EPA Division Funds 17 IAQ Partnerships
About $2.4 million is being awarded by the Indoor Environments Division to organizations that will educate the public on how to reduce pollutants inside schools, commercial buildings, and homes.
EPA's Indoor Environments Division has awarded about $2.4 million to 17 public and private organizations that will use the money to educate the American public about how to reduce indoor pollutants -- radon, environmental tobacco smoke, and indoor environmental asthma triggers, for example -- in schools, commercial buildings, and homes. The awards were announced Oct. 20.
Americans spend about 90 percent of their time indoors, where levels of air pollution may be two to five times higher than outdoor levels, according to the agency.
"EPA is proud to be working with our partners nationwide to improve the air we breathe at school, work and home," said Gina McCarthy, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Air and Radiation. "American communities face serious health and environmental challenges from air pollution. This effort gives us an opportunity to improve indoor air quality by increasing awareness of environmental health risks." EPA said the outreach will emphasize households with children, low-income families, and minorities, who are disproportionately affected by poor indoor air quality.
The organizations awarded a cooperative agreement are:
- American Association of School Administrators - Virginia
- Association of Clinicians for the Underserved - Virginia
- Association of School Business Officials International - Virginia
- Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America - Maryland
- Asthma and Allergy Network Mothers of Asthmatics - Virginia
- Boston Public Health Commission - Massachusetts
- Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors, Inc. - Kentucky
- Council of Education Facility Planners International - Arizona
- Environmental Law Institute - Washington, D.C.
- Healthy Schools Network, Inc.- New York
- Kansas State University - Kansas
- National Association of School Nurses - Maryland
- National Education Association Health Information Network - Washington, D.C.
- National Environmental Education and Training Foundation - Washington, D.C.
- National Environmental Health Association - Colorado
- Northern Arizona University - Arizona