EPA presents school indoor air quality awards

by Brianna Crandall — January 19, 2011—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on January 14 presented awards to 11 school districts and organizations as part of its 11th Annual Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Tools for Schools National Symposium in Washington, D.C. The IAQ Tools for Schools Program, launched in 1995, assists school districts in identifying the actions they can take to successfully plan and implement an effective IAQ management program.

The meeting convened school board officials, administrators, health association members, school nurses, teachers, parents and others to take charge in protecting the indoor air environments of the nearly 55 million children and some 6 million adults who spend a significant portion of their days in more than 132,000 public and private school buildings in the U.S.

EPA says that many of these buildings are old, in poor condition, and may have environmental conditions that inhibit learning and pose risks to the health of children and staff. The symposium focuses on a wide range of environmental risks, including radon, mold, pest management, and asthma management.

This year’s award winners are being recognized for leading the way to improving conditions at their schools and taking action to prevent future IAQ health risks.

2010 National Excellence Award Winners

• Carrollton-Farmer’s Branch Independent School District, Carrollton, TX
  
• Frederick County Public Schools, Frederick, MD
  
• Greendale School District, Greendale, WI
  
• Northshore School District, Bothell, WA
  
• Novato Unified School District, Novato, CA