Indoor Air Quality Act of 1991 - Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a national research, development, and demonstration program to ensure the quality of indoor air and to coordinate and accelerate efforts related to the causes, detection, and correction of contaminated air.
Authorizes the Administrator to assist technology demonstration projects which reduce exposure to indoor air contaminants, provided certain conditions are met. Limits Federal funding for such projects to 75 percent of the total costs.
Directs the Administrator to consider indoor human exposure to contaminants when developing air quality standards and emissions standards for hazardous air pollutants under the Clean Air Act.
Requires the Administrator to: (1) conduct a national assessment to survey the seriousness and extent of indoor air contamination in buildings owned by local educational agencies and child care facilities; and (2) establish an advisory group of interested parties to provide guidance and direction in developing such assessment.
Directs the Administrator to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) for the Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology to study and report to the Congress on chemical sensitivity disorders.
Requires the Administrator to enter into an agreement with the NAS for the Institute of Medicine to study indoor allergens.
Directs the Administrator to study and report to the Congress on the sources of lead exposure for children with blood lead levels greater than 10 micrograms per deciliter.
Requires the Administrator and the Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to conduct research on indoor air quality in nonresidential, nonindustrial buildings that comply with generally accepted principles of design, maintenance, and operation of ventilation, filtration, and other building systems.
Directs the Administrator to publish bulletins providing an assessment of technologies and management practices for the control and measurement of indoor air contaminants.
Requires the Director to develop a model indoor air quality training course to provide training in ventilation system operation and maintenance and in identifying and reducing indoor air contaminant exposures. Authorizes the Director to establish a fee for such training.
Requires the Administrator to publish health advisories on indoor air contaminants that are known to occur at concentrations which may have adverse human health effects. Provides for the revision of advisories at least every five years. Requires a technology and management practice bulletin to be published concurrently with each advisory addressing a specific contaminant.
Directs the Administrator to publish a strategy for a national response to indoor air quality problems.
Requires the Administrator to conduct research on radon and radon progeny measurement methods and protocols. Directs the Administrator to issue guidance documents that: (1) provide information on the results of such research; and (2) describe model State radon measurement and mitigation.
Requires the Administrator to establish a mandatory program that requires: (1) products offered for sale, or devices used in connection with public services, for radon measurement to meet minimum performance criteria; and (2) operators of devices, or persons employing techniques, used in connection with public services for radon measurement to meet minimum proficiency levels. Directs the Administrator to establish user fees for persons seeking certification under such program. Provides for the deposit of such fees into a Radon Service Account.
Requires the national indoor air quality response strategy to evaluate: (1) the range and reliability of indoor air quality diagnostic and mitigation services; and (2) the range of knowledge and mastery of indoor air quality and energy efficiency techniques of ventilation system operators. Provides for the biennial update of such strategy.
Requires the Director to: (1) develop a program to evaluate indoor air contamination in Federal buildings; and (2) develop and disseminate to all Federal agencies a model indoor air quality remediation program. Directs Federal agencies responsible for Federal buildings to submit to the Director a specific remediation program for each building, with priority given to buildings based on the health threat and numbers of persons exposed. Requires the Director to review at least five percent of such programs and assess their ability to improve indoor air quality. Directs such agencies to implement systematic programs for the assessment of indoor air quality and the correction of conditions resulting in inadequate air quality.
Requires Federal agencies responsible for the design and construction of buildings for Federal occupancy to employ up-to-date design, commissioning, and operating practices for optimal indoor air quality and energy efficiency.
Directs persons entering into new leases or lease renewal contracts for Federal buildings to require building owners to demonstrate and guarantee that the building is operating at design specifications for the existing ventilation system and that all portions of the building are accessible for indoor air quality monitoring and evaluation. Provides that buildings that operate at current ventilation rate standards shall be given priority for leasing when available at competitive cost.
Requires Federal agencies to designate an Indoor Air Quality Coordinator for each Federal building. Directs Coordinators and their assistants to complete an indoor air training course.
Authorizes grants to: (1) States for the development and implementation of indoor air quality management strategies; and (2) States and local air pollution control agencies for air quality response programs. Sets forth grant limitations and selection criteria.
Directs the Administrator to establish the Office of Indoor Air Quality within the EPA Office of Air and Radiation. Establishes a Council on Indoor Air Quality to coordinate Federal indoor air quality activities and review and comment on the national indoor air response strategy.
Requires the Indoor Air Panel of the EPA Science Advisory Board to be expanded to include technical advisors with expertise in technologies and management practices for the control and measurement of indoor air contaminants.
Directs the Administrator to establish a national indoor air quality clearinghouse which shall operate a toll-free hotline on indoor air quality.
Requires the Director to implement a Building Assessment Demonstration Program to support the development of methods, techniques, and protocols for assessing indoor air contamination in non-residential, non-industrial buildings and to provide contamination reduction assistance and guidance to building owners and occupants. Sets forth building assessment report requirements.
Requires public or commercial buildings receiving permits for construction or renovation to maintain and operate a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system designed to provide a minimum of: (1) 20 cubic feet per minute of outdoor air per occupant to all occupied space in such building; and (2) 60 cubic feet per minute of outdoor air per smoking occupant to rooms where smoking is permitted. Prohibits exhaust air from a room where smoking is permitted from being returned to the general ventilation system. Sets forth recordkeeping requirements with respect to such systems. Directs the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to enforce compliance with such requirements. Prescribes civil and criminal penalties for violations of such requirements. Requires the Administrator to evaluate the need for additional standards related to the level of specific indoor air contaminants present in such buildings to supplement such requirements.
