School Air
Quality
Many existing school
buildings have one or more of the following problems:
To help you identify indoor air
quality problems and practical solutions, the Environmental Protection Agency
developed the
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)
Tools for Schools Kit
Some school building managers have already achieved
improved indoor comfort and air quality while reducing energy costs. Energy
lesson plans for schools are available from the
Alliance to Save Energy.
Good indoor air quality has been shown to improve the
productivity of occupants and reduce the potential for legal liability problems.
IAQ in Connecticut Schools
Law puts responsibility on local board
members
July
30, 2003
After two years, Connecticut will now have a law for indoor air
quality in schools. “Connecticut’s students, parents and teachers will
finally be able to breathe a little easier!” said Joellen Lawson,
founder and president of the Canary Committee. Lawson is a former
educator who is now disabled as a result of mold exposure in a school.
Among the highlights of the new law:
- Requires boards of education to properly maintain their facilities.
- Requires BOE to adopt and implement an indoor air quality program
to provide for ongoing maintenance and facility reviews necessary for
the maintenance and improvement of the IAQ of its facilities.
- Requires BOE to report annually to the state Commissioner of
Education on the condition of its facilities and the action taken to
implement its long-term school building program and indoor air quality
program.
- Requires that prior to Jan. 1, 2008, and every five years BOE to
conduct a uniform inspection and evaluation program of the IAQ within
their schools built or renovated after Jan. 1, 2003, such as the EPA’s
Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools program. Local and regional boards
of education conducting evaluations will also have to make the
inspection report public.
Additional Sources of
Information for Schools
