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Dartmouth and the University of New
Hampshire have received funding from the Davis Educational
Foundation to support a cooperative network of colleges and universities
that meet environmental health and safety requirements at the local, state, and
federal levels. The network, called The New
Hampshire College and University Compliance Assistance Cooperative
(NHC3UA), includes the 16 organizations that make up the New Hampshire College and University
Council.
"UNH and Dartmouth have been sharing resources successfully for more
than six years, and with support from the Davis Educational Foundation, we can
now expand our efforts," says Michael Blayney, director of environmental health and safety.
"By reaching out to other colleges and universities, we can broaden our
effectiveness in addressing environmental protection, sustainability, and
resource conservation on our campuses."
The three-year grant of more than $100,000 will support a program of
conducting audits at each institution to identify the requirements for
achieving regulatory compliance with the N.H. Department of Environmental
Services and the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA). The grant will also support the development of a
password-protected Web site and provide funding for a student intern.
"For more than a decade colleges and universities in New England have
faced increased scrutiny by the EPA and state and local environmental agencies
for compliance with air, water, and hazardous waste regulations," says
Bradford Manning, director of environmental
health and safety at UNH. "We anticipate that collaborative efforts
like this will result in substantial cost savings for the institutions by
avoiding large fines or the necessity of hiring individual consultants to
provide legal or technical assistance."
Blayney says that the long-term goal of the NHC3UA is to develop a
comprehensive Environmental Management System (EMS) for all the colleges and
universities in New Hampshire. With this, each institution could use the EMS as
a model and refine it for their individual campuses. Key elements would include
hazardous materials source reduction and substitution, emergency planning,
transportation demand management, sustainable purchasing guidelines and
strategies, environmental compliance, food safety, and integrated solid waste
management. For more information about the NHC3UA, visit their website.
The Davis Educational Foundation was established in 1985 by Stanton and
Elisabeth Davis after Mr. Davis's retirement as chairman of Shaw's
Supermarkets, Inc. More information can be found at The Davis Education
Foundation.
By SUSAN KNAPP
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