Directs the Administrator to issue regulations which: (1) establish standard methods for the measurement and description of indoor air contaminant emissions; (2) identify products that pose significant human health threats through such emissions; and (3) require products that do pose such a threat to be labeled or accompanied by written material informing consumers and commercial purchasers of the indoor air contaminant emissions rate of such products. Makes it unlawful to sell or import into the United States any product which: (1) does not have such a label or written material; or (2) has a label or material containing false information. Requires the Administrator to educate consumers and commercial purchasers about the labeling of such products.
Directs the Secretary of Labor to: (1) determine whether standards on workplace indoor air quality are necessary to protect the health and safety of employees; and (2) issue a final standard, as necessary.
Repeals the Radon Gas and Indoor Air Quality Research Act of 1986.
Authorizes appropriations.
HR 1066 SC2 102d CONGRESS dst Session H. R. 1066 To authorize a national program to reduce the threat to human health posed by exposure to contaminants in the air indoors. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 21, 1991 Mr. KENNEDY (for himself, Mr. ROE, Mr. BROWN, Mr. SCHEUER, Mr. MINETA, Mr. YATRON, Mr. GORDON, Mr. DEFAZIO, Ms. PELOSI, Mr. DWYER of New Jersey, Mr. ATKINS, Mr. OWENS of New York, Mr. OWENS of Utah, Mrs. MORELLA, Mr. ECKART, Mr. DELLUMS, Mr. JONTZ, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. PAYNE of New Jersey, Mr. TORRES, and Mr. WHEAT) introduced the following bill; which was referred jointly to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Science, Space, and Technology, and Education and Labor AUGUST 1, 1991 Additional sponsors: Mr. MARKEY, Mrs. COLLINS of Illinois, Mr. WEISS, Mr. YATES, Mr. BLAZ, Mr. EDWARDS of California, Mr. KLECZKA, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. WISE, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. EVANS, Ms. NORTON, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. JACOBS, Mr. STUDDS, Mr. BILBRAY, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. HAYES of Illinois, Mrs. UNSOELD, Mrs. COLLINS of Michigan, and Mr. MACHTLEY September 15, 1992 Additional sponsors: Mr. MORAN, Mr. DOWNEY, Mr. CLAY, and Mr. Hochbrueckner A BILL To authorize a national program to reduce the threat to human health posed by exposure to contaminants in the air indoors. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SHORT TITLE AND TABLE CONTENTS SECTION 1. (a) SHORT TITLE- This Act may be cited as the `Indoor Air Quality Act of 1991'. (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS- Sec. 1. Short title and table of contents. Sec. 2. Findings. Sec. 3. Purposes. Sec. 4. Definitions. Sec. 5. Indoor air quality research. Sec. 6. Management practices and ventilation standards. Sec. 7. Indoor air contaminant health advisories. Sec. 8. National indoor air quality response strategy. Sec. 9. Federal building evaluation and remediation program. Sec. 10. State and local indoor air quality programs. Sec. 11. Office of Indoor Air Quality. Sec. 12. Council on Indoor Air Quality. Sec. 13. Indoor air quality information clearinghouse. Sec. 14. Building assessment demonstration. Sec. 15. Ventilation standards for public and commercial buildings. Sec. 16. Contaminant emissions product labeling. Sec. 17. Relation to other law. Sec. 18. Authorizations for research and related activities. FINDINGS SEC. 2. The Congress finds that-- (1) Americans spend up to 90 percent of a day indoors and, as a result, have a significant potential for exposure to indoor air contaminants; (2) exposure to indoor air contaminants occurs in workplaces, schools, public buildings, and residences; (3) recent scientific studies indicate that contaminants in the indoor air include radon, asbestos, volatile organic chemicals (including formaldehyde and benzene), combustion byproducts (including carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides), metals and gases (including lead, chlorine, and ozone), respirable particles, environmental tobacco smoke, biological contaminants, microorganisms, and other contaminants; (4) a number of contaminants found in both ambient air and indoor air may occur at higher concentrations in indoor air than in outdoor air; (5) indoor air contaminants pose threats to public health (including cancer, respiratory illness, multiple chemical sensitivities, skin and eye irritation, and related effects); (6) a portion of the population of the United States may have heightened sensitivity to chemicals and related substances found in the air indoors; (7) radon and environmental tobacco smoke are among the most harmful indoor air contaminants, with radon estimated to cause between 8,000 and 40,000 lung cancer deaths each year and environmental tobacco smoke estimated to cause up to 50,000 deaths from heart disease and lung cancer each year; (8) other selected indoor air contaminants are estimated to cause between 3,500 and 6,500 additional cancer cases per year; (9) indoor air contamination is estimated to cause significant increases in medical costs and declines in work productivity; (10) as many as 20 percent of office workers may be exposed to environmental conditions manifested as `sick building syndrome'; (11) sources of indoor air contamination include conventional ambient air contamination sources, building materials, consumer and commercial products, combustion appliances, pesticides, and other sources; (12) exposure to indoor air contamination can be reduced through the proper design, operation, and maintenance of heating, ventilation, filtration, and air conditioning systems in buildings; (13) there is not an adequate effort by Federal agencies to conduct research on the seriousness and extent of indoor air contamination, to identify the health effects of indoor air contamination, and to develop control technologies, education programs, and other methods of reducing human exposure to such contamination; (14) there is not an adequate effort by Federal agencies to develop response plans to reduce human exposure to indoor air contaminants and there is a need for improved coordination of the activities of these agencies; (15) there is not an adequate effort by Federal agencies to develop methods, techniques, and protocols for assessment of indoor air contamination in nonresidential, nonindustrial buildings and to provide guidance on measures to respond to contamination; and (16) State governments can make significant contributions to the effective reduction of human exposure to indoor air contaminants and the Federal Government should assist States in development of programs to reduce exposures to these contaminants. PURPOSES SEC. 3. The purposes of this Act are to-- (1) develop and coordinate through the Environmental Protection Agency a comprehensive program of research and development to be carried out by the Environmental Protection Agency and other Federal agencies concerning the seriousness and extent of indoor air contamination, the human health effects of indoor air contaminants, and the technological and other methods of reducing human exposure to such contaminants; (2) establish a process whereby the existing authorities under Federal law will be directed and focused to ensure the full and effective application of these authorities to reduce human exposure to indoor air contaminants where appropriate; (3) provide support to State governments to demonstrate and develop air quality management strategies, assessments, and response programs; and (4) authorize activities to ensure the general coordination of indoor air quality-related activity, to provide for reports on indoor air quality to Congress, to provide for assessments of indoor air contamination in specific buildings by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, to ensure that data and information on indoor air quality issues is available to interested parties, to provide training, education, information, and technical assistance to the public and private sector, and for other purposes. DEFINITIONS SEC. 4. For the purposes of this Act, the term-- (1) `Agency' means the Environmental Protection Agency; (2) `indoor' refers to the enclosed portions of buildings including public buildings, Federal buildings, schools, commercial buildings, and residences; (3) `indoor air contaminant' means any chemical substance or biological organism, including combinations or mixtures of substances or organisms, known to occur in indoor air which have an adverse effect on human health; (4) `Federal agency' means any department, agency, or other instrumentality of the Federal Government, including any independent agency or establishment of the Federal Government or government corporation; (5) `Federal building' means any building or portion of a building which is used primarily as an office building, school, hospital, or residence that is owned, leased, or operated by any Federal agency and is over 10,000 square feet in area and any building occupied by congressional employees; (6) `Administrator' means to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency; (7) `Director' means the Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; (8) `local educational agency' has the meaning given such term in section 1471(12) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 2891(12)); and (9) `local air pollution control agency' means any city, county, or other local government authority charged with the responsibility for implementing programs or enforcing ordinances or laws relating to the prevention and control of air pollution including indoor air contamination. INDOOR AIR QUALITY RESEARCH SEC. 5. (a) AUTHORITY- (1) The Administrator shall, in cooperation with the National Institute of Standards and Technology and other appropriate Federal agencies, establish a national research, development, and demonstration program to ensure the quality of air indoors and as part of such program shall promote the coordination and acceleration of research, investigations, experiments, demonstrations, surveys, and studies relating to the causes, sources, effects, extent, prevention, detection, and correction of contamination of indoor air. If research undertaken pursuant to this subsection will primarily affect worker safety and health, the Administrator shall consult with the Assistant Secretary for Safety and Health and the Director. (2) In carrying out this section, the Administrator may-- (A) collect and make available to the public through publications and other appropriate means, the results of research, development, and demonstration activities conducted pursuant to this section; (B) conduct research, development, and demonstration activities and cooperate with other Federal agencies, State and local government entities, interstate and regional agencies, other public agencies and authorities, nonprofit institutions and organizations, and other persons in the preparation and conduct of such research, development, and demonstration activities; (C) make grants to the States or to local government entities, to other public agencies and authorities, to nonprofit institutions and organizations, and to other persons; (D) enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with public agencies and authorities, nonprofit institutions and organizations, and other persons; (E) conduct studies, including epidemiological studies, of the effects of indoor air contaminants on mortality and morbidity and clinical and laboratory studies on the immunologic, biochemical, physiological, and toxicological effects, including the carcinogenic, teratogenic, mutagenic, cardiovascular, and neurotoxic effects, of indoor air contaminants; (F) develop and disseminate informational documents on indoor air contaminants describing the nature and characteristics of such contaminants; (G) develop, in coordination with the National Institute of Standards and Technology, effective and practical processes, methods, reference materials, and techniques, traceable to national standards, for the prevention, detection, and correction of indoor air contamination; (H) coordinate with the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the private sector to encourage the development of innovative products and techniques to improve indoor air quality; (I) provide for facilities, staff, and equipment as may be necessary to carry out this section; (J) convene conferences concerning the contamination of indoor air; and (K) utilize, on a reimbursable basis, facilities and personnel of the National Institute of Standards and Technology and other existing Federal scientific laboratories and research centers. (b) PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS- The Administrator, in coordination with other appropriate Federal agencies, shall conduct, assist, or facilitate research, investigations, studies, surveys, or demonstrations, including-- (1) research, in consultation with the National Institute of Standards and Technology, to characterize and assess actual human exposure to indoor air contaminants and identify the principal sources of harmful exposure for indoor air contaminants; (2) research, in coordination with the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, the National Science Foundation, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, the National Toxicology Program, the Department of Energy, and other appropriate sources of expertise, for the purpose of addressing-- (A) the effects on human health of indoor air contaminants, including additive, cumulative, and synergistic effects on both healthy and sensitive populations; and (B) the identification of populations at increased risk of illness from exposure to indoor air contaminants, including specific attention to the extent and characteristics of exposure of children in schools and day care facilities to indoor air contamination; (3) research, in coordination with the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and other appropriate sources of expertise, for the purpose of developing-- (A) methods for predicting exposure to contaminants, including consideration of the spatial and temporal distribution of contaminants in indoor air as functions of site conditions, climate, the relative contribution of contaminants from outdoor sources, building materials and furnishings, building type, design features, use and management practices, and other factors affecting exposure to contaminants; (B) improved techniques and equipment for assessing human exposure to indoor air contaminants, including the demonstration and evaluation of techniques and equipment developed in the private sector, and dissemination of this information to the public; and (C) techniques for improving indoor air quality, including design measures, ventilation improvements, filters, removal or reduction of sources of contamination, and operation practices; and (4) research, to be carried out in cooperation with the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and