House Bill Would ID & Address IAQ in Fed Buildings

WASHINGTON, DC – In the wake of dangerously poor air quality in the Northeast from wildfires in Canada last month, a bipartisan House bill was introduced to identify and address air quality and ventilation problems across federal buildings.

Recently, wildfire smoke pushed the D.C. region into Code Purple conditions, meaning the air was considered very unhealthy for everyone.

The legislation directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a comprehensive review of indoor air quality, ventilation, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system performance across federal buildings and facilities.

“The dangerous air quality was a stark reminder that clean indoor air is essential to protecting public health,” said Congressman James R. Walkinshaw (D-VA), a co-sponsor of the bill. “Federal employees should never have to risk their health by showing up to work, yet General Services Administration’s own watchdog has identified persistent ventilation problems in federal buildings. Our bipartisan bill will uncover these deficiencies and require agencies to develop concrete plans to fix them.”

The bipartisan Federal Facilities Indoor Air Quality Assessment Act, innovative and long overdue legislation, was introduced by Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-VA) and three longtime champions for safe and healthy indoor air quality, Reps. Paul Tonko (D-NY), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), and Don Beyer (D-VA).

While many public officials are speaking out now due to the hazardous smoke covering many states in our nation, these four Members of Congress have advocated for assessing HVAC deficiencies and remediating indoor air quality dangers for many years at the local, state and federal levels, especially in schools, military facilities and all types of public buildings.

“The federal government should lead by example when it comes to protecting the health and safety of its workforce,” said Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA). “The men and women who serve the American people should never be placed at risk by preventable failures in the buildings where they work. This bipartisan bill will identify those failures, demand corrective action, and ensure our federal facilities meet the standard our public servants deserve.”

In recent weeks, communities across the Northeast have experienced the public health harms that stem from unsafe air quality, said Congressman Paul Tonko, a New York democrat. “We know that poor air quality can lead to negative health impacts in both the short and long term. But for too many Americans, poor ventilation and filtration in our buildings mean that even spending time indoors does not offer adequate protection.

“Our government must do more to address indoor air quality, and we can start by improving ventilation and filtration in federal facilities across the nation. That’s why I’m proud to support the Federal Facilities Indoor Air Quality Assessment Act, a bipartisan bill that will help our government lead by example and ensure that our hardworking federal employees have a safe, healthy environment in which to work on behalf of the American people.”

“The Federal Facilities Indoor Air Quality Assessment Act is a vital legislative effort to assess the federal building portfolio and then move quickly to better protect the health and well-being of America’s public employees,” said Stan Kolbe, Executive Director for Government and Political Affairs, Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA).

“This legislation just makes sense — for SMART sheet metal workers, government employees and Americans nationwide. We thank Rep. Walkinshaw for introducing this act, and we urge every pro-worker member of Congress to add their support.”

“Ensuring that federal buildings provide healthy indoor environments is essential to protecting occupant health and supporting productivity," said Sarah E. Maston, P.E., BCxP, LEED AP BD+C, President, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). "A comprehensive review of indoor air quality across the federal building portfolio will provide valuable information about how these facilities perform against nationally recognized indoor air quality standards and where improvements may be needed. This legislation demonstrates a commitment to improving the spaces where millions of federal employees and visitors live, work, and conduct business.”

For more, go to https://walkinshaw.house.gov/uploadedfiles/indoor_air_quality.pdf.