ARC 2014 Meeting - Innovations in New England

Promoting Healthy Environments and Improved Asthma Control in New
England Schools: Policy, Practice and Innovation
Innovations in New England
Thursday, October 16th, 2014
Indoor Air Quality: CT’s success – Kenny Foscue, MPH, CT Department of Public Health
Integrating Environmental Health into School Wellness – Tolle Graham, MassCOSH
Green Cleaning Purchasing Contracts – Julia Wolfe, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Operational Services Division
NEEP Public Building Operations and Maintenance – Brian Buckley, JD, MA, Northeast Energy
Efficiency Partnerships
Project CASE (Controlling Asthma in Schools Effectively) – Michelle Barron-Magee, RI
Department of Health

Connecticut’s State-Based
Multi-agency
School IEQ Strategy:
The CT School Indoor Environment
Resource Team
Kenny Foscue, MPH
Environmental & Occupational Health
Assessment Program
CT Department of Public Health
www.ct.gov/dph/schools www.csiert.org

What Motivates Us!
 Serious National
Asthma Epidemic
 Serious CT School
IAQ Incidences
 State Law: All CT
Schools Have IAQ
Program
 EPA TfS- Useful,
Practical
Intervention

Asthma Prevalence Rates by
District Reference Groups: Public Schools
2009 - 2011
DRG W/Asthma
Action Plan
Rate
A 8.9 7.7
B 7.1 10.9
C 9.2 12.2
D 5.6 12.6
E 9.0 12.7
F 7.8 14.0
G 8.0 14.3
H 5.7 13.9
I 8.6 19.9
Overall: 7.8 13.9
(Rate 08-09)
7.4
10.3
12.3
12.1
11.9
13.9
12.9
14.1
19.2
13.0

CT School Indoor Environment
Resource Team (CSIERT)
•CTCOSH
•CT Dept of Envir. Protection
•CT Dept of Education
•CT Dept of Construction Svcs.
•CT OSHA
•CT Dept of Public Health
•CT Education Association
•American Lung Assn of CT
•CT Assn of Local Health Drs.
•CT Assn of School Nurses
•CT Interlocal Risk Mgt Assn
•CT Association of Public School
Superintendents
•CT Found. for Envir. Safe Schools
•AFT - Connecticut
•UCONN Health Center
•U.S. EPA Region I
•Yale Occup/Envir. Medicine Program
•CT Assn of Boards of Education
•CT School Building & Grounds Assn
•Southeast CT Indoor Air Coalition
•CT Assn of School Administrators
•CT PTA
•American Institute of Architecture -CT
• CT Assn of School Business Officials

Tools for Schools is the Base!
Laboratory
Clean-out
Programs
Tools for
Schools
Energy
Conservation
Environmental
Health
Literacy
Support
for IPM
Vehicle
Idling
Prevention
Radon Law
Compliance
Green
Cleaning
Program

CSIERT Strategy
 Active Statewide Steering Committee
 Aggressive District-Based Outreach Program
 Comprehensive Training Program
 5 Hours Training
 Utilize I.H.s, Health Professionals
 Local Health Dept Involvement, Follow-up
 Sustaining Program

Training Programs
(Interactive Workshops)
 2-Part Implementation Training:
 Basics of School IAQ issues
 How to Implement TfS Program
 Importance of Effective Communication
 Walkthrough Training, Exercise
 Refresher Workshops
 Custodian/Facilities “Advanced TfS” Wkshp
 IAQ
 Green Cleaning
 Infection Control

TfS Sustaining Program
 Regular Communication w/ School Districts
 Refresher Workshops (2hr, 3 hr)
 CSIERT Web Site
 Promote Utilizing School IEQ/TfS as Part of
Academic Program

TfS Sustaining Program
(cont)
 Ongoing Staff Support for CSIERT
Consortium
 Local Health Dept Involvement, Follow-up
 Linking School IEQ with Energy
Conservation
 Participation in CT Green Leaf Program

CSIERT Web Site
(www.csiert.org)

Healthy IAQ &
Energy Conservation
• Energy Cost-saving Measures Should Not
Include Reducing Fresh Air!
• Less Energy Costs → More Funding for IEQ
Improvements, Maintenance
• TfS Teams Should Encourage Energy
Conservation

School Environmental Laws

Public Act 03-220 An Act Concerning
Indoor Air Quality in Schools (7/03)
 Provides schools with direction for building maintenance
 Adoption of indoor air quality programs
 Definitions for addressing building emergencies
 Provides guidance for site evaluation

CT Public Act 02-56 (10/02), An Act
Concerning Idling of School Buses

School Environmental Laws
(Cont.)