the Secretary of Energy, for the purpose of developing design measures to avoid indoor air contamination. (c) TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM- (1) The Administrator may enter into cooperative agreements or contracts, or provide financial assistance in the form of grants, to public agencies and authorities, nonprofit institutions and organizations, employee advocate organizations, local educational agencies, or other persons, to demonstrate practices, material, methods, technologies, or processes which reduce exposures to indoor air contaminants through improved ventilation design and construction practices, improved or novel ventilation maintenance equipment or techniques, and processes or materials that reduce sources of indoor air contamination. (2) The Administrator may assist demonstration activities under paragraph (1) of this subsection only if-- (A) such demonstration activity will serve to demonstrate the feasibility and cost effectiveness of a new, significantly improved, or unproven practice, material, method, technology, or process that reduces exposure to indoor air contaminants; (B) such demonstration activity will not duplicate other Federal, State, local, or commercial efforts to demonstrate such practice, material, method, technology, or process; (C) the demonstration of such practice, material, method, technology, or process will comply with all other Federal laws for the protection of human health, welfare, and the environment; and (D) in the case of a contract or cooperative agreement, such practice, material, method, technology, or process would not be adequately demonstrated by State, local, or private persons or in the case of an application for financial assistance by a grant, such practice, material, method, technology, or process is not likely to receive adequate financial assistance from other sources. (3) Within 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, and no less often than every 12 months thereafter, the Administrator shall publish a solicitation for proposals to demonstrate practices, material, methods, technologies, and processes which may be effective in reducing exposure to indoor air contaminants. (4) The Administrator shall select or refuse to select a project for demonstration under this subsection in an expeditious manner. In the case of a refusal to select a project, the Administrator shall notify the applicant of the reasons for the refusal. (5) Total Federal funds for any demonstration project under this section shall not exceed 75 percent of the total cost of such project. In cases where the Administrator determines that research under this section is of a basic nature which would not otherwise be undertaken, or the applicant is a local educational agency, the Administrator may approve grants under this section with a matching requirement other than that specified in this paragraph, including full Federal funding. (6) The Administrator shall, from time to time, publish general reports describing the findings of demonstration projects conducted pursuant to this section. Such reports shall be provided to the Indoor Air Quality Information Clearinghouse provided for in section 13 of this Act. (d) EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT- The Administrator shall, when appropriate, consider indoor human exposure to a contaminant in the development of ambient air quality standards under section 109 and national emissions standards for hazardous air pollutants under section 112 of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7409, 7412). (e) ASSESSMENT OF SCHOOLS AND CHILD CARE FACILITIES- (1) The Administrator shall conduct a national assessment to survey the seriousness and extent of indoor air contamination in buildings owned by local educational agencies and child care facilities. (2) The Administrator shall establish an advisory group made up of representatives of school administrators, unions, teachers, child care organizations, parents, service employees, and other interested parties to provide guidance and direction in the development of the national assessment. (3) The Administrator shall provide a report to Congress of the results of the national assessment not later than two years after the date of enactment of this Act. The report required by this paragraph shall provide such recommendations for activities or programs to reduce and avoid indoor air contamination in buildings owned by local educational agencies and in child care facilities as the Administrator determines to be appropriate. (f) REPORT TO CONGRESS- The Administrator shall enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences for the Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology to conduct a study to review and assess issues related to chemical sensitivity disorders. The assessment should include identification of data gaps and a proposed research agenda that would significantly narrow critical gaps in the data base. The Indoor Air Panel of the Environmental Protection Agency Science Advisory Board shall review and comment on the report before submittal to the Congress, and any such comments shall be transmitted to Congress in conjunction with the report. (g) INDOOR ALLERGEN STUDY- The Administrator shall enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences for the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a study on indoor allergens that will characterize what is known about effects of allergens on human health, determine the extent of the problem nationally, define commonly affected population groups, and identify specific positive agents. (h) LEAD EXPOSURE IN CHILDREN- The Administrator shall conduct a long-term research study to establish the sources of lead exposure for children with blood lead levels greater than 10 micrograms per deciliter. Such research shall seek to establish the relative contributions to lead body burden from drinking water, food, lead-based paint and dust from lead-based paint, air, soil, and other sources. The Administrator shall submit an interim report on the results of such research to Congress within 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and shall submit a final report within 3 years after such date of enactment. (i) HEALTHY BUILDINGS BASELINE STUDY- The Administrator and the Director shall conduct research on indoor air quality in nonresidential, nonindustrial buildings that comply with generally accepted principles of proper design, maintenance, and operation of ventilation, filtration, and other building systems, including ASHRAE Standard 62-1989. The Administrator and the Director shall arrange for some or all of such research to be carried out by appropriate private individuals and firms and academic institutions. The study shall include the monitoring of biological contaminants, respirable particulate matter, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and other contaminants of interest. MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND VENTILATION STANDARDS SEC. 6. (a) TECHNOLOGIES AND MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND VENTILATION STANDARDS- (1) The Administrator, in coordination with the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Department of Energy, and other appropriate sources of expertise, shall publish bulletins providing an assessment of technologies and management practices for the control and measurement of contaminants in the air indoors. (2) Bulletins published pursuant to this subsection shall, at a minimum-- (A) describe the control or