WILTON -- Gov. M. Jodi Rell has signed a bill that requires local and regional school districts to used green cleaning products in schools, helping to ensure a healthier air quality for students, faculty and staff, her office reported earlier this month.

“Schools are places of great promise for our children, where dedicated teachers and staff help shape and guide their futures. We can now color that future green, as well,” Gov. Rell said during a bill signing ceremony at Vernon Center Middle School. “This law will help ensure a healthy environment for everyone who walks through the doors of public schools in Connecticut.”

House Bill 6496 requires school districts to have a green cleaning program in place by July 1, 2011. The environmentally preferable products must meet nationally certified guidelines and approved by the state Department of Administrative Services. They include products used for general purpose cleaning, bathroom, glass and carpet cleaners; hand cleaners and soaps; floor finishers and strippers. The law also requires that the types of cleaners and the methods used be made public. Want the whole story?