Meeting Information

EnvironmentalCommittee

SFATF Environmental Mtg.4/1/09, 1:30 -3:15pm

1390 Market St., Suite 410 in the Children's Environmental Health Promotion, Environmental Health Section, San Francisco Department of Public Health. 

Attendees: Karen Cohn, Tina Cosentino, Cynthia Knowles, Rene Gonzalvez, Anjali Nath, Krista Ward

I.                    Review minutes - Minutes Approved.

II.                 Introduction – Cynthia provided history of toxics use reduction subcommittee

·        Educated residents on safer products

·        Green Action hired CHWs in Alice Griffith & Oakdale (March ’08)

·        Surveyed residents re: asthma & products (50% of kids had asthma)

·        Last f/u November ‘08

·        Feb ’09 – training at SW community center

III.               All Hallows– Mercy Housing Discussion – received request to go to Senior Center to do education on IPM and cleaning.  Center contracts spraying ever 6 months.  Contact: Sister Grace.  Can they get their contractor to switch to IPM or get trained?

IV.              Work-plan review (cleaning section)

·        Dollar Store Inventory

                                                                           i.      Observation that dollar stores are taking labels off. They are buying in bulk and putting them in bottles. Difficult to regulate if can’t find ingredients

·        GS 8 – Respiratory irritant is not a criteria. Poor IAQ is mentioned.  Want disclosures about fragrances.  Need more specific regulations. Aerosol cans are allowed (under packaging)

·        Green Chemistry Initiatives.  Manufactures will be implementing.  Ask guest speaker to attend meeting?

·        Survey Retailers about criteria for green products

                                                                           i.      Walgreens – SE Johnson “Natural Source”  Clorox “Green Works” 

·        Voluntary Program

                                                                           i.      Create Likart Scale (“Nasty, Normal , Truly Green & Safe”)

                                                                         ii.      Promote “Truly Green & Safe” products verified by consultant.  Go back to store. Put products falsely defined as “green” back on normal shelf.

                                                                        iii.      Award stores who remove 3 worst things on their shelves (i.e. ethanol amines, bombs and foggers, Aerosol cans, RAID) and work with us to display “Truly Green & Safe” products.  Host exchanges at store.

                                                                       iv.      Media campaign:  “SFATF recommends this store for working with us on…..”

V.                 Updates:

·        CPR:  Karen & Tina met with housing authority (Kyle Peterson– government relations) & Sara Shortt.  Asset based management.  Asked for pest operator to get IPM certified.  Connected with NW Center on IPM who train property managers and maintenance staff.  They want to take Boston success (funded by Kellogg Foundation) nationwide.  Referred Kyle to professional property managers’ course. 

                                                                           i.      Connected Johnson with Tina re: bed bugs in SROs.

                                                                         ii.      Continuing to fu on Bernal Center

                                                                        iii.      Looking to work with Chinatown development center

·        DPH:  How to connect past SFATF goals with current work? 

                                                                           i.      How to manage WIC family housing? 

                                                                         ii.      HUD testimonies (displacement prevention, medical cases)

                                                                        iii.      Code draft for city attorney. 

                                                                       iv.      Evaluate feedback on cameras

·        Dept of Env: November ’09 training is being planned with Asthma Clinic SFGH

                                                                           i.      How can staff enter questions about env hazards into physicals?  Use Healthy Environment, Healthy Child as a model?  Mark – connection with South East Clinic.

VI:       Closing -Agenda for next meeting

1)       Introductions and review April Minutes

2)      Updates: (Env. Working Group, Green Chemistry Initiative, GS-8, Surveys, Purchasing Managers, RAMP activities, etc.)

3)      Next Steps:

4)      Announcements: