results will be integrated with other environmental health initiatives with Isles, Inc. and the city of Trenton, and will be disseminated to school districts involved in the EPA "Tools for Schools" program.
Contacts
Isles, Inc.
Elyse Pivnick, Phone 609-393-5656
US EPA Region 2
Deborah Freeman, Phone: 212-637-3730
Participating Partners
City of Trenton
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within the states of Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia
Grantee
Pennsylvania Resources Council (PRC)
Pittsburgh Office of PRC
64 South 14th Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15203
Project Title
Healthy Schools Non-Toxic Cleaners
Project Description
The PRC project involved the substitution of higher risk cleaning products with environmentally preferable products in all schools of the Pittsburgh Public School District (PPSD). Using existing program information from model programs (e.g., the City of Santa Monica's environmentally preferable products evaluation program and the General Services Administration's Commercial Cleaning Products catalog), a guideline was developed on the purchase of cleaning products having attributes that pose a lower risk. The project focused on the potential health effects from chemicals contained in the everyday custodial products used on surfaces which student come into direct contact with (e.g., all purpose cleaners, disinfectants, degreasers, glass and window cleaners, and toilet bowl cleaners) and in the health attributes of less often used products used on surfaces which students have indirect contact with (e.g., floor care products). The project has been institutionalized into the operations of the PPSD as the PPSD is committed to the continued use of non-toxic products and has updated the custodial trainings to include information on nontoxic cleaning products and services. Additionally, a proposed healthy cleaner policy has been proposed to the school board, which will likely be adopted in the 2003/2004 school year. The results of the Healthy Schools Nontoxic Cleaners project, have been shared with other schools and associations through the distribution of a CD which contains information resources on implementing a similar project.
Contacts
Philadelphia Office of PRC, Environmental Living Center
Phone: 610-353-1555
Pittsburgh Office of PRC, Tracy Montardi
Phone: 412-488-7490
US EPA Region 3, Office of Reinvention, P2 Program
Jeff Burke, Phone: 215-814-2761
Participating Partners
Conservation Consultants, Inc (412-431-4449)
Pittsburgh Public School District, Purchasing Department
(Dan McConachie, 412-488-5140)
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within the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee
Grantee
Kentucky Pollution Prevention Center
420 Lutz Hall
Louisville, Kentucky 40292
Project Title
Buy Clean Initiative
Project Description
The Kentucky Pollution Prevention Center (KPPC) partnered with Southern Appalachian Recycling (SAR) to develop a Buy Clean Initiative for eight counties in eastern Kentucky. The initiative identified comparable cleaning products that will reduce human exposure to toxic and hazardous constituents while maintaining cleaning quality, and also educated schools on the reasons for product substitution. KPPC developed a training manual that was distributed at a workshop for representatives of the public school districts in the eight counties and representatives from SAR. The manual contains information on alternative cleaning supplies, developing bid specifications for purchasing alternative cleaners, and other information. SAR then worked with the schools to help the schools adopt a Buy Clean program. Six months after the training was completed, a follow-up questionnaire was sent to the schools to quantify any changes that may have occurred in cleaning supply.
Contacts
Kentucky Pollution Prevention Center, Donald Douglass
Phone: 800-334-8635 x0965
US EPA Region 4, Air, Pesticides & Toxics Management Division, P2 Program
Dan Ahern, Phone: 404-562-9028
Participating Partners
Southern Appalachian Recycling, Inc. (606-33-4450)
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within the states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin
Grantee (1)
Safer Pest Control Project
25 E. Washington St, Suite 1515
Chicago, IL 60602
Project Title
School IPM Services and Products Handbook
Project Description
The objective of this project is to develop a School IPM Services and Products Handbook that will identify less hazardous Integrated Pest Management (IPM) alternatives based on the expert information provided through a workgroup consisting of EPA, State pesticide regulators and educators, school personnel, IPM practitioners, and advocates. The Handbook will assist schools in determining their IPM needs, how to ask the right questions to resolve their IPM needs, how to identify pesticide products posing a lower risk, and how to evaluate contractual pest control businesses. A "template" Handbook will be created and will be field tested in up to three States. Subsequently, a Handbook specific to Illinois schools will be created from the template and promoted Statewide at four IPM Buy Clean workshops. The existing Purdue School IPM Resource Center (funded by Region 5) will adapt the template for each of the other Region 5 States. The template Handbook will be made available nationally for other States to use and adapt as appropriate.
