According to its Web site, the EPA "selected schools after evaluating a number of factors including results from an EPA computer modeling analysis, the mix of pollution sources near the schools, results from an analysis conducted for a recent newspaper series on air toxins at schools, and information from state and local air pollution agencies."
The agency will work with state and local officials to begin monitoring the selected schools within three months. Although the EPA and state and local governments already monitor air pollution in areas containing schools, the new program marks the first time that the quality of air in schoolyards will be the focus of EPA investigations and testing.
The contaminants that the EPA wants to test for vary depending on the school and its location, with the focus being on toxic chemicals that are known to cause health and neurological problems, particularly in children.