measurement technology or practice; (B) describe the effectiveness of the technology or practice in control or measurement of indoor air contaminants, including changes in exposure to contaminants that would result from the use of such technology or practice; and (C) assess the feasibility and the costs, including capital and operational costs, of application of the technology or practice in buildings of different types, sizes, ages, and designs. (3) The Administrator shall establish and utilize a standard format for presentation of the technology and management practice assessment bulletins. The format shall be designed to facilitate assessment of technologies or practices by interested parties, including homeowners and building owners and managers. (4) The Administrator shall, in cases where a bulletin published pursuant to this subsection addresses a specific contaminant, publish concurrently the health advisory required under section 7(a) for that contaminant. (5) In development of bulletins pursuant to this subsection, the Administrator shall provide for public review and shall consider public comment before publication of bulletins. Where the technology or management practice is expected to have significant implications for worker safety and health, the Administrator shall consult with the Director before seeking public review and comment. (6) Bulletins published pursuant to this subsection shall be provided to the Indoor Air Quality Information Clearinghouse provided for in section 13 of this Act and, to the extent practicable, shall be made available to architecture, design, and engineering firms, to building owners and managers, and to organizations representing such parties. (b) MODEL BUILDING MANAGEMENT PRACTICES TRAINING- (1) Within 12 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director, in coordination with the Administrator, the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and in consultation with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and other appropriate sources of expertise, shall develop a model indoor air quality training course providing training in-- (A) principles, methods, and techniques related to ventilation system operation and maintenance including applicable ventilation guidelines and standards; (B) maintenance of records concerning indoor air quality, including maintenance of ventilation systems, complaints of indoor air quality, and actions taken to address indoor air quality problems; (C) potential health threats posed by indoor air contaminants, including a knowledge of health advisories published pursuant to this Act and other pertinent information concerning contaminant levels; (D) identification of potential indoor air contaminant sources and options for reducing exposures to contaminants; (E) measures to reduce indoor air contaminant exposures in new buildings and in portions of buildings which have been renovated or substantially refurbished within the past 6 months; and (F) measures which may be necessary to reduce exposures to contaminants associated with pesticide applications, installation of products, furnishings, or equipment, and cleaning operations. (2) Within 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall provide, or contract for the provision of, training courses pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection sufficient, at a minimum, to ensure training on a schedule consistent with the requirements of section 9(h)(2). (3) The Director, or firms or organizations operating under contract with such Director, are authorized to establish a fee for training pursuant to this subsection. Fees shall be in an amount not to exceed the amount necessary to defray the costs of the training program. (4) The Director, in consultation with the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Administrator, shall prepare and submit a report to Congress within 4 years after the date of enactment of this Act assessing the training program pursuant to this subsection and making recommendations concerning the application of training requirements to classes and types of buildings not covered by this subsection. INDOOR AIR CONTAMINANT HEALTH ADVISORIES SEC. 7. (a) INDOOR AIR CONTAMINANT HEALTH ADVISORIES- (1) The Administrator shall publish advisory materials addressing the health effects of indoor air contaminants that are likely to occur indoors at concentrations which have adverse human health effects. Such advisory materials shall, at a minimum-- (A) describe the physical, chemical, biological, and radiological properties of the contaminant; (B) evaluate the adverse human health effects of exposure to various concentrations of contaminants; (C) describe any indoor air contaminant standards or related action levels established under Federal, State, local, or foreign law, including standards or levels suggested by appropriate domestic or international organizations; (D) include applicable available information on the risk to subpopulations which may have higher exposure levels than the average person or be especially sensitive to exposure to the contaminant; (E) characterize the likely sources of exposure, including the extent to which the contaminant, or a mixture of contaminants, is associated with a particular substance or material, and when the particular substance or material is a consumer product, that portion of the advisory shall be prepared in coordination with the Consumer Product Safety Commission; (F) when applicable, describe the relative contribution of ambient sources of the contaminant; (G) refer to any technology and management practice assessment bulletin published under section 6(a) which is applicable to the contaminant; and (H) include relevant information generated under section 5(b)(1). (2) Health advisories published pursuant to this subsection shall in no way limit or restrict the application of requirements or standards established under any other Federal law. (3) The Administrator shall establish and utilize a standard format of presentation of indoor air contaminant health advisories. The format shall be designed to facilitate public understanding of the range of risks from exposure to indoor air contaminants and shall include a summary of the research and information concerning the contaminant which is understandable to public health professionals and to those who lack training in toxicology. (4) The Administrator shall publish health advisories under this subsection as expeditiously as possible. The Administrator shall publish not less than six advisories within 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act and shall publish not less than an additional six advisories within 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act. (5) Health advisories shall be based on the most current substantial scientific evidence and related findings or information and shall be revised on a periodic basis but not less frequently than every five years. (6) In development and revision of health advisories pursuant to this subsection, the Administrator shall provide for public review and comment, including provision of notice in the Federal Register of the intent to publish a health advisory not less than 90 days before publication, and shall consider public comment before issuance of a health advisory. (b) CONCURRENCE OF PUBLICATION- The Administrator shall, in cases where a health advisory under subsection (a) addresses a specific contaminant, publish concurrently the bulletin required under section 6(a) for that contaminant. NATIONAL INDOOR AIR QUALITY RESPONSE STRATEGY SEC. 8. (a) AUTHORITY- (1) The Administrator shall, in coordination with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the Department of Energy, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and in consultation with appropriate Federal agencies, design and publish a strategy for a national response to indoor air quality problems. (2) The response strategy shall provide for implementation of a range of response actions that would result in the reduction of human exposure to indoor air contaminants. (b) EXISTING AUTHORITY- The Administrator, in coordination with the Director, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the Secretary of Energy, shall include in the strategy provided for in subsection (a) of this section a description of specific potential response actions based on existing statutory authorities provided in-- (1) the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.); (2) the Toxic Substances Control Act (15 U.S.C. 201 et seq.); (3) the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. 