IPM IS A TEAM EFFORT

Kathy Murray has a national reputation for dedication, expertise, and leadership. Murray is co-coordinator of the Northeastern School Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Working Group and a member of the National IPM School Steering Committee. The Northeastern Group is a regional group with representatives from land-grant IPM programs, government, private industry, and nonprofits from eleven northeastern states.

The School IPM Working Group encourage partnerships with diverse stakeholders such as landscape, turf, schools, homes, structures, gardens, urban forests, and public health. Murray also leads the Maine School IPM Program that provides training and guidance to all public and private schools in the state.

Kathy Murray’s presentation, “The Maine School IPM Coordinators Role," is one of the many resources she has created to help school staff meet IPM Coordinator certification standards and to implement best practices for reducing risks of pests and pesticides and improving indoor air quality.

The theme of her program is that IPM is a team effort. It reduces health risks and energy costs, saves time, protects property and the environment and solves pest problems sensibly, permanently, affordably.

A Legacy of Leadership

“Kathy is a preeminent person in New England and beyond,” says her IPM Working Group Co-coordinator, Lynn Braband, Senior Extension Associate for the NY State IPM Program of Cornell U.

"She has been a key member and leader of the School IPM Workgroup for its whole existence. She is the main school IPM outreach person for the state of Maine and her talents are used nationally. She is sought after as a collaborator. She recently received a grant to expand programs and resources for school nurses and was a collaborator on a grant to study over-seeding as a management tool on school athletic fields.”

School Nurses on the Front Lines of Public Health

Photo Credit 
Maine Forest Service

Murray’s work with school nurses is described in a recent article in EntomologyToday, The Role of School Nurses in Integrated Pest Management for Public Health.

In addition to surveys that identify gaps and needs of school staff, Murray says she learns valuable insights from visiting schools and from conversations with school staff. For example, when a school nurse called her agency for information about an infestation of browntail moth caterpillars causing severe rashes among students, Murray organized a state-wide webinar to provide timely recommendations for nurses and facility directors.

Other high interest topics for schools are ticks and mosquitoes. There are new tick tools for school nurses to promote awareness of IPM.

Murray is impressed by the level of school nurses’ activism and pride, saying “They know how to get things done.” Murray encourages school nurses and facility managers to work together to advocate for IPM resources.

A Champion for Children

Veronika Carella, a Children's Environmental Health Advocate and Legislative Director of the Maryland Children's Environmental Health Coalition is another long serving leader in the IPM School Working Group.

“As an advocate for children, I am thankful for people like Dr. Kathy Murray. Dr. Murray has worked diligently for many years to guide, educate and inspire others on how to control pests without causing harm to children and their environment. Recognizing the impact that chemical means of pest control can have on a child’s school and community, Dr. Murray has championed and promoted safer alternatives. I have seen firsthand how her efforts have improved the lives of many children."

Robert Koethe, Ph.D., Region 1 Pesticide Expert, U.S. EPA-New England, Region 1, writes,

“...While Kathy Murray’s responsibilities include working in many agricultural and non-agricultural systems she is most passionate about protecting children from risks posed by pests and pesticides. Kathy is a leader in educating parents, teachers and other school staff on pesticide use and IPM methods. She has developed innovative programs to teach school facility managers, nurses and teachers on IPM methods and complying with Maine’s school IPM program. She can always be counted on to go the extra step to help people in need of good information on protecting themselves and their children from pests and misuse of pesticides in the school environment.”

Stop School Pests: IPM for Everyone 

Murray has contributed to the development of school IPM resources such as the IPM Working Group’s “Best Management Practices for School IPM and the School IPM Cost Calculator (IPMCalculator.com) developed by Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service.

Another recent project she was involved with is the StopSchoolPests program spearheaded by the University of Arizona and the IPM Institute, the first-ever standardized, national, peer-reviewed, pilot-tested training that has undergone many rounds of feedback from participants working in schools to make sure it meets their needs. There are free online training modules for Facility Managers, Maintenance Staff, Administrative Staff, Teachers, Food Service Staff, Custodial Staff, Landscape and Grounds Staff, School Nurses and IPM Basics – Introductory training.

