Environmental, health, and safety problems in schools affect students, teachers, and staff, and can distract them from accomplishing their primary mission of education. Hazards can include asbestos in boiler rooms and building insulation; improperly stored cleaning chemicals and shop wastes; lead in wall paint, playground soil, and old water lines; mercury in discarded lab and medical equipment; and exhaust fumes from buses.

The Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) works through the Massachusetts Healthy Schools Council and the Multi-Agency Task Force for Schools to raise awareness about these issues and provide local school officials with technical assistance to address environmental issues and improve regulatory compliance.

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Check List: Environmental Health & Safety Issues in Massachusetts Schools

Massachusetts Healthy Schools Council
MHSC web site

Massachusetts School Chemical Management Program Manual, November 2006

MS Word 2.8 MB | PDF 720 KB

Related: MassDEP Public School Chemical Management Grant Program
Web page

Massachusetts Statewide Contracts For Healthier Schools

How to Use State Contracts for Pollution Prevention
MS Word

Massachusetts School Mentoring Program

Office of Technical Assistance
OTA web site

Healthy Schools Web Page

Massachusetts Public Health Association
MPHA web site

Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
EPA web site

Integrated Pest Management for Schools

Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources
DAR web site

Lead & Other Contaminants in Drinking Water

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Protecting Our Children and Their Environment

MassDEP investigations of hazardous waste site impacts on school populations and environmental justice areas in selected cities.
Web page

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Massachusetts Mercury Management Act: 2006 Amendments to M.G.L. Chapter 21H

Section 6G prohibits Massachusetts schools from purchasing elemental mercury and most mercury-containing devices and materials effective October 1, 2006.
Massachusetts Legislature web site

Fact Sheet: Summary of Massachusetts Mercury Management Act
Web page

MassDEP/Department of Education Letter to Local School Officials, September 2006
MS Word 35 KB | PDF 55 KB

Fact Sheet: Making Massachusetts Schools Mercury-Free
MS Word 78 KB | PDF 40 KB

Getting Mercury Out of Schools

Guidance from the Northeast Waste Management Officials Association (NEWMOA)
NEWMOA web site

Related: Non-Mercury Alternatives, Vendors & Prices
NEWMOA web site

Municipal Collections of Mercury

South Central Recycling Association of Massachusetts (SCRAM) 
SCRAM web site

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Massachusetts School Bus Idling Reduction Initiative

Web page

Related: New England Regional Asthma Council (NERCA) Tool Kit for Reducing Diesel Emissions
NERCA web site

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Curriculum & Activities

Web page

Displays & Presentations

Web page

How-To Guides & Manuals

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