The United States Government Printing Office (GPO) was created in June 1860, and is an agency of the the U.S. federal government based in Washington D.C. The office prints documents produced by and for the federal government, including Congress, the Supreme Court, the Executive Office of the President and other executive departments, and independent agencies. The Coastal Zone Information Center (CZIC) collection provides access to nearly 5,000 coastal related documents that the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) received from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Central Library. The collection provides almost 30 years of data and information crucial to the understanding of U.S. coastal management and NOAA's mission to sustain healthy coasts. This is one of their documents.

This user-friendly guidance manual is organized by the "target audience" or "end user." First, the manual introduces a "Typical School," which is a school organized in such a way that it represents how many schools in the real world are organized. This Typical School is subdivided into "Organizational Units" that share similar functions or activities. Next, the target audience for each "Organizational Unit" comprising the "Typical School" is defined. For example, for the Business/Administrative functions of the school, Business Officials are identified. For the Academic/Vocational functions, Science, Art and Technology Teachers and Supervisors are identified. For Facilities Operations and Maintenance, as well as Grounds Maintenance, appropriate Maintenance Workers, Facility Directors, etc. are identified. Once the main "Organizational Units" are identified along with the appropriate target audience, the manual defines, in greater detail, the numerous activities that would likely occur within each "Organizational Unit." For example, as part of the Academic/Vocational Unit, Science Labs (Biology, Chemistry and Physics) and Preparatory/Storage Rooms, Fine Arts Labs and Art Studios, Photography Labs, Computer Labs and "Shop" programs, etc. are included. Likewise, under the Facilities Operations and Maintenance Unit, the manual includes Boilers, Tanks/Containers, Heating and Ventilation, Potable Water, Plumbing Shop, Electrical Shop and a whole host of additional departments and shops that would likely be affected by environmental regulation or have related Best Management Practices. For each department activity, the manual discusses what is required to comply with the appropriate federal environmental regulations and/or which Best Management Practices would apply to one's area of responsibility. After an introduction, this document is divided into the following sections: (1) Typical School Organizational Units; (2) Regulatory Program Areas; (3) Best Management Practices; and (4) Overview of Environmental Management Systems. A section providing internet references concludes the manual. (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.) [This document was prepared for the United States Environmental Protection Agency Region 2 by Long Island University, Brookville, NY and Columbia University, New York, NY.].