Appendix C: State School Environmental Health Guidelines
- EPA Children's Health Protection and Programs
- K-12 School Compliance, Policies, and Standards
- Assessment Tools
- National or State Awards Programs
- Practice Effective Cleaning and Maintenance
- Prevent Mold and Moisture
- Reduce Chemical and Environmental Contaminant Hazards
- Ensure Good Ventilation
- Prevent Pests and Reduce Pesticide Exposure
- New Construction and Renovation
- Enhancing Classroom Comfort
- Energy and Water Efficiency
- Training and Curricula
- Other Resources
EPA Children's Health Protection and Programs
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EPA Region 8's Clean, Green, and Healthy Tribal Schools website
EPA's Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Centers (with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences) website
EPA's Children's Health Protection website
EPA's Healthy School Environments website
EPA's Healthy School Environment Guidance and Tools website
EPA's Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) National Schools Network website
EPA's Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) School Champions website
EPA's Regional Office Contacts
K-12 School Compliance, Policies, and Standards
Energy Independence & Security Act of 2007 (310pp, 828K)
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's (NIOSH) Safety Checklist Program for Schools
Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Principal Emergency Response and Preparedness Requirements and Guidance (76pp, 703K)
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 section 504, subpart D: Preschool, Elementary, and Secondary Education
Beyond Pesticides' State and Local School Pesticide Policies
Campus Environmental Resource Center (Campus ERC) is a library of resources that support campus environmental performance improvement and help visitors better understand environmental regulations. Although Campus ERC is designed for use by colleges and universities, K-12 school districts might find some of its resources helpful.
Environmental Law Institute website
Environmental Law Institute's Green Cleaning in Schools: Developments in State Policy website
Environmental Law Institute's Indoor Environments and Green Buildings Policy Resource Center
Environmental Law Institute's School Indoor Air Quality: State Policy Strategies for Maintaining Healthy Learning Environments (available for download)
The National Association of State Boards of Education State School Healthy Policy Database is a comprehensive set of laws and policies from the 50 states on more than 40 school health topics. The policies in the database are organized into six broad categories: curriculum and instruction, staff, health promoting environment, student services, accommodation, and coordination/implementation.
National Conference of State Legislatures' Environmental Health Legislation and Statutes Databases
Assessment Tools
EPA's Healthy School Environments Assessment Tool (HealthySEATv2)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) School Health Profiles
Rhode Island's Northeast Collaborative for High Performance Schools High Performance Scorecard
National or State Awards Programs
U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools Recognition Award
Florida's Governor Serve to Preserve Green Schools Award
Texas's Green Ribbon Schools Program
Practice Effective Cleaning and Maintenance
EPA's Design for the Environment program helps consumers, businesses, and institutional buyers identify cleaning and other products that perform well, are cost effective, and are safer for the environment. A list of products that meet Design for the Environment's stringent criteria for health and environmental safety can be found on the Design for the Environment Product Web page.
EPA's Design for the Environment website
EPA's Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program: Cleaning
EPA's Greening Your Purchase of Cleaning Products: A Guide for Federal Purchasers
EPA's IAQ Tools for Schools Action Kit
EPA's Safe Chemical Management in Schools Green Cleaning
CDC/NIOSH's Prevention of Occupational Asthma website
California Department of Public Health's Cleaning for Asthma Safe Schools Project
Illinois Green Cleaning Legislation's Public Act 095-0084
Missouri's Green Cleaning Guidelines and Specifications for Schools (26pp, 227K)
New York's Green Cleaning Program website
New York's Green Cleaning Program Approved Green Cleaning Products List
The Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) Best Practices Manual for Maintenance and Operations: available for download on the CHPS website.
Healthy Schools Campaign Green Clean Schools website
Healthy Schools Network's Cleaning for Healthy Schools Toolkit
National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities' Resource List for School Cleaning and Maintenance Practices
U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance addresses whole-building cleaning and maintenance issues (including chemical use) and exterior maintenance programs.
Green Seal is a non-profit organization that develops life-cycle based sustainability standards for products, services, and companies and offers third-party certification for those that meet the criteria in the standard.
Ecologo was founded in Canada in 1988 and is a North American environmental standard and certification mark. Ecologo's standards address multiple environmental attributes throughout the life cycle of a product or service, and have been verified by a third-party auditor.