Public Act 99-165, Notice of Pesticide
Applications at Schools & Day Care Centers
(7/99)

Public Act 05-252, Pesticides at Schools & Day
Care Centers (10/05 & 1/06)

Public Act 09-81, Green Cleaning Products In
Schools (2011)
 Independently Certified By 3rd-party Certified Organizations:
Green Seal Or Eco Logo
 “No Parent, Guardian, Teacher Or Staff Member May Bring Into
The School Any Consumer Product …Intended To Clean,
Deodorize, Sanitize Or Disinfect.”

Accomplishments
• Established Core Team of Expertise, School
Leadership
• TFS Team Training
 over 925 CT Schools (out of approx. 1000)
 over 155 CT school districts (out of 166 districts)
 over 8500 staff, parents trained
 Conducted Refreshers for 477 schools in 75 Districts
 Provided Advanced Training for Custodians in Over 600
schools in 53 districts
• State Policy Impact :
• 2003 School IAQ Law 2009 Green Cleaning Products Law
• High Performance Schools Law

TfS Outcome Successes
District Health Outcome Data
Waterford
(5 schools)
IAQ Health Complaints Decrease of
66% or Greater in 9 Out of 13
Elementary Classrooms
Hamden
(12 schools)
Absenteeism cut by > half in one
school (484 to 203 days) in 1 year
North Haven
(6 schools)
48% Decrease Reported Cases of
Respiratory-related Illnesses
Chester
(1 school)
Asthma-related Health Office Visits
Decreased From 463 To 82 After TfS
Recommendations Implemented
Hartford
(~ 30 schools) # Of Asthma Incidents Declined 21%
After TfS
Amity Region 5
(3 schools) Asthma related school nurse visits
decreased from 234 to 30 over 2 yrs

Workers Comp.
Cost Reductions:
 15 of 47 Districts (32%)
Decrease in IAQ Claims
Frequency & Severity

TFS data used to
justify new $900,000
HVAC system

Why This Works:
What We Have Learned (1)

Empowerment/Collaborative Model

Pool Your Resources!

Individual Organizational Support

Effective Outreach Program

Why This Works:
What We Have Learned (2)

Mandatory Buy-in From Admin.

Training Key to Successful
Committees

Focus on School Systems

Need for Follow-up/Sustainability

Contact Information:
Kenny Foscue, MPH
Environmental & Occupational Health Assessment
Program
Environmental Health Section
CT Department of Public Health
410 Capitol Ave, MS # 11EOH
Hartford, CT 06134-0308
860-509-7740 860-509-7785 fax
kenny.foscue@ct.gov

Healthy Schools Initiative:
Moving an environmental health agenda
Tolle Graham
Labor and Environment
Coordinator

“We know what the problem is
and we have the findings, so why
does it take so long to get repairs
done? It should be about the
health of our children, yet why
does it take so long? The money
should be in the budget to fix our
schools.”
- Mary White, BUAC Parent
Leader, parent of two BPS
students with asthma

Boston Public Schools
• 128 schools; 57,000 students
• 78% low income
• Average Asthma rate 15%
• Teacher’s 2nd highest
occupational asthma rate in MA
BUAC, a Program of The Medical
Foundation

Moving an Environmental
Health Agenda for Schools
• 1996 – City Council Ordinance
• 2002 – City- wide Healthy Schools
Taskforce formed
–Annual inspections for all schools
BUAC, a Program of The Medical
Foundation

some history….
• 2004: Asthma Coalition released report: “Who’s Sick
at School”
• 2005 – Green Cleaning Policy adopted
• 2008 – statewide asthma coalition formed
• 2010 – BPS Wellness Council formed
• 2013 – BPS Wellness Policy incorporates
“Healthy School Environments”

The EPA Framework for IAQ Tools for Schools
Implementation

1. Infrastructure &
Supportive Policies
4. Healthy
School
Environment
2. Health &
Mental Health
Services
3. Asthma
Education
6. Family &
Community
Involvement
5. Physical
Education &
Activity

Public Schools District Wellness
Policy
Requires every school to form or maintain a Wellness Council
to guide school-based practices and systems that improve
school health.
Cultural Proficiency
School Food and Nutrition Promotion
Comprehensive Physical Activity
Comprehensive Health Education
Healthy School Environment
Health Services
Safe and Supportive Schools
Staff Wellness
•Safe and Supportive Schools *

