Breathing Easier School Districts Make the Switch to Certified Green Cleaning Products

Success stories from three California school districts About RAMP

Regional Asthma Management and Prevention promotes This report was prepared for RAMP by strategies for reducing asthma through a broad and compre- Your Message Media with funding from hensive approach that includes clinical management and The California Endowment. environmental prevention. RAMP brings together diverse partners, such as public health, community-based organizations, Contributors to the report include schools, and environmental health and justice groups to • Green Schools Initiative collaborate in reducing the burden of asthma, with a focus on • Green Purchasing Institute communities disproportionately affected by the disease. RAMP • Environmental Working Group coordinates Community Action to Fight Asthma, a network of • California Teachers’ Association, asthma coalitions that advocates for policy changes at the local Teachers for Healthy Kids and statewide levels. • Coalition for Clean Air Introduction By Anne Kelsey Lamb Director, Regional Asthma Management and Prevention

Imagine for a moment an “ideal” school classroom. it’s far from an ideal environment. What do you see? Perhaps a room full of energetic, Sadly, when we try to clean up that environment, we enthusiastic children busy drawing, reading, answer- may be making it worse. Many cleaning products used ing questions, learning creatively. There’s probably a in schools—the very products used to try to create an dynamic teacher roaming the room, too, one that ideal learning space—are made up of a wide variety of sets high standards and knows and understands the hazardous chemicals that contribute to asthma, cancer, uniqueness of each child. reproductive harm, and damage to the body.2 The floors What about the classroom itself? What does an may sparkle, countertops may shine, and the air may ideal classroom look like? There is natural light smell fresh, but there may be a cost to the lungs and coming in through big windows that also let in a nice, overall health of our children, teachers, and custodial refreshing breeze. The desks are all functional, the staff. floors are smooth and clear, and the atmosphere There are better ways to provide an ideal classroom. overall is one of cleanliness—you can tell that the Regional Asthma Management and Prevention (RAMP) janitorial staff have spent time cleaning the floors, created this report on green cleaning in schools to wiping off the countertops, and dusting the book- highlight one important and effective way to improve air cases. All in all it’s a fine place for our children, not to quality in schools—creating healthy environments in mention teachers and school staff, to be for many which students can learn and teachers can teach. hours a day. Such improvements are needed now, as asthma is a Unfortunately, far too often our children and those major problem for school-aged children. One in every that teach them spend their days in anything but an six children in California have been diagnosed with ideal environment. The California Air Resources Board asthma,3 a disease in which airways constrict, making has found significant environmental problems, breathing difficult, even impossible. Asthma is the including problems with ventilation, temperature and leading cause of school absences due to chronic disease humidity, air pollutants, floor dust contaminants, in the country,4 costing children their education, and moisture, mold, noise, and lighting in California’s schools some of their attendance-based funding. classrooms.1 For too many of the approximately one In addition to appropriate, high-quality clinical man- in five Californians who spend their day at a school, agement, reducing those environmental “triggers” that

Regional Asthma Management and Prevention • Breathing Easier 3 What are Green Cleaning Products? These case studies showcase some of the hundreds of products that have been certified for institutional use by an independent, third-party process to ensure that the products meet certain criteria for reduced health and environmental impacts. Two examples of such third-party certification areGreen Seal and EcoLogo. (See “Resources” for contact information.)

cause airways to constrict is essential to control asthma. already partnered with schools to adopt green All too often, however, students and school staff with cleaning policies. As this case study report shows, asthma are confronted with poor air quality and triggers those schools are finding that the switch to certified from malfunctioning or under-maintained ventilation green cleaners is not only feasible but also successful. systems, air pollutants, nearby freeways or rail-yards, These steps to a healthier school environment are dust, mold, pests, chemical fumes and residues, pesti- grounded in the recognition that every child and cides, furnishings, building materials—and cleaning school employee has the right to a safe, clean school products.5 Removing these triggers, meanwhile, has a environment that does not make them ill. These steps scientifically demonstrated positive impact on student merit replication throughout California. achievement and staff well-being.6 Creating healthy schools requires strong leadership Reducing triggers such as harmful cleaning products with commitment, flexibility, and resourcefulness from isn’t always easy, and we need leadership and commit- a variety of school stakeholders at the local and state ment from a variety of stakeholders to make it happen. levels. The bottom line, however, is that we can do it: Some of that leadership is in place already: RAMP we can create healthy, ideal classrooms that our coordinates a California network of asthma coalitions children and their teachers deserve. called Community Action to Fight Asthma (CAFA), which shapes local, regional, and state policies to reduce environmental triggers of asthma among children in their schools, their homes, and outdoors. The CAFA network recently chose to focus on certified green Anne Kelsey Lamb cleaning7 as a way to reduce the burden of asthma in Director California’s schools. Several local asthma coalitions have Regional Asthma Management and Prevention

