Indoor Air Quality & Energy Efficiency in Schools the Focus of New EPA Guidance

Last month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released new guidance to help school districts protect indoor air quality (IAQ) while increasing energy efficiency during school renovations. Energy management and protecting indoor air quality are both important considerations for a school’s facility management during energy upgrades and retrofits. Schools can protect student and faculty health by addressing these goals together.
 
Renovation and construction activities can create dust, introduce new contaminants and contaminant pathways, create or aggravate moisture problems, and result in inadequate ventilation in occupied spaces.  These activities can expose students, teachers, faculty and workers to a number of potential pollutants, including: mold, bacteria, allergens, asbestos, lead, radon, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), PCBs and other pollutants. The EPA’s Energy Savings Plus Health: Indoor Air Quality Guidelines for School Building Upgrades offers opportunities to prevent and control potentially harmful conditions during school renovations.
 
“Almost 55 million students and 7 million teachers and faculty are in our schools according to the EPA,” said Franco Seif, President of Clark Seif Clark.  “This new guidance document supports schools as healthy, energy-efficient buildings that play a significant role in local communities.  These are the same initiatives we have at Clark Seif Clark when our experts are called upon by schools across the country to identify and resolve IAQ issues.”
 
CSC’s building science professionals have the tools and expertise to identify a wide range of indoor pollutants and potential hazards while offering solutions to remedy any problems that are found.  These services take into account a school’s need to improve energy efficiency as part of the solution.
 
A video that discusses IAQ in schools was recently sponsored by CSC and can be seen at: http://youtu.be/8ktQGXR5xPA
 
To learn more about indoor air quality and environmental testing services in schools or other buildings, please visit www.csceng.com, email csc@csceng.com or call (800) 807-1118. 
 
About Clark Seif Clark
CSC was established in 1989 to help clients in both public and private sectors address environmental, IAQ, and health and safety (EH&S) issues. CSC is a leading provider of these services with multiple offices along the western seaboard and southwest. The company believes in science-based protocols and has a strong background in engineering, making them the preferred environmental consultants to industrial clients, healthcare facilities, architects, schools, builders, contractors, developers and real estate professionals.

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Paul Cochrane

President

Cochrane & Associates, LLC

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