P2 for 7-12 Schools

-Encourage school officials to be aware of chemical hazards and to improve their school's chemical management practices

-Reduce the quantity of hazardous chemicals stored in schools to a minimum necessary for quality instruction

-Establish a purchasing system that ensures the lowest possible risk to students and staff

-Establish a safe management system for remaining required chemicals

Each school will form an Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Team comprised of the principal's office, the Science, and Art Departments, the Janitorial staff and a designated fire prevention officer. The EHS team will attend a day-long training. The training will cover such topics as the scope of the chemical management problem, chemical inventories and clean-outs, development of a chemical purchasing policy, toxics use reduction options, best management practices, and regulations for safe chemical use.

With the financial assistance of the grant, each EHS team will hire a chemical assessment contractor to identify chemicals stored in school buildings, remove hazards, make recommendations for disposal and estimate the cost of clean-out. DEP will pay for the clean out.

Based on information and insights gathered in training and school assessment, the EHS team from each school will develop a chemical management program that best meets the school's needs with the assistance of DEP.