California Interagency Working Group on Indoor Air Quality
Meeting Minutes
March 14, 2001
Cal/EPA Headquarters
1001 I Street, Sacramento
American Lung Association of Los Angeles
County (ALALAC)
California Air Resources Board / IAQ & Personal Exposure Assessment Program
California Department of Education / School
Facilities Planning Division
California Department of Health Service /
Environmental Health Investigations Branch
California Department of Health Service /
Indoor Air Quality Section
California Department of Health Service / Occupational Health Branch
California Department of Health Service /
Radon Program
California Department of
Health Service / Tobacco
Control Section
California Department of Industrial
Relations (Cal/OSHA)
California Integrated Waste Management
Board (CIWMB)
City of San Jose / Code Enforcement
Green Resource Center (ADPSR-No Cal)
Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory / Indoor Environments Program
Office of Environmental Health Hazard
Assessment
State Compensation Insurance Fund
(State Fund)
U.S. EPA Region
IX / Indoor Environment Team
U.S. Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) – Region IX
Indoor Environmental Quality of Schools
Building Design and Operations
Current
Legislation
Several agencies report updates on the various bills affecting IAQ under consideration in the current session of the California Legislature. See items under CDE, DHS-EHIB, and DHS-TCS.
· Asbestos Health Effects Conference. May 24-25, 2001 at the Elihu M. Harris Building, Oakland, CA. Web: http://www.epa.gov/swerrims/ahec/index.htm.
· National ETS Conference in San Diego. May 30-31, 2001 at the San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina. For more information, contact Joanne Wellman-Benson, (916) 445-3737 or JWellman@dhs.ca.gov.
· Issues in the Assessment of Health Impacts of Gasoline Emissions in California. June 12-13, 2001 at the UCLA Faculty Center, Los Angeles, CA. Register by e-mail to Dr. Kanan Patel-Coleman, kcoleman@ucla.edu, by June 5, 2001.
· Mealey’s Mold Litigation Conference, June 25-26, 2001, Los Angeles, CA Organizers are offering a reduced rate to government employees ($663). Information is available by phone (800) 632-5397 or on-line at http://www.mealeys.com/sem_agen.html#MOLD.
· U.S. EPA will host its second IAQ Tools for Schools National Symposium, August 9-11, 2001 in Washington, D.C. Information is available from Kim Smith (smith.kim@epa.gov) or on-line at .
Several New Documents on Indoor Mold are Now
On-Line:
·
U.S. EPA’s Remediation
for Mold in Schools and Commercial Buildings, http://www.epa.gov/iaq/molds/index.html
·
CDHS HESIS
Infosheet: Mold in Workplace, http://www.dhs.ca.gov/ohb/HESIS/molds.pdf
·
California
Research Bureau Report: Molds, Toxic
Molds, and Indoor Air Quality, http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/01/notes/v8n1.pdf
Peggy gave an informative overview of the
project’s Green Building and IAQ
features. She described an elaborate
air testing program that her unit oversaw and presented their assessment of
test results. Some construction and
early occupancy problems and
actions taken were also described.
After the meeting, the group was taken on a guided tour of the building
by DGS-BPM staff. Presentation
slides can be viewed at: http://www.cal-iaq.org/CIWG/CalEPA_2001-03.pdf.
Further information about the new Cal/EPA Building in Sacramento can be found on-line at: http://www.calepa.ca.gov/EPAbldg/default.htm
AGENCY REPORTS ON CURRENT IAQ ACTIVITIES
-- Arlene Feingold (feingolda@lalung.org) http://www.lalung.org/
Open Airways for Schools and IAQ Tools for Schools. We currently have grants for these
two programs. One is from the national
American Lung Association, who is funding several Center for Excellence
sites. The goal is to jointly implement both Open Airways for Schools
(OAS), a program to help elementary school children manage their asthma, and IAQ
Tools for Schools, at targeted schools in a specified region. As of this writing, we have reached our goal
of implementing OAS at 35 schools. Our efforts to implement IAQ Tools
for Schools have not been as successful, however we feel that we are making
good progress. We also have a grant from USEPA Region 9 to implement both
OAS and IAQ Tools for School in a region called the Alameda
Corridor. We are well on our way to implementing both of these programs
in that area and expect to meet our goals.