Murray also partners with the Maine Chapter of the Education Plant Maintenance Association that provides leadership for vendors, custodians, facility directors, safety and health professionals. Murray often provides IPM training for new and veteran IPM School Coordinators as well as custodians and maintenance staff at their annual conference.

The Compassion of a Social Worker

“I love Kathy Murray as a person and professional” writes Janet A. Hurley, MPA, Extension Program Specialist III, School IPM, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service (Hero 2013).

“Kathy is one of those rare individuals who works for a state agency, but has the compassion to do her job like a social worker. She gives of herself and her time to not just work with schools, but producers, pest control professionals, nurses, and others. Her role with Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry could just be an educator or regulator, but she truly cares of what the people of Maine need."

When I first met her I remember her work with School IPM, but she was also working with vegetable growers. She would go from a school district in the morning to a farm in the afternoon and happy all along the way. Kathy has taught me a lot over the years how to be a good leader. Working with her on the National School IPM Work Group, plus other work groups for the International IPM Symposium and eXtension Urban IPM Community of Practice I know I can count on her to get a task done.”

EPA Awards Almost $11 Million to Advance Chemical Safety Research
 
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced nearly $11 million in grants to eight universities through EPA’s Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program. These grants will help the universities develop fast and effective methods to test chemicals’ toxicity to people and the environment. The grantees will focus on developing methods and models to predict how exposure to environmental and synthetic (man-made) chemicals and chemical mixtures may harm the public.

Environmental Protection Agency

Rafael Moure-Eraso: It's time for government and industry to adopt inherently safer technology

"it is time for the EPA and other regulators to give this proposal another serious look and make IST a cornerstone of its accident prevention programs. It is time for industry to welcome the principles of IST -- substitute, minimize, moderate, and simplify -- and effect the changes needed to make chemical plants inherently safer." -- CSB Chair Rafael Moure-Eraso 6-24-12 Op Ed Charleston Gazette

http://wvgazette.com/Opinion/OpEdCommentaries/201206230057#.T-daKEo6HrE.facebook

Successful EPA Chemical Cleanout Partnership

Submitted by Matthew Langenfeld, US EPA, Region 8, Pollution Prevention and Toxics Program, langenfeld.matthew@epa.gov

Our schools are a safer place today due to the efforts of a dedicated team of professionals. This team has worked collaboratively to clean out 1,515 pounds of hazardous and toxic chemicals, and explosives from 5 tribal schools at the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation in South Dakota.

These schools have a total student population of 668 that includes 561 Native Americans. This is the first ever successful partnership through the EPA national partnership alert with the SC3 Charter Partner Program. Read about US EPA Schools Chemical Cleanout Campaign (SC3) partnerships at http://www.epa.gov/osw/partnerships/sc3/partners.htm

Pollution Control Industries (PCI) in Indiana answered the call and provided an estimated $26,000.00 in services to remove and properly dispose of chemicals from the schools.

Together this team has accomplished tasks that would have been impossible for an individual to accomplish. This work has been ongoing for over 2 years.

The collective sense of responsibility, inspirational leadership, and exemplary persistence and courage has protected hundreds of Native American school children from laboratory chemical and other dangerous chemical school hazards and unhealthy school conditions.

The risk of exposure to toxic chemicals for numerous children has been reduced or eliminated by these significant and heroic efforts. This team has used a very practical process and cost saving measures to reduce risk to chemical exposure. The team has worked tirelessly to improve chemical safety school conditions for Native American school children.

I nominate the following individuals for the Healthy Kids Healthy Schools Hero Award.     

David Nelson, Director, Environmental Protection Department, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, PO Box 590, Eagle Butte, SD, 57625

David Nelson has been very dedicated to improving the safety of tribal schools at the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation. He made EPA aware of the need for removal and proper disposal of hazardous and toxic chemicals, and potentially explosive chemicals from tribal schools at the reservation. He reported leaking containers, deteriorating storage shelves, unsafe storage conditions, and unwanted, unneeded, and outdated chemicals. He supported the use of his staff for coordination of activities with schools. David made school chemical cleanout activities at Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation schools a priority. He sent a letter to all schools seeking collaboration and assistance. As a result of his initiating efforts, over 200 individual chemicals have been removed and properly disposed from five schools at Cheyenne River as follows.

