May 2003 E-Newsletter

Illinois State Legislation

Daycare IPM Bill Passes the House and Senate

Legislation that requires licensed day cares to practice Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and notify parents about the use of pesticides passed both the Illinois House and Senate unanimously and now goes to the Governor for his signature. Integrated Pest Management is a form of pest management that does not rely on the regular use of pesticides.  By requiring IPM in licensed day cares and parental notification when pesticides are applied, children in day cares will be better protected from exposure to these hazardous chemicals. Thank you to Senator Iris Martinez, Representative Beth Coulson, and Lt. Governor Pat Quinn for their support. Congratulations to Safer Pest Control Project for their work on this. Click here for more information.
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Promoting Healthy School Lunches

As Congress debates the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act, including the School Lunch and Breakfast Program and Summer Food Program, it is an excellent opportunity to promote strategies that address the problem of overweight and obese children. With approximately 13% of children and adolescents overweight the US  Surgeon General outlined a strategy for addressing this problem including the need to make sure that fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat or non-fat dairy products are available at school.

Of particular interest to the Healthy Schools Campaign is the “Growing Healthy Kids: America’s Farms Feed America’s Children."  This program creates a $10 million comprehensive seed grant fund to address the needs and barriers facing the growth of farm-to-school projects. Farm-to-school projects link local farmers with the school lunch program providing the dual benefit of providing healthier food to students while supporting local farmers. Click here for more information about the HSC’s Farm-to-School Initiative.

U.S. Congress Urged to Promote Healthy Schools 

On April 30, U.S. Sen. Jim Jeffords released a report prepared by the U.S. Green Building Council, which recommends that the Federal government do its part in promoting Healthy and High Performing School Buildings. 

The report's recommendations include strengthening EPA's indoor air quality programs for schools; establishing indoor air quality standards specific to schools; implementing the Healthy and High Performance Schools provisions of the "Leave No Child Behind" Act; funding school environmental quality research; expanding the federal Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units to allow work onsite with schools; and enacting the School Environmental Protection Act to promote safer pest control. A copy of the report is available by clicking here (you will need Acrobat Reader to view the file, which you can get at www.adobe.com if you don't have it on your computer already). 

PCBs Still Pose A Threat To Schoolchildren

In 1979, the EPA banned the manufacture and import of PCBs because of their toxic and probable carcinogenic effects. However, no state or federal regulations precluded the continued use of the chemical in existing light fixtures. 

Unfortunately, that means children can be exposed to PCBs right in school. In 2001, for example, nine classrooms and two common areas in the CPS Thomas Jefferson Elementary School became contaminated with PCBs from leaking fluorescent light fixtures. 

HSC worked with a recent NBC5 report that documented a series of cases in schools across the country, including Chicago, where toxic spills of PCBs from fluorescent lights contaminated classrooms. HSC will continue to work with Illinois schools to become better educated about PCBs and to locate funding sources to retrofit PCB containing light fixtures.

For the entire NBC5 story, click here.

Summary of the PCB Problem
The "toxic soup" known as PCBs was banned in 1978 after being linked to a number of ailments, among them liver cancer, reproductive and neurological disorders. However, while the ban prevented future production of this dangerous substance, it didn't affect existing uses. As a result, fluorescent lights using PCBs that were already installed or stockpiled stayed in place.

As a result, many schools in the United States have fluorescent lighting that contains PCBs, mostly within the light ballasts' capacitors and in the ballasts' potting material, which is used for insulation. As these fixtures age, they may be prone to leaking or catching on fire. A ballast leak or fire could happen at any time, without warning. 

If it happens in a busy classroom in the middle of the day, a school could be looking at long-term health impacts on many students and staff. Even a small, isolated leak may pose health issues for the staff or students who discover it. Schools also face potentially huge costs to clean up after a ballast leak or fire.

Exposure is dangerous because PCBs are very stable chemical compounds that do not readily break down. Thus, they can remain in the body indefinitely, causing health problems over many years.

Resources for More Information
EPA's PCB Lighting Ballasts in Schools Web Page
Includes guides for school administrators and maintenance personnel, as well as key contacts in various EPA offices.
www.epa.gov/Region9/cross_pr/p2/projects/pcbs.html

Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation
Because older lights are less efficient than newer lights, school districts might be able to get funding for installing newer lights from them. To find out more, use the link below.
www.illinoiscleanenergy.org/programs/schools.htm

Safe Chemical Storage Urged

Fifteen students from Brooks Junior High School in Harvey were taken to the hospital in mid-May after they took liquid mercury from a science laboratory and played with it in the hallways and a classroom. This incident reinforces the need to school administrators and science teachers to handle and store chemicals safely. As part of their Green Schools program, the Illinois EPA conducts teacher training. For more information visit their Web site at www.epa.state.il.us/green-illinois/green-schools/workshops.html

HSC Presents at Illinois PTA's Annual Convention

On April 25, HSC and Safer Pest Control Project (SPCP) conducted a workshop at the Illinois PTA's 101st Annual Convention. The workshop, titled "Healthy Schools, Healthy Students," discussed school environmental health hazards and provided attendees with concrete action steps to improve indoor air quality in their own schools. 

HSC and SPCP are available to speak at your meetings and conventions for free. Please contact HSC's Louella Hung at (312) 419-1810 or louella@healthyschoolscampaign.org or SPCP's Julie Dick at (312) 641-5575 or jdick@bpichicago.org