Green Clean Legislation For Schools Hailed By Lyddy, McKinney

By John Voket

On June 2, Governor M. Jodi Rell signed into law An Act Concerning Green Cleaning Products In Schools. With that endorsement, which was showcased at a public bill signing in Vernon this week, Connecticut has become the third state after New York and Illinois to require schools districts to procure and use environmentally preferable cleaning products certified by an independent third party.

Newtown Representative Chris Lyddy and Senator John McKinney, who also represents Newtown, were among the lawmakers who helped champion the bill in their respective chambers. Both were expected to be on hand for the ceremonial signing of the law by Gov Rell at Vernon Center Middle School June 11, shortly after The Bee went to press.

Rep Lyddy maintained throughout the process of seeing the bill through the house that the health and safety of children and teachers should be the state’s first priority.

“Kids can’t learn and teachers can’t teach when they are in an environment that negatively impacts their health,” Rep Lyddy said. “We owe it to our children to provide the best learning environment that we possibly can. This legislation is a bold step in the direction of protecting our children. I believe prevention is the best intervention to any issue. Unfortunately, we have allowed too many children and teachers to be harmed by unhealthy conditions.”

Senate Minority Leader McKinney said establishing a Green Cleaning Program for Connecticut schools is a win-win for the environment and for the health of children.

“At the same time, the program will help schools save money because the cleaning products and practices recommended under the program are, in most cases, cheaper than those currently being used,” said Sen McKinney. “As a parent and a legislator, I am pleased that my hometown of Fairfield has taken a leadership role in the ‘Green Clean’ program to create healthier environment for our children. I am proud to support this initiative and I want to thank Joellen Lawson and her colleagues at ConnFESS for their steadfast and effective advocacy.”

Ms Lawson, a Newtown resident, helped support its passage as an advocate and founder for the Connecticut Foundation for Environmentally Safe Schools (ConnFESS). Following the governor’s endorsement of the legislation, she said she was especially proud that both her state representative and state senator were such strong proponents of the bill.

“The fact that one is a freshman legislator in the House and the other the minority leader of the Senate is a testament to what a bipartisan and bicameral effort this has been,” Ms Lawson said.

‘Green Clean’ Stipulations

New law requires local and regional school boards to implement a green cleaning program to clean and maintain their schools, as well as a program for procurement and proper use of environmentally preferable cleaning products in schools.

The law also requires districts to post on the board of education and school websites the results of any required evaluations and inspections of a school building’s indoor air quality. By law, such an inspection is required before January 1, 2008, and every five years thereafter for any school building that is built, extended, renovated, or replaced on or after January 1, 2003. The website posting requirement is in addition to existing requirements that the results of the evaluation be available for public inspection at a regularly scheduled board of education meeting.

Under the directive, school districts are now required to use cleaning products that are certified by one of two independent third parties, Green Seal or EcoLogo, according to Ms Lawson.

“Products that must be certified include general purpose cleaners, glass cleaners, floor finishes, floor strippers, hand cleansers and soaps,” Ms Lawson told The Newtown Bee this week. “This legislation does not apply to disinfectants, disinfecting cleaners, sanitizers, or other antimicrobial products regulated by the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act.”

These requirements for schools are the same requirements for green cleaning currently required by law since 2007 for use in all state-owned buildings, including the Connecticut State Technical High Schools and state universities. The 2007 law on Green Cleaning Products in State Buildings was based upon Gov Rell’s 2006 Executive Order #14 that required all state agencies in the executive branch to use green cleaning products and asked school districts to voluntarily do the same.

The victory is that much sweeter for all involved since proposed bills that would have required green cleaning products in all Connecticut public schools failed to pass in the General Assembly in 2007 and 2008.

Gov Rell’s 2006 press release on Executive Order #14 speaks to the issue that has now become law for Connecticut school districts: “By using environmentally safe cleaning products, we will take several steps forward: we can create and maintain sanitary conditions in state facilities, we can minimize the potential for harm to our state employees, and we can improve indoor air quality.”

“The new law affords the same protection to all of Connecticut’s public school children and employees that has been given to state employees for the last three years,” Ms Lawson said.

Legislation Strongly Supported

ConnFESS was joined in supporting the bill by more than 40 member organizations of the Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut. In addition, it was endorsed by Jeanne Milstein, the state child advocate and other state organizations, including the Connecticut State Medical Society, Connecticut Education Association, Connecticut Federation of School Administrators, American Federation of Teachers of Connecticut, American Lung Association of Connecticut, and Connecticut Parent Teacher Association.

Ms Lawson said conventional cleaning products may contain toxic ingredients that can not only cause rashes, headaches, nausea and dizziness, but can also lead to long-term health problems such as asthma, cancer, and lung disease. Many are known to affect the respiratory system, central nervous system, reproduction, development, kidney, and liver.

“Asthma is the leading cause of school absenteeism and the leading occupational disease among teachers and school custodians,” she added.

The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) attributes 12 percent of new occupational asthma cases to cleaning chemical exposures.

“The Connecticut State Medical Society is pleased to support this legislation, which will help limit exposure to harmful chemicals,” said Dr John Santilli, CSMS Council Member. “There is every good medical reason to reduce our children’s contact with these compounds, as well as those who have to use them to perform their work duties.”

Ms Lawson cited case studies show that phasing in these environmentally preferable products can be done at no additional cost.

“They will keep students and staff healthier and reduce absenteeism,” she said. “There is no longer any cost increase to using these products, and bulk purchasing through the state Department of Administrative Services, which has been using green products for the last two years, can actually help the school districts save money.”

The bill this year is one in a series of legislative approaches in the past decade to creating better and healthier school environments. The Connecticut General Statutes now contain laws dealing with indoor air quality (IAQ) and periodic inspections in schools, high performance “green” standards for construction and renovation of school buildings, school bus emissions, and pesticide usage in school building and on school grounds.

For further information on existing Connecticut school environmental health laws go to: pollutionfreeschools.org.