Source Vol 8

IAQ activities
are constantly changing. HereÌs a sampling of exciting developments
around the country:

Legislative
Activities

Currently, there
is no federal legislation regarding IAQ in schools. Instead of waiting
for federal legislation, many states have enacted their own.

This year, 36
states proposed more than 100 pieces of legislation related to various
aspects of a healthy school environment. West Virginia lawmakers
require radon testing for new schools within the first year of occupancy
and at least every five years thereafter. Connecticut lawmakers
encourage parent and student involvement in ensuring a healthy school
environment. Each local and regional board of education is allowed
to establish a school district safety committee that must include
parents and high school students. In Virginia, guidelines and regulations
related to IAQ are not gathered in one place and are frequently
unknown to local school divisions. Therefore, a 12-member task force
established by the Department of Housing and Community Development
will identify existing guidelines and standards for IAQ and develop
recommendations regarding IAQ in public schools.

New EPA
Cooperative Partners

The US EPA Indoor
Environments Division (IED) has several cooperative agreements with
organizations that share a common goal of addressing IAQ issues.
These organizations Ò EPAÌs Cooperative Partners Ò work together
to resolve IAQ issues. NEA HIN welcomes the newest additions to
the Cooperative Partner Network:

Allergy and
Asthma Network/Mothers of Asthmatics, Inc. (AAN/MA)
A national, not-for-profit organization, AAN/MA provides asthma
and allergy outreach to improve public and patient awareness and
management of asthma. They serve as a valuable communication link
among families, medical professionals, care givers, the pharmaceutical
and medical supply industries, and the government. For more information,
visit their website at: http://www.aanma.org

Indian Health
Service (IHS)
IHS is a federal agency that provides health care to American Indians
and Alaskan Natives in 34 states. For more information about this
program, contact Victoria Lee, Community Health Representatives
Program Manager at 301-443-2500 extension 1 or e-mail [email protected].

American
Respiratory Care Foundation (ARCF)
AARC is a professional society for respiratory care practitioners.
The AARC will be conducting a pilot project in collaboration with
Rainbow Babies and ChildrenÌs Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio and Youngstown
State University to educate children with asthma and their parents
about indoor environmental asthma triggers. For more information,
contact Janet Boehm at 330-742-1895 or e-mail [email protected].

Asthma and
Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA)
This not-for-profit patient advocacy organization is dedicated to
finding a cure for and controlling asthma and allergic diseases.
Education and support services are available to asthma and allergy
patients and their families through AAFAÌs local education support
groups and chapters nationwide. To find out more about AAFA, access
the web at: http://www.aafa.org.