Prevent Mold and Moisture
EPA's Flood Cleanup website
EPA's Molds and Moisture website
EPA's Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings website
CDC's Mold website
University of Connecticut Health Center's Guidance for Clinicians on the Recognition and Management of Health Effects Related to Mold Exposure and Moisture Indoors (120pp, 1.1M)
Reduce Chemical and Environmental Contaminant Hazards
EPA's fact sheet: Lead in Drinking Water Coolers
EPA's Guidance on Assessing Outdoor Air Near Schools
EPA's Guidance on Testing Schools and Child Care Facilities for Lead in the Drinking Water
EPA Region 8's Hazardous Waste Management for School Laboratories and Classrooms
EPA Region 8's Idle Free Schools Toolkit
EPA Region 8's Pollution Prevention Measures for Safer School Laboratories (10pp, 130K)
EPA's 3Ts for Reducing Lead in Drinking Water (104pp, 2.5M) manual
EPA's Academic Laboratories Rule
EPA's Asbestos in Schools website
EPA's Clean School Bus USA website
EPA's Community Action for a Renewed Environment Program
EPA's Current Drinking Water Regulations website
EPA's Design for the Environment Labeled Products and Partners
EPA's Drinking Water in Schools and Child Care Facilities website
EPA's Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program
EPA's Guidance and Tools for Drinking Water in Schools and Child Care Facilities
EPA's Hazardous Waste website
EPA's IAQ Reference Guide Appendix G: Radon
EPA's IAQ Tools for Schools Action Kit
EPA's Lead website
EPA's List of Drinking Water Contaminants and their Maximum Contaminant Levels
EPA's Mercury website
EPA's Mercury in Schools Case Studies
EPA's National Clean Diesel Campaign website
EPA's National Idle-Reduction Campaign website
EPA's National Primary Drinking Water Regulations website
EPA's Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) website
EPA's PCB in Caulk Schools Fact Sheet (1p, 163K)
EPA's Radon website
EPA's Radon in Schools website
EPA's Reduce Exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke website
EPA's Safe Chemical Management in Schools website
EPA's Smoke-Free Homes website
EPA's Toolkit for Safe Chemical Management in K-12 Schools
EPA's Wastewater Management website
AIRNow's Air Quality Index website
AIRNow's School Flag Program
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry's ToxFAQs website
Consumer Product Safety Commission/NIOSH's School Chemistry Laboratory Guide (86pp, 1.6M)
NIOSH's Hazardous Waste Self-Inspection Checklist for Schools
Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories Standard
Colorado regulations for inventory of laboratory chemicals: RULES AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING SCHOOLS IN THE STATE OF COLORADO 6 CCR 1010-6 (46pp, 206K)
King County, Washington's Local Hazardous Waste Management Program Resources for Schools
King County, Washington's Local Hazardous Waste Management Program School Chemical List
King County, Washington's Rehab the Lab Less Toxic Chemistry Labs
Maryland's Science Safety Manual Chemicals: Managing, Handling, and Disposing
Nebraska's Department of Environmental Quality School Chemicals and Disposal Guidance
San Antonio, Texas's Northeast Independent School District Air Quality Health Alert Program (8pp, 645K)
Washington D.C.'s Ballou High School Mercury Spill Case Study
Ensure Good Ventilation
EPA's Guidance for Indoor Air Quality in Large Buildings
EPA's Asthma Webpage: Asthma Triggers
EPA's IAQ Tools for Schools website
EPA's IAQ Tools for Schools Action Kit
EPA's IAQ Tools for Schools: Benefits of Good Indoor Air Quality
EPA's IAQ Tools for Schools: Case Studies
EPA's IAQ Tools for Schools: Framework for Effective Indoor Air Quality Management (3pp, 498K)
EPA's IAQ Tools for Schools: Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Systems
EPA's IAQ Tools for Schools: School Advanced Ventilation Engineering Software
EPA's Ozone Generators that Are Sold as Air Cleaners website
EPA's Residential Air Cleaners: A Summary of Available Information website
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools' Indoor Air Quality Program and Environmental Stewardship Initiative
Connecticut's Indoor Air Quality Law
Connecticut's Tools for Schools Program
Indiana's Department of Health School Indoor Air Quality Policy (11pp, 92K)
New Jersey's Public Employee Occupational Safety and Health Indoor Air Quality Standard
Texas's Voluntary Indoor Air Quality Guidelines for Government Buildings (including public schools)
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers' Standard 62.1-2010: Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America's State Honor Roll of Asthma and Allergy School Policies
National Education Association Health Information Network's: K-12 Indoor Air Quality Lesson Plans (127pp, 5M)
Prevent Pests and Reduce Pesticide Exposure
EPA's Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in Schools website
