Earlier this month, congressman Paul D. Tonko (D-NY) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) reintroduced the Indoor Air Quality and Healthy Schools Act, a bipartisan legislation that aims to protect public health from poor indoor air quality (IAQ). If passed, the legislation would establish an updated nation-wide assessment of IAQ in schools and childcare facilities to improve conditions.
Five years since the COVID-19 pandemic, people are caring about air quality more than ever. According to a press release, indoor contaminants can be 2-5 times higher than outdoors. Nearly 40 percent of workers of all generations have said that they would leave their current employer due to poor indoor air quality. Meanwhile, a majority of Americans believe that businesses should publicly display air scores. Despite the demand for transparency, efforts to address IAQ have largely been unacknowledged or underfunded.
People in particular are concerned about IAQ in education facilities. Students, faculty and staff occupy the facility for at least one-third of the days during the school week. This number only increases if they are involved in extracurricular activities. Building systems can directly impact the air of the indoor environment, exposing occupants to air that can have direct impact on their health. Failure to improve IAQ can result in increased absences from occupants, disruption in learning and lowering the school’s overall reputation and test scores.
The Indoor Air Quality and Healthy Schools Act would ensure that EPA has the authority and resources to better protect indoor air quality. The bill aims to address the following:
Mackenna Moralez is the associate editor of the facilities market and the host of the Facilities in Focus podcast.
