Comments on: schools and sustainability http://vincemichael.wordpress.com/2009/01/09/schools-and-sustainability/ Vince Michael on history, preservation, planning and more Sat, 05 Dec 2009 14:18:58 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: reneeatchej http://vincemichael.wordpress.com/2009/01/09/schools-and-sustainability/#comment-122 reneeatchej Tue, 13 Jan 2009 01:03:42 +0000 http://vincemichael.wordpress.com/?p=607#comment-122 Hi, Thanks for talking about this topic. I work on school siting issues for The Center for Health, Environment and Justice. I'm particularly concerned that there are very few state and no federal laws banning building a school on or near contaminated sites. This is easier in some locations than in others. But many areas don't even have a process on how to remediate the area when other cleaner land doesn't exist. Inside the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 was a small sentence that mandated the EPA to develop voluntary school siting guidelines. With six months to go before the June 2009 deadline the EPA just announced that they have designated an office and working group to develop these guidelines. I'm not sure if you read the USAToday articles on air pollution near our country's schools. The articles were released in December and raised a huge response among state public officials. There are several state laws being introduced this year to strengthen and/or set state precedents on setting limitations on building schools on or near contaminated land. As you mentioned sustainable building and clear channels of communication between local and state (and federal) authorities is really important as our communities face new economic and environmental challenges. Even in states where there are school siting laws there is a lack of communication and new schools end up being built in contaminated areas regardless. Our children really do deserve better. We set up a website where anyone who is concerned about this issue can send a letter to their congressional representatives and governor sharing why this issue is important. We also have a way for people to send a letter to the editor of their local newspaper. http://www.childproofing.org/school_siting_take_action_now.htm We also have model school siting legislation that we developed that anyone can modify to and introduce as school district policy or state law. Thanks for talking about this important issue. Renee Blanchard Campaign Coordinator The Center For Health, Environment, and Justice. Hi,

Thanks for talking about this topic. I work on school siting issues for The Center for Health, Environment and Justice. I’m particularly concerned that there are very few state and no federal laws banning building a school on or near contaminated sites. This is easier in some locations than in others. But many areas don’t even have a process on how to remediate the area when other cleaner land doesn’t exist.

Inside the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 was a small sentence that mandated the EPA to develop voluntary school siting guidelines. With six months to go before the June 2009 deadline the EPA just announced that they have designated an office and working group to develop these guidelines.

I’m not sure if you read the USAToday articles on air pollution near our country’s schools. The articles were released in December and raised a huge response among state public officials. There are several state laws being introduced this year to strengthen and/or set state precedents on setting limitations on building schools on or near contaminated land.

As you mentioned sustainable building and clear channels of communication between local and state (and federal) authorities is really important as our communities face new economic and environmental challenges. Even in states where there are school siting laws there is a lack of communication and new schools end up being built in contaminated areas regardless. Our children really do deserve better.

We set up a website where anyone who is concerned about this issue can send a letter to their congressional representatives and governor sharing why this issue is important. We also have a way for people to send a letter to the editor of their local newspaper.

http://www.childproofing.org/school_siting_take_action_now.htm

We also have model school siting legislation that we developed that anyone can modify to and introduce as school district policy or state law.

Thanks for talking about this important issue.
Renee Blanchard
Campaign Coordinator
The Center For Health, Environment, and Justice.

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