Printed on Recycled Paper
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Pollution Prevention
and Toxics
Washington, DC 20460
EPA 747-R-06-002
December 2006
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Chemical Management Resource Guide for School Administrators
Acknowledgements
The time and effort that many individuals contributed to the review and development of this
document is gratefully acknowledged by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This
document was prepared by Battelle Memorial Institute under contract EP-W-04-021 at the
direction of Mr. Clarence Lewis of the EPA Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics.
Disclaimer
This document was prepared under contract to an agency of the United States Government.
Neither the United States Government nor any of their employees makes any warranty, expressed
or implied, or assumes any legal liability for any third party’s use of or the results of such use of any
information, product, or process discussed in this document. Mention or illustration of company
or trade names, or of commercial products does not constitute endorsement by the EPA. As of
the date of this document, external links are current and accurate, and are offered by way of
example only for reference purposes. The EPA is not responsible for content of non-EPA links.
Chemical Management Resource Guide for School Administrators
ii |
Summary
“…No one was sure what chemicals were involved in the fire [in the facilities maintenance warehouse at the
school]. Pallets of bleach, ammonia and sulfuric acid based drain cleaner had been stored adjacent to each other,
and rupturing of the chemicals during the fire created an acid vapor cloud as well as chlorine and phosgene gases.
The total cost of this event was about half a million dollars.”
– From a case study of a suburban public high school in New England1
Are there
Dangerous
Chemicals in
Your School?
The sources of dangerous
chemicals in schools are not
always obvious. Thi