USA Today reports on toxic air in our schools…

…and it’s not a pretty picture. USA Today performed one of the most comprehensive studies of chemical pollution at US schools ever done, using EPA emissions data to determine just what kids are breathing five days a week. On the website, you can find your or your child’s school and see a detailed list of info including its percentile, the main chemicals present, and the facilities most responsible for the pollution. SC, sadly, doesn’t look too hot. That’s not terribly surprising, though; what is suprising – actually shocking – is that according to the report, “the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and state agencies typically have not monitored the air outside schools, even schools in toxic hot spots.” Plus, many of the industrial chemicals present have never been monitored for their effects on kids!

I think most of us are hoping that that will change quickly. To find out more about this issue, read stories on specific schools, and learn about the next steps you can take, go to USA Today’s The Smokestack Effect.

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