Safe Classroom: ADEQ releases chemical management toolkit
Sarita Douglas, examiner.com
September 29, 2012 

On Thursday, September 27, 2012 the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) released a 60-page chemical management toolkit to assist Arizona school districts in managing chemicals used at schools.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ranks responsible chemical management as a top priority for schools, stating that many school buildings "contain environmental conditions that inhibit learning and pose increased risks to the health of children and staff."
English version 

The EPA provides information and resources on its own healthy schools chemical management website.

The EPA video on the SC3 campaign to clean up chemicals in schools provides an in-depth look at the many places chemicals can be found in and outside the chemistry lab, and the process of removal in several schools in the US.

Old science class chemicals removed The Beatrice Daily Sun (Nebraska) reports (http://bit.ly/JmSeKt) that a hazardous-waste disposal company based in Norwell, Mass., Clean Harbors, cleared away a total of 320 pounds of chemicals from Beatrice High School and Beatrice Middle School. 5 23 2012
 

IT'S TIME TO GET SMART about chemical management. Too many schools, old and new, harbor large quantities of explosives, flammables and other hazardous chemicals in labs, closets, classrooms and storerooms.

TAKE ACTION to improve your school's chemical security. 

START CONVERSATIONS* to raise awareness of resources that can save your school money and help your school prevent explosions and fires – from accidents and intentional acts.

IDENTIFY AND ELIMINATE HAZARDS before there is an accident and people get hurt.

REACH OUT to school officials, other parents, your local health department, fire department, and state agencies who are responsible for helping schools manage and dispose of chemical hazards.

PREVENT EXPLOSIONS. Ask your principal these questions:

1. Does my school have a chemical inventory?
2. Does my school have a comprehensive chemical management plan?
3. Does my school have a chemical hygiene officer?

If the answer to any of these questions is "no," your school needs an immediate checkup and safety drill.


*Bring the Lessons of the 1937 Texas School Explosion to Your School

Send comments and questions to me at healthykids@rcn.com

2011 Hero Dr. Dwight Peavey Testimonies

Peter Swanson, Former Teacher and Department Chair at Quincy High School
Robert Czerwinski, Acting Fire Chief in Pittsfield, Massachusetts

Peter Swanson, Former Teacher and Department Chair at Quincy High School writes:

I took over as Department Chair of Science at Quincy High School five years ago.  I heard Dwight speak to a group of department heads south of Boston.  When he finished I raced to speak with him because we had a mess on our hands.  The Department had collected chemicals and supplies for I would guess 50 years or more and we had no money for disposal.  He told me that he would visit the school, make an assessment, talk to the principal and then give me an action time line. 

During the summer he and his crew cleaned up our science facilities and then went to the other High School and the middle schools to clean up there.  Dwight and I developed a wonderful professional relationship.  I advocate for his program when attending conferences.

Because of Dwight's commitment to Green Chemistry, he helped us get funding for a BeyondBenign summer program.  Never in my thirty-year career have I ever been involve in such a powerful program.  Half of the students were going into their junior or senior years and the others were incoming freshmen.  The impact on those seniors has been incredible as they all headed of to college in some phase of science or technology.  One of the seniors is at Boston College as a freshman and chemistry has been a breeze for her.  A second girl is at Simmons College and the Department Chair at Simmons told me that they have never had a freshman so on track in chemistry since he has been there.  Our incoming freshmen at the time will now be juniors.  They are all at the top of the class.

It becomes so simple.  Dwight saw a program with potential and he trusted what he saw.  He worked hard to fund it and then in his Dwight Peavey way, he stepped back and smiled.  He knows what works.

None of this inspiration would have come to me, the teachers in the program or the turned-on students if Dwight hadn't stopped me at the NSTA Convention in Boston a few years ago and said, "Hey Peter, I think we can do something special at Quincy High School for your science program."

Robert Czerwinski, Acting Fire Chief in Pittsfield, Massachusetts says:

“Dwight has been wonderful, top caliber. I first met Dwight at a Massachusetts Hazardous Materials Technical Conference and learned how he worked with schools.  His presentation was engaging and entertaining. I could have listened to him all day. We were excited when he came to help Pittsfield Schools.  Five members of the Fire Department Inspections Bureau observed his process and we all hold Dwight and his team in the highest esteem. It gave us a better awareness of chemical safety issues in schools – especially chemical storage -- and helped us to become a local resource, getting involved in improving areas of school safety that previously may have gone unnoticed.  State regulation require quarterly inspection but now, in addition to checking routine items, we also check emergency showers, check storage cabinets looking for signs of leaks and spills, and look for problems such as materials left out on counters and proper labeling. 

