Twenty Indoor Air Model County Program directors recently met at NACo headquarters to discuss their local programs and be updated on new EPA indoor air quality priorities. The 20 directors represented counties in 15 states and included elected officials, environmental health directors and county sanitarians who are currently participating in the Radon/Indoor Air Project's Indoor Air Model County Program.
The two-day meeting had two main purposes. First, the meeting provided the county program directors an opportunity to share their ideas, perspectives and experiences in county-based indoor air quality awareness building and health risk-reduction activities. Specific time was allotted during the meeting for the program directors to compare and analyze each other's programs' activities, learning what had been successful and why, as well as how encountered obstacles were overcome.
The exchange of program information was regarded as being extremely valuable to the directors. Of particular interest was information that concerned such varied program activities as outreach efforts to the real estate community, working with the building industry to construct radon-resistant new homes, and fostering indoor air quality awareness among low-income and minority populations.
The meeting's second purpose was to learn from the EPA's Indoor Environments Division about its new priorities. The new issue areas include environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and children and air quality in schools. ETS (also known as secondhand smoke or passive smoking) is considered by the EPA to be a serious health hazard to children, contributing to between 150,000 and 300,000 lower respiratory tract infections a year.
In turn, these infections result in 7,500 to 15,000 hospitalizations each year. Asthmatic children are particularly at risk. EPA estimates that, annually, between 200,000 and 1,000,000 asthmatic children have their condition made worse by exposure to ETS. The model counties were asked to initiate local efforts geared toward reducing children's exposure to ETS by providing education and offering information to parents, health care clinics and daycare providers.
A briefing on air quality in schools and its related health effects was also on the meeting's agenda. According to a February 1995 report released by the U.S. Government Accounting Office, over one-half of the nation's schools (both public and private) have problems that affect indoor air quality.
The briefing stressed the fact that improving air quality in schools can lessen the chances of long-term and short-term health problems; reduced productivity of teachers, staff and students; deterioration and reduced efficiency of school heating and cooling equipment; as well as, lessening the likelihood of potential liability problems. The model counties were asked to distribute the EPA's new Tools for Schools action kit (that includes checklists designed to improve indoor air quality maintenance procedures) to schools in their counties.
The meeting's final presentation was made by Ramona Trovoto, director, EPA Office of Radiation and Indoor Air. Trovoto emphasized the importance of county efforts in reducing the nation's overall health risk to indoor air pollutants. She concluded by thanking the directors for what they have already accomplished in terms of health risk reduction and encourgaed the model county directors to continue their successful local efforts.
(For more information on the Indoor Air Model County Program, the EPA's Tools For School action kit, and how NACo can help your county address the indoor air quality concerns of its residents, please call Lou Witt, Radon/Indoor Air Project, at 202/942-4261.)
(County Services News was written by Lou Witt, Research associate.)