1. California Air Resources Board: Report to the California Legislature, November 2004. Environmental Health Conditions in California’s Portable Classrooms. http://www.arb.ca.gov/research/indoor/ pcs/pcs.htm. 2. Scientific studies include the following: NTP Toxicology and Carcinogenesis Studies 2-Butoxyethanol (CAS NO. 111-76-2) in F344/N Rats and B6C3F1 Mice (Inhalation Studies). National Toxicology Program Technical Report Series 484: 1–290 (2000). Medina-Ramón, M., J. P. Zock, M. Kogevinas, J. Sunyer, X. Basagaña, J. Schwartz, P. S. Burge, et al. “Short-term respiratory effects of cleaning exposures in female domestic cleaners.” European Respiratory Journal 27 (6): 1196–203 (2006). Grandjean, P. and P. J. Landrigan. “Developmental neurotoxicity of industrial chemicals.” Lancet 368 (9553): 2167–78 (2006). Swan, S. H., K. M. Main, F. Liu, S. L. Stewart, R. L. Kruse, A. M. Calafat, C. S. Mao, et al., “Decrease in anogenital distance among male infants with prenatal phthalate exposure.” Environmental Health Perspectives 113 (8): 1056–61 (2005). Smith, A. H., and C. M. Steinmaus. “Health effects of arsenic and chromium in drinking water: recent human findings.” Annual Review of Public Health 30: 107–22 (2009). For more general background information, see U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Building Design, Maintenance and Operations: Cleaning Products,” EPA 402-F-05-015A. http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/pdfs/casestudies/cleaning_products.pdf (accessed April 28, 2009). “Cleaning for Healthy Schools, Frequently Asked Questions: Products and Practices for a Safer Indoor Environment.” http://cleaningforhealthyschools.org/documents/FAQs.pdf (accessed April 28, 2009). See also the “Finishes, Furnishings, and Cleaning and Teaching Products” section of http://www.calasthma.org/uploads/briefing_kit/asthma_and_indoor_air_quality_in_schools_footnotes.pdf. 3. UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. 2003 California Health Interview Survey. Ask CHIS, http://www.chis.ucla.edu. 4. Akinbami, L. “The state of childhood asthma, United States, 1980–2005.” Advance Data from Vital and Health Statistics (renamed National Health Statistics Reports [NHSR] in January 2008) (381): 1–24 (2006). Mannino, D. M., D. M. Homa, L. J. Kinbami, J. E. Moorman, C. Gwen, and S. C. Redd. “Surveillance for asthma—United States, 1980–1999.” CDC, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Surveillance Summaries 51 (1): 1–13 (2002). 5. For additional information on the indoor air quality and environmental challenges that exist in California’s schools, see http://www.calasthma.org/uploads/briefing_kit/asthma_and_indoor_air_qual- ity_in_schools_footnotes.pdf. 6. For a wide range of references indicating the link between trigger reduction and improved health in schools, see http://www.calasthma.org/uploads/briefing_kit/asthma_and_indoor_air_quality_in_ schools_footnotes.pdf. 7. In this report the terms “certified green cleaning products” and “green cleaning products” are used interchangeably. Unless noted otherwise in the text, these case studies showcase some of the hundreds of products that have been certified for institutional use by an independent, third-party process to ensure that the products meet certain criteria for reduced health and environmental impacts. Two examples of such third-party certification are Green Seal and EcoLogo. (See “Resources” for contact information.)

4 Breathing Easier • Regional Asthma Management and Prevention Case study 1: Fairfie l d -S uisu n U n ified S choo l D istrict When a District Takes an Issue to Heart

1 In 2002 Fairfield-Suisun new district, inspiring a search many as eight separate ven- Unified School District’s (USD) for cuts in Fairfield’s cleaning dors. “A lot of these had very Crescent Elementary School bill. And, like the estimated 15 powerful odors, and children was closed because of wide- percent of children in the were affected by them,” spread, uncontrollable black Fairfield-Suisun school district Kennedy recalls. “Not only mold contamination. The who suffer from asthma, bleaches or ammonia prod- following year the school was Francis Kennedy has asthma as ucts, but petroleates. We used demolished, and a new school well. to use a stainless steel polisher was built. “We were taking “I was on the job [as a that had a strong petroleum children out in ambulances, custodian] fourteen years ago, smell that lingered for weeks. and teachers were sick,” former and my lungs seized up from The one we use now is water- Crescent Elementary School an ammonia cleaner I was based with an active ingredient teacher Joan Gaut recalls. “A using,” Kennedy recalls. “I was that is basically citrus.” whole bunch of teachers have rushed to the hospital and held Today, under Kennedy’s been living with asthma ever overnight, and the next day direction, all cleaning products since”—and this includes Gaut diagnosed as an asthmatic. I for the district’s thirty schools herself. used to walk around with two are obtained through just one This embarrassing—and inhalers—one for long-term vendor, which markets a costly—catastrophe helped and one for short-term—but I number of certified “green” speed up efforts to improve don’t need them anymore.” cleaners. The Fairfield-Suisun indoor air quality in this When Kennedy began, USD uses the vendor’s perox- sprawling school district Fairfield-Suisun was purchas- ide-based “neutral” cleaners northeast of San Francisco. ing an array of traditional for everything from black- Key to that campaign has been cleaning products from as boards and desks, to windows the leadership of Francis Francis Kennedy, Kennedy, Custodial Manager of left, with concentrated the Fairfield-Suisun USD, to green cleaner, and replace traditional chemical- Charlene McCoy, with static cling based cleaners in schools with duster, in front of a storage unit for safer, less costly ones. Rolling Hills A genial, soft-spoken man, Elementary School’s green Francis Kennedy was highly cleaning products. motivated to switch to green cleaning products after arriving in Fairfield. The same budget crunch that had cost Kennedy his custodial services job with another school district the previous year was assailing his “We talked about Case study 1 the injuries we before; it doesn’t work as well,’ SAC’s monthly meetings are or ‘I don’t like the smell.’ ” regularly attended by a broad had with the old Kennedy held numerous array of nurses, teachers, meetings with his 108 custodi- pediatricians, county officials, products, and ans, members of the California child care providers, officials Service Employees Association from Kaiser Permanente, public I told them we (CSEA). “I told them, ‘you’re health agencies, and others not going to have the same committed to reducing indoor had something smell with these new products.’ and outdoor asthma triggers. A lot of favorite products from SAC has helped convene that would work the past like Mr. Clean have a meetings of stakeholders, just as well but scent they associate with being documented the costs and clean. They didn’t want to burdens of asthma in Solano wouldn’t be consider anything else. But we County, and supported the talked about the injuries we green cleaning efforts of toxic for them had with the old products, and Francis Kennedy, whom I told them we had something coalition members affection- or the kids.” that would work just as well ately refer to as their “Green but wouldn’t be toxic for them Guru” for his promotion of —Francis Kennedy or the kids.” green cleaning products and Fortunately for Kennedy, he procedures. had plenty of help for his green “As a district, Fairfield-Suisun cleaning crusade. In early 2007, is committed to making our the Solan Asthma Coalition classrooms as safe as possible (SAC), one of the original 12 for everybody—teachers, Community Action to Fight students, and staff,” says Asthma (CAFA) members, Melanie Driver. “This is what and mirrors, to floors and began to build relationships happens when a school district toilets. Like all institutional with other indoor air quality takes an issue to heart.” green cleaning products, the stakeholders in Fairfield- At Rolling Hills Elementary new cleaners come in concen- Suisun. That included the U.S. School on the northern edge of trated form, and the right EPA which had awarded the Fairfield-Suisun district, dilution is measured out by Fairfield-Suisun its national head custodian Charlene automatic dispensers that “Good Start Award” for McCoy is charged with keeping tailor the product to the improving indoor air quality in the gleaming two-year-old purpose. its schools. Later that year, campus clean despite the As with other school dis- former kindergarten teacher presence of 530 students and tricts, convincing custodians of and Fairfield-Suisun Unified several dozen faculty and staff. the need for wholesale chang- Teachers Association (F-SUTA) She’s also sensitive to the issue es in cleaning products and President Melanie Driver joined of green cleaning products: like procedures was a labor-inten- the Solano Asthma Coalition, Joan Gaut, Francis Kennedy sive process. “The custodians bringing the clout of the and Melanie Driver, Charlene originally objected,” Kennedy California Teachers Association McCoy suffers from asthma. recalls. “A lot of them com- into the picture. Driver is also “These products are really plained, ‘We’ve never used this an asthma sufferer. easy to use,” she points out as

