Eleven school districts and private organizations have received recognition from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for their efforts to improve indoor air quality (IAQ) in schools. The recognition came at EPA's eighth annual Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools (IAQ TfS) national symposium in Washington D.C.
The symposium focused on the latest research and information on environmental health topics, such as: radon, mold, asthma management, maintaining ventilation systems for good IAQ, green cleaning products, and best practices of high-performing schools.
The symposium also highlighted model school districts that have successfully implemented effective IAQ management programs. The EPA's IAQ TfS Awards program recognizes schools and school districts that have demonstrated a strong commitment to improving children's health by promoting good IAQ.
A recently released study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that about half of the nation's schools have IAQ management programs in place, and that 86 percent of schools with IAQ management programs relied on EPA's IAQ TfS program to guide their actions.
EPA introduced the IAQ TfS program in 1995 as a comprehensive resource to help schools maintain a healthy environment by identifying, correcting and preventing IAQ problems. The program has provided hundreds of schools with a variety of free products, materials and tools to help them implement an IAQ management program.
The TfS award winners are:
• Ridgefield (Conn.) Public Schools
• Baltimore Public Schools
• Mayfield City School District, Mayfield Heights, Ohio
• Wichita (Kan.) Public Schools-USD 259
• The School District of Palm Beach County, West Palm Beach, Fla.
• Katy (Texas) Independent School District
• Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Charlotte, N.C.
• The School Board of Broward County, Fort Lauderdale Fla.
• Philip Apruzzese, Connecticut Education Association, Hartford, Conn.
• Pediatric/Adult Asthma Coalition of New Jersey
• Healthy Schools Network Inc.
