Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Healthy Schools Day Proclamation in the state of Tennessee April 30, 2013 signed by TN Governor Bill Haslam

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam signs Healthy Schools Day Proclamation in the state of Tennessee in honor of National Healthy Schools Day, April 30, 2013.    Children's Environmental Protection Alliance (Children's EPA), Children's EPA Director Nancy Swan, and Children's EPA TN Chair Daniela Kunz sponsored this proclamation.

Tennessee governors have signed Healthy Schools Day Proclamations for the last four consecutive years, endorsing the EPA Tools for Schools Program and healthy indoor air quality and safe environmental and chemical practices in all Mississippi schools.  Please thank Governor Haslam <http://www.tn.gov/governor/contact.shtml>

For ten years parents, teachers, school nurses, custodians, advocates, and agencies have promoted National Healthy Schools Day activities nationwide. Whether you are at the beginning stages of investigating school environments or have an established Indoor Air/Environmental Quality program, we invite you to host a local activity that educates others and celebrates your school’s successes.
National Healthy Schools Day is coordinated by Healthy Schools Network in cooperation with US EPA and promotes the use of EPA's IAQ Tools for Schools guidance as well as other EPA environmental health guidelines and programs for schools and children’s health--  Healthy Schools Network

Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant signs Healthy Schools Day Proclamation in the state of Mississippi

Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant signs Healthy Schools Day Proclamation in the state of Mississippi in honor of National Healthy Schools Day, April 30, 2013.    Children's Environmental Protection Alliance (Children's EPA) and Children's EPA Director Nancy Swan sponsored this proclamation.

Mississippi governors have signed Healthy Schools Day Proclamations for the last four consecutive years, endorsing the EPA Tools for Schools Program and healthy indoor air quality and safe environmental and chemical practices in all Mississippi schools.  Please thank Governor Bryant.

For ten years parents, teachers, school nurses, custodians, advocates, and agencies have promoted National Healthy Schools Day activities nationwide. Whether you are at the beginning stages of investigating school environments or have an established Indoor Air/Environmental Quality program, we invite you to host a local activity that educates others and celebrates your school’s successes.
National Healthy Schools Day is coordinated by Healthy Schools Network in cooperation with US EPA and promotes the use of EPA's IAQ Tools for Schools guidance as well as other EPA environmental health guidelines and programs for schools and children’s health--  Healthy Schools Network

Healthy Schools Day in Alabama April 30, 2013, signed by Alabama Governor Robert Bentley in honor of National Healthy Schools Day

Alabama Governor Robert Bentley signs Healthy Schools Day Proclamation in the state of Alabama in honor of National Healthy Schools Day, April 30, 2013.  Children's Environmental Protection Alliance (Children's EPA) and Children's EPA Director Nancy Swan sponsored this proclamation.

Alabama governors have signed Healthy Schools Day Proclamations for the last five consecutive years, endorsing safe and healthy indoor air quality and safe environmental and chemical practices in all Alabama schools.  Please thank Governor Bentley for this  Healthy Schools in Alabama Proclamation. <http://governor.alabama.gov/contact.aspx

For ten years parents, teachers, school nurses, custodians, advocates, and agencies have promoted National Healthy Schools Day activities nationwide. Whether you are at the beginning stages of investigating school environments or have an established Indoor Air/Environmental Quality program, we invite you to host a local activity that educates others and celebrates your school’s successes.
National Healthy Schools Day is coordinated by Healthy Schools Network in cooperation with US EPA and promotes the use of EPA's IAQ Tools for Schools guidance as well as other EPA environmental health guidelines and programs for schools and children’s health--  Healthy Schools Network






Sunday, April 28, 2013

City of Mobile Alabama Mayor Sam Jones Proclaims April 30 National Healthy Schools Day


Mobile, Alabama Mayor Sam Jones presents National Healthy Schools Day 2013 Proclamation on behalf of the City of Mobile to Nancy Swan, Director of Children's Environmental Protection Alliance (Children's EPA)
Please thank Mayor Jones <http://www.cityofmobile.org/cityofficials/mayor.php>
For ten years parents, teachers, school nurses, custodians, advocates, and agencies have promoted National Healthy Schools Day activities nationwide. Whether you are at the beginning stages of investigating school environments or have an established Indoor Air/Environmental Quality program, we invite you to host a local activity that educates others and celebrates your school’s successes.
National Healthy Schools Day is coordinated by Healthy Schools Network in cooperation with US EPA and promotes the use of EPA's IAQ Tools for Schools guidance as well as other EPA environmental health guidelines and programs for schools and children’s health.

Thank you, Mayor Sam Jones and the Mobile City Council for your continued support and recognition of National Healthy Schools Day, April 30, 2013.