LAUSD IAQ Resolution. On
January 23, 2001, the Los Angeles City Board of Education adopted a resolution
on Indoor Air Quality and Respiratory Health and has recommended implementation
of the IAQ Tools for School and Open Airways for Schools
programs. LAUSD is the largest school district in the nation to
address the issue of indoor air quality in this manner. We
expect that this development will greatly support our efforts to
implement the IAQ Tools for Schools program at a maximum number of
schools. The successful passage of the resolution is due to the
joint efforts of ALALAC, USEPA Region 9, and the Los Angeles Unified School
District (LAUSD) Office of Environmental Health and Safety. The resolution can be viewed on-line
at: http://www.lausd.k12.ca.us/lausd/board/secretary/html/agendas/mt/mt01-23-01.html
(see Item Q).
Classroom Ventilation. An integral component of the IAQ Tools
for Schools Program is a walkthrough inspection. A problem
discovered during a recent walkthrough at a school, was the inability of school
personnel to switch the fan control in Portable Classrooms to air only when
neither heating or cooling was required. We are working to resolve this
problem with the help of Scott Alexander, Mobile Modular.
Other Activities Promoting IAQ Tools for Schools:
-- Peggy Jenkins (mjenkins@arb.ca.gov) http://www.arb.ca.gov/research/indoor/indoor.htm
California Portable Classrooms Study (PCS). The PCS is progressing on schedule. In February and March 2001, ARB and DHS sponsored four workshops in northern and southern California. There is widespread interest in the study--representatives from school districts, all levels of government, school building related industries, environmental groups, and consultants attended the workshops. Many attendees offered valuable information and suggestions on various aspects of the study. A short report on the workshops, including questions asked and the responses to those questions, will be posted to the PCS website in early May. The PCS website is http://www.arb.ca.gov/research/indoor/pcs/pcs.htm.
Newly-approve IAQ Research Projects. The Board approved two research projects at its April 26, 2001 meeting:
· The Children’s Bus Exposure Study (UC Riverside and UCLA) will examine levels of pollutants inside school buses, outside the buses, at bus stops, and at loading areas at the schools to provide data that can be used to estimate children’s exposures to pollutants during their bus commutes. Levels in diesel buses, diesel buses with particle trap retrofits, gasoline buses, and alternative fuel (CNG) buses will be tested. A wide variety of particulate and gaseous pollutants will be measured. The study will begin this summer and be completed by June 2003. For more information, contact Scott Fruin at sfruin@arb.ca.gov.
· Augmentation to the PCS will provide additional funding to Research Triangle Institute for the analysis of the floor dust samples to be collected in the main field study. Samples will be analyzed for PAHs, PCBs, toxic metals, and pesticides. Funding also covers collection and analysis of airborne molds. ARB will also convene a small advisory panel to provide input regarding sampling and analysis methods for the dust samples. For more information, contact Tom Phillips at tphillip@arb.ca.gov
IAQ Symposium Proceedings. The Proceedings from the ARB-DHS Symposium on Indoor Air Quality, held in May 2000, is now available on ARB’s web at http:www.arb.ca.gov/research/indoor/indoor.htm. Those who attended the symposium last year will receive a copy in the mail in the next few weeks. Those who did not attend but whom would like a copy of the Proceedings should contact Dorothy Shimer at dshimer@arb.ca.gov
IAQ Guidelines for Chlorinated Chemicals. The ARB has published Chlorinated Chemicals in Your Home, its third Indoor Air Quality Guideline. DHS and OEHHA reviewed the guideline and provided very useful comments. The guideline describes the health effects and sources of six chlorinated chemicals (perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene, chloroform, para-dichlorobenzene, methylene chloride, and 1,1,1-trichloroethane), and tells the public what they can do to reduce their exposures to these chemicals. Common sources include consumer products, dry-cleaned clothes, and chlorinated domestic/municipal water. The guideline will be is available on-line at our web site. For more information, contact Peggy Jenkins, mjenkins@arb.ca.gov
Update on IAQ to Board. ARB’s Indoor Program staff presented an update to the Board at the April 26 Board meeting. The Board expressed concern regarding indoor exposures that cannot be, or are not being, addressed. The new guideline on chlorinated chemicals spawned much discussion, as did concern re: children’s exposures during their school bus commute. The staff presentation (text and slides) are expected to be made available on ARB’s web (see above) in early May. For further information, contact Peggy Jenkins, mjenkins@arb.ca.gov..
