Monday, February 27, 2012

State K-12 School Environmental Health Program Guidelines

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released for public comment the K-12 School Environmental Health Program Guidelines for States, Tribes and Territories. In December 2007, Congress enacted the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA). Subtitle E, Section 504 of EISA requires the EPA, in consultation with the Department of Education, the Department of Health and Human Services and other relevant federal agencies, to develop voluntary guidelines to assist states in establishing and implementing environmental health programs in K-12 schools.

Exposure to environmental hazards in schools can negatively impact the health of students and school staff. Unhealthy school environments can affect attendance, concentration and performance. In carrying out this statutory mandate, EPA, with assistance from its federal partners and feedback from stakeholders, developed these draft voluntary State K-12 School Environmental Health Program Guidelines. The guidelines are primarily intended to be used as a resource for the establishment of a state, tribal, or territorial K-12 school environmental health program.

Your feedback will help in the development of useful guidelines to states, tribes, and territories that will better support healthy school environments for our nation's children. We encourage you to review the draft guidelines and provide comments by April 13, 2012. Please visit the EPA's Office of Children's Health Protection School's website at www.epa.gov/schools to post your comments.

EPA is also happy to announce the release of a Request for Applications (RFA) which will provide funding for implementation of the draft voluntary guidelines. Eligibility for funding under this competitive solicitation is limited to states, tribes and territories. Total funding available is expected to be $750,000 and applications for up to $150,000 will be accepted. The closing date for receipt of applications is April 10. For more information, including a copy of the RFA, go to: www.epa.gov/schools.


We also encourage you to share this announcement with your colleagues and, where possible, post this announcement on relevant listservs and websites.


If you have additional questions, please contact Cyndy Merse (
merse.cynthia@epa.gov, (202)566-2970).

State K-12 School Environmental Health Program Guidelines Fact Sheet

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recently posted voluntary State K-12 School Environmental Health Program Guidelines on the schools website for public review and comment. The draft guidelines are voluntary and not intended to replace regulations, activities, policies, or guidance related to existing school environmental health programs. The guidelines will serve as a useful resource for the development of a state, tribal, or territorial K-12 school environmental health program. By following the recommendations in the guidelines, states, tribes, and territories can help provide a safe and healthy school environment for students and school staff.

The public comment period for the guidelines will run through April 13, 2012. To view and comment on the guidelines, visit www.epa.gov/schools.

For further information, please contact Cyndy Merse (merse.cynthia@epa.gov, 202-566-2970).

Background

Subtitle E, Section 504 of the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 requires the EPA, in consultation with the Department of Education, the Department of Health and Human Services, as well as other relevant federal agencies, to develop voluntary guidelines to assist states in establishing and implementing environmental health programs in K-12 schools. Exposure to environmental hazards in schools can negatively impact the health of students and school staff. Unhealthy school environments can affect attendance, concentration and performance, as well as lead to expensive, time consuming cleanup and remediation activities.

In carrying out this statutory mandate, EPA, along with its federal partners, developed the State K-12 School Environmental Health Program Guidelines. The guidelines build upon the foundation established by existing federal programs such as EPA’s Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Tools for Schools program and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s Coordinated School Health (CSH) strategy, and are primarily intended to be used as a resource for states, tribes, and territories to establish K-12 school environmental health programs. Specific highlights of the guidelines include:

· Six steps that states, tribes, and territories can take to establish key partnerships to maximize resources in their efforts to develop sustainable K-12 school environmental health programs.

· Cost savings and health benefits associated with adopting a K-12 school environmental health program.

· Incentives for states, tribes, and territories to work with school districts to encourage the adoption of healthy schools practices.

· Links to resources to help states, tribes, and territories establish, implement, and sustain comprehensive K-12 school environmental health programs.

In addition, the guidelines contain a model K-12 school environmental health program that states, tribes, and territories can provide to schools and school districts to assist their efforts in addressing environmental health issues at the local level. The model program identifies five key components that schools and school districts should address to ensure that school environments are healthy and promote high achievement by students and school staff. The model also suggests ways schools and school districts can:

· Address environmental health during construction and renovation;

· Enhance classroom comfort;

· Become more energy and water efficient; and

· Incorporate environmental health issues into faculty and staff training and student curriculum.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

International IPM symposium - Have you registered?