Friday, April 5, 2013

Proposed Connecticut House Bill 5908 -To protect the health and safety of spray foam insulation installers and their customers,

Introduced by: General Law Committee,  referred by House to Committee on the Environment on April 4, 2013

To monitor status of this Bill: http://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&bill_num=HB05908&which_year=2013
Proposed Connecticut House Bill 5908: an act concerning safety and certification standards for the spray Foam Insulation Industry.
SPF application on Long Beach Middle School (Mississippi). Applicators were not trained and  not certified to provide safe application. As a result, more than two-dozen children and teachers were seriously and permanently injured.
Spray Polyurethane Foam (SPF) Spray on Foam roofing and insulation industry has been named by the US EPA and major health organizations as responsible for injuring schoolchildren, employees, and homeowners for more than thirty years, yet no state or federal government has succeeded in regulating this powerful and reckless industry.
The SPF industry continues to exploit a regulatory loophole which causes tens of thousands of injuries and deaths - each year.  Storage of deadly chemicals and their use in the manufacture of products and safety of employees is regulated only in manufacturing facilities.  However, SPF are transported off-site where manufacture of the foam takes place in individual homes, businesses, day cares, and schools.  

Odd as it may seem,  SPF applicators are not required to be certified in the safe storage, manufacture or application of one of the most deadly chemicals manufactured - isocyanate. SPF sellers are too eager to make a profit and applicators are "intermediaries."  

The Intermediary Defense is a legal term used to manipulate the judge and confuse juries by pointing the finger of blame at each other- the manufacture or the applicator- so that neither is held accountable for injuries. 

As a result the failure to regulate the SPF industry, innocent consumers and inhabitants of these buildings are not warned of the known and potential health dangers caused by SPF, no first aid is provided, and injury and death end up drawn out in civil court for sometimes fifteen or more years, like my case.
Spray Polyurethane Foam (SPF) roofing, Spray on Foam roofing and insulation, and Spray on Foam sealant have been heavily marketed to school boards around the world for the last 30 years as a "green solution."   A bill has been introduced in Connecticut to regulate the use of Spray on Foam products.  
Get involved: 
  • If you live in Connecticut, call your lawmaker to support CT H. B. 5908.  Find you CT Representative, Senator - <http://www.cbia.com/ga/get_involved/contact_ct_legislators/>
  • If you live outside Connecticut, write a letter in support of federal SPF regulation to President Obama using the CT Bill 5908.  
  • Ask national and state health and environment organization to fax a letter of support to CT House Committee on the Environment.   Write Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy to support Proposed CT House Bill 5908 <http://www.governor.ct.gov/malloy/site/default.asp>
http://landing.newsinc.com/shared/video.html?freewheel=91060&sitesection=WTIC_hom_non_fro&VID=24462819
  • SPF is not "green." The terms "Green" and "Green solution" are not regulated by USA and most other countries, and therefore have no useful meaning to school boards or to the consumer.  "Green" and "Green solution" are product and advertiser hype words only.  Spray on Foam products may help to reduce energy consumption, 
  • SPF is not safe.  SPF causes cancer,  serious and permanent burns and scarring of respiratory tissue including lungs, and brain and nervous system damage.  SPF application and off-gassing increases a children's exposure to deadly, asthma causing, and cancer-causing chemicals.  
    The SPF industry has failed to self-regulate to protect both its workers and to protect consumers from one of the most dangerous chemicals manufactured- isocyanate.
Sale and use of this product needs to be tightly regulated throughout the USA and other countries.

Spray on Foam products seriously and permanently injured me and more than two dozen children at the school where I had been teaching.  
Toxic Justice - Nancy Swan (See photo above)
This tragedy is happening in every city and in thousands of schools, homes, and businesses across the USA. 
How can you prevent this product from harming you or your child? You can't.  Applicators are not required to issue warnings or advisories.  But we can start by supporting CT Bill 5908, to be the first state to require safety certification for SPF applicators.
After watching the following video, please visit http://www.childrensepa.org/ 
Bill to regulate Spray on Foam use in Connecticut http://landing.newsinc.com/shared/video.html?freewheel=91060&sitesection=WTIC_hom_non_fro&VID=24462819
Tags: SPF, Spray Polyurethane Foam, SPF Insulation, Spray On Foam, Spray On Foam Roofing, Spray on Foam Sealant, Spray on Foam products, School Board, Brain damage, Asthma, Green Solution, Green, Connecticut, WTIC, Homeowners, insulation, Children's EPA, Toxic Justice, legislation, environment, health, children's health, asthma, brain damage, respiratory irritant, cancer, American Chemical Council, EPA, CDC, Connecticut, H. B. 5908, chemical safety, OSHA, FEMA, NIOSH, CDC