Environmentally Enlightened Westchester School Districts With Green Cleaning Programs Blaze Trail; New York State Latest To Join Green Frenzy

By Susan A. Cember

There are so many things in life over which we have no control. Switching to a “green” or environmentally preferable cleaning program in our schools is one way in which we can significantly improve the quality of our children’s indoor environment.

Bob Willoughby, the Director of Facilities of the Briarcliff Manor Union Free School District in Westchester, New York, is a trail blazer in this area. Working with the Health and Safety Committee of the School District and with some proactive, concerned parents, Mr. Willoughby instituted a green cleaning program for all of the buildings operated by the School District about four years ago. It was an easy transition, according to Mr. Willoughby, because the School Board, parents, teachers and custodial staff were very receptive and eager to embrace this new program.

He explained that all of the cleaning agents containing toxic substances, such as chlorine bleach, floor strippers and finishes, ammonia, carpet, glass and tile cleaners and disinfectants, have been replaced by one “green” all-purpose cleaner called H-2 Orange.

“H-2 Orange is completely nontoxic, comprised of orange oil, hydrogen peroxide and soap,” says Mr. Willoughby. It comes in concentrated form and dilutes four different ways to clean everything in the school buildings, including the windows, walls, floors, carpets, desks, bathrooms and cafeterias.

It was an easy transition for the custodial staff to switch to H-2 Orange, according to Mr. Willoughby. The product is supplied in a mechanical unit with a dial, and the various sized bottles supplied by the vendor instruct which settings to use, depending on the cleaning job being done. The company which supplies H-2 Orange, Healthy Clean Buildings (www.cleaningpro.com), was very supportive and provided ample training and help to the custodial staff on using its product.

“We definitely haven’t lowered our cleaning standards by implementing a green cleaning program,” says Mr. Willoughby. The main obstacle is to change the way people think about their cleaning practices. For example, we asked teachers not to bring in their own all-purpose or window cleaners (containing ammonia or harmful Butoxyethanol) to spray onto desks and other surfaces in the classrooms. You really have to adopt a new mind-set which involves the goal of improving the indoor air quality.

“The cost of implementing a Green Cleaning Program is a little bit more expensive than the more traditional cleaning programs, but the trade off is worth it,” says Mr.Willoughby. “The overall indoor environment is safer for the children, staff and visitors now that we have this new program. I’m here for the children, and this is one way I can make an impact. It’s the right thing to do and something that needs to be done.”

Other Westchester school districts with green cleaning programs include Greenburgh, Mount Vernon, White Plains and, most recently, Scarsdale.

In April of this year, in recognition of National Healthy Schools Day, Governor George E. Pataki announced that he would introduce legislation to protect the health of schoolchildren and the environment by requiring the use of environmentally sensitive-“green”-cleaning products in all schools in New York State. “Our children are our most precious resource, and parents deserve to know that their children are learning in an environment that is clean, safe and free of any unnecessary and potentially harmful chemicals,” Governor Pataki said.

In late June of this year, the New York State Assembly and Senate passed Governor Pataki’s proposed legislation in this area. Under the new law (S.5435/A.8742), which will become effective on September 1, 2006, the education and state finance laws have been amended to require the procurement and use of environmentally sensitive cleaning and maintenance products in all New York State elementary and secondary schools. This new law authorizes the State Office of General Services (OGS) to work with the State Education Department and the departments of Health and Environmental Conservation to promulgate necessary rules and regulations to give guidance, including a sample list of these products and contractors, to the schools. Schools will have the option of purchasing these products on their own or through central state-purchasing contracts administered by OGS (presumably at a very competitive price).

This new law states that even more so than adults, children are vulnerable to, and may be severely affected by, exposure to chemicals, hazardous wastes and other environmental hazards. The Federal Environmental Protection Agency estimates that human exposure to air pollutants indoors can be two to five times, and occasionally up to 100 times, higher than outdoor levels. Children, their teachers, and other school staff members spend a significant part of their lives in school buildings, and are exposed to chemicals from cleaners, waxes, deodorizers and other maintenance products. Health threats may be caused by the presence of such chemicals, potentially resulting in increased costs to individual schools, school districts and the state in terms of staff time and effort, cleanup costs, school closings and student absenteeism. Discharges of chemicals from cleaning and maintenance products also burden publicly-owned wastewater treatment works, and also end up in our lakes and streams. Finally, it is the purpose of this legislation to reduce as much as possible exposure of children and school staff to potentially harmful chemicals and substances used in the cleaning and maintenance of schools.

“Using green cleaning products in our schools brings us one step closer to becoming a more sustainable society,” states Ms. Edna Sussman, the President of Sustainable Westchester (www.actionfortomorrow.org), which is an environmental group dedicated to making Westchester County a more environmentally sustainable place to live and work.

“Implementing a green cleaning program in our schools greatly benefits the children, teachers and administrators, visitors and janitorial staff, while providing the added environmental benefits of biodegradability, low toxicity, low volatile organic compound content and reduced contamination of surface and ground water,” says Carol Westinghouse, a Senior Consultant for INFORM, Inc. (www.Informinc.org), a thirty year old research and outreach organization that assists government agencies, schools and private organizations to facilitate business practices that are environmentally preferable and cost effective.

For more information on green cleaning products, and programs which have been implemented throughout the country in this area, a good reference guide is the booklet called Cleaning for Health, published by INFORM, Inc. in 2002.

If you are interested in green cleaning in your private home, a great resource is the newly published book entitled Green Clean, written by Linda Mason Hunter and Mikki Halpin.

Susan Cember is a project Director at Sustainable Westchester

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