6 Breathing Easier • Regional Asthma Management and Prevention Joan Gaut, K–6 Music teacher, registered nurse, and chair of the California Teachers Association School Health and Safety Committee, shows her asthma medications. Ms. Gaut previously taught at mold-infested Crescent Elementary School before it was demolished in 2003. “We have fewer chemical allergic responses in children and teachers in Fairfield-Suisun since green cleaning began,” she reports.

she demonstrates the ‘quick- draw’ option that automatically measures the green cleaning concentrate in the school’s dilution center. “You know exactly what you’re going to injury rate at Fairfield-Suisun’s unquantifiable savings in better get instead of with the ‘glug- school sites has also dropped indoor air quality, fewer job glug’ method (i.e., unmeasured significantly, according to injuries caused by toxic chemi- pouring).” Whereas the old Kennedy. “We’re not having the cals, and less damage to the products—bleach, ammonias, chemical accidents we used to facilities because of spills or heavy duty cleaners—had very have, or damage to our carpets misuse of toxic products. “The powerful odors and were hard from bleaches,” he notes. “Job last couple of years, the district on students, teachers, custodi- injuries mostly evaporated that has been preoccupied with ans, and other staff, people like first year. The rooms became balancing the budget,” the new products because they cleaner, and the teachers Kennedy notes. “It seemed like are “very gentle, and there’s noticed it. They didn’t smell a perfect time to push an practically no smell.” residual products after clean- agenda that used savings as Today, teachers who want ing, which used to be a really well as safety for a motivation.” cleaners for classroom chores big issue. When a room had an This summer the mainte- need only to bring in a spray odor, we used to spray a nance staff of Fairfield-Suisun bottle, and school custodians deodorizer that lingered for plans to test a green certified will fill them for free with green two to three days. We don’t zinc-free floor finish at Rolling cleaning products. Traditional use products like that Hills Elementary that they hope cleaning products are no anymore.” will be compatible with the longer allowed in the district’s Fairfield-Suisun officials detergent-free floor strippers schools. “You need to think estimate that the new cleaning they have been testing. “The about others and investigate products and procedures have health and safety of our kids before using certain kinds of produced savings as high as 20 and our workers is very impor- cleaners,” says Francis percent (their estimate in- tant to us,” states Francis Kennedy “The number of cludes labor savings from Kennedy. “I’m an asthmatic, complaints we used to get using restroom cleaning and I can explain to my doctor about smells and odors, we machines and autoscrubbers or to my family what’s wrong don’t get any more.” that dispense new green with me. Children can’t do that. Since adoption of the new cleaning products). Francis I’d rather be part of the solu- cleaning products, the job Kennedy also cited additional, tion than part of the problem.”

Regional Asthma Management and Prevention • Breathing Easier 7 Case study 2: Elk Grove Unified School District Green Before It Was Cool

2 Elk Grove Unified School to a lot of cleaning products ‘You have a product that cleans District (USD), just south of myself, and I know kids are out windows and toilets? You gotta Sacramento, was one of the there with the same allergies.” show me!’ ” Lopez recalls. “And fastest growing school dis- In 2000 custodial staff he did. I’ve never seen one tricts in California before the estimated that Elk Grove was cleaner be able to handle recent economic downturn. using as many as fifteen multiple uses,” Lopez told Eighteen new schools were separate chemical products for Services magazine (the added in the last ten years—an cleaning. Lopez heard about a magazine for the building astonishing rate of growth. new hydrogen-peroxide service contracting industry) in Today, Elk Grove has 73 cleaner whose manufacturer an article about green cleaning educational sites—48 of them claimed that its signature in schools. “I’ve also seen a lot elementary schools—the green cleaner in varying of green cleaners that don’t majority of which are multi- strengths and dilutions could perform. But this one really track, year-round sites that clean just about every surface works, and it’s safe.” take a daily pounding from in a school—from toilets to But Linda Lopez didn’t just kids, staff, and community counter tops. take the salesman’s word for it: groups. “I said to the product rep, she ordered that the product In 2000 Linda Lopez, Manager of Custodial Services for the Elk Grove USD, began looking for less expensive, more effective, more environ- mentally friendly products to clean the growing number of sites in her charge. “I’ve worked for school districts for thirty years,” says Lopez, a former custodian. “I like being on the cutting edge. I like trying new products that will cut cleaning time for custodi- ans and help improve the health of kids. I’m a mother with two kids, plus I’m allergic

