Dive Brief:
- Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., and Rep. Paul Tonko, D-N.Y., introduced bipartisan legislation Thursday aimed at protecting the public from poor indoor air quality.
- The Indoor Air Quality and Healthy Schools Act seeks to expand the U.S . Environmental Protection Agency’s Indoor Environments Division and establish a list of significant indoor contaminants and voluntary guidelines for reducing the risk of exposure, according to a joint news release by the congressmen.
- This bill is the latest policy action being taken to address growing indoor air quality concerns in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and return-to-office mandates. Earlier in July, industry players applauded the Airborne Act, a proposed law that would provide tax credits for indoor air quality assessments.
Dive Insight:
The EPA’s Science Advisory Board has consistently ranked poor indoor air quality as a top 5 environmental risk to public health, with over 3 million people worldwide dying prematurely each year from disease caused by poor IAQ, according to a fact sheet released by the two congressmen.
While progress has been made to address outdoor air pollution, studies have shown that indoor air contaminants can be two to five times — and occasionally 100 times — higher than outdoor contaminants, according to the fact sheet.
Although IAQ efforts have “historically been underappreciated and underfunded,” with no similar law to the Clean Air Act existing for indoor contaminants, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of effective ventilation and filtration systems, the fact sheet said.
To ensure that the EPA has the authority and resources to protect the public from poor indoor air quality, the bill directs the federal agency to develop or recognize “one or more voluntary certifications for buildings designed, built, operated, and maintained to prevent or minimize indoor air health risks,” the congressmen said in the fact sheet.
The legislation would also establish a regularly updated national assessment of IAQ in schools and childcare facilities, and support the development of technical assistance, guidelines and best practices to improve the IAQ conditions of these facilities, according to the joint news release.
Currently, the EPA does not have broad responsibility for monitoring indoor air quality in the same way that it is authorized for ambient air, a spokesperson for the EPA said. Primarily, the agency protects IAQ through non-regulatory guidance, public information and education, as well as technical guidance and assistance, grants and programs that target specific risks, including radon, particulate matter, asthma or mold, to states, tribes, industries and other entities, according to the spokesperson
The EPA’s statutory authority is primarily defined in Title IV of the Superfunds Amendments and Reauthorization Act, or SARA, which gives broad direction to conduct research regarding the scope and magnitude of indoor air health risks and solutions to prevent and reduce those risks, and Title III of the Toxic Substances Control Act, or TSCA, which provides a range of specific mandates and authorities to address indoor radon, the EPA spokesperson said.
“Despite the immense and urgent threat poor indoor air quality poses, precious little has been done to address this issue,” Tonko said in a statement. The Indoor Air Quality and Healthy Schools Act, Tonko noted, would give the EPA “the tools to face this problem head on, by taking action to establish science-based guidelines and promote effective tools and best practices to minimize indoor health risks.”
The legislation has drawn widespread support from healthy building and HVAC-focused organizations, including ASHRAE, American Industrial Hygiene Association, the International WELL Building Institute and U.S. Green Building Council.
“This legislation provides much-needed support for improving indoor air quality, essential for health, productivity and positive learning outcomes. As we work to decarbonize and enhance building resilience and sustainability, prioritizing healthy indoor environments is vital. Incorporating ASHRAE IAQ standards into building codes will be foundational to this goal,” ASHRAE President Dennis Knight said in a statement.
“The Indoor Air Quality and Healthy Schools Act of 2024 … advances [the]US EPA’s three key strategies to improve indoor air quality: source control of pollutants which is highly cost-effective, improved ventilation, and the filtration of indoor air. Every child deserves clean air in school,” Clair Barnett, executive director of Healthy Schools Network, said in a statement.
The bill has been sent to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