EPA's Pesticides A Backyard Activity Book for Kids on Integrated Pest Management website
EPA's Pesticides Children are at Greater Risk from Pesticide Exposure website
EPA's Pesticides Information for Kids, Students, and Teachers website
EPA's Pesticides Topical and Chemical Fact Sheets website
California's School Integrated Pest Management website
Florida's School Integrated Pest Management website
Los Angeles Unified School District's Integrated Pest Management Policy (7pp, 147K)
Monroe County, Indiana's School Integrated Pest Management Model
New Jersey's School Integrated Pest Management website
North Carolina's School Integrated Pest Management website
Pennsylvania's School Integrated Pest Management website
Texas A&M's School Integrated Pest Management website
Washington State University's School Integrated Pest Management website
New Construction and Renovation
EPA's Healthy School Environment Resources: Financing
EPA's IAQ Design Tools for Schools website
EPA's IAQ Design Tools for Schools: Controlling Pollutants and Sources
EPA's IAQ Design Tools for Schools: High Performance Schools
EPA's IAQ Tools for Schools Renovation and Repair website
EPA's Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting website
EPA's Lead Safe Certification Program
EPA's Renovation, Repair, and Painting Rule
EPA's Smart Growth and Schools
EPA's Voluntary School Siting Guidelines
EPA's WaterSense website
EPA's WaterSense Label
EPA's WaterSense Labeled Products
EPA's WaterSense Rebate Finder
EPA's ENERGY STAR for K-12 School Districts website
EPA's ENERGY STAR Building Upgrade Manual
EPA's ENERGY STAR Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR
EPA's ENERGY STAR Energy Design Guidance
EPA's ENERGY STAR Federal High Performance Sustainable Buildings Checklist (9pp, 1.1M)
EPA's ENERGY STAR Target Finder
U.S. Department of Energy's Federal Energy Management Program: Guidance for Sustainable Design
U.S. Department of Energy's National Best Practices Manual for Building High Performance Schools (457pp, 8.8M)
U.S. Green Building Council's Center for Green Schools
U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Schools
Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) website
Collaborative for High Performance Schools' CHPS Designed
Collaborative for High Performance Schools' CHPS Operations Report Card
Collaborative for High Performance Schools' CHPS Verified
Collaborative for High Performance Schools' CHPS Verified for Prefabricated Classrooms
Collaborative for High Performance Schools' High Performance Products Database
Collaborative for High Performance Schools' High Performance School Best Practices Manual
Green Building Initiative website
Green Building Initiative's Green Globes Program
International Code Council website
International Code Council's International Green Construction Code
American Clearinghouse on Educational Facilities website
National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities website
National Green Schools Coalition
National Center for Educational Statistics' Facilities Information Management: A Guide for State and Local Education Agencies (104pp, 574K)
National Center for Educational Statistics' Forum Guide to Facilities Information Management: A Resource for State and Local Education Agencies (89pp, 3.1M)
NSF International's Low Lead Plumbing Products Guide
Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association's IAQ Guidelines for Occupied Buildings Under Construction
Enhancing Classroom Comfort
EPA's SunWise Program website
Department of Energy EnergySmart Schools Case Study's Northern Guilford Middle School, Greensboro, North Carolina(4pp, 363K)
U.S. Green Building Council's Center for Green Schools What Makes a School Green?
Virginia's Albemarle County Public Schools website
Standard 12.60, "Acoustical Performance Criteria, Design Requirements, and Guidelines for Schools," of the American National Standards Institute Part 1: Permanent Schools
Standard 12.60, "Acoustical Performance Criteria, Design Requirements, and Guidelines for Schools," of the American National Standards Institute Part 2: Relocatable Classrooms
Windows and Classrooms: A Study of Student Performance and the Indoor Environment (131pp, 1.3M) , California Energy Commission, Heschong Mahone Group, Inc. October 2003
Energy and Water Efficiency
EPA Region 1's Solar Power website
EPA Region 3's Rain Barrels website
EPA's Green Roofs website
EPA's WaterSense website
EPA's WaterSense Educational Materials
EPA's WaterSense Kids website
The ENERGY STAR information for purchasing and procurement is designed to assist procurement officials in smart purchasing decisions. Read about how the United States Air Force (2pp, 315K) implemented ENERGY STAR purchasing and other measures to save $15 million annually. Review other case studies and the key benefits of purchasing ENERGY STAR-qualified products.