Many school districts that have switched to environmen- tally preferable cleaners have saved money by replacing a “ready to use” conventional product with a highly concentrated green cleaner (all institutional cleaning products certified by Green Seal and EcoLogo are concentrates). The cost savings are even more dramatic when institutions use automatic dilution equipment like this, which reduces the unnecessary, expensive, and potentially hazardous over-concentration of cleaning products when they are diluted manually.

8 Breathing Easier “As educators, we know we can’t teach to an empty desk—and the leading cause of school absenteeism due to chronic illness is asthma. In fact, an average of one out of every six children—or five students out of a classroom of thirty—suffer from asthma.”

—David Sanchez, president, California Teachers Association

be put to the test at Jackson product worked. He has test based cleaner used by Elk Elementary, a facility in her results to prove it. A meter Grove is not only an effective district with a thousand kids measuring bacteria on a cleaner and deodorizer but and lots of community use. classroom door touched also kills 99.9 percent of major Tony Almeida is the Area hundreds of times throughout germs and viruses Supervisor of Custodial the day by students and staff Furthermore, it can do all this Services for the entire Elk showed an initial reading of 710 on a variety of surfaces: glass, Grove District, working directly RLUs (Relative Light Units—a walls, floors, tile, grout, toilets, with Linda Lopez to implement measurement of common urinals, carpets, and kitchen new cleaning solutions bacteria). It shrank to 8 RLUs counters. After it’s used, it throughout the district. He after cleaning with the new breaks down into water and wasn’t always enthusiastic product. Similarly, the lip of a oxygen, which are naturally- about green cleaning. dollar feed slot on a soda occurring environmental Custodians, including machine registered 4741 RLUs elements, leaving behind little Almeida, are often uncon- before cleaning, and just 26 to no residue. vinced of the effectiveness of RLUs afterward. “We use it for everything green products. But in addition Elk Grove Unified transi- now, in every school,” Almeida to strong health and environ- tioned to its new all-purpose reports. “It’s diluted in a mental protections, green green cleaner district-wide in dilution center and used for certification standards have 2000—“before green was different levels of cleaning— strict performance require- cool,” Lopez said proudly. windows, floors, counter tops, ments as well. Once he tried Services magazine reports that, restroom cleaning, frequency the hydrogen peroxide–based when appropriately diluted, the touch points [door knobs, light cleaner, Almeida found that the type of hydrogen peroxide– switches, handles, etc.], sinks,

Regional Asthma Management and Prevention • Breathing Easier 9 and more.” to Elk Grove, absenteeism hydrogen peroxide–based Superintendent Dr. Steven dropped two percent. “That’s cleaners to carpets and table Ladd came to Elk Grove in probably combined with tops in a kindergarten 2004, after the movement to attendance efforts on other classroom. green cleaning products was fronts,” says Linda Lopez, “but “You couldn’t stand some of well under way. “I support [absenteeism] has been down the old products; they were so these changes absolutely,” Dr. significantly since then, and it’s harsh, plus they didn’t work as Ladd says. “It’s good for the stayed down.” Higher atten- well,” says Richard Bonfond, kids and good for the staff. But dance means more money for Lead Custodian at Joseph Sims taking away harsh chemicals is the school district, because Elementary School. “I prefer also a benefit to the planet and state support for schools is this new product. I like how it the environment. We also get based on Average Daily works for us. Just because you to build into the children’s Attendance (ADA). clean something doesn’t mean education the importance of Today, Elk Grove Unified it’s clean. With this stuff, it’s using green products so they School District is recognized clean.” can go on to be champions as a bona fide pioneer in the As befits a school district both in their own homes and in school green cleaning move- that claims it was green before their own futures.” ment. Elk Grove custodians green was cool, the search for In addition to the health and are featured in training new green products and educational benefits of green posters for the Occupational procedures continues. Tony cleaning, there are the financial Safety and Health Division Almeida is testing a certified benefits. The same year that (Cal/OSHA). Custodians from green floor stripper, as well as the new hydrogen peroxide– Elk Grove grace the cover of a promising detergent-free based cleaner was introduced Services magazine, applying cleaning system recently approved by the FDA, which uses ion-charged water for heavy-duty cleaning. Meanwhile, Linda Lopez is investigating the cost-effec- tiveness of both products. “Going green takes a lot of hard work,” Linda Lopez says, “but cleanliness, safety, and health are major concerns of this district and this superin- tendent. I’m proud of what we’ve done here. It’s something we should do for the kids.”