--
Tony Hesch (THesch@cde.ca.gov) http://www.cde.ca.gov/facilities/
Ellen Aasletten will be retiring from the CDE in the coming months. We all wish her well (and hope she’ll stop by to visit once in a while).
Current Legislation.
The CDE staff are involved in advising districts on the pesticide use
and reporting requirements under Healthy Schools Act of 2000 (AB 2260,
Shelly). In the current session, AB 947
(Jackson) addresses the issues of pesticide drift from agricultural
applications and would authorize county commissioners to regulate pesticide
applications around school sites. There
are several bills responding to the rising electricity costs for school
districts.
Acoustics in the Classroom. Plans for CDE to fund a study of acoustic standards for the
classroom were postponed.
Investigations: Staff are conducting a telephone survey of local environmental health departments and building agencies to determine the types of services available to residents with indoor mold questions or contamination. The survey is collecting information on health and remediation information provided and inspection services available. Interviews have been completed and data analysis is beginning. Contact Sandy McNeel, 510-622-4457 or smcneel@dhs.ca.gov .
New EHIB Fact Sheets:
· Misinterpretation of Stachybotrys Serology is available on the EHIB website (www.ehib.org). This document is directed to physicians and other health professionals and presents information on availability and validity of biomonitoring methods for this fungus. The primary message is that there is currently no validated blood or urine test that can determine exposure to Stachybotrys chartarum.
· Mold in My School: What do I do? has received approval for imminent public release. This new fact sheet is designed for school principals, facility managers and other administrators. It is currently undergoing formatting and graphic design, and it is expected to be available on the EHIB website soon.
Current Legislation. Staff have analyzed or are in the process of analyzing three recently introduced bills that address various aspects of indoor mold contamination. These bills are:
· AB 178 (Cox): requires landlords to disclose presence of mold to current or prospective tenants, adds visible mold on interior surfaces to substandard housing code.
· AB 284 (Jackson): requires CDHS to establish toxic mold surveillance and monitoring program.
· SB 732 (Ortiz): adds presence of mold to substandard housing code, charges CHDS and Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment to develop permissible exposure limits for indoor mold, requires disclosure of mold presence for real estate transactions and property leases, provides authority for local health or housing officials to require remediation of mold contamination in rental buildings, charges CDHS to develop standards for investigation and remediation of indoor molds and to develop criteria for certification or licensing of those who investigate or remediate moldy buidlings.
Presentations:
· Sandy McNeel, representing the California Department of Health Services (CDHS), provided testimony to the state senate Committee on Health and Human Services at an informational hearing on the “public health effects of toxic mold”. Although there were major time constraints for all speakers, committee members heard testimony from a wide range of stakeholders. These included individuals experiencing health effects associated with fungal contamination of their homes or workplaces, public health officials, physicians with differing perspectives on the role of indoor fungi on human health, and representatives from legal, building, property management, real estate, insurance and multifamily housing groups. Major public health messages were: fungal growth inside buildings can be a health hazard and should not be tolerated; “toxic” molds are not the only cause for health concern in mold contaminated buildings.
