Examines racial inequity in the siting of waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities. Discusses flaws in several studies that attempt to explain waste facility siting disparities. (LZ)

Describes the operation of halon gas fire extinguishing systems, which have been installed in a number of libraries and archives across Canada where protection of special collections from water and mold damage resulting from operation of a standard water sprinkler system is paramount. The advantages and disadvantages of this type of system are…

Catalogued is the diversity of lead contaminated sources which, only recently, have been acknowledged as the principal producers of devastating toxic effects, particularly among children, despite only low-level exposure to these sources. A multifaceted approach in the effort to correct this serious health hazard to children is presented. (JJK)

Young children receive higher doses of pesticides than any other age group. The younger a child is the more difficulty the body will have in coping with toxins in general. Maximum Residue Limits (MRL) do not adequately protect children. Evidence of harm from a pesticide often has to be overwhelmingly strong before anything is done about it.…

Tours of minority group neighborhoods show participants the effects of polluting industries that are disproportionately sited near them. The tours make people aware of this overt environmental racism and inspire them to take action. Such tours must be handled with tact, preferably by the affected communities themselves, to avoid voyeurism and…

A sick school building has indoor air problems that pose health risks for everyone inside. The paper discusses what makes a school sick and what interested parties can do about it by targeting the problem together, making classroom changes, and making schoolwide changes. Resources for further information are included. (SM)

Describes several legislative initiatives concerning indoor school environments, such as the Healthy and High Performance Schools Act of 2001, and the problem of lack of funding appropriations even for initiatives that gained lawmakers' support. (EV)

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are compounds that were once used as insulators in electrical transmission lines and in the production of polymers. Each PCB differs by the quantity and location of the chlorine atoms. PCB production was halted in 1977 due to their potential toxicity, but the chemicals are still found in the environment due to…

An important part of the science classroom involves teaching students how to safely use tools, techniques, and procedures. As emphasized in the National Science Education Standards, "safety is a fundamental concern in all experiential science" and teachers must "teach students how to engage safely in investigations inside and outside the…

This paper examines the epistemic barriers to sustainable agriculture, which are those aspects of food production that are not readily revealed by direct perception: such as decreases in rates of soil and nutrient loss, increases in levels of beneficial soil micro-organisms, and reductions in the amount of chemicals leaching into the water table.…

This study examines how six national newspapers balanced supporting agriculture (a morally good occupation) with supporting environmentalism (nature as a moral value), in an area in which agricultural and environmental interests conflict--farm use of pesticides. The study showed that, contrary to expectations, newspapers supported social change…

Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, student interest in school programs dealing with careers in law, public safety, and national security is on the rise. This article describes students' experiences at the Academy for Law and Public Safety at Butler High School in Butler, New Jersey. This vocational academy is one of a number of career…

Studies of reactions to nuclear facilities have found consistent male/female differences, but the underlying reasons have never been well-clarified. The most common expectations involve traditional roles--with men focusing more on economic concerns and with women (especially mothers) being more concerned about family safety/health. Still, with…

The educational objective of this exercise is for students to use a risk assessment tool to evaluate a hazardous release site and for students in grades 8-12 to increase their experience with geology, aquifers, soils, land use, pollution, data analysis, and map concepts. Students use background information on hazardous materials, the Environmental…

Guidelines for controlling indoor air quality problems associated with kilns, copiers, and welding in schools are provided in this document. Individual sections on kilns, duplicating equipment, and welding operations contain information on the following: sources of contaminants; health effects; methods of control; ventilation strategies; and…