by Jbs120508 A3 — December 10, 2008—Eight school districts that are leading the way to prevent and solve indoor air quality problems in schools were honored at the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools National Symposium in Washington, DC, in December 2008.
This year’s TfS award winners are: Connecticut Technical High School System, Middletown, CT; Newark Public Schools, Newark, NJ; North East Independent School District, San Antonio, TX; Amity Regional School District No. 5, Woodbridge, CT; Baldwin Union Free School District, Baldwin, NY; Bellingham School District, Bellingham, WA; Diane Rhodes of San Antonio, TX; and Peggy Caruso of Katy, TX.
The three-day symposium focused on the latest research and information on environmental health topics such as radon, mold, asthma management, maintaining ventilation systems for good IAQ, integrated pest management, green cleaning products and practices, and best practices of high-performing schools.
EPA introduced the IAQ TfS program in 1995 as a comprehensive resource to help schools maintain a healthy environment in school buildings by identifying, correcting, and preventing IAQ problems. The program has provided hundreds of schools with a variety of easy-to-use products, materials, and tools at no cost to help them implement an IAQ management program.
A recent US Center for Disease Control study found that half the nation’s schools, representing 30 million children and staff, now have IAQ management programs in place, 85 percent of which relied on EPA’s Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools.
According to EPA, indoor air quality (IAQ) problems in schools can lead to a range of health problems, including allergy symptoms and asthma attacks. Students and staff exposed to poor IAQ can also suffer diminished performance and concentration.
