If Your Child Says School Makes Him Sick - He Migh...( Study Identifies 435 Schools with Tox...),Health

Study Identifies 435 Schools with Toxic Air Pollution While EPA Shirks Responsibility

FALLS CHURCH, Va., Dec. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This morning USA TODAY released their study of schools where the outside air poses an unacceptable health risk from chemical contamination to young children and school staff. The study identified 435 schools in "toxic hot spots".

The study reaffirms what the Center for Health, Environment and Justice (CHEJ) has been reporting since 2001. In several reports, beginning with Poisoned Schools, CHEJ presented case studies of school aged children harmed by chemicals in their school environments and called on the federal government to establish school siting guidelines as a tool for local schools boards. Local school board members are not scientists, toxicologists or air modeling experts and need assistance to determine a safe location for schools. 50 state survey of laws and regulations on siting schools. http://www.childproofing.org/school_siting_50_state.htm CHEJ recommends adopting the following model laws for states and as guidelines for the EPAhttp://www.childproofing.org/school_siting_model_legislation.htm

In December, 2007 President Bush signed Subtitle E of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, instructing the EPA to develop the nation's first-ever school siting guidelines to give state legislatures direction in where schools may be physically located in relationship to toxic contamination sites. The EPA has been given a deadline of June, 2009. Nothing has been done since Congress passed this directive. No one has even been given the responsibility for this task.

"It is in excusable to place school children in harms way", said
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