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.