Green cleaning in Hawaii schools bill

HONOLULU — Hawaii House Bill HB 1538, which passed both the State House of Representatives and the State Senate in early May, would require all public school facilities to "…give first preference, where feasible, to the purchase and use of environmentally sensitive cleaning and maintenance products that have been approved by the Green Seal program," according to a press release.

Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle has until July 15 to sign, veto or allow the measure to become law, the release stated.

If the bill becomes law, the Hawaii Department of Health would be required to "…review and evaluate existing research regarding environmentally sensitive cleaning and maintenance products, including any research and guidance issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)," the release noted.

The Governor’s office is reviewing the proposed legislation and is accepting comments on the bill before acting one way or another, the release added.

According to the release, HB 1538 would require the Hawaii Department of Health to maintain an up-to-date list of products that have been approved by Green Seal.