Indoor Environments & Programs

Air Toxics and Monitoring Branch Chief
R. Douglas Neeley
Phone: (404) 562-9097

Indoor Environments and Grants Section Chief
Stuart Perry
Phone: (404) 562-8980

Introduction

EPA Region 4’s Indoor Environments Programs are designed to improve the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) in homes, schools, and workplaces. These programs include, asthma, green buildings, IAQ Tools for Schools, radon, secondhand smoke, and general IAQ (including mold, moisture, and carbon monoxide). Region 4’s Indoor Environments Staff, also promotes sunwise, a sun safety program, to school aged children. Below is more information on these programs. If you have questions or need technical assistance please contact an EPA staff person listed under our contact information.

Asthma
Region 4’s asthma program has a focus to decrease the number of asthmatics exposed to indoor environmental asthma triggers; to educate parents and caregivers on indoor triggers and actions to reduce them; and to educate individuals on the environmental management of asthma so that they can counsel people with asthma on actions to reduce triggers in indoor environments. In addition, emphasis is given to Increasing awareness of asthma as a healthcare problem; Communicating scientific progress being made, and Involving public authorities, professional and patient organizations in implementation of effective asthma management programs. Region 4 provides guidance to develop asthma coalitions, conduct regional conference calls, conduct periodic meetings/conferences for state and local partners, provide asthma education and conduct outreach activities.

Where can parents find more information about how to protect their children?
www.epa.gov/iaq/asthma
Asthma Attack Prevention- call 1-866-NOATTACKS or visit these web sites, www.noattacks.org
Indoor Environmental Asthma Triggers-www.epa.gov/asthma/triggers.html
Ozone levels where you live- visit www.epa.gov/oar/airnow

Join today and become a member of the Communities in Action for Asthma-Friendly Environments Online Network to access cutting-edge tools that facilitate collaboration, problem solving, and learning between leaders of asthma programs. The Online Network is a year-round resource for mentoring and collaboration designed to support your asthma management program. Learn more about and join the Online Community Network at www.asthmacommunitynetwork.org

For questions, please contact Heidi LeSane at (404) 562-9074 or LeSane.Heidi@epa.gov

Green Building
EPA Region 4 promotes the construction of and conversion to green buildings in the southeast. Our Green Building promotional activities include making presentations to organizations associated with construction, engineering, building management. Please see the below links on green buildings.

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Tools for Schools

Region 4’s IAQ Tools for Schools program approach is to provide school districts with practical guidelines consistent with EPA’s recommendations for improving the indoor environment along with other respected indoor air quality research. We offer an opportunity to visit districts to present proven, effective actions steps based upon forward thinking in how school administrators manage institutional behaviors and maintenance protocols that potentially contribute towards unresolved IAQ concerns. EPA realizes the challenges school administrators face to balance shrinking maintenance budgets in tandem with maintaining healthy indoor environment. School can request an AQ Tools for School Kit at not cost or if you would like to initiate a school IAQ program please contact Lashon Blakely at 404-562-9136. If you would like to download the Kit visit:

http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/actionkit.html#Available_for_Download.

EPA offer schools an opportunity to participate on webinars with experienced speakers familiar with school facilities, recent trends in classroom pollutant remediation, and prudent school spending. Please visit EPA’s website to locate the Resources for Schools box on the IAQ Tools for School page at: http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/actionkit.html#Available_for_Download.

Annually, EPA hosts the Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Symposium which is held in Washington, DC. National school organizations, state and local education, public health and environmental offices, manufacturers of school building materials attend. This forum is an excellent venue to network with fellow stakeholders interested in learning and brainstorming about innovative methods to improve the classroom environment where students can thrive. Please visit our website for updates: http://www.iaqsymposium.com.

Additional links:

Healthy School Environment Resources

http://cfpub.epa.gov/schools/index.cfm

Siting of School Facilities

http://www.epa.gov/schools/siting.html

The Framework for Effective School IAQ Management:

Six Key Drivers of Success

http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/excellence.html

Radon
Region 4’s Radon Program promotes radon awareness, testing, mitigation and prevention via many activities. The foundations of these efforts are the STATE INDOOR RADON GRANTS awarded to the eight southeast states. The states use the grants to promote: radon testing and where necessary mitigation; testing as part of real estate transactions; use of radon-resistant new construction techniques, and development of a proficient industry. The Region program and some state programs also provide technical assistance in project development, design of surveys, testing and mitigation of schools, radon mapping issues, and promotion of a variety of coalitions. Links to southeastern states radon web sites and EPA radon sites are below.