Contacts
Safer Pest Control Project, Julie Abraham Dick
Phone: 312-759-8267
US EPA Region 5, Waste, Pesticide & Toxics Division, P2 Program
Donald Baumgartner, Phone: 312-886-7835
Participating Partners
N/A
Grantee (2)
University of Wisconsin - Extension
161 W. Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 6000
Milwaukee, WI 53203-2602
Project Title
Buy Clean Partnership
Project Description
The Grantee will build upon the pollution prevention efforts already in use by the participating partners by incorporating into the schools procedures EPA guidance on the purchase of environmentally preferable products. A major effort will be assisting the school's health officials in developing a target and elimination process for chemicals posing risk to asthmatics. Initially, the Grantee will assist the school in determining if there are health concerns associated with the products currently used by the chemistry laboratory and art classrooms. Following the product identification process, an alternative green product list will be developed and distributed to the school's vendors, it's purchasing department, and janitorial and teaching staff. The results of the project will be institutionalized through a training and incentives program and the purchasing department's procurement procedures.
Contacts
University of Wisconsin - Cooperative Extension, Solid and Hazardous Waste Education Program
Steve Brachman, Phone: 414-227-3160
US EPA Region 5, Waste, Pesticide & Toxics Division, P2 Program
Phil Kaplan, Phone: 312-353-4669
Participating Partners
Sixteenth Street Community Health Center (414-672-1353)
South Division High School (414-902-8300)
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within the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas
There is currently no Buy Clean project in this region.
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within the states of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska
There is currently no Buy Clean project in this region.
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within the states of Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming
Grantee (1)
East Valley Middle School
P.O. Box 1280
400 N. Kalispell
East Helena, MT 59635
Project Title
Buy Clean
Project Description
East Helena School District's objective under their Buy Clean grant, with consultation from the American Lung Association of the Northern Rockies, was to develop procurement policy guidelines for purchasing environmentally preferable supplies. They accomplished this by developing a custodial manual in addition to changing the cleaning supply system used in the school. East Helena School District is a large elementary school district in central Montana. The district has 1,100 students that attend three schools (two elementary and one middle school). East Valley Middle School (Grades 6-8), the pilot school for the Buy Clean project, is the newest of the three school buildings in the district with an enrollment of 380 children.
An extensive custodial survey was developed and distributed to determine current custodial practices and the needs and interests of their staff. They reviewed websites on environmental purchasing, and reviewed materials provided by the Montana State University Extension Service Pollution Prevention Program. Montana Broom and Brush was selected as the vendor. A representative conducted a series of training sessions using Betco's "Green Earth System II" line of cleaning products. The school has adopted the Green Earth System II as their custodial maintenance. Additional training sessions are planned which will cover maintenance and care for hard wood floors, carpet, bathrooms, and kitchens.
Contacts
East Valley Middle School
Ron Whitmoyer, Phone: 406-227-7740
US EPA Region 8, Office of P2, State & Tribal Assistance, P2 Program
Linda Walters, Phone: 303-312-6385
Participating Partners
East Helena Public Schools (406-227-7740)
American Lung Association, Earl Thomas (406-442-6556)
Grantee (2)
Jefferson County Local Emergency Planning Committee
1050 Seventeenth Street, Suite 1730
Denver, CO 80265
Project Title
Buy Clean
Project Description
The objectives of this project were to evaluate the risk posed by chemicals used in school chemistry classroom lab experiments and reduce this risk. An additional focus was redesigning the chemistry lab class curriculum into a format that encouraged the adoption of microchemistry experimentation methods. Utilizing the expertise from the individuals serving under the Colorado Board of Health, the Hazardous Waste Commission, and the associated emergency affiliations, a series of guidelines were developed to assist smaller school districts in devising a management system to maintain chemical inventory controls, and outline the procedure for product identification and substitution process from high to low risk chemicals and products. To institutionalize the Buy Clean process, the Grantee developed a training program for key individuals involved in the life cycle of the chemicals and products used in schools. In addition, the Grantee presented the project's results to the Colorado State Board of Health. The text of their recommendations were incorporated into Colorado State Board of Health regulations.
