Examines three questions: As the focus of regulation has shifted toward environmental and health issues and scientific rulemaking has emerged, what has been the experience with "shared and sequential policymaking" and "policymaking based on evidence"? What is the potential for the future? and What is the new role of science in…

Analysis of the experiences of four farmer groups set up to learn how to jointly manage local natural resource issues shows that the groups are going though two simultaneous processes. One builds technical competency in natural resource management and the other is the underpinning social process that allows the groups to make decisions and work…

Mold and indoor air quality (IAQ) are matters of major concern to architects and their educational clients. The Environmental Protection Agency's Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools program offers help to districts seeking to tackle IAQ issues. Strengthening community relations is one way to be ready in case of a bad environmental or IAQ report.…

Tough new environmental laws, coupled with fluctuating oil prices, are likely to prompt hundreds of school systems to examine alternative fuels. Literature reviews and interviews with 45 government, education, and industry officials provided data for a comparative analysis of gasoline, diesel, natural gas, methanol, and propane. (MLF)

The concept of sustainable economics not only examines how to produce what for whom but also how irreplaceable resources can be adequately conserved. Efficient and equitable economic mechanisms are central components of the concept. Analyzing issues complicated by politics, ideology, and nationalism, sustainable economics scholars attempt to…

Two of the most urgent tasks facing the world community are controlling dangerous pollution and finding plentiful supplies of energy, particularly in developing countries. This report examines: (1) what to do about hazardous wastes that endanger human life and health (restricted to wastes from chemical processes and those generated by cleaning or…

Although environmental compliance is a significant cost of college operations, very few colleges have made a bona fide effort to develop cost-effective compliance strategies. Colleges are no longer being passed over in the application of the environment laws, including the stringent new criminal provisions. (MLW)

After a study of 3,000 classrooms in 130 schools in 16 states, the Environmental Protection Agency urged all schools to conduct tests for radon. Explains a 6-step screening test, methods of reducing radon concentrations, and how the risk from radon exposure compares with other risks. (MLF)

Discusses responsibilities of continuing and higher education institutions for environmental management. Outlines one possible alternative to the British Standard BS7750 Specification for Environmental Management Systems, namely the Confederation of British Industry Environment Initiative. Also outlines the approach taken by the University of…

The demand for school construction and the agency regulations and practices involved in the process are described in this report. A four-part theoretical framework explains the process of school facility construction. First, school districts follow a process that consists of nine fundamental steps: (1) needs assessment; (2) long-range planning;…

This document is comprised of two reports: (1) "Science-Based Recommendations to Prevent or Reduce Potential Exposures to Biological, Chemical, and Physical Agents in Schools" by Derek G. Shendell, Claire Barnett, and Stephen Boese (supported by grants from the Rockefeller Foundation, the National Institutes of Environmental Health…

This policy statement on smoking and health was written by a working group of experts commissioned by the American Heart Association's Subcommittee on Smoking to study relevant issues and recommend appropriate policies for achieving a smoke-free society by the year 2000. To aid in developing and implementing public policies designed to facilitate…

Explores some of the ways that lead is being replaced in the production of gasolines. Discusses the effects these changes are having on the chemical industry. Contrasts the use of ethyl alcohol from renewable sources with alcohols depending on the availability of isobutene. (TW)

Provides advice for school systems on developing asbestos abatement plans to comply with EPA regulations. Topics discussed include inspection, management plans, appropriate responses, training, and surveillance. (TE)

Provides an overview of the past, present, and future environmental health activities of the Bureau of Health Professions, United States Department of Health and Human Services. Contains a summary of workshops, conferences, and monographs funded by the Bureau, as well as others, which characterize the environmental health work force. (TW)