Working with EPA to ensure a safe and healthy learning environment for millions of American school children, more than 500 school representatives and health, technical and environmental experts will participate in EPA’s 5th Annual Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools National Symposium this week.

At a national awards ceremony, EPA recognized schools and individuals from across the country for efforts to protect indoor air quality for kids at school. EPA has invited hundreds of local school officials from across the country to discuss the basics of how to identify and resolve indoor environmental problems in schools.

Indoors, factors such as mold, mildew, dust, animal dander, radon, secondhand smoke, asbestos and formaldehyde can affect indoor air quality and trigger various allergies and asthma. Asthma alone accounts for 14 million missed school days each year. The rate of asthma in young children has risen by 160 percent in the last 15 years, and today one out of every 13 school-age children has asthma.

At the Symposium, EPA will announce 22 schools and school districts that have implemented exemplary Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) programs and honor them with the IAQ Tools for Schools Excellence Award. These award winners have implemented effective programs in their schools ranging from designing a new school building free of toxins and other hazards to developing district-wide policies for continuous training and maintenance.

12/3/2004