The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a final rule under the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) to require all local education agencies (LEAs) to identify asbestos-containing materials in their school buildings and take appropriate action to control release of asbestos fibers. The LEAs are required to describe their activities in…

Describes a prototype hazard communication and training program for manufacturers. Discusses the necessary ingredients of such a program, including chemical inventorying, labeling hazardous chemicals, maintaining a current file of material safety data sheets, and written training programs. Includes samples of material safety data sheets, labeling…

Using information from the 1990 National Health Interview Survey, examined beliefs regarding radon and radon-testing activities among different sociodemographic groups. Results suggest relatively superficial knowledge regarding radon, and little testing, within the survey population. Significantly less knowledge was observed among female and…

Children and adults in communities of color and low-income communities face disproportionately high exposures to environmental hazards and, consequently, greater risk of experiencing adverse health impacts from these exposures. Almost two thirds of children under 6 with elevated blood lead levels are children of color living in disadvantaged…

This user-friendly guidance manual is organized by the "target audience" or "end user." First, the manual introduces a "Typical School," which is a school organized in such a way that it represents how many schools in the real world are organized. This Typical School is subdivided into "Organizational Units"…

This document identifies skill standards for lead abatement in a manner that is easy to understand, useful, and meaningful to workers, educators, trainers, labor leaders, contractors, and project owners. To meet the needs of the various users of this document who will have a different application of the standards and seek different information,…

Many consumers do not see a strong connection between our lifestyles and buying decisions, and the amount of hazardous wastes generated in the United States. This guide was developed to be used by educators and citizens concerned with the role of consumers in the generation of hazardous wastes. It examines several products in terms of their…

Materials containing hazardous substances present serious problems to human health and to the health of the environment. There are many potential problems related to the site of a house or apartment, the construction materials used in the house or the apartment, products and materials used in and around the home, and disposal of materials.…

The use of pesticides in agriculture and the discarding of industrial chemical waste into the air, soil, and water constitute two major pathways of human exposure to toxic substances. It is argued that these practices release hundreds of millions of tons of potentially hazardous substances into the environment each year. Speculation continues into…

Discusses idea that education "for" the environment should begin as early as do other components of the British National Curriculum, continue throughout, and not be regarded as the poor relation of education "about" the environment. Maintaining the health of the environment is considered by the author to be the most important task that will face…

This 12-section course is designed to explain the responsibilities of an incident commander at the scene of a Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) transportation incident. It was created for the U.S. Department of Energy WIPP located near Carlsbad, New Mexico, which receives radioactive shipments. The course has two purposes: (1) to provide first…

This national study on lead poisoning in children is organized in three parts. Part 1 provides an executive summary. Part 2 presents background information, an overview, findings, and conclusions. Part 3, which constitutes the bulk of the report, discusses terms, issues, and findings concerning lead metabolism, its relationship to lead exposure…

Designed to assist practitioners of both formal and non-formal settings, this 18th volume of the ERIC Clearinghouse for Science, Mathematics, and Environmental Education's Teaching Activities in Environmental Education series specifically focuses on the theme of hazardous and toxic materials. Initially, basic environmental concepts that deal with…

Contends that the example of mercury poisoning in Minamata, Japan can be used as a paradigm for teaching ecology and science-and-society issues. Discusses the history and science of the pollution and poisoning, and considers the social and cultural consequences of the incident, some aspects of causation and responsibility, and some aspects of…

This essay presents an argument for policies responsive to global environmental needs by examining the causes and consequences of six critical environmental issues, and then offering specific U.S. policy recommendations. Following an explanation of the global nature of environmental problems, a summary of the salient facts regarding the following…