Key players in Elk Grove’s green cleaning transition (from left to right): Linda Lopez, Custodial Services Manager for Elk Grove USD; Richard Bonfond, Lead Custodian, Joseph Sims Elementary School; Tony Almeida, Area Supervisor; Chris Nugent, Asst. Principal, Joseph Sims Elementary.

10 Breathing Easier • Regional Asthma Management and Prevention Case study 3: Fresno Unified School District

Fresno USD custodial staff (from left to Right): Esther Moultrie, Buyer; Dennis Pendergrass, Plant Coordinator at McCardle Elementary; Phil Puente, Custodial Operations; Levi Alonzo, Custodial Operations; Isaac Rodriguez, Warehouse Manager.

especially hard hit,” California Teachers Association President David Sanchez says about schools across the state. In 2007, the percentage of children of color—Latino, Asian, and African American—had grown to more than 85 percent of Fresno’s student population. According to Ruth Quinto, Associate Superintendent for Administrative Services for Fresno’s school district, the impetus to change to green cleaning products sprang from Fresno Unified’s public com- mitment to “providing a safe Aligning the Stars environment that is conducive to learning” for every child in 3 Fresno Unified School District that can cause or trigger every school. “This was an (FUSD) is the 4th largest asthma—in cleaning products. excellent opportunity to school district in California According to the U.S. partner with various stakehold- after Los Angeles, San Diego, Environmental Protection ers in our school system to and Long Beach, with a K–12 Agency (EPA), air inside a implement the most effective enrollment of 76,236 students school building can be 2 to 5 and efficient green initiative as in the 2007/2008 school year. times, and sometimes up to possible,” she states. “Our goal This large public school system 100 times, more polluted than is to help protect the health at the center of the San outside air. For students with and safety of our children and Joaquin Valley faces another asthma, learning and partici- our workers, and to improve challenge besides its growing pating in school activities can the environment for learning.” and diverse enrollment: more be a challenge. For teachers At the beginning of the than 16 percent of the children with asthma, it can mean 2008–2009 school year, living in Fresno County have fatigue, poor morale, and Fresno Unified began testing asthma, one of the higher rates missed workdays. green cleaning products at in California. “Students are losing thou- four district schools—Chavez Beginning in late summer sands of classroom days due to Adult School, Terronez Middle 2008, Fresno Unified School asthma and other problems School, McCardle Elementary, District took the first steps linked to indoor air quality, and and Computech Middle School towards reducing chemicals children of color are being (There are 108 school sites in