Healthy School Environment/
Safe and Supportive Schools
*
Healthy School Environment:
•Schools implement existing policies to promote and manage
school environments. This includes the use of green cleaners,
school-based recycling, a tobacco-free environment, water
access, and well-maintained school facilities.
Steps:
•Principal reads annual report and prioritizes issues for
Wellness Council to address
•Wellness Council creates an action plan for those issues
•Wellness Council includes school community in actions

BPS ENVIRONMETNAL AUDIT RESULTS 2004 - 2011
These two graphs on this page are showing overall district trends,
specifically, the % of schools each year where at least 5% of the
spaces inspected had recorded “incidents”.

Examples of Wellness Action steps
for Healthy Environments
• Organize a school “clutter-free” clean up 1-2 times a year (add fun
incentives; set up swap/ give away tables)
• Encourage all staff to use IPM log to document signs of pests and
read quarterly inspection reports
• Ask BPS to supply bottles for the approved “green cleaner”
• Conduct your own “environmental walkthrough” (train students as
environmental ambassadors)
• Review list of work orders that have been filled or not completed

MAAP – MA Asthma
Advocacy Partnership
• 2009-2014 State Plan - shared model
from Boston and other urban asthma
coalitions for healthy schools
• New Plan (2014- 2020)
– Includes primary prevention roadmap
– Share / include inclusion of environmental
health in other school district wellness
policies

Green Cleaning
Purchasing Contracts
Julia Wolfe, Director of Environmental Purchasing
Julia.wolfe@state.ma.us
www.mass.gov/epp
Copyright© Operational Services Division All Rights Reserved

Operational
Services Division
• Central Purchasing Agency of the Commonwealth
• Responsible for establishing statewide contracts
• 1.4 billion in purchases last year ~ 140 contracts
• “best value” contracts
Goal: Leverage purchasing power
of state & local government

Environmentally Preferable Products
(EPP) Procurement Program:
• EO 515: Environmental Purchasing
Policy
• Currently over 4 dozen EPP
statewide contracts
• In FY13: $419 million of EPP
purchases resulting in over $4.6
million in cost savings
• Provide education and training on
EPPs - www.mass.gov/epp
• Guide to EPPs on state contracts,
calculators, reports, more
Environmental
Purchasing
http://www.mass.gov/anf/docs/
osd/epp/vol-39-july-2014.docx

Green Cleaning
Cleaning products and supplies are a priority of the
Commonwealths EPP Program and the Toxics Reduction
Task Force.
 Protect workers’ health
 Protect building occupants
 Reduce environmental impacts
 Potentially reduce costs

Benefits
• Health & Safety:
– Involves greater safety in handling for cleaning staff and IAQ for occupants
– Safer ingredients: Common cleaning products have been linked to triggering asthmatic episodes,
cancer, effects on the nervous system, reproductive organs, kidneys, liver and hormones
– Automatic dispensing systems which reduces exposure to employees
• Environment:
– “Approved Products” are 3rd party certified: Environmental criteria: concentrates, packaging,
reduced or eliminates hazardous chemicals
• Savings:
– Use single product with different dilution rates
– Automatic dispensing systems: reduces over use of products / exposure to employees / efficient
– Disinfect only where needed: Reduces the cost of higher priced disinfectants; healthier
– Microfiber: reusable; versatile
– Chem-free options: equipment eliminates the need to buy chemicals, or reduces use (e.g., steam
cleaning)

FAC59: Environmentally Preferable Cleaning
Products, Programs, Equipment and Supplies
• Multi State: Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York,
and Vermont bid in 2009
• 18 Vendors (2 vendors only do Paper & Liner Products)
• All products require independent 3d party certification
 except sanitizers and disinfectants
• Requires vendor to provide free facility assessments and
recommendations
• Can use the Approved Products list for FAC59

Products are 3rd Party Certified
Independently 3d Party
Certified through Green Seal or
Ecologo:
• Verify green claims
• Make sure products work
• No need to analyze data sheets
• No need for concern of various
health risks
• No need for expensive disposal

