Green Cleaning in Schools:
Developments in State Policy

Maine

Citation: Maine Legislative Document (LD) 88; S.P. 32

Effective: May 2007

Available: HERE

Summary: This law requires the state to develop a list of safe alternatives to chemicals in cleaning agents and pesticides used in schools, to distribute the list to schools, and to make the list publicly available.

Key Provisions:

• Requirements for Using Green Cleaning Products. The law does not require school districts to use green cleaning products, but rather requires the state to “promot[e] the implementation of green cleaning programs in schools.” The law also requires the state to recognize school green cleaning programs by compiling and maintaining a list of school administrative units that have committed to using cleaning products and disinfectants that are included in lists developed by the state. The list is to be made available to the public.

• Guidelines and Specifications. The state Department of Education, in consultation with the state Departments of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, is required to compile a list of cleaning products that have been certified as meeting health-based criteria for safety and efficacy by a third-party, independent agency such as Green Seal, Inc., or that have been listed by the state Department of Administrative and Financial Services as environmentally-preferred janitorial products. The Department of Education is required to distribute an updated list yearly to every school administrative unit in the state. The Department of Education is also directed to compile a list of disinfectants that have been evaluated using criteria for environmentally preferred janitorial products and registered by the Board of Pesticides Control, and to distribute this list to schools. Finally, the Department of Education is required to develop and distribute recommendations for cleaning procedures that will reduce the use of toxic chemicals and improve indoor air quality, while meeting performance standards for cleanliness. The Department has published a list of Green Cleaning Products, as well as a 7-page description of Best Green Cleaning Management Practices.