Suozzi Signs Executive Order to Use ‘Green’ Cleaning Products in County Facilities  

-- Deirdre Imus Commended for Her Work Protecting the Environment

Mineola, N.Y. – In his ongoing effort to improve Nassau County’s environment, Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi today signed an executive order mandating that “green” cleaning products, free of potentially harmful chemicals, be used in all county facilities.

County workers have begun using environmentally-friendly, non-toxic cleaning products in the Executive Building at One West Street in Mineola, which will be expanded to the rest of the county’s government operations – comprising more than 800 buildings with 9,200 employees – by early next year.

“These green cleaning products work very well, without all the potentially harmful toxins,” Suozzi said. “I hope this serves as an example to Nassau County residents that you don’t have to choose between name brand cleaning products and ones that are environmentally friendly.”

For the Executive Building, the county is using the award-winning Greening the Cleaning products, developed by the Deirdre Imus Environmental Center for Pediatric Oncology, part of the not-for-profit Hackensack University Medical Center. All profits from the sale of Greening the Cleaning products go toward pediatric cancer research, and to studying the environmental causes of cancer.

“Nassau County is demonstrating true leadership in acknowledging the importance of eliminating where possible toxic exposures and we believe it will have a profound impact across the country,” Deirdre Imus said. “Our broader mission together is more than just about cleaning, it’s about a new way of looking at the purchasing decisions we make and evaluating their impact on environmental health and most importantly our children's health.”

“It’s one thing to talk about the importance of protecting our environment, but Nassau County is actually doing something about it – right in our own facilities,” Suozzi said.

Michael J. Deering, Vice President for Government Affairs for the Long Island Association said: “Today's action by Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi provides a clear example of how local government can take the lead in making healthy, environmentally friendly, and economically prudent choices. By eliminating traditional cleaning solutions and replacing them with safer green products, the county will provide a more healthy setting for employees and visitors to its facilities and better educate the public about the benefits of using products that contain no toxic or hazardous materials. It is a decision that is good for our health, our environment and our pocketbooks.”

The county spends more than $40,000 each year on cleaning supplies. County officials have found that, in most instances, the environmentally friendly products are cheaper than existing products. All purchases made under this program will adhere to bidding requirements.