Improving Chemical Management at Schools

- attend comprehensive environmental, health and safety training led by OTA technical assistance staff;

- conduct a chemical inventory of their school facility(ies);

- identify expired, unused, or highly hazardous chemicals and target them for proper disposal;

- develop a plan to improve chemical management and prevent further stockpiling of hazardous materials at the school(s); and

- produce a report documenting their chemical inventory and planning effort, so that other schools may use them as case studies.

Participants noted that it helped catalyze useful working relationships between schools and local resources that otherwise might not have happened. Beyond the APPLE program, OTA has conducted dozens of individual site visits to schools across Massachusetts to help them identify and address environmental, health and safety issues. Of particular concern are prevalent chemical management practices that result in the storage of large, aging, highly hazardous stockpiles of chemicals at school facilities. Preventive measures recommended by OTA include implementation of a centrally managed chemical purchasing policy, the use of environmentally preferable academic and facility maintenance products, and the redesign of science labs and other classroom activities to minimize the need for hazardous materials. OTA also advises schools on how to identify chemicals no longer used or that are too hazardous to maintain on-site and have them properly removed and disposed - an emphasis is placed on the need for extra care when inventorying chemical stockpiles or unneeded chemicals.