by Brianna Crandall — October 22, 2010—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is awarding 17 cooperative agreements to nonprofit organizations and a university, totaling approximately $2.4 million to improve indoor air quality nationwide. EPA notes that Americans spend about 90 percent of their time indoors, where levels of air pollution may be two to five times higher than outdoor levels, and that indoor air pollutants such as dust mites can trigger asthma attacks, and radon can cause lung cancer.
The goal of these projects is to educate Americans on how to reduce the environmental health risks of indoor contaminants through demonstrations, education projects, training and outreach efforts. In addition to a focus on households with children, low income families and minorities, the cooperative agreements will promote positive IAQ management practices in schools nationwide, including holistic approaches to environmental issues, and increase effective IAQ practices in office buildings.
This year’s awards are going to:
- 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 – D.C.
- Healthy Schools Network, Inc.- New York
- Kansas State University – Kansas
- National Association of School Nurses – Maryland
- National Education Association Health Information Network – D.C.
- National Environmental Education and Training Foundation – D.C.
- National Environmental Health Association – Colorado
- Northern Arizona University – Arizona
- Association of Clinicians for the Underserved – Virginia
