![[logo] US EPA](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090511070918im_/http://www.epa.gov/epafiles/images/logo_epaseal.gif){kind=logo}
Mercury in Schools in Region 4
National Information
Information for...
This page provides information about school related activies and educational resources concerning mercury in Region 4.
For basic information about mercury, its health effects, how to handle spills and to learn what EPA is doing to reduce mercury emissions, select from the topics listed to the right or visit the national mercury home page
School Chemical Cleanout - “Mercury in Schools Chemical Cleanout Campaign” (SCCC).
EPA Region 4 and the Tennessee Department of Environmental and Conservation partnered in 2004 to properly dispose of over 2,100 pounds of chemicals (including mercury) in four secondary school districts. A major focus of the project is the removal of all mercury teaching tools and mercury thermometers.
An average of two schools a week is being cleaned out, resulting in about five pounds of mercury and mercury thermometers being removed from each school. Thirty to fifty schools will have mercury removed by September 30, 2005.
The partnership’s work will continue through teachers’ workshops conducted by the Tennessee Department of Education that will focus on the importance of safe chemical management in school laboratories.
Other SCCC partners:
- Tennessee Pollution Prevention Partnership (TP3) Green Schools program,
- Tennessee Science Teachers Association (TSTA),
- Tennessee Valley Association (TVA),
- Onyx Environmental, and
- Tennessee Department of Agriculture.
National Schools page - provide information for school administrators, faculty, staff, local health jurisdictions, and parent groups on how to reduce the hazards of mercury on children's health, avoid chemical liabilities, develop planning tools, and establish collection programs for mercury. Mercury is used in many items found in schools, such as thermometers, barometers, switches, thermostats, flowmeters, lamps, and laboratory reagents in chemistry and science labs.