SAVE NOW WITH EARLY IPM REGISTRATION

Online registration is now available for the 7th International IPM Symposium, "IPM on the World Stage—Solutions for Global Pest Challenges," March 27–29, 2012 in Memphis, Tennessee USA at the Memphis Cook Convention Center. Register now and take advantage of the early bird price of $275. Registration fee includes symposium admission, three continental breakfasts, Tuesday awards luncheon, and two poster session receptions. The special price is good until March 2. For registration visit

http://www.ipmcenters.org/ipmsymposium12/index.cfm?page=registration

Program

You can find lists of concurrent sessions and accepted posters on the web site. http://www.ipmcenters.org/ipmsymposium12/

More than 60 topics will be discussed during the concurrent sessions and 180+ posters on the latest research and best practices will be on display during the symposium.

Check out the information about the optional activities on Monday at

http://www.ipmcenters.org/ipmsymposium12/index.cfm?page=related

Tours include the Memphis Zoo, Agricenter International/Shelby Farms Park on Monday afternoon.

Visit the Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum during the opening reception Monday evening.

There are separate registration fees for these activities.

Several groups are also planning meetings for Monday, March 26.

The Symposium opening plenary session begins at 8:30 AM on Tuesday, March 27. The symposium will end at 12:45 PM on Thursday, March 29.

Applications are being made for continuing education credits for Certified Crop Advisors (CCA) and Tennessee pesticide recertification.

Accommodations information (with an online reservation link) is on the web site. The room block is released March 2; don’t miss out on staying at the Memphis Marriott, the conference headquarters, attached to the Memphis Cook Convention Center. Participants, including speakers, are responsible for making their own hotel reservations.

Additional program Information is being added to the Web site regularly, so bookmark http://www.ipmcenters.org/ipmsymposium12/ and visit often.

EPA Now Accepting Grant Applications to Reduce Public Exposure to Indoor Pollutants

image: EPA Program Banner

More Information:

Grant Application

Instructions for applying via Grants.gov

Questions and Answers

Competitive Grants and Funding

Contact Information:

Please forward all questions to QsonNationalIndoorAirRFP2012
@epa.gov
.


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Submit Your Application to Reduce Public Exposure to Indoor Pollutants

EPA has recently announced the availability of funds through a regional request of applications. Eligible entities will gain funding for projects to conduct demonstrations, trainings, education and/or outreach activities to reduce exposure to indoor air contaminants and yield measurable environmental outcomes primarily in homes and schools. The projects will be carried out at the regional, state or local level within the 10 EPA Regions.

All Applications are Required to:

  • Yield results that can be tracked, evaluated and reported;
  • Clearly articulate a plan to produce results and/or benefits on a local to Regional scale, and identify the specific EPA Region where the work is to be performed; and
  • Align with EPA strategic goals, objectives and outputs.

Current Indoor Air Quality Focus Areas:

EPA’s Regional Indoor Environments grants aim to reduce exposures and risks from indoor air pollutants in the following four focus areas:

  1. Integrated approaches for reducing exposures and risks in homes.
  2. Integrated approaches to promoting healthy indoor environments in schools and associated early-learning environments.
  3. Reducing exposures to indoor asthma triggers.
  4. Reducing exposure to radon.

For more information on indoor air quality visit: http://www.epa.gov/iaq/.

Friday, February 17, 2012

Schools and Childcares Lawn Care Workshop

Safer Pest Control Project and its Great Lakes Restoration Initiative partners are hosting a natural lawn care workshop for school and childcare staff. Chip Osborne, one of the nation’s foremost experts in natural turf management, is the featured speaker. In addition, Mr. Leo Reed, from the Indiana State Chemist Office, will be on hand to explain how the Indiana Pesticide Rule for Schools impacts Indiana facilities. Please join us on March 22 from 8:30 to 12:30 at the Northwest Indiana Educational Service Center at 2939 41st Street in Highland, IN. Registration is $35 at www.nwiesc.k12.in.us. For more information see the attached flyer.

Continuing Certification Hours (CCHs) and certificates will be made available for attendees looking for credits for Paths to QUALITY™ and other licensing credits.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

School-Based Asthma Programs: Less Than One Week Left to Apply of EPA Leadership Awards

The clock is ticking! There are only six days left to apply for EPA’s National Environmental Leadership Award in Asthma Management.

Submit an award-winning application and join past award winners in the Hall of Fame!

Make sure that your application:

Applications are due by February 21, 2012, 11:59 p.m. EST