P 03 Highlights of Network News and Events ndoor Environments 'Network (JEN) ,, f x :January-"March, 2003 I AROUND THE NETWORK: National Radon Action Month—January 2003 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designated January as National Radon Action Month (NRAM). Through various events and outreach campaigns, this month-long promotion will focus on promoting the public's awareness about radon gas—including the testing for and mitigating of this dangerous gas; Volunteers, health advocates, media, local government officials, health professionals, and many others like you are the driving force in getting the message out to the public about the dangers of indoor radon gas. Make January a key part of your promotions this year. Activities can range from writing a letter or press release to conducting an event or planning an outreach campaign on radon awareness. To get started or enhance your current efforts, visit the EPA Web site at www.epa.gov/iag/radon. We hope your National Radon Action Month activity will be a success. If EPA can be of assistance, please call 202-564-9338 or e-mail keller.iennifer@epa.gov. National Radon Poster Contest On December 4, 2002, a distinguished panel of judges met in Washington, D.C., to select the winning poster for the National Radon Poster Contest. Jointly sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. EPA, the contest was open to students in grades four through eight nationwide. Judged first at the local level, representatives from the U.S. Public Health Service, EPA, and USDA then judged each state winner to determine the national winner. EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman will present the award to the winner at a ceremony scheduled for January 2003. Customizable Templates for the "Take the Smoke-free Home Pledge" Initiative Across the nation, numerous partners and grassroots organizations have been successful in actively promoting the Take the Smoke-free Home Pledge initiative through conferences, health fairs, and other events. To help with those efforts, EPA's Indoor Environments Division has developed customizable electronic templates in the new Smoke-free Home,.Pledge: Planning Guide for Events. '•".:.,. United States Environmental Protection Agency ; Indoor Environments Division Office of Air and Radiation Washington, DC 20460 ------- IEN Quarterly Page Two January-March, 2003 Customizable Templates for the "Take the Smoke-free Home Pledge" Initiative—Continued from page 1 Ml«»J»«>««««fc«»tf •*«E»»'l^«^'lJlTA The Planning Guide includes: • Pledge Sign: Offered in a black/white and a four-color version. This one-page sign fits standard 8.5 x 11 acrylic sign holders and can be customized by adding your own logo. • Mini pledge cards: Each sheet can be cut in half so that each person has an individual certificate to fill out. Add customized graphics, logo, and text to these pledge cards. • Pledge Tracking List: A quick, easy, and customizable way to capture pledges in a basic table format, enabling you to send follow-up materials and track results. • Event Log: A simple form to help you document your event details, such as event name, when and where it took place, and the total number of pledges obtained. This new Planning Guide also provides suggestions for in-person pledge drives, details on how to get your'pledges counted in the national initiative, and contact information if you have questions on how to get started. For more information, contact Lou Witt atwitt.lou@epa.gov (202-564-9051) or Shamus Goss at goss.shamus@epa.gov (202-564-6338). 2002IAQ Tools for Schools Symposium Breaks Record Nearly 500 people attended the three-day national Symposium on IAQ Tools for Schools, held August 8-10 in Washington, D.C. Sessions covered IAQ basics, advanced IAQ TfS implementation, asthma, facilities maintenance, integrated pest management, and many other issues related to environmental health in school buildings. At the accompanying awards ceremony, twenty-one schools or school districts received Excellence or Special Achievement Awards. Jnited States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Air and Radiation Indoor Environments Division Washington, DC 20460 ------- IEN Quarterly January-March, 2003 Page Three ''' -? ?;•£ I •• 2002IAQ Tools for Schools Symposium Breaks Record—Continued from page 2 Presentation slides delivered at the Symposium aresnbw available on VnelAQ TfS Web site http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/index.html. ; The next Symposium is tentatively scheduled for October 26-28, 2003. In addition, National Excellence Award applications will be due in the late spring of 2003. Look for additional information on the Web site. Great Start and Leadership IAQ TfS Awards now available The Great Start and Leadership Awards applications for IAQ TfS