136 et seq.); (4) the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300 et seq.); (5) the authorities of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, with the concurrence of such Commission; (6) the authorities of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, with the concurrence of such Administration; and (7) other regulatory and related authorities provided under any other Federal statute. (c) SUPPORTING ACTIONS- The strategy provided for in subsection (a) of this section shall include a description of specific supporting actions including-- (1) programs to disseminate technical information to public health, design, and construction professionals concerning the risks of exposure to indoor air contaminants and methods and programs for reducing exposures to such contaminants, along with an indication of the cost and feasibility of such programs; (2) education programs for the general public concerning the health threats posed by indoor air contaminants and appropriate individual response actions, and a description of sampling methods and instruments that are inexpensive and easy to use by the general public; and (3) private and public sector options for providing technical assistance for State and local officials, private and professional firms, and labor organizations to address indoor air contamination topics including monitoring, analysis, mitigation, building management practices, ventilation, health effects, public information, and program design. (d) RADON MEASUREMENT PROFICIENCY- (1) RESEARCH- (A) The Administrator shall, in conjunction with other Federal agencies, conduct research to develop, test, and evaluate radon and radon progeny measurement methods and protocols. The purpose of such research shall be to assess the ability of those methods and protocols to accurately assess exposure to radon progeny. Such research shall include-- (i) conducting comparisons among radon and radon progeny measurement techniques, including techniques to measure attached and unattached radon progeny and the equilibrium of radon progeny to radon; (ii) developing measurement protocols for different building types under varying operating conditions; and (iii) comparing the exposures estimated by stationary monitors and protocols to those measured by personal monitors. (B) The Administrator shall develop and issue guidance documents that-- (i) provide information on the results of research conducted under subparagraph (A); and (ii) describe model State radon measurement and mitigation programs and include an evaluation of existing State programs and State controls that are designed to provide adequate assurance to the homeowner that radon measurements are accurate. (2) MANDATORY PROGRAM- (A) The Administrator shall establish a mandatory program requiring that-- (i) any product offered for sale, or device used in connection with a service offered to the public, for the measurement of radon meets minimum performance criteria; and (ii) any operator of a device, or person employing a technique, used in connection with a service offered to the public for the measurement of radon meets a minimum level of proficiency. Such program shall include procedures for ordering the recall of any product sold for the measurement of radon which does not meet minimum performance criteria under clause (i), for ordering the discontinuance of any service offered to the public for the measurement of radon which does not meet minimum performance criteria under clause (i), and establish adequate quality assurance requirements for each company offering radon measurement services to the public to follow. (2) USER FEE- The Administrator shall establish a schedule of user fees for persons seeking certification under the program established under paragraph (1), with the amount of such fees designed to cover the administrative costs to the Environmental Protection Agency for carrying out such program with respect to such persons. (3) USE OF FUNDS- Amounts received for user fees under paragraph (2) shall be deposited in a Radon Service Account established in the Treasury of the United States for use by the Administrator in carrying out the program established under paragraph (1). (e) EVALUATION OF DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES, MITIGATION SERVICES, AND VENTILATION SYSTEM OPERATORS- The Administrator, in coordination with the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and in consultation with other appropriate sources of expertise, shall include in the first strategy published pursuant to this section-- (1) an evaluation of the range and reliability of indoor air quality diagnostic services, which shall emphasize a review and analysis of options for oversight of indoor air quality diagnostic firms and practitioners, including the registration, licensing, and certification of such firms and practitioners; (2) an evaluation of the current range and reliability of indoor air contamination mitigation services, which shall emphasize a review and analysis of options for oversight of indoor air contamination mitigation firms and practitioners, including the registration, licensing, and certification of such firms and practitioners; and (3) an evaluation of the current range of knowledge and mastery of indoor air quality and energy efficiency techniques of ventilation system operators, which shall emphasize a review and analysis of current and improved training requirements for operators, and of options for oversight of system operators, including the registration, licensing, and certification of such firms and operators. (f) SCHEDULE- The response strategy provided for in subsection (a) shall be submitted to Congress within 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act and shall be updated biennially thereafter. (g) REVIEW- (1) The Administrator shall provide for public review and comment on the response strategy provided for in this section, including provision of notice in the Federal Register for public review and comment not less than 3 months before submission to the Congress. The Administrator shall include in the response strategy a summary of public comments. (2) The Administrator shall provide for the review and comment on the response strategy by the Council on Indoor Air Quality provided for under section 12 of this Act. The Administrator shall include in the response strategy a letter and any supporting materials providing the comments of the Council on Indoor Air Quality. (h) AUTHORITY OF ADMINISTRATOR- Nothing