· Staff discussed indoor fungi and health effects at the U.S. E.P.A.-sponsored Asthma and Allergen Control Conference (Oakland, Jan. 22), with the Los Angeles County Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (L.A., Feb. 7), and the Northern California branch of the Society for Risk Analysis (Berkeley, March 8).
-- Jed Waldman (JWaldman@dhs.ca.gov) http://www.cal‑iaq.org
BASE Study. The U.S. EPA is funding a contract for the IAQ staff to continue their review of data sets from the Building Assessment & Survey Evaluation (BASE) study of 100 buildings. Key efforts will be looking at the vast and complex data on bioaerosol measurements. A paper is being prepared on the prevalence of culturable airborne fungi, to be presented at the ASHRAE conference (IAQ 2001): Moisture, Microbes and Health Effects: Indoor Air Quality and Moisture in Buildings, November 4-7, 2001 in San Francisco. Contact: Kai-Shen Liu, KLiu@dhs.ca.gov.
Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) Study. Chamber experiments at LBNL are nearly completed. A number of experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of open plenum between the smoking and adjoining non-smoking rooms. The results of the door opening experiments prompted us to plan some experiments with sliding door and no door at all – not part of our original proposal. We anticipate conducting field experiments through mid or late summer. We have completed our survey of California local tobacco control jurisdictions and their restrictions smoking rooms. We are continuing to analyze the CTS survey data. Contact: Leon Alevantis, Lalevant@dhs.ca.gov.
Portable Classroom Study. See related note under ARB. In addtion, DHS staff are completing our survey enumerating the total numbers of classrooms and portable classrooms for each school site. We have data for approximately 95% of the districts. Our preliminary data indicate that in the 2000-01 school year, there were approximately 72,000 portable classrooms, out of a total of 230,000 classrooms. Approximately 45% of portables were reported as under 6 years old, and 28% as more than 15 years old. Contact: Jed Waldman, Jwaldman@dhs.ca.gov.
Sierra Radon Survey. We have retrieved radon monitors in Sierra households in January, after one year monitoring. Laboratory analyses are complete, and we are preparing to send out notification of results to volunteer households. About 3% of participating homes were found to have annual radon levels above 4 pCi/l. Contact: Feng Tsai, FTsai@dhs.ca.gov.
Conference
Presentations.
· Leon Alevantis attended the ASTM Subcommitte on Indoor Air in Phoenix where he was invited to talk about California’s sustainable efforts for building materials.
· Janet Macher presented at NCCSRA (Northern California Chapter of the Society for Risk Analysis), Spring Meeting, Indoor Air Quality Evaluations ¾ Bioaerosols, “Prevalence of Fungi in the Buildings in the USEPA Building Assessment Survey and Evaluation (BASE) Study”
National Committee Work.
· Janet Macher attended the NAS Committee on Air Quality in Cabins of Commercial Air Craft meeting in San Francisco in February, including a visit to United Airlines maintenance center at Oakland airport.
· Leon Alevantis was nominated for a four-year appointment to the ASHRAE 62 committee on ventilation. The vote process for new members will take place at the next ASHRAE meeting in June.
-- Liz Katz (Ekatz@dhs.ca.gov) http://www.dhs.ca.gov/ohb
American Lung Association "Clean Air
Award" to OHB Physician. Dr. Robert Harrison will receive the Clean
Air award from the Bay Area Chapter of the ALA, in recognition of his work on occupational
asthma prevention. Dr. Harrison is Chief of the Occupational Health
Surveillance and Evaluation Program (OHSEP) in the Occupational Health Branch.
