School Chemical Cleanout Campaign (SC3) School Science Lab Waste Reduction and Disposal Project

Transcription

1 School Chemical Cleanout Campaign (SC3) School Science Lab Waste Reduction and Disposal Project Tennessee Department Of Environment and Conservation Ken Nafe Cynthia Rohrbach

2 A Cooperative Project Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Tennessee Department of Education U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Support from Tennessee Academy of Science Support from Tennessee Science Teachers Association Support from Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents

3 Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation SC3 is a project of the Office of Environmental Assistance SC3 is promoted through Tennessee Pollution Prevention Partnership Green Schools Program SC3 is promoted through Tennessee Pollution Prevention Roundtable

4 TP3 Mission Statement To be Tennessee s statewide network of households, schools, government agencies, organizations, businesses, and industries, working together to protect our shared environment through pollution prevention

5 TP3 Green Schools Program Objectives Promote operations that reduce waste and technologies that conserve natural resources energy, water, air, & land Eliminate all toxins and hazardous chemicals from schools Bring cost savings to school systems through conservation and pollution prevention Involve students in projects that utilize the environment as an integrating context for learning research has shown that it increases student achievement Promote pollution prevention successes state-wide to increase public environmental education

6 TP3 Green Schools Program Levels Prospect Shows interest in pollution prevention by signing up for the program Pledge Makes simple pledges to improve the school environment Partner Develops a five-project plan, completes one project, and submits a Success Story Performer Completes all five projects, Success Stories, extends Green Activities to the local community, and mentors another school in TP3

7 Program Activity Areas REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE ENERGY CONSERVATION HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS LAND & WATER CONSERVATION CLEAN AIR

8 REWARDS Pledge - the Pledge certificate Partner - the Partner certificate TP3 banner public recognition Performer - the Performer certificate TP3 green flag public recognition

9 An Historical Perspective March 2002 Hawkins County One of the most expensive school lab chemical accidents in TN history The lab clean out and resulting fire and cleanup cost was ~$190,000. Do not move chemicals to other locations for safety and regulatory reasons!

10 A Recent Incident Spring 2005 Hamilton County Unknown employees accidentally dispose of lab chemicals in regular trash The lab clean out and resulting fire and cleanup cost was ~$80,000.

11 A Recent Incident March 2005 Cheatham County A substitute teacher tried to clean up a sodium hydroxide spill with old jeans School was evacuated and teacher treated for burns

12 Today s Reality Schools face rising waste management costs Schools have regulatory responsibilities Schools have a legal liability Lab chemicals in the wrong hands could be used for terrorism and manufacture of drugs

13 SC3 Project Goals Properly dispose of outdated, unknown, & unusable chemicals from TN public and private schools Reduce or eliminate potential environmental and safety risks Encourage environmentally sound use of chemicals as a teaching tool through Green Chemistry and microchemistry

14 TOSS/TDEC Hazardous Materials Survey We had 38 surveys returned random sample? 68% have no line item in their budget or other means of lab chemical disposal 76% have no line item in their budget or other means of electronics disposal 61% have no line item in their budget or other means of fluorescent lamp disposal in many cases lamps are crushed in trash compactors, adding mercury to the environment

15 TOSS/TDEC Hazardous Materials Survey 61% have no line item in their budget or other means for disposal of property maintenance chemicals 32% have no Health and Safety Plan for teachers 82% have limited funding for disposal of hazardous materials 79% have limited access to technical expertise regarding hazardous materials

16 SC3 Project Overview Complements the Department of Education s Total Science Safety System (TSSS) CD Inventories all lab chemicals Disposes of legacy lab chemicals Provides follow-up training for teachers to prevent similar situation in years

17 SC3 Progress Report Pilot project cleaned out four public schools in 2003 EPA granted Resource Conservation Challenge funds through Sept 2006 EPA granted Pollution Prevention funds for Dept. Of Education Science Standards and Safety Workshops in Summers TOSS superintendents workshops Summer 2004

18 SC3 Progress Report Over 100 applicants to date 65 additional schools cleaned out in conjunction with local HHW events 15 schools assisted with managing chemicals on their own We continue to promote SC3 through newsletter and magazine articles, conferences, and networking

19 Chemicals Identified Acute toxins such as cyanides and arsenates

20 Chemicals Identified Flammables and Combustibles

21 Chemicals Identified Toxic heavy metals such as mercury

22 Chemicals Identified Known or suspected carcinogens such as formaldehyde

23 Chemicals Identified Potential explosives shock/friction sensitive

24 Chemicals Identified Reactive Metals

25 Chemicals Identified Pharmaceuticals such as adrenalin

26 Chemicals Identified 50+ year-old chemicals

27 Chemicals Identified Broken, leaking, degrading containers, stored improperly

28 SC3 Summary To date, 22,855 pounds of lab waste have been disposed from 69 schools, including 440 lbs of mercury and mercury-containing devices

29 Disposal Cost Disposal cost is based on volume and location coordinating with county HHW collections EPA/TDEC grant funding will provide 50% to 90% cost share School system funds (sliding scale based on county property tax and per capita income rate) Cost estimate can be provided after inventory is completed and sent to us

30 EPA s Healthy School Environments Assessment Tool (Healthy SEAT) Voluntary tool for school districts Assists in conducting basic selfassessments of the status of environmental and other hazards in each of their schools Now available on EPA web site Contains an Access data base Assessment checklist

31 Recommendations for School Systems OSHA Laboratory Standards 29 CFR Applies to school if labs use hazardous chemicals Requires written Chemical Hygiene Plan (1/31/01)

32 Recommendations for School Systems OSHA Laboratory Standards 29 CFR Employer Training MSDSs on hand Medical evaluation Personal Protective Equipment in labs Respirator use ( )

33 Recommendations for School Systems Chemical storage Continually update inventory Separate old chemicals from usable products Label and shelve everything properly Vent the storage room Calibrate fume hoods regularly Use micro/green chemistry when possible Have spill kits available

34 SC3 Application Requirements Assign a primary contact person (Science teacher or School Administrator) Become a TP3 Green School member Complete an inventory of all excess lab chemicals (Total Science Safety System) Implement a chemical management plan

35 A Look into the Future Emerging waste problems at all schools Computers Sharps Paint Pesticides Fluorescent lamps Art supplies

36 2006 Dept of Ed Trainings for Schools Chemical ordering smaller amounts, coordinated with curriculum (MSDSs readily available) Chemical management and safe storage Lab Safety during experimentation Fume hood calibration Spill kits Green chemistry uses less hazardous chemicals to teach same principles Union University collaboration Microchemistry uses small amounts of chemicals, producing less waste

37 Program is transferable TN Dept of Environment and Conservation -Poarch Band of Creek Indians, Atmore, Alabama -EPA -AL Dept of Agriculture Pesticide Program -Escambia County School System

38 Another possible solution Higher Ed/K-12 Chemistry Partnership Troy State University in Troy, AL Escambia County School System

39 For additional information, please contact: Environment and Conservation Web site Ken Nafe Cynthia Rohrbach