in this Act shall be construed to either expand or restrict the authority of the Administrator or any other Federal official to regulate indoor air contaminants or their sources. FEDERAL BUILDING EVALUATION AND REMEDIATION PROGRAM SEC. 9. (a) EVALUATION- The Director shall, in coordination with the Administrator and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and in consultation with other sources of appropriate expertise, develop within 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act a program to evaluate the nature and extent of indoor air contamination in Federal buildings. Such program shall include-- (1) compilation of the names of all Federal buildings with a listing by-- (A) number of equivalent full time employees in decreasing order; (B) the ratio of the total area of workspace to the number of equivalent full time employees in decreasing order; and (C) any other method relevant to addressing indoor air quality; (2) recommended methods for measuring indoor air contaminants at the concentrations that are routinely found in buildings; (3) recommended methods for determining the actual minimum amount of fresh air delivered per person; (4) a questionnaire and follow-up survey that is capable of determining the routine ventilation rates and the extent of indoor air contamination or related employee health effects in Federal buildings, with priority on the evaluation of those buildings in which the greatest number of Federal employees work; (5) a plan generated by the Administrator, to be carried out by the Office of Research and Development, to evaluate a minimum of 20 Federal buildings to assess and develop predictive models of actual human exposure to indoor air contamination; (6) the selection of a minimum of 10 Federal buildings to be used for demonstration of indoor air contamination mitigation strategies, and, in coordination with the Department of Energy, the selection of a minimum of 5 Federal buildings to be used for demonstration of energy efficiency technologies that improve indoor air quality; and (7) a list of those Federal buildings listed pursuant to paragraph (1) for which sufficient information exists to warrant an immediate follow up assessment of the building by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. (b) MODEL REMEDIATION PROGRAM- (1) In consultation with Federal agencies and representatives of Federal employees, the Director, in coordination with the Administrator and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and in consultation with other sources of appropriate expertise, shall develop and disseminate to all Federal agencies a model indoor air quality remediation program. Such program shall be completed within 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and shall include-- (A) a description and schedule of general remediation actions, including comprehensive building management practices, product purchase guidelines, air quality problem identification practices and methods, personnel training programs, and other actions that would reduce exposures of employees and the public to indoor air contaminants; (B) adaptations of the model to a minimum of 5 building subtypes or classes that are routinely used as Federal buildings; (C) plans for distribution of the model remediation program to all Federal agencies that occupy Federal buildings, and for the execution of an educational program to enhance the understanding and usefulness of the model remediation program to all Federal agencies that occupy Federal buildings; and (D) recommendations for regulations that establish a method and format for Federal employees and the public to file confidential comments and complaints concerning indoor air quality in Federal buildings. (2) Each Federal agency responsible for the operation of 1 or more Federal buildings shall, within 1 year after receipt of the model indoor air quality remediation program developed under paragraph (1), develop and submit to the Director a specific remediation program for each such building, with priority given to buildings based on the health threat of the contamination and numbers of persons exposed. The Director shall review not less than 5 percent of the specific remediation programs submitted under this paragraph, and assess their ability to adequately improve air quality in the specific Federal building. (c) SYSTEMATIC ASSESSMENT PROGRAM- (1) Each agency responsible for the operation of 1 or more Federal buildings shall, within 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, establish and implement a systematic program for the assessment of indoor air quality and the correction of conditions resulting in less than adequate indoor air quality. (2) Each such program shall include the method and format for confidential filing of comments and complaints concerning indoor air quality by workers and the public, developed as part of the model remediation program pursuant to subsection (b)(1)(D). (3) Each agency described in paragraph (1) shall submit a copy of the program established under paragraph (1) to the Director, and shall annually affirm to the Director that each of its buildings continues to be covered by that program. (d) REPORT TO CONGRESS- The Director shall submit to the Congress, within 30 months after the date of enactment of this Act, a report that includes-- (1) the results of the evaluation carried out under subsection (a); (2) a comparative assessment of each Federal agency's level of proficiency in preparing specific remediation programs submitted under subsection (b)(2), and their progress in improving indoor air quality; and (3) an evaluation of methods and technologies used to improve indoor air quality in Federal buildings, including the cost effectiveness and feasibility of more widespread use of such methods and technologies. The Council on Indoor Air Quality established under section 12 of this Act shall review and comment on the report, and such comments and any supporting materials shall be included in the report. (e) NEW FEDERAL BUILDINGS- (1) Each Federal agency responsible for the design and construction of a building for Federal occupancy shall employ up to date design, commissioning, and operating practices for optimal indoor air quality and energy efficiency, and an adequate portion of total building costs shall be used when necessary for the-- (A) development and implementation of general design principles intended to prevent contamination of indoor air; (B) design and construction of improved ventilation techniques or equipment; (C) development and implementation of product purchasing guidelines; (D) design and construction of contaminant detection and response systems; (E) development of building management guidelines and practices; and (F) training in building and systems operations for building management and maintenance personnel. (2) Upon completion of construction of each Federal building covered by this section, the head of the Federal agency responsible shall file with the Administrator, with the Clearinghouse established under section 13 of this Act, and with the Council established under section 12 of this Act, a report outlining the activities undertaken, including related funding levels, in carrying out paragraph (1). Such report shall be routinely amended to provide updated information on the short-term and long-term effectiveness of activities undertaken under this subsection, and any changes in practices or renovations that were necessary to improve on the results of activities undertaken under this subsection. (f) NEW AND