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Green-cleaning schools lead the way Governor expands use of environmentally preferable cleaners
March 3, 2005 Brian Hagquist, Union-Endicott Maintenance Workers Association, talks about the training needs of custodians. He said going 'green' would be great, as long as the products actually clean. State agencies have three months to implement environmentally preferable "green" cleaning procedures that many schools have been using for several years. In January, Gov. Pataki issued an executive order directing state agencies and authorities to use non-toxic, chemical-free cleaning products. Similar legislation will be submitted later this year for schools. The order, which directs agencies to transition to safer products, phase out unsafe supplies and provide training to staff, comes as dozens of school districts and at least one city have instituted such procedures. "This is long overdue," said Wendy Hord, helath and safety specialist for New York State United Teachers. "A state Department of Health study of asthma cases shows teachers have higher rates of adult onset asthma than most other occupations and cleaning chemicals are one of the most frequently mentioned triggers." Green cleaning has been in place for at least two years in Westchester County 's Mount Vernon district. "We had a hoard of supplies of ammonia and bleach cleaner," said Augie Autieri, a physical education teacher and member of the Mount Vernon Federation of Teachers. "Now we use a hydrogen peroxide-based cleaner that not only cosmetically cleans everything, but it disinfects everything that it touches." Autieri, who chairs the union's health and safety committee, has noticed a change. "Since we've been using these products, a lot less kids are using inhalers." Though White Plains schools have been improving cleaning products for the last six years, the district last year changed bid specifications, requiring vendors to use green products. "For about six to seven years, we were trying all different types of dispensing systems and cleaners to get away from butyl-based cleaners," said Mike Lynch, facilities director for the district. "In concentrated form, butyl is a suspected carcinogen. Our bid specs now are geared toward a product line that would get the green clean certification." White Plains TA President Jerry Gorski and Lynch are also working on a project to get the district's students and teachers involved in energy conservation. Nick Pesacreta, a facilities supervisor and executive vice president of the New Rochelle Federation of United School Employees, hopes to use the governor's order to get his district talking about the issue. "Safety and health issues are definitely on the front burner for us. Some concerns have come up about indoor air quality and potential mold conditions and the district does work with us," Pesacreta said. Easy being green The U.S. Department of the Interior issues more than 20 criteria for products to be considered green. The top five are: • The product must be bio-based and come from a renewable source such as a fruit, vegetable or plant. • The cleaner must not contain petro-dyes. • Green cleaners must not contain petro-artificial perfumes. • The product must be biodegradable. Sixty percent to 70 percent must go back into the environment within 28 days of use. • The cleaner must not contain petroleum distillates or crude oil. Schools need to be careful when purchasing products that claim to be green, said Stan Halpern, owner of Healthy Clean Buildings and a consultant for more than 60 districts that have gone green. Several products contain "environmentally-safe" or "friendly" labels, but only products that are "environmentally-preferable" meet federal green requirements, Halpern said. White Plains is tightening its bid specs this year after discovering a loophole. An alarm went off for Lynch when he received green products accompanied by material safety data sheets, a requirement for any product that may be toxic. "You get certified green because in diluted form the product is non-toxic, but in concentrate it may not be," Lynch said. "We want products that diluted or undiluted are green." Replacing toxic products with green ones should not be expensive, Mount Vernon 's Autieri said. To avoid throwing away thousands of dollars of existing stock, the district phased in green products over a few years beginning with the elementary schools. Custodians hope to begin using the safer cleaners in the high school this September. Also, the green products have multiple uses. "We don't have to order glass cleaner any more or carpet cleaner. It's also a bathroom sanitizer," Autieri said. Added NYSUT's Hord, "A school district in Rockland County went from 27 to three cleaning products by switching." "We're happy the governor is finally mandating this. It's about time," said Autieri. — Clarisse Butler |
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