EPA Voluntary guidelines for siting of school facilities

Under Section 504 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, EPA is required to issue voluntary guidelines for the siting of school facilities that take into account the special vulnerabilities of children, modes of transportation, energy efficiency, and the use of the school as an emergency shelter. EPA worked with a number of stakeholder groups to develop draft guidelines that were released for public comment in November 2010. The guidelines are designed to assist communities in developing new school siting procedures, or re-evaluating existing procedures, to ensure that environmental considerations are addressed in an open and transparent process in order to ensure the best possible outcomes for children. This presentation will address the chief considerations in siting a new school, from the initial decision of whether to rehab an existing facility or build a new structure, through establishment of an effective public involvement program, criteria for selecting sites, and the critical steps in conducting an environmental review of potential on-site or nearby environmental health risks. The presentation will provide an overview of the objectives, process, content, major issues raised during the comment period, and the current status of the guidelines.