FAC59 Green Cleaning Products & More!
Extended thru December 31, 2014
Products Covered on Contract FAC59
1 Cleaning Chemicals: All purpose, bathroom / restroom, glass, carpet, floor care
systems, appliance, degreasers
2 Disinfectants and Sanitizers
3 Hand Soap (alcohol and non-alcohol)
4 Paper Products
5 Trash Can Liners
6 Equipment (Vacuums, scrubbers, extractors, sweepers and more)
7 Entryway Mats
8 Other – Odor Control, urinal blocks, graffiti removers
9 Chemical Free Technologies
10 Laundry Detergent
11 Supplies (e.g., such as microfiber cloths and mops, energy efficient hand dryers,
non-chemical scrubbing pads, and more)

Approved Products List for FAC59
http://www.mass.gov/anf/docs/osd/epp/agrn-products-list-fac59-031314.xlsx

Transition to Green Cleaning Products & Practices
• Contract Advantages
– Certified products means evaluated & tested
– OSD oversight for vendor performance
– Request additional products on the contract as needed
• Choosing a Vendor
– 16 Vendors - Talk to more than one; ideas and services can vary
– Find one with location near you, references
– Check their Green Program – quality of their staff, training
capabilities
• Transitioning
– Facility Assessment - FREE
– Vendor expertise in choosing comparable products
– Ask to “pilot” products in areas of concern

Eligible Entities to Use Contract
1. Cities, towns, districts, counties and other political subdivisions;
2. Executive, Legislative and Judicial Branches, including all Departments and
elected offices therein;
3. Independent public authorities, commissions and quasi-public agencies;
4. Local public libraries, public school districts and charter schools;
5. Public hospitals owned by the Commonwealth;
6. Public institutions of higher education;
7. Public purchasing cooperatives;
8. Non-profit, UFR-certified organizations that are doing business with the
Commonwealth;
9. Other states and territories with no prior approval by the State Purchasing
Agent; and
10. Other entities when designated in writing by the State Purchasing Agent;
11. FAC81: Environmentally Preferable Janitorial Services Vendors providing
services for an eligible entity

REBID: FAC59
• Rebid of FAC59…………to FAC85!
• Anticipated bid in the next month
• Multi-state

Find out more….
• MA: Julia Wolfe, julia.wolfe@state.ma.us
• NY: Cynthia Miner, Cynthia.Miner@ogs.ny.gov
• CT: Robert Zalucki, Robert.Zalucki@CT.Gov
• VT: Brian Berini, brian.berini@state.vt.us
• RI: John Cowell, John.Cowell@purchasing.ri.gov
Still working with NH and ME to sign on.

www.mass.gov/EPP
• Green Cleaning Products,
Programs, Equipment and
Supplies
– Criteria for Disinfectants and
Sanitizers
– Fact Sheet: Cleaning the Bathroom
– Case Study: Bradley Palmer State
Park
– FAQ’s and more!
Julia Wolfe, Director of Env. Purchasing,
julia.wofle@state.ma.us, 617-502-8836

Innovations in New England:
O & M, NE-CHPS, and more
Brian D. Buckley
High Performance Buildings Associate
October 16, 2014

PRESENTATION SUMMARY
1. About NEEP
2. NEEP’s Schools and Public Buildings O&M Guide
• IAQ Examples
• Energy Efficiency Examples
3. Northeast Collaborative for High Performance Schools
4. Resources
52

NORTHEAST ENERGY EFFICIENCY PARTNERSHIPS
“Accelerating Energy Efficiency”
54
MISSION
Accelerate the efficient use of energy in the
Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Regions
APPROACH
Overcome barriers to efficiency through
Collaboration, Education & Advocacy
VISION
Transform the way we think about
and use energy in the world around us.
One of six Regional Energy Efficiency Organizations
(REEOs) designated by U.S. Dept. of Energy to
work collaboratively with them in linking regions
to DOE guidance, products

2. NEEP’S SCHOOL AND PUBLIC BUILDING
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE GUIDE
(FREE @ NEEP.ORG/PUBLICBUILDINGS)
55

REGIONAL OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE GUIDE
Strategies for creating green, healthy & energy efficient
existing buildings in your school or municipal building
WHAT IS IT?
• A pathway for existing Schools and
Public Building to adopt high
performance operation and
maintenance strategies
• Many low cost ideas
• Regionally developed
• 15 sections
• Indoor Environmental Quality
• Renewable Energy
• Commissioning/Retro-Comissioning
• Financing
• Recycling
• Etc.

