Environmental Services

Boulder Valley School District complies with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment requirements for managing asbestos in schools. The Environmental Manager is the BVSD 'designated person' ensuring that the asbestos management program is kept up-to-date. There are two Environmental Technicians that perform periodic inspections of buildings with asbestos building materials in them, and update the Asbestos Management Plan every three years.

These plans are kept in the Environmental Services Office at the Ed Center and in each school. The plans will be kept online in the future and will be available at the school. This 'Hazardous Materials' website contains general information about asbestos and links to information from government sources. The specific information for each school is available to designated staff at that school.

Additional information regarding asbestos

www.epa.gov/asbestos/schools.htmlwww.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/CDPHE-AP/CBON/1251594599682

BVSD has been working to update and replace older plumbing in schools which can be a source of lead in drinking water. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment recommends testing water from municipal systems every three years. This is the protocol BVSD currently uses. 

Additional information about lead in drinking water

hwater.epa.gov/infrastructure/drinkingwater/schools/basicinformation.cfm

Boulder Valley Schools were tested for radon in 1991 and there is a schedule for periodic retesting. These test locations and results have been entered on the school floor plans and are kept online and available to staff at each school. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends radon levels be kept below 4.0 pCi/L (picocuries per liter). BVSD has taken mitigation actions where high levels were found.   

Additional information about radon

www.epa.gov/radon/pdfs/radon_measurement_in_schools.pdf

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, What You Should Know about Radon in Schools

The EPA recommends testing for lead-based paint in homes and schools built before 1978. Boulder Valley School District completed this testing in 1998 using IHI Environmental. These records are kept in the Environmental Services Office at the Education Center. BVSD Environmental Technicians are also certified to test for lead in paint in those areas that were not specifically tested in the IHI survey. Contact Environmental Services at 720-561-5930 for information.  

More information about lead-based paint

http://www.epa.gov/lead/rrp/cofacilities.html

Good indoor air quality is important for health and learning. BVSD is working to understand and improve indoor air quality in all our schools. 

BVSD's Indoor Air Quality Initiative

General information about mold from the Center for Disease Control

General information about mold from OSHA

Indoor Air Quality Information from Colorado Department of Health and Environment

The following board policies relate to hazardous materials in schools: 

Policy EBBD | Hazardous Materials Policy

Policy EBBD-R | Hazardous Materials Procedures (Regulation)

Policy EBD | Asbestos in the Schools

Policy EBE-R2 | Respiratory Protection Program for Asbestos (Regulation)