1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

According to the EPA, most people in the US spend about 90% of their time indoors. And studies have shown that sometimes, the air we breathe indoors can be 2-5 times—and occasionally up to 100 times—more polluted than outdoor air. Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) is one of the top environmental risks to public health, responsible for over 3 million deaths globally each year. Here in the US, the Clean Air Act has led to significant improvements in outdoor air quality in the past few decades, but no similar law exists for indoor air quality. Children are especially vulnerable to poor IAQ, largely due to their still-developing respiratory systems. I want children and families across the country to have access to clean air in all the spaces in which they live, work, and play: that’s why I’m writing to ask you to support the bipartisan Indoor Air Quality and Healthy Schools Act (H.R. 9131). Introduced by Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), this bill would ensure that EPA has the authority and resources needed to protect the public from unhealthy indoor air. The bill would update, expand, and codify the work of EPA’s Indoor Environments Division; require EPA to establish and regularly update a list of significant indoor contaminants and develop health-based, voluntary guidelines to reduce the public’s risk of exposure to these contaminants; direct EPA to develop or recognize voluntary certifications for buildings to minimize risks from indoor air pollutants; and establish a regularly updated national assessment of IAQ in schools and childcare facilities, as well as supporting the development of technical assistance, guidelines, and best practices to improve the indoor air conditions in these facilities. Please consider adding your support to this important legislation. Thanks!