Molds in Indoor Workplaces fact sheet now
available. This new HESIS fact sheet is designed for
workers and employers, and explains the health effects of mold exposure, how to
recognize mold problems in workplaces, and what to do. Available by phone request (510) 622-4328
and on the OHB/HESIS website (at http://www.dhs.ca.gov/ohb/HESIS/molds.pdf).
http://www.dhs.cahwnet.gov/ps/ddwem/environmental/radon/radon.htm
-- Richard Blood (Rblood@dhs.ca.gov)
Radon Monitors Free to the Public. The Radon Program has acquired 3500 radon test kits (activated charcoal) to distribute to residents throughout the state; special focus is aimed at areas where data are deficient. Residents will determine with short-term average concentrations in their home, and the laboratory will provide DHS with the concentration and zip code for each kit analyzed.
Providers of Radon Services. The State of California requires individuals or company’s providing radon services to be certified. Individuals and companies certified to provide radon services in California obtain their certification from one of two professional organizations, the National Radon Safety Board (NRSB) or the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA). Links to these organizations are given on the web site above. The DHS distributes lists of providers of radon services in three board categories: testers, mitigators, and laboratories, for ease of use. These lists are also available via the internet or from Richard Blood, (916) 324-2208.
-- Joanne Wellman-Benson (JWellman@dhs.ca.gov)
National ETS Conference in San Diego. TCS will be hosting a national ETS (environmental tobacco smoke) conference in San Diego at the San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina on May 30-31, 2001. National experts on ETS policy and science will be presenting updated information such as health effects, ventilation, and outdoor tobacco smoke. Participants will have an opportunity to attend breakout sessions on everything from developing ETS campaigns in rural settings to legal tools to enhance compliance with ETS laws. For more information, contact Joanne Wellman-Benson, (916) 445-3737 or JWellman@dhs.ca.gov.
Public Attitudes Toward Smoke-Free Environments. A statewide Field Poll was recently conducted of Californians’ attitudes toward smoke-free environments. Attitudes regarding smoke-free areas within playgrounds, building doorways, patio dining areas, outdoor entertainment venues, casinos, apartment common areas, a percentage of rental units, hospital grounds, campus housing, nursing homes, and hotel common areas were asked of 1700 adults. The results of the Poll will be released shortly.
Current Legislation. Assembly Bill (AB) 188, introduced in 2001 by Vargas, would prohibit smoking within 50 feet of tot lots in playgrounds. It would also prohibit the disposal of any tobacco-related product including cigarettes, cigarette butts, and cigar butts within 50 feet of tot lot sandbox areas. The intent of the bill is to reduce secondhand smoke exposure to children, as well as to eliminate ingestion of tobacco waste by children. Information is available on-line at http://www.leginfo.ca.gov.
- Bob Nakamura
(bnakamura@hq.dir.ca.gov) http://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/
Airborne Contaminants (§8CCR
5155). Cal/OSHA is preparing to review
more changes proposed the ACGIH.
-- Kathy Frevert: kfrevert@ciwmb.ca.gov
The California Integrated Waste Management Board posts information on Green Building Design and Construction at its web site: http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/GreenBuilding/. New information on green construction materials from several building projects is outlined using the Construction Specification Institute (CSI) MasterFormat, and data have been put into a matrix outlining the recycled content percentage adopted on each project and identifying numerous environmental attributes and information on availability. This information can be found at: http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/GreenBuilding/Materials/Review.htm. This document is being continually updated; if you have information to contribute, please send it electronically to Dana Papke, dpapke@ciwmb.ca.gov.
-- Gary Lynch (gary.lynch@ci.sj.ca.us)
Last summer, the City of San José adopted a Building Division Policy on Wood Burning Appliances (http://www.ci.san-jose.ca.us/building/Other/WoodPolicy.pdf). It refers to the ordinance passed by the City Council which bans woodburning fireplaces, and was based on model code developed by the South Coast Air Quality Management District. The San Jose ordinance can be found on-line at http://www.ci.san-jose.ca.us/building/Other/Ordinance.pdf. The California Hearths and Home industry group is suing both San Jose and Palo Alto, which passed a similar ban earlier last year, because “a ban on new wood-burning fireplaces denies manufacturers the opportunity to meet air emission standards.” Gary is the City’s Environmental Compliance Manager.
--Jan Stensland-Patton (Jan@JSPattoncom) http://www.greenresourcecenter.org/
The GRC is a project of the northern California chapter of Architects/Designers/ Planners for Social Responsibility (ADPSR), http://www.adpsr-norcal.org. GRC was recently awarded a contract with Alameda County Waste Management Authority (ACWMA) for a pilot project on public information. ACWMA is preparing the release of Green Building Remodeling Guidelines in May, and GRC will be formulating answers to FAQ's and fact sheets in support of the roll-out. These fact sheets will also contain IAQ related information about materials.
-- Mike Apte (MGApte@lbl.gov) http://eetd.lbl.gov/iep/iep.html
High Performance Relocatable Classrooms. As
part of a PIER Program Project, Mike Apte is directing research on developing
and testing a concept for high-performance relocatable classrooms (RCs). They will evaluate the benefits of a novel
building ventilation system and of construction materials that emit fewer
indoor pollutants. One project will
test a high-performance ventilation and air conditioning system, the
Indirect-Direct Evaporative Cooler (IDEC), suitable for warm dry climate zones
of California. In these climates, IDEC offers potential cooling energy savings
of about 70 percent compared to the standard 10 -SEER air conditioner used in
RCs. In addition to energy savings, the IDEC provides a continuous flow of
outside air, which will improve the indoor air quality. Information is available on-line at http://buildings.lbl.gov/cec/project6-ieq/frame_ieq.html.
SB 25. OEHHA is releasing a draft document, Prioritization of Toxic Air Contaminants - Children's Environmental Health Protection Act, to solicit public comments. This draft document has been developed by OEHHA for use in implementing SB 25, the Children's Environmental Health Protection Act. OEHHA is required to develop by July 1, 2001 a list of up to five chemicals identified as Toxic Air Contaminants that may cause infants and children to be especially susceptible to illness. The draft document includes a) description of the prioritization process, b) summaries for chemicals (acrolein; benzene; diesel exhaust particulate matter; polychlorinated dioxins, furans, and biphenyls; formaldehyde; glycol ethers; lead; mercury; PAHs; and vinyl chloride) considered priority candidates for the list. This document will also undergo review by the state's Scientific Review Panel on Toxic Contaminants. You can find it on-line at http://www.oehha.ca.gov/air/toxic_contaminants/CRNR_TAC%20prioritization.html.
East Bay Children's Respiratory Health Study. This is a cross-sectional study of school aged children and examines the relationship between respiratory health and exposure to traffic-related air pollutants. Ten schools in a Northern California area based on their proximity to major roadways and estimation of density were selected. Approximately 1500 third and fourth graders have been invited to participate. The child's respiratory health and his/her home environment will be assessed through parental responses (questionnaire). At each school the average concentrations of outdoor pollutants such as PM2.5, PM10, nitrogen oxides, ozone, and CO, will be measured. The contact person is Janice Kim, Jkim@oehha.ca.gov.
Proximity of California Public Schools to Busy Roads. This is a statewide study using the CA Department of Education database and GIS methods to geocode the schools and their proximity to busy roads. The contact person is Janice Kim, Jkim@oehha.ca.gov.
School Sites Health Risk Assessment. This study identifies chemical contaminants commonly found at school sites and are of concern based on child-specific exposures and physiological sensitivities. The study will publish guidance for use by DTSC and other agencies to assess exposures and health risks at existing and proposed school sites. The contact person is Jim Carlisle, Jcarlisle@oehha.ca.gov.
Green Building Taskforce. OEHHA is a member of the taskforce and has worked with other members of the group on the document Building California's Sustainable Future - A Blueprint for State Facilities. This document has been approved by the Secretary of State and Consumers Services Agency, and the draft document is being sent to other s