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School Siting

On June 30, 2009, EPA missed their original congressionally mandated deadline to release national school siting guidelines. With no federal law and very few state laws forbidding the building of schools on or near contaminated sites, our children deserve our help. Take this moment to take action on this important issue.

Send a letter to your state representative and senator asking him or her to send a letter to EPA about the importance strong and comprehensive safe school siting guidelines.

Thank you for your effort on this important issue. Your efforts today make a difference in protecting the health of our country's children.

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November 21, 2009

Subject:

Dear Honorable

Our nation is at a critical moment in history where we can correct the mistakes of our past. Please send a letter to EPA's Administrator Jackson in support of strong and comprehensive safe school siting guidelines.

EPA is due to release voluntary national school siting guidelines later this year and I want Administrator Jackson to know how important these guidelines are to my community and my state. With very few state and no federal law protecting our children from attending school on or near contaminated areas, I need your leadership.

As the Administrator said in her first memo to the agency, children are one of our country's most vulnerable populations and we must do everything in our power to protect them from all dangers. With our nation's schools being on average 50 years old, it is widely known that our school building infrastructure is in need of renovations and new construction, but siting schools on or near contaminated areas is neither socially nor economically responsible.

In December 2008, USAToday released a report using EPA databases showing an alarming number of schools are located on or near sources of pollution. Just a couple months later, in March, EPA announced a project to test the air outside 62 schools in 22 states. The first tests were just completed in Tennessee. Please send a letter to Administrator Jackson today explaining how important strong and comprehensive safe school siting guidelines are to our state.

Please follow up with me so I can tell you more about this important issue.

Thank you for your time,

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