are now available. The Great Start Award recognizes schools or school districts newly committed to IAQ TfS, while the Leadership Award goes to schools or school districts in the process of implementing the program. Applications for these two categories of awards are accepted and awarded on an ongoing basis. Competition for the prestigious Excellence Award is conducted annually. Applications are due in late spring for the 2003 award cycle. For information on criteria and applications, check the />AQ TfS Web site http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/tfsawards.html. IAQ TfS a Highlight on Capitol Hill On October 1, 2002, EPA testified at a hearing on healthy schools held by Senator James Jeffords of Vermont. Ramona Trovato, Deputy Assistant Administrator of the Agency's Office of Environmental Information and formerly the Director of the Office of Children's Health Protection, covered topics on children's health and healthy schools. She highlighted the agency's voluntary IAQ TfS program, which was commended by the Senators attending the hearing. To read her testimony, link to http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/index.html. EPA's New Web Portal for Schools Now Open To help schools access the information they need from EPA on environmental programs, the agency launched the Healthy School Environments Web Portal. This new site will help facility managers, school administrators, architects, design engineers, school nurses, parents, teachers, and staff address environmental health issues in schools. While the information is primarily devoted to the environment of school facilities, educational resources for students and teachers are also available. The Healthy School Environments Web Portal includes resources that other Federal agencies, state and local governments, and non-governmental organizations have developed. Visitors can browse resources by topic, geographic area, or find specific information by key word search. Visit http://www.epa.gov/schools. Reach Your Audience with the ETS Booth The EPA Environmental Tobacco Smoke Team invites you to use the Secondhand Smoke Booth for your upcoming professional conferences, local community fairs,'and'other events. The 8' by 10' booth features four infants playing with blocks and focuses on the increased health risks United States Environmental Protection Agency ! Indoor Environments Division Office of Air and Radiation Washington, DC 20460 ------- IEN Quarterly Page Four Reach Your Audience with the ETS Booth— Continued from page 3 associated with children's exposure to ETS. Potential target audiences include: parents, health professionals parent organizations, asthma partners, and the public. The booth consists of four modular panels that are easy to assemble. (Unfortunately, it cannot be customized.) EPA may pay for shipping to and from your desired destination. For more information, contact Lou Witt at 202-564-9051 or witt.lou@epa.gov. IAQ PUBLICATIONS AND PRODUCTS: January-March, 2003 Booth's Key Message: It strikes hardest at home - Children's exposure to secondhand smoke causes increased health risks, including pneumonia, bronchitis, ear problems, worsened asthma, and respiratory irritations. A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home EPA produced a new mold document targeted to residential audiences. The guide covers such topics as: Why is mold growing in my home, how do I get rid of mold, and mold prevention and control tips. The document is available in HTML and PDF (downloadable form) from the EPA's Web site (http://www.epa.gov/iaq/molds/moldguide.html). or in hard copy from the IAQ clearinghouse at 1 -800-438-4318. IAQ Design Tools for Schools ' EPA is working to finalize the new Web site on new-school construction that is good for indoor air quality. Entitled IAQ Design Tools for Schools, this guidance compiles the best information currently available on planning, siting, constructing, and commissioning healthy new-school buildings. It should go live sometime this winter, and you will be able to link from the IAQ TfS Web site (http://www.epa.gov/iag/schools/index.html). New Collateral for Smoke-free Homes Outreach Updated "Take the Smoke-free Pledge" Magnets and Decals are now available by placing orders through TV Access. You can order by. phone at 1 -800-944-9134, by fax 866-790-3348, or by e-mail at tvaccess@ameritech.net (For additional information on these publications, visit htto://www. eoa. aov/iaa/radon/pubs/index. html. To order any of the products mentioned in this publication, call 1-800-IAQ-INFO.) Lou Witt U.S. EPA Program Analyst Partner Network- Support Coordinator Voice: 302-564-9051 Fax: 202-565-207.1 United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Air and Radiation Indoor Environments Division Washington, DC 20460 i ------- |