Regional Asthma Management and Prevention • Breathing Easier 1 1 Case study 3

the district, including adult recalls. “We try to do things ing system to minimize han- learning centers and charter here with one overriding goal dling and waste, and maximize schools). The man charged in mind: what’s in the best effectiveness. with supervising this initiative interests of our students?” Guiding change through a is John Quinto, Maintenance Three types of green clean- complicated school bureau- Service Manager for the Fresno ing products were tested: a cracy “is all about process,” Unified School District, and window cleaner, an all-purpose concludes John Quinto. “It’s Ruth Quinto’s cousin. cleaner, and a degreaser. about your networking skills, “We were charged by our Getting buy-in from all the the ability to align the stars. superintendent to provide a stakeholders in the state’s You have to partner with the safe working and learning fourth largest school district custodians in SEIU [Service environment, which is crucial wasn’t easy. “At the time I Employees International to student learning,” Quinto thought, ‘Here they go again, Union]. You have to talk to the they’re barking up the wrong purchasing person. You have to tree,’ ” says Dennis talk to the Executive Board and Pendergrass, Head Custodian get the support of the CFO at McCardle Elementary and the Superintendent. In a School, one of the testing sites. bureaucracy, there has to be “We had some history of the someone who’s a stubborn district introducing cleaning idiot in persisting—and in this solutions that didn’t quite case, that’s me.” work. I didn’t think green Fresno Unified began “These products would work any rotating in the new green better.” products this April (2009) in products did In this case, however, the city’s eight high schools Pendergrass discovered that and thirteen middle schools. the green products, subject to The district’s elementary what they said the same performance stan- schools will benefit from the dards as the chemicals they changes once existing supplies they would do. were using at their school sites, of old chemical products are worked well. “It surprised me,” used up. While green cleaning They produced he recalls. “These products did products were more expensive what they said they would do. than conventional cleaners a nice clean on They produced a nice clean on when they first came out, the unit where we tested. They prices have dropped for some the unit where did an outstanding job.” of the better quality products. The products Fresno se- “The custodial supply line we tested. They lected included a green item in our budget has not multi-surface cleaner and a increased since implementing did an out- green glass cleaner. Like other this initiative,” reports Ruth certified green cleaners Quinto, who also serves as standing job.” discussed in this report, Fresno Chief Financial Officer for USD’s new cleaning products Fresno Unified. “Steady is —Dennis Pendergrass, custodian, McCardle Elementary are concentrates, distributed certainly good in this economic through a calibrated dispens- climate.” Fresno officials estimate that the school strippers, green floor finishes, district could save as much as green gym seals, and green 8 to 10 percent on future carpet cleaners. And officials Dust maintenance bills thanks to the are hopeful about spreading effectiveness and efficiency of the word about their efforts the new cleaning products. across the asthma-inflicted San Busting For Stephen Ashkin, a Joaquin Valley. 27-year industry veteran who “We want to share with Dust is a major asthma trigger, and dust has introduced green cleaning others what works,” John removal has become a major focus of advo- programs in more than one Quinto says. “We want to get cates for good-quality indoor air. All three thousand buildings in the U.S. the word out to all the superin- school districts studied have switched to and Europe, such savings are tendents in the valley that this backpack vacuum cleaners, which, according no surprise. “In my experience, is a win-win situation. Not only to Elk Grove’s Linda Lopez, “take less effort, green cleaning programs are these products safer for work faster, provide greater range, and more than pay for themselves. our children, who are suscep- remove 99 percent of the dust”—unlike Benefits result from cost tible to chemicals, but also if traditional upright vacuums with ‘beaters,’ savings for simplified chemical we go green we can eliminate which throw a significant amount of dust into and product purchases, the chemicals used at every the air rather than capturing it. Other green reduced workplace injuries one of our school sites, and tools used to beat the dust problem include and sick leave, higher worker that’s a lot of chemicals. static cling dusters and microfiber cloths. retention, and improved When it comes to improving student attendance and indoor air quality and reducing academic performance.” asthma, John Quinto had a President of the Ashkin Group, more personal motivation for LLC, Ashkin received the 2006 change: two of his four daugh- Children’s Environmental ters have asthma. “To see your Health Excellence Award from own daughters gasp for air, to the EPA for his work promot- see someone you love unable ing green cleaning. to breathe, that’s tough,” Fresno officials are notice- Quinto says. “A lot of that you ably proud of the steps their can attribute to the chemicals school district has taken to we use, along with all the transition to green cleaning pesticides we use in the valley products. “These products are and all the other pollutants… safer, easier to use and are at the cars…it’s overwhelming. I least as effective as the prod- think it’s good that our school ucts we were using before, if district has been able to make not more so,” Dennis smart choices and lead by Pendergrass says enthusiasti- example with these green cally. “I’ve gotten more compli- cleaning products.” ments. People come in and Thanks to him and others look at the school and say, working to improve indoor air ‘they’ve cleaned here.’ ” quality in Fresno schools, the Plans are underway to test a stars appear to be aligned for Chong Moua Vang, Custodian, Computech Middle School new generation of green floor that kind of change.