Secondhand Smoke
In Region 4, the focus of the secondhand smoke program is to provide quality outreach in support of external programs that create partnerships to work collectively to promote a better understanding of indoor air programs. Particular emphasis is placed on decreasing exposures to secondhand smoke (ShS) and reducing ShS exposure of children 0-6 years of age, and thus reducing the adverse health effects caused by children exposed to ShS. The major place children are affected by ShS is in the home and in the car. Region 4 provides guidance to develop coalitions, conduct regional conference calls, conduct periodic meetings/conferences for state and local partners, provide ShS education and conduct outreach activities.
Where can parents find more information about how to protect their children?

http://www.epa.gov/smokefree

Take the Smoke-free Home Pledge 1-866-SMOKE-FREE (1-866-766-5337)

For questions, please contact Heidi LeSane at (404) 562-9074 or LeSane.Heidi@epa.gov

General IAQ
Region 4 provides assistance to the public by answering questions from individuals concerning all aspects of indoor air quality. Region staff also accommodate request for speakers on indoor air quality, mold and moisture, carbon monoxide, green buildings, secondhand smoke, asthma, radon, and school indoor air issues. In addition, we solicit your participation in our request for applications that fund a small number of grants each year on asthma, secondhand smoke, IAQ Tools for Schools, mold, and general indoor air quality; for more information on grants, visit www.grants.gov and search for "Indoor Environments.

Mold Resources – "Many types of molds exist. All molds have the potential to cause health effects. Molds can produce allergens that can trigger allergic reactions or even asthma attacks in people allergic to mold. Since mold requires water to grow, it is important to prevent moisture problems in buildings." http://www.epa.gov/mold/moldresources.html

Carbon Monoxide –
"Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless and toxic gas. Because it is impossible to see, taste or smell the toxic fumes, CO can kill you before you are aware it is in your home. At lower levels of exposure, CO causes mild effects that are often mistaken for the flu.
These symptoms include headaches, dizziness, disorientation, nausea and fatigue."
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/co.html

SunWise – EPA Region 4’s Sunwise
EPA’s SunWise program is intended for grades K-8 to educate care givers of young children, teachers and students about the risk of over exposure to the sun’s rays. To this end, EPA has developed the SunWise Kit that combines developmentally appropriate curriculum (i.e., math, reading, and spelling) with fun activities to increase students’ knowledge of action steps that leads reduced risk in developing skin cancer later in life. Region 4 staff seeks opportunities to visit schools, daycares, and summer camps to lead students in discussions and activities that lead to practicing sun safe behaviors.

SunWise Partner Schools receive materials that facilitate cross-curricular classroom learning. The program also encourages schools to provide a sun-safe infrastructure, including shade structures (e.g., canopies, trees) and policies (e.g., using hats, sunscreen, sunglasses) that promote sun protection in a school setting.” http://www.epa.gov/sunwise

Any of the activities in the SunWise Tool Kit can be completed while playing the Sunscreen Dance music – to liven up the classroom environment! Here are some specific activities that can be enhanced with the Sunscreen Dance, a fun and educational song by the Swingset Mamas.” http://www.epa.gov/sunwise/funactivities.html

Energy Efficiency/Energy Star Region 4
In Region 4, our work spans across all of the Energy Star sectors. Our efforts tend to focus more in the residential and utility program areas; however, we also take advantage of market transformation opportunities through public relation activities. Regional staff has experience since the inception of the program in 1991 and can work with stakeholders in any of the areas – residential (new and existing), commercial (new and existing), industrial, products, and the various partnership areas. The Region also hosts or attends meetings and trainings with various partner groups such as Service and Product providers, National Energy Star Homes meetings, Home Builder Association trainings, National Lighting Partner meetings, and utility roundtables.

Energy Star and Climate Change
Links

Hotline: 1-888-STARYes

For information about the contents of this page please contact Todd Rinck

Indoor Environments & Programs

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