Contacts
Jefferson County Local Emergency Planning Committee
Timothy R. Gablehouse, Phone: 303-572-0050
US EPA Region 8, Office of P2, State & Tribal Assistance, P2 Program
Linda Walters, Phone: 303-312-6385
Participating Partners
Fort Morgan County Schools (970-867-5633)
Pueblo Schools (719-549-7100)
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within the states of Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada and the territories of Guam and American Samoa
Grantee (1)
Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD)
Interim Business Services Center
355 S. Grand Avenue, 4th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90071
Project Title
Utilizing Low-Risk Pest Management Products in Public Schools
Project Description
The Grantee will educate and train key school staff (e.g., food service and pest management) on the purchase and use of low-risk products. Complimenting the LAUSD Integrated Pest Management (IPM) policy, the Grantee will identify and educate the responsible staff on the purchase and use of low risk products, and work toward strengthening the existing IPM policy through creating an IPM procedures manual. The project will become institutionalized through the IPM manual creation, training, and sharing the project's results with other school districts through workshops.
Contacts
LAUSD Facilities Services Division
Marlene Isara, Phone: 213-633-3745
US EPA Region 9, Waste Division, P2 Program
Eileen Sheehan, Phone: 415-972-3287
Participating Partners
None
Grantee (2)
San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD)
555 Franklin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
Project Title
Buy Clean
Project Description
This project will develop an indoor air quality (IAQ) committee comprised of custodians, facilities managers, administrators, and other school members to address IAQ issues within the SFUSD's school system. In consideration of the growing asthmatic population, primary focus will be on practices that reduce the infiltration of dust and dirt fines into schools. A major focus of this effort will be evaluating the effectiveness of equipment and procedures currently being used for cleaning, and determine if modification of these components will reduce contaminant exposures. The project participants will include staff from seven schools, and experts from the American Lung Association, the EPA Region 9 IAQ program, and local public health offices. As a means to institutionalize the project's results, the IAQ Committee will assist the District in amending it's cleaning practices manual and facilitate the incorporation of the lessons learned from the project into school policy. The project's results will be disseminated to school districts involved in the EPA Tools for Schools program.
Contacts
SFUSD Facilities Development and Management
John Bitoff, Phone: 415-695-5925
US EPA Region 9, Waste Division, P2 Program
Eileen Sheehan, Phone: 415-972-3287
Participating Partners
N/A
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within the states of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington
Grantee
Vashon Island School District
20414 Vashon Highway SW
Vashon Island, Washington 98070
Project Title
Buy Clean
Project Description
The objectives of this project are to identify cleaning products, pesticides, and science and art supplies known to result in adverse health effects following exposure that may be substituted with lower risk products. The information developed through this process will be used to create procurement guidance for lower risk products and services. Using the five EPA environmentally preferable purchasing principles in conjunction with support provided by the participating partners with purchasing and toxics expertise, the Grantee will facilitate institutionalizing the chemical risk and resulting green product selection criteria into the procurement process of a primary purchasing agent (King County Directors Association). This purchasing agent is responsible for supplying the school materials for several districts in states throughout the Pacific Northwest. In addition, the information will be shared with school associations, EPA, the American Lung Association, and the State Department.
Contacts
Vashon Island School District
Diane Kehm, Phone: 206-463-6011
US EPA Region 10, Office of Innovation, P2 Program
Carolyn Gangmark, Phone: 206-553-4072
Participating Partners
King County Directors Association (425-251-8115)
Washington Toxics Coalition (206-632-1545)
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