Annual Safety Notices
Asbestos
Orono Schools maintains an asbestos management plan which lists all asbestos-containing building materials in district buildings. As required by Federal law, all asbestos is inspected every six months for damage. A requantification of all asbestos occurs every three years. Damaged asbestos, if any, is repaired or removed by licensed asbestos abatement contractors. If you have questions or would like to review the management plan, please contact the safety coordinator, listed on this page. Copies of all asbestos records are also kept in the main office at each school building.
Parents’ Right-to-Know
Orono Schools applies minimal pesticides and herbicides on school property. Pesticides and herbicides include chemicals which are used to control insects, weeds, rodents, or other pests. The Minnesota Parents’ Right-to-Know act requires school districts to disclose information to the community regarding use of pesticides and herbicides on district property.
Herbicides
Because of such variables as weather, it is impossible to accurately predict the day on which herbicides will be applied. As a general rule, the district applies one crabgrass preventer in May, and one general herbicide in May and August. This is done during times when there is no scheduled use of the affected area. All products are EPA Category IV, which is the lowest hazard category, defined by the EPA as “practically non-toxic and not an irritant.”
Pesticides
The district applies pesticides only on an as-needed basis, and as such, it is likewise impossible to predict when they will be applied. A pest elimination service inspects each building monthly, and applies or places only category III or IV pesticides in affected areas, on average three times per year in each building, and rarely in areas where children may be present. Category III pesticides are enclosed in hard plastic bait stations.
The district follows regulations and best practices to apply pesticides and herbicides properly. All products used on district property are registered with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In addition, school employees and licensed vendors are required by state and federal law to comply with all requirements of the pesticide label, including application rates, re-entry intervals, posting, use of personal protective equipment, use restrictions, and disposal.
Long-term health effects on children from the application of pesticides, or the class of chemicals to which they belong, may not be fully understood. Members of the community may request to be notified prior to these applications if desired. If you would like to be notified in advance of any applications of pesticides or herbicides, contact the safety coordinator listed on this page.
Indoor Air Quality
Orono Schools maintains an Indoor Air Quality Management Plan. Inspections are performed regularly to detect issues and prevent future problems from occurring. Information is also available from the Minnesota Department of Health at:
https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/air/schools/index.html.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding indoor air quality, please contact the safety coordinator listed on this page.
Lead-in-Water Management Plan
Orono Schools tests drinking water for lead in every building every five years. All samples are taken in accordance with Minnesota Department of Health protocols. If lead from a water source is found to be over the State of Minnesota's guideline of 5 parts-per-billion, the district either takes that fixture out of service, replaces it, or installs lead filters on it, and then retests that source to verify that the action lowered the lead level below the guideline.
Orono Schools tests all drinking fountains, bottle fillers, kitchen cooking and food rinsing fixtures, health office fixtures, breakroom fixtures, most classroom sinks, and other fixtures that are meant for drinking and cooking. Some fixtures are not meant for drinking water, like bathroom sinks, custodial slop sinks, handwashing sinks, lab sinks, and most hose connections, so those are not routinely tested. The district maintains a comprehensive lead-in-water plan, which can be reviewed by contacting the safety coordinator listed on this page.
Staff and students consume more water at home than at school. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has excellent resources for educating yourself and testing your home. A few great tips are:
In older homes, run your water run for a minute before using it for drinking or cooking. Lead frequently comes from fixtures, and running water through the fixture flushes out lead that has accumulated, especially if the fixture hasn’t been used that day.
Use cold water for drinking and cooking. Hot water leaches more lead from pipes and fixtures, and hot water flows through your water heater, which is extra plumbing for it to pass through. If you need hot water for hot drinks or cooking, put cold water into a pan or cup and heat it up with your stove or microwave.
Test your water. Lead testing kits can be purchased at stores like Home Depot or Lowes for $10-$20. The kits include information on what levels are considered high or low, and some include suggestions on what to do if your results are high. You can also use a local lab, but they will be much more expensive, and won’t give you better information than a mail-in.
More information from MDH on lead in school drinking water can be found here:
More information from MDH about their protocols for water testing in schools, which are followed by Orono Schools, can be found here:
More information from MDH on lead in your home’s drinking water can be found here: