First Boulder County Child Care Facility Certified
for Environmental Excellence
CONTACT: Chana Goussetis
Health Communications Specialist
Boulder County Public Health
303.441.1457
June 14, 2006, Boulder, CO — The Partners for A Clean
Environment (PACE) Program recently certified Lyons Community Montessori
for its efforts to protect the health of the environment, its employees,
and the children in its care. The PACE Program is a voluntary program
that provides educational outreach and technical assistance to
businesses to help them achieve environmental excellence. Businesses
receive PACE certification after meeting industry-specific criteria
designed to address the environmental concerns unique to each business
type.
For over ten years, PACE has worked with restaurants, dental offices,
printers, and auto repair facilities demonstrating the economic, health,
and environmental advantages of specific measures and products. There
are currently over 220 PACE-certified businesses in Boulder County. In
2005, PACE developed certification criteria for child care facilities –
Lyons Community Montessori is the first child care facility to receive
this certification.
“We are very excited and pleased to recognize Lyons Community
Montessori,” said Bill Hayes, Boulder County Public Health (BCPH)
Pollution Prevention Specialist. “Laurie Kennedy, the facility’s
director, was very interested in the information that we provided and
was very receptive to our suggestions. I hope that they will be an
example to other facilities in Boulder County.”
Several notable accomplishments helped Lyons Community Montessori reach
its certification goal. The facility reduced the number of cleaning
chemicals used and ensured that they were properly stored. Surveys for
lead, asbestos, molds, and carbon monoxide did not reveal exposure
threats from these materials. Testing for radon gases showed
concentrations to be below action levels. The facility also began a
recycling program and will be installing low-flow water fixtures and
energy-efficient compact fluorescent lamps.
PACE is a collaborative program between local municipalities, local
businesses, and BCPH. The overall goal of the program is to reduce the
use of hazardous materials and the amount of waste to water, land, and
air that results from business, government, and household activities in
Boulder County. In order to meet this goal, PACE staff identifies needs,
compiles information, and provides motivation for businesses to achieve
emission and waste reductions beyond regulatory compliance levels.
For more information regarding the PACE Program, call 303-786-PACE
(7223) or visit
www.pacepartners.com.
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