Czerwinski encourages other schools not to be afraid of asking for help.  “Welcome them in with open arms.  Peavey’s team is here to help.  In a time when budgets are shirking, this is one program that brings benefits four-fold to the community.  The state doesn’t have the program or the resources. If you had to call in a Hazardous Waste Contractor it would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

Teaching Safely, Teaching Safety

 Peaks to Praries Pollution Prevention 

Information and Tools

Laboratory Self-Audit: Setting Up Your Audit
Classrooms and laboratories practicing pollution prevention are safer for students and in most cases easier on the school budget besides being fairly easy to implement. However, changes in thinking must occur to make the initial effort a success. Lay the groundwork for change before using the Self-Audit Checklists included in this resource. Start with some basic grassroots organizing using these suggestions or some of the many community development resources available. The result will be a program that works for your school community.  Read more

Checklists

• Art Teachers Checklist
• Family & Consumer Science (Home Economics) Checklist
• Vocational Education (Shop, Ag Ed, etc.) Checklist

Posters

• Green Clean poster
• Chemicals at School poster
• Clean Air poster
• Hazardous Chemicals poster
• Integrated Pest Management poster
• Save Energy at School poster
• Top 10 Things You Can Do to Green Your School
• Waste Reduction poster

Guidance and Tools for Schools

Safeguard Against Chemicals in Your School: EPA’s Schools Chemical Cleanout Campaign (SC3)

From school maintenance closets to high school chemistry labs to vocational school classrooms, schools house a variety of chemicals. These chemicals can have many useful applications: they help keep school areas clean, demonstrate chemistry lessons and teach students new mechanical skills. But when these chemicals are mismanaged, they can put students and school staff at risk from spills, fires and other accidental exposures — incidents that may result in lost school days and require millions of dollars to mitigate.

The Schools Chemical Cleanout Campaign (SC3) gives K-12 schools the guidance and tools they need to responsibly manage chemicals, thus reducing the risks and hazards posed by mismanagement. The goals of SC3 are to bring together administrators, teachers, maintenance staff...

 

Read more

Webinar: School Chemical Cleanout Sept 15

Webinar: Prevent Air Pollution at the Source: School Chemical Cleanout
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM EDT

Keep your school safe and free from hazardous chemicals. Chemical mismanagement can lead to dangerous exposures and risks - jeopardizing the safety of students and staff by polluting the air. Join experts from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Schools Chemical Cleanout Campaign and Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Program, as well as the representatives from school  district's and private industry, as they explain effective methods to safely manage chemicals that are used in schools every day

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

HERO 2008  Allyson Kelley, Rocky Mountain College, American Indian Affairs, Project Director, MICCP CARE Project, http://cobalt.rocky.edu/~CARE/ 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: Allyson Kelley has consistently gone above and beyond all expectation to remove toxic and hazardous chemicals from tribal schools and schools with high Indian population. Allyson is passionate and very successful with tribal school chemical cleanout activities. Removing chemicals from these schools prevent eventual release to air, water, and soil. All chemicals collected are listed on a hazardous waste manifest and transported for appropriate disposal at a Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facility (TSDF) according to land ban restrictions. Some recent examples of the extraordinary work completed by Allyson are included as follows. TRIBAL SCHOOL CHEMICAL CLEANOUT, NORTHERN CHEYENNE INDIAN RESERVATION AND CROW RESERVATION: Allyson worked directly with representatives of the collaborative team of Northern Cheyenne Tribe, Crow Tribe, EPA, Hardin Public Schools, and Rocky Mountain College (RMC) to assess school chemical cleanout needs at Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, Crow Reservation, and high Indian population schools in Hardin Montana during the spring of 2007. A total of 8 schools, Chief Dull Knife College, and the Boys and Girls Club were assessed. Incompatible chemical storage of a strong oxidizer in a flammable cabinet was immediately corrected. Numerous toxic chemicals including potassium cyanide, mercury, mercuric chloride, arsenic trichloride, arsenic trioxide, ammonium hydroxide, bromine water, acetaldehyde, toluene, benzene, tetrahydrofuran, and carbon tetrachloride were located and added to the schools inventory for future disposal. TRIBAL SCHOOL CHEMICAL CLEANOUT, NORTHERN CHEYENNE INDIAN RESERVATION: Allyson worked directly with representatives from the collaborative team of EPA, and Rocky Mountain College (RMC) to arrange for collection and proper disposal of toxic and hazardous chemicals from Chief Dull Knife College, and the Boys and Girls Club in Lame Deer, Montana on August 23, 2007. Numerous toxic chemicals including potassium cyanide, mercuric chloride, mercuric oxide, acetaldehyde, naphthalene, sodium hydroxide, phosphoric acid, ammonium nitrate and lithographic chemicals containing polyvinyl alcohol, glycol ethers, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, and solvents were collected by a hazardous waste broker. A total of 1,320 pounds of chemicals were manifested and shipped for disposal. Funding for disposal was leveraged by Allyson from a Montana Indian Country CARE Project with RMC. This work would not have been completed without Allyson's constant attention and commitment. INDIAN COUNTRY SCHOOL CHEMICAL CLEANOUT: CROW INDIAN RESERVATION: Through An EPA Resource Conservation Challenge (RCC) grant to the Rocky Mountain College, American Indian Affairs, Allyson Kelley has helped clean out hazardous chemicals from the Plenty Coups High School in Pryor, Montana during the Fall of 2007. In collaboration with the school and Region 8's Pollution Prevention and Toxics Unit, Rocky Mountain College arranged for collection and proper disposal of toxic and hazardous chemicals. Numerous toxic chemicals including lead sulfide, nitrate, and acetate; silver nitrate and chloride; mercury; potassium chromate; barium hydroxide and chloride; and ethylene glycol were collected by a hazardous waste broker. A total of 158 pounds of chemicals were manifested and shipped for disposal, making the Plenty Coups High School safer for its 65 Indian school children. SCHOOL CHEMICAL CLEANOUT - NORTHERN CHEYENNE TRIBAL SCHOOLS, NORTHERN CHEYENNE RESERVATION: Allyson Kelley with EPA Region 8, through a grant to the Rocky Mountain College, cleaned out hazardous and toxic chemicals from the Elementary, Middle, and High Schools in Busby, Montana during the Winter of 2007. Chemicals included tetrahydrofuran; toluene; ethylbenzene; xylene; potassium chlorate; nitric, hydrochloric, and sulfuric acid; ammonium and potassium hydroxide; and formaldehyde. Waste paint, maintenance chemicals, and used oil, were also collected. A total of 4,038 pounds of chemicals were manifested/shipped for disposal by a hazardous waste broker.