Regional Asthma Management and Prevention • Breathing Easier 1 3 Recommendations

Healthy school environments have been shown to School Housing (CASH). It provides specific instruc- improve student learning and staff productivity.* Here tions for best practices and information on complet- are recommended policies, tools, and resources that ing the required Facilities Inspection Tool, which schools, school districts, staff, students, parents, advo- determines a school’s “good repair rating” for its cates and local and state governments can use to create School Accountability Report Card. The guide also healthy, asthma-friendly schools. has a general applicability use. See www.cashnet. org/resource-material/CASHPublications.html under W h at S c h o o ls a n d 2008 publications. School Districts Can Do • Training teachers, students, and staff on the causes of The best policies for creating healthy school facilities are unhealthy indoor environments and the role they can play proactive and prevent unhealthy conditions from taking in keeping the school safe provides a role for everyone in root. The following recommendations are steps schools maintaining the healthiest school environment possible. and school districts can take to prevent unhealthy conditions from arising. Taking one step is a great start. W h at S t ude n t s , Pa r e n t s , and Advocates Can Do When combined, these activities create a strong strategy for maintaining healthy schools. Eliciting change in schools requires champions for that • Following the lead of the school districts highlighted in change. In Fresno and Elk Grove, those champions arose this report, developing environmentally preferred from within the school districts themselves. In Fairfield- cleaning practices, including the use of certified green Suisun, a partnership among school officials, teachers, cleaning products, is a major first step schools can take and asthma advocates led the charge for healthier in creating environments more conducive to learning school facilities. Students, parents, and others concerned and teaching. (See Resources for more guidance.) about school health can become their school’s local • Implementing indoor air quality maintenance and champion. Finding partners in teachers, custodial staff, prevention practices is another important step schools and administrators (and their unions) is the most effec- can take to ensure healthy school facilities. tive way to see your school adopt policies and practices One of the most comprehensive models is the U.S. to maximize school health. EPA’s Tools for Schools Program, which provides guidance for schools to identify, correct, and prevent W h at L o c a l a n d S Tat e Government CAN DO indoor health problems, including simple, low-cost options (www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/). Many jurisdictions have required schools to use certified Developing multiyear, comprehensive, school-specific green cleaning products (including the states of Illinois indoor air quality management plans is a useful and New York) and have provided guidelines to assist approach to systematizing the policies and proce- schools in transitioning to safer cleaning products dures for maintaining healthy schools. Minnesota (including the states of Maine and Missouri). Additionally, provides guidance on this tool (www.health.state.mn. local and state governments can ensure adequate us/divs/eh/indoorair/schools/plan/index.html). funding for school maintenance and further require- Another comprehensive resource that includes ments and guidance for schools to adopt the most assessments of ventilation and indoor air quality health protective cleaning policies and practices. related items is the Facilities Inspection Tool * National Research Council of the National Academies. Review and Assessment of the Health and Productivity Benefits of Green Schools: An Interim Report. Washington, DC: The National Guidebook, published by the Coalition for Adequate Academies Press, 2006.

14 Breathing Easier • Regional Asthma Management and Prevention Resources

W h at is a ‘ G r ee n ’ C le a n e r ? Third-Party Green Certification Standards

Environmental Choice (EcoLogo) ...... www.environmentalchoice.com

Green Seal ...... www.greenseal.org

H o w t o G o G r ee n : G uides a n d T o o lki t s f o r M a ki n g t h e C h a n ge

Cleaning for Healthy Schools Toolkit ...... www.cleaningforhealthyschools.org

Green Cleaning Toolkit ...... www.informinc.org/project_cleaning_health.php

Green Schools Buying Guide ...... www.greenschools.net/display.php?modin=54

IAQ Management Plan Development Package . . .www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/indoorair/schools/plan/index.html

Implementing Environmentally Preferable Cleaning Practices: An Eight Step Plan . . . www.informinc.org/chpimp.pdf The Quick and Easy Guide to Green Cleaning in Schools ...... www.healthyschoolscampaign.org/campaign/green_clean_schools/guide.php

U.S. EPA’s Tools for Schools ...... www.epa.gov/iaq/schools

A DDI T I o n a L A SSIS ta n C E : GREEN CLEANING IN SCHOOLS RESOURCES

Collaborative for High Performing Schools ...... www.chps.net

Green Purchasing Institute ...... e-mail [email protected] for hands-on technical support

Green Schools Initiative ...... www.greenschools.net

Healthy Schools Network ...... www.healthyschools.org/clearinghouse.html

Health Risks of Traditional Cleaning Products

Potential Hazards of Home Cleaning Products . . . .www.womenandenvironment.org/campaignsandprograms/SafeCleaning/HazardsReport.pdf

Janitorial Products Pollution Prevention Project (JP4) ...... www.westp2net.org/Janitorial/tools.cfm

Greener School Cleaning Supplies = Fresh Air + Healthier Kids ...... www.ewg.org/schoolcleaningsupplies

Regional Asthma Management and Prevention • Breathing Easier 1 5 o m c

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