It has been found by the Child Proofing Our Communities Campaign Report that most states and public school systems lack environmental standards for the selection of its construction sites. As a result, hundreds and thousands of children are possibly going to schools that are built either on or nearby waste dumps. Though illnesses some students already have have not been linked to the dumping, experts believe the close proximity to these sites can cause an increased risk of developing asthma, as well learning difficulties and other ailments connected with toxins.
Truthfully, the only state with such laws is California. Their law requires school officials to investigate the possibility of a school being built on or next to waste sites.
The study focused on the states of Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Michigan and California, with Massachusetts leading in most dangerous schools. 818 of its public schools with 407, 229 students are located within one-half mile radius of contaminated land. New York is second with 235 of its schools in close proximity. Michigan has 64 schools with 20, 999 registered students and New Jersey with 36 schools and 18, 200 students. California has 43 schools with a student population of 32, 865.
These states are fully aware of the problem. For years, school children have been threatened by potential toxic hazards due to poor school siting decisions in New York, said a New York representative. It has been noted that high cancer rates among students and school employees has now gotten to an alarming rate.
New York has been home to too many unsafe schools located on or near polluted property. New York projects to have 37 new school buildings statewide, according to the State Education Department's Office of Facilities Planning.
New York does admit that a school siting policy is needed to ensure that "potential health risks to children are fully investigated and evaluated before a school site is selected. If contamination is found at a proposed or existing site, a timely cleanup should be done in accordance with the New York's soil guidance policy to eliminate any toxic hazards and protect children.
New school construction in Massachusetts Commonwealth is now going through its phases. The Massachusetts Healthy Schools Network is 'proposing regulations that will require districts to conduct an open environmental site assessment of potential school polluting facilities'. They felt that culdren are more susceptible to environmental disease due to their still developing bodies, immature immune systems, and longer life span remaining for disease to develop.
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