Heroes 2008

Brian Spangler, Business and Community Assistance Program Manager for the Air, Energy and Pollution Prevention Bureau at the Montana Department of Environmental Quality

Bonnie Rouse, Environmental Specialist, Business, Community Assistance, Montana Department of Environmental Quality

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:

Brian Spangler and Bonnie Rouse have worked tirelessly and dedicated many hours to school chemical cleanout activities in Montana Indian Country and rural areas over the last few years.

They conducted a survey of 408 Montana middle and high schools statewide to collect information on the types of chemicals present in school science laboratories. Over 38 percent of the schools responded, reporting a total of 570 different chemicals. A total of ten schools and approximately 4,000 pounds of hazardous chemicals have been removed and responsibly disposed.

Cleanouts are planned for an additional four schools, including three in Indian Country. MDEQ also organized a series of one-day training courses on school lab chemical safety and management during the last two weeks of September 2005.

The workshops, which were conducted by Safety and Science Education Consultants, Inc., were held in nine communities. One hundred and fourteen teachers, administrators, and school custodians completed the workshops, representing schools from 43 communities.

The Business and Community Assistance Program of MDEQ has received grant funding that will be used to assist schools in the proper removal and disposal of unwanted chemicals. MDEQ has also received funding from EPA to expand the Laboratory Cleanout Program and the funds are to be dedicated to removing chemicals from more schools in Montana.

The MDEQ has a comprehensive Web site that provides chemical management resources on lab safety, conducting a chemical inventory, chemical purchasing, and other topics: http://www.mdeqschoollabs.com/index.asp

SCHOOL CHEMICAL CLEANOUT: HARDIN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, CROW INDIAN RESERVATION: The Montana Department of Environmental Quality, cleaned out numerous hazardous chemicals from the Middle and High Schools in Hardin, Montana during the Fall of 2007. The cleanout was done in collaboration with Rocky Mountain College - American Indian Affairs and EPA and addressed potentially severe risks, i.e., storage of 19.2 pounds of mercury in a Gatorade bottle and cyanide salts stored next to acids. A total of 556 pounds of chemicals were manifested and shipped for disposal.

SCHOOL CHEMICAL CLEANOUT - POLSON HIGH SCHOOL, FLATHEAD RESERVATION: Region 8, through a grant to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, cleaned out hazardous chemicals from the High School in Polson, Montana during the winter of 2007. Chemicals including aniline, potassium cyanide, antimony trichloride, lead carbonate, hydrofluoric acid, mercury, mercuric chloride, phthalic anhydride, toluene, xylene, ethanol, formaldehyde, and carbon disulfide were collected. A total of 219 pounds of chemicals were manifested/shipped for disposal by a hazardous waste broker.