Robert Smith, Coordinator, Tribal Brownfields Program, Environmental Protection Department, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, PO Box 590, Eagle Butte, SD, 57625

Robert Smith has consistently provided assistance and gone above expectation to remove toxic and hazardous chemicals from tribal schools at Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation. Robert has fostered critical relationships with school personnel. He gained the support, cooperation, and participation of school administration and staff allowing easy access and a positive working environment. He was instrumental in conducting inventories of chemicals, obtaining cost estimates for disposal, working with contractors to safely lap-pack chemicals, and collect chemicals for shipment and proper disposal. Removing chemicals from these schools prevent eventual release to air, water, and soil. All chemicals collected were listed on a hazardous waste manifest and transported for appropriate disposal at a Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facility (TSDF) according to land ban restrictions. This is the first ever successful partnership through the national partnership alert with the SC3 Charter Partner Program. These Indian Country schools include Cheyenne Eagle Butte High School, Dupree High School, Takini School, Timber Lake High School, and Tiospaye Topa School. These schools have a total student population of 668 that includes 561 Native Americans. A total of 1,515 pounds of chemicals were removed to include neurotoxins, carcinogens, suspected carcinogens, strong oxidizers, and corrosive, caustic, toxic, ignitable, flammable, shock sensitive and potentially explosive chemicals and were properly disposed. The estimated cost of transportation and disposal services provided by PCI is $26,000.00.

Elizabeth Bird & Myla Kelly, Coordinators, Peaks to Prairies Pollution Prevention Information Center, Montana State University, Taylor Hall, Bozeman, MT, 59717 

Elizabeth Bird and Myla Kelly have worked tirelessly and dedicated many hours to school chemical cleanout activities at Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation. They supported the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Environmental Protection Department with chemical inventory and collection activities. Peaks to Praires received grant funding for school chemical cleanout activities at tribal schools in South Dakota. Based on David Nelson’s requests for assistance and demonstration of need, it was decided that this work would be conducted at Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation schools. Elizabeth and Myla kept focus on chemical inventory, cost estimates, and collection. They worked on locating funding sources and obtaining funds for chemical cleanout. Additional workshops, teacher education, and staff training activities are planned.

Kristina Meson, School Chemical Cleanout Campaign, EPA/Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW (5302P), Washington, DC 20460

Kristina Meson always goes above and beyond expectation to remove toxic and hazardous chemicals from schools nationwide and has assisted Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation with activities in Indian Country. Kristina is very successful with school chemical cleanout activities. Over the past 2 years, she has worked overtime without compensation to further the school chemical cleanout program at Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation. Upon notification of a need for cleanout of chemicals from these tribal schools, Kristina requested assistance from the School Chemical Cleanout Campaign Charter Partner Program and Partner Alert request for assistance from ORCR. Pollution Control Industries of East Chicago, Indiana answered the request and offered to provide free services for the schools to collect and properly dispose of toxic and hazardous chemicals. All chemicals collected were listed on a hazardous waste manifest and transported for appropriate disposal at a Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facility (TSDF) according to land ban restrictions.

 Tita LaGrimas, Executive Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, Pollution Control Industries, 4343 Kennedy Avenue, East Chicago, IN 46312

Tita LaGrimas answered Kristina’s School Chemical Cleanout Campaign Charter Partner Program and Partner Alert request for assistance. She obtained approval from Pollution Control Industries (PCI) to travel to South Dakota, collect the chemicals, ship them to PCI Treatment Storage and Disposal Facility in Indiana for proper disposal. She demonstrated dedication to this project and took a personal interest in protecting the students and staff at Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation. Based on her involvement, the project was completed in a short period of time and went very smoothly. Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation Schools will forever be safer for school children based on Tita’s work. 

Background Information for Cheyenne River Sioux, South Dakota 

Tribal School Cleanout Updated 02/09/09, 11/12/08 (1,515 lbs)

Estimated Cost $26,000.00  (Partnership with Pollution Control Industries - Pro Bono)

Eagle Butte High School, 24 Students, 38% Native American

Dupree High School, 62 Students, 63% Native American

Timber Lake, 110 Students, 39% Native American

Tiospaye Topa, 221 Students, 100% Native American

Takini, 232 Students, 100% Native American

Inspiring 2008 Hero Nominee -- Dwight Peavey

Dwight Peavey, PhD Senior Scientist at US EPA Region I
Nominated by Rick Reibstein of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Office of Technical Assistance and Technology
 
Dr. Peavey is the regional expert on toxic chemicals and their environmental fate and adverse effects on the environment and human health. In the last five years, he has brought an "integrated chemical management program" to several Massachusetts schools systems.