Energy Efficiency and Indoor Air Quality in Schools (5pp, 459K): A joint EPA working paper from ENERGY STAR and Indoor Air Quality (September 2003)
EPA's ENERGY STAR for K-12 School Districts website
EPA's ENERGY STAR Guidelines for Energy Management
EPA's ENERGY STAR Guide to Energy Efficiency Competitions for Buildings & Plants (22pp, 2.6M)
EPA's ENERGY STAR Kids Webpage
EPA's ENERGY STAR Low Carbon IT Campaign
EPA's ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager: An Overview
Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy K-12 Lesson Plans and Activities
Department of Energy's EnergySmart Schools Guide to Operating and Maintaining EnergySmart Schools (64pp, 2.5M)
Colorado's Manitou Springs School District Sustainability Management Plan (30pp, 1.4M)
Kentucky's Energy Efficiency Program for Schools
Lakota School District's Facilities Upgrade Case Study
Newtown, Pennsylvania's Council Rock School District Case Study
Alliance for Water Efficiency's Promoting the Efficient and Sustainable Use of Water/Schools K-12 Introduction
The International Facility Management Association Sustainability website contains resources and information for facility management professionals on energy and water conservation, indoor environmental quality, purchasing, and waste/recycling.
Training and Curricula
EPA's ENERGY STAR program provides no-cost training on a variety of topics related to energy efficiency in buildings, including K-12 schools. Visit http://www.energystar.gov/buildings/training/live-training to view the continuously updated list and schedule of upcoming trainings.
Classroom Earth is an online resource designed to help high school teachers include environmental content in their daily lesson plans. Its resource library offers websites, videos, and sample lesson plans. The website also features grants and funding opportunities, success stories, and professional development opportunities.
The Green Education Foundation provides curriculum and resources for K-12 students and teachers.
The National Environmental Education Foundation is a complementary organization to EPA, extending its ability to foster environmental knowledge across all segments of the American public. The foundation's programs offer opportunities to incorporate environmental health lessons into student curricula.
The National Energy Education Development project provides resources to educate teachers and students on the science of energy, renewable and nonrenewable sources of energy, electricity, transportation, and efficiency and conservation, among other topics. The National Energy Education Development's website offers curriculum guides and resources for teachers, as well as activities and information for students.
Other Resources
EPA's Food Waste website
CDC's Coordinated School Health website
CDC's 2006 School Health Policies and Programs Study (4pp, 142K) overview
NIOSH's Health Hazard Evaluation Program (20pp, 3.1M)
Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units
The President's Task Force on Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks to Children's Coordinated Federal Action Plan to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Asthma Disparities (24pp, 1.2M)
United States Department of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Offices are good resources for educational materials.
Chicago, Illinois's Academy for Global Citizenship website
Chicago, Illinois's Academy for Global Citizenship: Sustainability Handbook for Schools (64pp, 2.2M)
Colorado's Coalition for Healthy Schools website
Colorado Springs, Colorado School District 11 ENERGY STAR Case Study (2pp, 113K)
Illinois Department of Public Health's Healthy Schools for Healthy Learning website
Kentucky's Green and Healthy Schools website
Maryland's Association of Environmental and Outdoor Education
Minnesota Department of Health's School Related Initiatives and Programs
Minnesota's Statute 123B.57 Capital Expenditure; Health and Safety
New Hampshire's Partners for Healthy Schools website
Rhode Island's Department of Elementary and Secondary Education website
Washington's School Environmental Health and Safety website
Wisconsin's Green and Healthy Schools Program
The Green Schools Alliance is a non-profit organization created by schools for schools to address environmental and climate challenges through the implementation of sustainable, energy-smart solutions. The Green Schools Alliance offers programs and resources to help schools set goals, measure progress, share best practices, and inspire change. The alliance's website features a Web page for students that offers ways to take action on environmental issues facing their schools.
The Healthy Schools Campaign has developed an Action and Resource Guide for Healthy Schools. While the guide is intended for Illinois schools, the information within can help schools in other states address environmental health issues.
Kats, G. (2006). Greening America's schools: Costs and benefits. A Capital E Report http://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=2908 (26pp, 1.8M) .
National Research Council. (2011). Climate change, the indoor environment, and health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. 286 pages.
National Research Council. (2006). Green schools: Attributes for health and learning. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. 192 pages.
Frumkin, H., Geller, R.J., Rubin, I.L., & Nodvin, J.T. (Eds). (2006). Safe and Healthy School Environments. New York: Oxford University Press. 480 pages.