Act 125 - School Environmental Health
The ABC’s to Healthy & Safer School Buildings
Act 125
Act 125’s goal is to improve school indoor air quality, reduce hazardous exposures, and help schools earn the Certificate of Achievement for Environmental Health in Schools.
In addition this Vermont Act is one of a kind in the nation setting standards that:
- address the issues of air quality and other environmental factors that may affect health of children, staff and teachers in our schools
- recognize the importance of sustaining a healthy school environment through adoption of a model environmental health management plan & policy.
For more information on student performance and indoor air quality information go to EPA’s new publication Indoor Air Quality and Student Performance (pdf).
Vermont’s Act 125 also directed the Commissioners of Health, of Education, and of Buildings and General Services to create and maintain this Department of Health website. The information on this site provides schools with a clearinghouse of information to help identify potential sources of environmental pollution, and operate the schools in a way that create a healthy indoor air.What we provide here are actions to take, a model plan & policy to adopt to your school situation, and links to resources like those found in Best Practices.
The Legislature rationale for Act 125 in part was based on the fact that, while “information on least-toxic and nontoxic materials, non-chemical pest control methods and appropriate maintenance practices and standards is widely available through governmental agencies, nonprofit organizations and professional societies,” it was “not readily accessible through a single information source.”
The Envision Program will give schools the tools, training (pdf), technical assistance, and referrals to earn the annual Certificate of Achievement while improving their school environment. The ENVISION program resulted from the Vermont Legislature asking for the following:
- the Department of Health, “in consultation with other state agencies, will compile and make available to all Vermont schools, information about materials and practices commonly used in school operation and construction that may compromise indoor air quality or negatively impact human health.”
- schools will receive resources, workshops referrals and technical assistance.
- the Department of Health will assist schools “to develop programs that will enable them to identify and eliminate potentially hazardous materials, isolate those hazardous materials that cannot be eliminated, and adequately ventilate school buildings to exhaust any pollutants and contaminants.”
We also outline the assistance offered to schools and provide links to the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools program, which we recommend as a model for Vermont schools to follow. The model uses no cost or low cost solutions to indoor air quality problems.
Act 125 Advisory Panel
The Legislature also identified organizations as potential Act 125 Advisory Panel Members to assist with advising with implementation of a model plan and policy, identifying barriers, and discussing options for schools to use the best practices.
The Vermont Department of Health currently holds quarterly Act 125 Advisory Panel Meetings with the representatives from the organizations listed below. The public is welcome to attend these meetings that are posted in advance through the Department of Libraries website.
Members of the Act 125 Advisory Panel
- American Lung Association of Vermont - (802) 863-6817
- Association of Vermont Recyclers - (802) 229-1833
- ATC Associates Inc. - (802) 434-2113
- Burlington Public Schools - (802) 864-8453
- High Performance School Inititative - (802)865-7375
- University of Vermont School IPM Program - (802) 656-0493
- Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets - (802) 828-3475
- Vermont Agency of Natural Resources - (802) 241-3600
- Vermont Department of Buildings and General Services - (802) 828-2211
- Vermont Department of Education - (802) 828-3135
- Vermont Department of Health - (800) 439-8550
- Vermont Parent Teachers Association (PTA) - (802) 893-0782
- Vermont Principals’ Association - (802) 229-0547
- Vermont Public Interest Research Group (VPIRG) - (802) 223-5221
- Vermont School Board Association - (800) 244-8722
- Vermont Superintendents’ Association - (802) 229-5834
Teachers and Students
Students and Teachers can get involved with school environmental health management planning. The Association of Vermont Recyclers offers teachers resourde guides for recycling education in the classroom.
The School Waste Reduction Guide provides students and school personnel with step by step information on how to reduce hazardous materials and chemicals from a school.
Students can also check out an interactive learning tool, ToxTown, to find out more about health issues and the environment. (make sure to download the Flash Player plug-in, available on the Toxtown site, to view the interactive town).