He has saved these schools thousands of dollars in hazardous chemical removal, reduced chemical exposure to teachers, staff and students, minimized liability, and created integrated real time "pharmacy-like" chemical management. In addition to providing better chemical security, integrated chemical management programs lead to additional cost savings as schools avoid unnecessary re-ordering and expensive specialized storage.

Massachusetts is one of six states where schools are not required to have a chemical hygiene program. Nor is it an OSHA state. So Dr. Peavey's success in risk reduction in schools is attributable to his initiative and unique dedication, as well as his expertise and interpersonal skills.

"During my watch, no harm should come to a child." says Dr. Peavey. "When a child or a teacher goes to school, he should come home in the same condition he went there."

Dr. Peavey is EPA's New England Small Business Ombudsman, Chemical Right-To-Know liaison, Brominated Flame Retardant expert and the Senior Assistance Coordinator. He is the regional coordinator for the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Program under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act. Dwight serves as the regional Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxics (PBTs) and High Production Volume Chemical Challenge Program liaison.

In his various positions, Dr. Peavey has made presentations at state, regional, national and international seminars, workshops and conferences on all aspects of small business assistance, EPCRA, Toxics Release Inventory, Pollution Prevention, PBTs, Chemical Right-To-Know, and EPA's Small Business Policy. As the regional Small Business Ombudsman, Dr. Peavey has partnered with SBTAPs, the Small Business Development Centers, colleges/universities and various small business trade associations throughout New England.

Prior to EPA, Dr. Peavey was the executive director for the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association, consultant to the Massachusetts Department of Food and Agriculture, and assistant professor at the SUNY Geneseo.

HERO 2008
Matthew Langenfeld, USEPA, Region 8, School Chemical Cleanout Coordinator

The 2008 Healthy Schools Heroes Award goes to a TEAM of five people who demonstrate how state and federal agencies can take leadership for school safety. Nomination by Randy Brown, of the US EPA, Region 8 (8P-TA), Tribal Assistance Program, Denver, CO

Randy Brown writes: 

Matthew Langenfeld manages and leads EPA, Region 8 School Cleanout and Indian Country School Laboratory Hazard Consultation Program efforts.

Mr. Langenfeld has made Indian Country School Laboratory Cleanout a strategic priority. The primary objective is to make Indian Country Schools safer for school children. To date, 20 Indian Country schools have been cleaned out in collaboration with

Tribes, Rocky Mountain College, American Indian Affairs, Montana Department of Environmental Quality, and the Wyoming Department of Education. He has provided a power point presentation on goals, hazardous and toxic materials found in schools, incompatible storage, art and maintenance chemicals, collaboration, successes, behavior changes needed, and online materials for the Region 8 Children's Environmental Health Summits in 2006 and 2007. A copy of his Power Point presentation will be made available on request.

Langenfeld has been very dedicated to improving the safety of tribal and rural schools for all school children. He has made himself consistently available as a resource to ensure that schools were assessed, inventories, cost estimates, funding obtained and schools cleaned out in a timely manner. He has led the collective group and ensured their cohesiveness. He has prioritized those schools that have exhibited the greatest risk and severity for exposure and followed through on cleanout. He has led many conversations with school administrators, superintendents, and principals encouraging cleanout activities and offering suggestions for funding opportunities. He recently recognized unacceptable exposure and explosive hazards in schools. He made the cleanout of unsafe storage of 19.2 pounds of elemental mercury in a polyethylene Gatorade bottle, cyanide salt next to arsenous acid capable of creating deadly hydrogen cyanide gas, extremely corrosive hydrofluoric acid, strong oxidizers next to flammable substances, and thermite reaction chemicals a very high priority. These unacceptable hazards have been abated and the chemicals safely collected for proper disposal as hazardous waste.

