NADCA Joins EEF's - EPA Advisory Group on IAQ Management

 May 10, 2005 —

GILBERT, AZ — The National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA), the HVAC system cleaning industry's largest trade association, announced its participation as a member of the Advisory Group convened by the Environmental Education Foundation (EEF) under a contract from the Environmental Protection Agency - US EPAs headquarters. The non-profit Environmental Education Foundation (EEF) is the world's largest environmental charity focusing on environmental, health and safety issues, with 5500 members worldwide.

The purpose of the contract according to David Mudarri, Ph.D., Indoor Environments Division of the Environmental Protection Agency, "(is) to promote EPA's indoor air quality guidance and encourage its use as the basis for managing indoor environmental quality risks."

According to John Schulte, Executive Director of NADCA, "Because of the Environmental Education Foundation's recognition from the insurance and lending communities for their water intrusion and mold management program, they have now been contracted by the EPA to expand this program to include additional IAQ related items. This expanded program includes the use of the EPA's IAQ Building Education and Assessment Model (I-BEAM) software as an anchor for a total IAQ management program. NADCA has worked with the EEF and other industry partners to refine, rework and promote EPA's IAQ Guidelines to establish best IAQ practices and facilitate implementation of those practices by stakeholders, including insurance companies, financial institutions, and facilities in general. NADCA has assisted with the process by being a resource for HVAC-related IAQ issues, document review, two-way communication and industry/marketing outreach."

"This is an industry-changing initiative," says EEF Executive Director Troy E. Johnson. "With its' adoption by a myriad of industry partners, this is now the standard for managing indoor air quality in commercial and multifamily residential buildings. We are pleased at the contributions and support the NADCA has given to this effort." Johnson continued, "We looked to NADCA for guidance and recommendations on the full range of industry issues that assisted the EEF in evaluation and refinement of the EPA's I-BEAM software, EPA's draft IAQ Green Building Guidance, and the EEF's Operations & Maintenance Plan and Training Module, EEF believes NADCA provided the unique ability to provide input and create awareness and credibility for EPA IAQ Guidelines and the EEF O&M Plan within the HVAC industry."

"NADCA recommends that all facilities have an effective IAQ Operations and Maintenance plan in place," said Schulte. "We strongly believe in fostering education and promoting widespread adoption of IAQ best practices within the HVAC industry and beyond, and look forward to continuing our work with the EEF in its efforts to further develop and disseminate practical guidelines and implementation strategies."

The overall purpose of this contract is to expand on what the EEF has accomplished to date by including more of the major players in the HVAC, building design/construction and property management industry, with a focus on major insurance and financial institutions, to gain a wider acceptance of the EEF program, including the EPA's I-Beam software and certain other EPA indoor environmental quality guidance, and to use this guidance as a basis for managing indoor environmental quality risks while protecting public health and lowering the risk associated with indoor pollution underwriting, as well as for asset-protection purposes.

NADCA joins ARCS Commercial Mortgage Co. L.P., the Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO), Cleaning Management Institute (CMI), EMSL Analytical, Environmental Risk Resources Association, Building Owners & Managers (BOMA), Environmental Hazards Management Institute (EHMI), Environmental Monitoring Systems (EMS), HUD-Healthy Home Division, The National Indoor Air Quality Institute, Partnership for Environmental Technology Education (PETE), PNC Multi-family Capital, The Air & Waste Management Association, Hixson Architectural, IQAir, Pest Management Institute, Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum, Inc. (HOK), The Naturalist Network and other organizations that support IAQ best practices, in working with the EEF's EPA IAQ Advisory Group.

Original Source and entire Story By Environmental Education Foundation

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Assessment and Remediation