Environmental Compliance

Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) Regulations passed by Congress in 1986, require that public and not-for-profit non-public, elementary and secondary schools be inspected to determine the presence of asbestos containing building materials and that management plans be developed as a result of those inspections. 

The Office of Environmental Compliance Section of the Sustainability & Compliance Department:

• initiates all asbestos inspections and abatements,
• maintains all records required by the AHERA regulations,
• updates the management plans at each facility,
• sends out annual notices regarding the availability of the asbestos management plans, and
• provides the two hour asbestos awareness training to all custodial and maintenance staff.

AHERA Management Plans

All of the School Board of Broward County original AHERA inspections were performed in 1988.  District employees in the Sustainability & Compliance Department perform the required six-month periodic surveillance of all-known ACBM at each school building. The purpose of this surveillance is to look at all known asbestos containing building materials (ACBM) and note any changes in the material.  In addition, S&C retains the services of independent state licensed asbestos consulting firms to perform the required three-year re-inspections.  

Asbestos management plans are located in the main administration area of every school in the District and a complete set of all asbestos management plans is kept at the Sustainability & Compliance Department.

Renovations or Demolitions

For any remediation or abatement actions, S&C staff engage a third-party licensed abatement contactor and consultant team to perform abatement activities.  The licensed contractor and consultant team implement the required controls for workers and work area to manage access, dust and debris.  Final air sampling, analyzed by a licensed third-party laboratory, supports the team's work completion determination.    

For more information, please contact us by calling or emailing.

The Broward County Public Schools Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Program was originally developed in 2002.  In 2003, the District partnered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help implement the EPA IAQ Tools for Schools program in the District.  The program started with a pilot program of 35 facilities, adding 20 facilities a year.  These initial IAQ assessments were conducted by a Certified Industrial Hygiene consulting firm resulting in the identification and implementation of repairs and changes to the HVAC system.  .

EPA awarded the district different awards in recognition of their involvement and excellence with initiation of the IAQ Tools for Schools program in 2004, 2005, 2007. In 2009, the IAQ Manual was developed along with the IAQ Resource Guide and Response Protocol.  

INDOOR AIR QUALITY TEAM

Each BCPS on-SITE staff member, including YOU, has an important role to play in making sure that our offices, classroom, and general use space remain habitable by all occupants.  This may include maintaining a clutter free environment, prompt reporting of changes in indoor conditions, or eliminating use of perfumes/ non-approved chemicals inside.

As seen in the above image, in addition to on-site faculty, administration, and facility service staff, District departments, PPO and S&C work collaboratively to address IAQ concerns.   Other departments support the BCPS IAQ Program including Pre-Construction and Facilities & Construction by specifying use of MERV 13 filters in all new systems and coordinating final turnover of all new HVAC systems to for calibration of controls.  Finally, outside vendors provide professional services including remediation and industrial hygiene and engineering evaluations. 

Our program continues to evolve and change with new information, new assessment request procedures, and training being developed and updated yearly.   For more information, please contact us by calling or emailing.

Lead-based paint was used in more than 38 million homes, and many more commercial and public buildings until it was banned in 1978.

Lead was banned in house paint, on products marketed for children and in dishes in the United States in 1978. But it is still widely used in other countries and therefore can still be found on imported toys and children's furniture.

Lead is invisible to the naked eye and has no smell. Children may be exposed to lead from consumer products through normal hand-to-mouth activity, which is part of their normal development. They often put toys, fingers, and other objects in their mouth, exposing themselves to lead paint or dust.

Lead in dust is the most common way people are exposed to lead. Projects that disturb lead-based paint can create dust and endanger you and your family.  For more information, please contact us by calling or emailing.

There are two main types of waste materials -- 1) Universal waste, and 2) Hazardous waste.  The Office of Environmental Compliance manages the collection, disposal, and reporting of all regulated waste for the District in compliance with Federal, State, and local regulations.  Our staff conduct inspections to make sure your site is prepared for the next County compliance inspection.  

For more information or to speak to someone about a specific concern, please contact S&C by calling or emailing.

Fuel Storage Tanks are used throughout our Schools and Facilities to store fuels for vehicles, emergency generators, and other equipment.  Based on the size petroleum storage tanks the item is classified as regulated or un regulated. The Office of Environmental Compliance ensures all regulated tanks are in compliance with Federal, State, and Local environmental requirements.

For more information or to report a spill, please contact by calling or emailing.

The Office of Environmental Compliance of the Sustainability & Compliance Department tracks and monitors the presence of burrowing owls located on school properties.  Burrowing owls may nest in any month of the year; however nesting generally takes place between February and August with fledglings appearing outside the burrows in July and August. 

Burrows should never be filled in by onsite or other personnel, whether they believe it is abandoned or not.   In Florida, harming or disturbing burrowing owls, their nests (burrows), or eggs can result in significant fines and potential jail time, as they are a protected species. 

A permit is required, and a specific protocol must be followed, to investigate burrow occupancy and determine if burrow closure is possible.  Questions or concerns regarding Burrowing Owls can be directed to S&C along with reporting a new burrow at your facility by calling or emailing S&C.

Water management is the control and movement of water resources to minimize damage to life and property.  Throughout the State and locally water management is a team effort.  Broward County, various municipalities and water control districts manage the infrastructure and water flow along with the South Florida Water Management District and the Army Corp of Engineers. 

As the largest property owner in Broward County, BCPS is responsible for maintaining our on-site surface water management systems to manage surface/storm water and protect our facilities.  In recent years, we have observed more severe and more frequent storm events, resulting in increased rainfall over shorter periods of time. This new trend can easily overwhelm existing drainage systems (drains, retention area and sewers), saturating our natural surfaces leading to the accumulation of surface water, creating major impacts on school operations especially when this infrastructure is not maintained.  This is particularly an issue within schools due to their large amounts of hard surface areas, such as playgrounds, play courts, walkways, buildings and parking areas. 

S&C coordinates with Engineers and Maintenance vendors to complete inspection and maintenance of existing surface water management systems.  For more information or to report a specific flooding concern on school property, please contact S&C by calling or emailing.

GET INVOLVED

You can review past flooding observations from other citizens or document and share your flood observations with Broward County by visiting their page, Document the Floods. 

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas. It's colorless, odorless, and tasteless, making it undetectable without testing.  Radon gas enters from the soil beneath buildings through cracks and openings in the foundation. Air pressure inside a building is sometimes lower than pressure in the soil under the foundation. Because of this difference in pressure, a building acts like a vacuum, drawing radon inside from the soil.

As part of an effective IAQ management program, EPA recommends testing all schools for radon. The Florida Department of Health (FDOH) outlines specific schedule and procedures for mandatory testing of all public and private school K-12 buildings.   In general, concentrations of Radon vary throughout Florida depending on the specific geology. 

S&C conducts Radon Assessments for all new buildings and following renovation which changes the HVAC system or major structural components.  Current data does not identify any Radon levels greater than the EPA Action Level of 4 pCi/L.

S&C works with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) Voluntary Lead Testing Program for Schools to evaluate drinking water lead levels under the EPA Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (WIIN) grant program. S&C utilizes the WIIN grant funding to collect and analyze drinking water samples from all fixtures at schools and centers including Head Start Programs.  In addition, S&C conducts lead-in water testing for all new construction and periodically based on repair/maintenance activities, specific program requirements, or complaint reports.

For more information or to speak to someone about a specific concern regarding an odor or color to the drinking water, please contact S&C by calling or emailing.