SCHOOL CHEMICAL CLEANOUT: WIND RIVER INDIAN RESERVATION: Mr. Matthew Langenfeld organized representatives from the Eastern Shoshone Tribe, Northern Arapaho Tribe, Wind River Environmental Quality Commission, Wyoming Department of Education, Wyoming Public Schools, Roche Colorado Corporation, and EPA to assess school chemical cleanout needs at ten schools on the Wind River Indian Reservation during the week of July 30, 2007. Chemical inventories were completed and proper disposal of hazardous chemicals was discussed. Improper storage of a flammable substance was immediately corrected. Numerous toxic and hazardous chemicals including mercury, mercuric chloride, arsenic metal, lead nitrate, lead tetroxide, potassium dichromate, ammonium hydroxide, bromine gas, carbon disulfide, and methanol were located and added to the schools inventory for future disposal.

TRIBAL SCHOOL CHEMICAL CLEANOUT: FLATHEAD RESERVATION: Mr. Langenfeld organized representatives from the collaborative team of EPA, Montana Public Schools, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs schools to assess school chemical cleanout needs at the Flathead Reservation during the week of August 13, 2007. A total of eight (8) schools were assessed. Incompatible chemical storage of a strong base in an acid cabinet was immediately corrected. Significant volumes and numerous toxic chemicals including hydrofluoric acid, potassium cyanide, arsenic trioxide, ammonium dichromate, carbon disulfide, mercury, mercuric chloride, lead nitrate, cadmium chloride, ammonium hydroxide, carbon tetrachloride, methanol, benzene, toluene and xylene were located and inventory information was obtained for potential future disposal.

SCHOOL CHEMICAL CLEANOUT: PARK SCHOOL DISTRICT, ESTES PARK, COLORADO: In collaboration with Mr. Matthew Langenfeld of Region 8's Pollution Prevention and Toxics Unit, the School District arranged for collection and proper disposal of toxic and hazardous chemicals during the summer of 2007. Numerous toxic chemicals including mercuric oxide, lead chloride, cadmium nitrate, chromium sulfate, barium chloride, testosterone, polyvinyl alcohol, ethylene glycol, formaldehyde, hydroquinone, xylene, hexane, and benzene were collected by a hazardous waste broker. A total of 398 pounds of chemicals were manifested and shipped for disposal. Funding was leveraged as the School District paid 5% of disposal costs. A Standard Operating Procedure for safe use and storage of chemicals has been completed, teachers trained on safe use of chemicals, and remaining chemicals cataloged and tracked. These actions have made Park School District schools safer for Colorado school children.

SCHOOL CHEMICAL CLEANOUT: MESA COUNTY VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT, GRAND JUNCTION, COLORADO: In collaboration with Mr. Matthew Langenfeld of EPA Region 8's Pollution Prevention and Toxics Unit, the School District arranged for collection and proper disposal of toxic and hazardous chemicals during the summer of 2007. Numerous toxic chemicals including ammonium molybdate, lead oxide, lead sulfide, lead nitrate, lithium and sodium metal, silver nitrate, chromium, potassium chromate, barium chloride, barium peroxide, phosphorus pentoxide, adrenaline, testosterone, polyvinyl alcohol, methanol, heptane, and hexane were collected and disposed of by the Mesa County Hazardous Waste Collection Program. A total of 572 pounds of chemicals were manifested and shipped for disposal. Funding was leveraged as the School District paid 5percent of disposal costs. Teachers were trained in Hazardous Waste and Classroom Safety and a purchasing policy was enacted. The purchasing policy worked, as an attempt to order mercuric chloride was prevented. Chemicals were inventoried and micro-scale laboratories included in the curriculum. These actions have made Mesa County Valley School District schools safer for Colorado school children.

SCHOOL CHEMICAL CLEANOUT: SHERIDAN SCHOOL DISTRICT, SHERIDAN, COLORADO: In collaboration with Mr. Matthew Langenfeld of EPA Region 8, numerous hazardous and toxic chemicals were cleaned from the Sheridan School District Middle and High Schools in 2006 and 2007. Teachers were trained on chemical safety; a chemical management plan was developed; and a purchasing policy was enacted. Chemicals including ammonium persulfate; arsenic trioxide; chromic acid; formaldehyde; hexane; lead dioxide, oxide, acetate, and metal; mercury oxide; potassium cyanide and dichromate; and sodium hydroxide were collected by a hazardous waste broker. A total of 934 pounds of chemicals were manifested and shipped for proper disposal.