Organizes Indoor Environmental Quality Best Practices
For Example:
• No Irrigation System-Building Overspray
• Walk-off Mat Systems
• Energy recovery ventilation maintenance and
commissioning
• Replacing Pilot Lights with Electric Ignition
• Eliminating Use of Fossil Fuel Powered
Machinery within the building
• Minimizing mercury exposure
• Integrated Pest Management

Organizes Indoor Environmental Quality Best Practices
For example, HVAC Maintenance and
Optimization:
• Replacing Filters
• Keeping hoods and intakes free of
debris/ice/snow
• Ensuring condensate drainage
• Heat exchange core cleaning
• Ductwork cleaning
• Automatic Damper Operation
• Monitoring CO2 Levels to Ensure Airflow

Energy Efficiency issues covered:
59
• Benchmarking
• Lighting Retrofits
• Energy Management Systems
• Boilers
• Building Envelope Improvements
• Renewables

3. NORTHEAST COLLABORATIVE FOR HIGH
PERFORMANCE SCHOOLS (NE-CHPS)
60

NE-CHPS 3.0
Why NE-CHPS?
 Developed with Regional Stakeholder Input
 Indoor Environmental Quality Focus
 Operations & Maintenance Emphasis
Criteria Prerequisite
Points
Developed to Meet the Northeast’s:
Total Points
Possible
Integration and Innovation 6 21
Operations and Metrics 11 23
Indoor Environmental Quality 25 76
Energy 13 68
Water 6 21
Sites 4 22
Materials & Waste Management 4 19
 Building Codes
 Climate
 Educational Priorities

62
INDOOR AIR QUALITY
Walk Off Mats:
• Improving Indoor Air Quality AND
Limiting Operational Costs by
Keeping Out:
• Dirt
• Heavy Metals
• Pesticides
High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA)
Filters:
• HEPA filter with Minimum efficiency reporting
value (MERV) of 11 required
• HEPA filter with MERV value of 13 satisfies
enhanced filtration requirement

63
US DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY RESOURCES
• Recent Energy-Focused TedEd
• Joshua Sneideman’s “A Guide to the Energy of the Earth”
• Financing Energy Upgrades
for K-12 School Districts Guide
• Tax Exempt Lease Purchasing
• Energy Performance Contracting
• On-Bill Financing
• Power Purchase Agreements
• Grants/Internal Cash
• Bonding
• Better Buildings Challenge
• Education Partners
o Ex. NY’s Indian River Central School District
• Summit May 27-29,2015
o K-12 Track

NEEP RESOURCES
AVAILABLE AT WWW.NEEP.ORG

THANK YOU
91 Hartwell Avenue Lexington, MA 02421
P: 781.860.9177
www.neep.org
65
Brian D. Buckley
BBuckley@NEEP.org

Michelle Barron-Magee,B.S.
Rhode Island Department of Health

Project CASE
Project CASE is a multi-level, multi-component
pilot intervention targeting
school-age students with asthma within
three RI core cities. CASE aims to
decrease the burden of asthma by
• Improving the environmental health of
schools.
• Increasing student and caregiver
knowledge of how to self-manage
asthma.

Project CASE
• Increasing staff knowledge of how to
recognize and decrease asthma triggers
in the school environment.
• Supporting students in effectively
managing their asthma.

Project CASE
CASE components include:
• Asthma education for staff, students
and caregivers delivered by the Hasbro
Children Hospital’s, Draw A Breath
Program.
• Environmental walk-through within the
schools.
• Communication (SNT’s, PCP’s and
AAP’s).

CASE
CASE schools were chosen based on the
following criteria:
• Location in areas of high asthma burden
as reported by surveillance of claims
data
• Chronic absenteeism rates as high as
21%
• Poor physical environment
• Parent reports

CASE
Additional Data/Demographics:
• Asthma dx of 14-21%
• Within a three year period, between 11-
15% of these students had an asthma-related
ED visit or hospitalization.
• 54% Hispanic, 30% African American
• 80-99% eligible for Federal Free and
Reduced Price School Meal Program
compared to 46% statewide.

CASE
External Partners:
• Classroom teachers, custodians,
principals and school nurse teachers
• RI Department of Education
• Environmental Justice League of RI
• Family Services RI
• Hasbro Children’s Hospital
• RI Asthma Control Coalition
• RI Department of Education

CASE
Internal Support Staff
• Asthma Control Program
• Healthy Homes and Environment Team

CASE
Moving Forward
• Add on four CASE schools annually
• Work from the top/down with school
districts.
• Involve the school districts in choosing
which schools to implement CASE.
• Utilize Kidsnet to increase the use of
AAP’s.

ARC 2014 Meeting - Innovations in New England

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