RENEWED LEASES FOR FEDERAL BUILDINGS- Within 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the General Services Administration, the heads of Federal agencies, or any person entering into a new lease or a lease renewal contract for a Federal building, shall require the building owner to demonstrate and guarantee that the building is routinely operating at design specifications for the existing ventilation system, and guarantee that all portions of the building are accessible for indoor air quality monitoring and evaluation. When available at competitive cost, the leasing of buildings that operate at current ventilation rate standards shall be given priority. (g) NEW LEASES FOR FEDERAL BUILDINGS- Within 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the General Services Administration, the heads of Federal agencies, or any person entering into a lease contract for a Federal building shall require the building owner to demonstrate and guarantee that the building is routinely operating at design specifications for the existing ventilation system. When available at competitive cost, leasing of buildings that have been designed to operate at the current ventilation rate standards shall be given priority. (h) BUILDING VENTILATION AND MANAGEMENT TRAINING- (1) Within 12 months after the date of enactment of this Act the head of each Federal agency shall designate, or require that a lessee designate, an Indoor Air Quality Coordinator for each Federal building, with a minimum of one assistant to the Coordinator for each 1,000 employees. (2) Within 4 years after the date of enactment of this Act, each Indoor Air Quality Coordinator and assistant to a Coordinator shall complete the indoor air training course operated pursuant to section 6(b) of this Act. STATE AND LOCAL INDOOR AIR QUALITY PROGRAMS SEC. 10. (a) MANAGEMENT STRATEGY DEMONSTRATION- (1) The Governor of a State may apply to the Administrator for a grant to support the development and implementation of a management strategy with respect to indoor air quality within such State. (2) State indoor air quality management strategies shall-- (A) designate a lead agency and provide an institutional framework for protection of indoor air quality; (B) describe existing programs, controls, or related activities concerning indoor air quality within State agencies including regulations, educational programs, assessment programs, or other activities; (C) describe existing programs, controls, or related activities concerning indoor air quality of local and other sub-State agencies and ensure coordination among local, State, and Federal agencies involved in indoor air quality activities in the State; and (D) ensure coordination of indoor air quality programs with ambient air quality programs and related activities. (3) An evaluation of the strategies funded through a grant made under this subsection shall be provided to the Administrator within 3 years after receipt of the grant and shall include a certification that the strategy meets the requirements of this Act. (4) States shall provide for public review and comment on the management strategy before submission of such strategy to the Administrator. (b) RESPONSE PROGRAMS- (1) A Governor of a State or the executive officer of a local air pollution control agency may apply to the Administrator for grant assistance to develop a response program designed to reduce human exposure to an indoor air contaminant or contaminants in the State, or in a specific class or type of building in that State, or in a specific geographic area of that State. (2) A response program shall-- (A) establish methods to provide information concerning indoor air contamination to the public and to educate the public and interested groups, including building owners and design and engineering professionals, about indoor air contamination, mitigation, and prevention; (B) identify any data and information that is applicable to the indoor air contaminant, the ventilation system problem, the class or type of building, or the specific geographic area to be addressed; (C) describe and schedule specific actions to be taken to reduce human exposure to indoor air contamination, including changes in building maintenance practices or technologies, contaminant source reductions or removals, and the adoption and enforcement of any ventilation standards; (D) identify the State or local agency or public organization which will implement the response actions; and (E) provide for the assessment of the effectiveness of the response program. (3) As part of the response program pursuant to this subsection, an applicant may develop a response plan addressing indoor air quality in State and local government buildings. Such plans shall, to the fullest extent practicable, be consistent with remediation program developed pursuant to section 9 of this Act. (c) GRANT MANAGEMENT- (1) Grants under subsection (a)(1) shall not be less than $75,000 for each fiscal year. (2) In selecting States for demonstration and implementation of management strategies and assessments under subsection (a)(1) the Administrator shall consider-- (A) the previous experience of the State in addressing indoor air quality issues; (B) the seriousness of the indoor air quality issues identified by the State; and (C) the potential for demonstration of innovative management or assessment measures which may be of use to other States. (3) In selecting States for demonstration of management strategies and assessments under subsection (a)(1), the Administrator shall focus resources to ensure that sufficient funds are available to selected States to provide for the development of comprehensive and thorough management strategies and assessments in each selected State and to adequately demonstrate implementation of such strategies and assessments. (4) Grants under subsection (b)(1) of this section shall not exceed $250,000 per fiscal year and shall be available to the grantee for a period not to exceed three years. (5) In selecting response programs developed under subsection (b) for grant assistance, the Administrator shall consider-- (A) the potential for the response program to bring about reductions in indoor air contaminant levels; (B) the type of building to be addressed, giving priority to building types in which substantial human exposures to indoor air contaminants occur; (C) the potential for development of innovative response measures or methods which may be of use to other States or local air pollution control agencies; and (D) the State indoor air quality management strategy, giving priority to States with complete indoor air management strategies. (6) The Federal share of grants under subsections (a) and (b) of this section shall not exceed 75 percent of the costs incurred in demonstration and implementation of such activities and shall be made on the condition that the non-Federal share is provided from non-Federal funds. (7) Funds granted pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) in a fiscal year shall remain available for obligation for that fiscal year and for the next following fiscal year. (8) No grant shall be made under this section in any fiscal year to a State or local air pollution control agency which in the preceding year received a grant under this section unless the Administrator determines that such agency satisfactorily implemented such grant activities in such preceding fiscal year. (9) States and local air pollution control agencies shall provide such information in applications for grant assistance and pertaining to grant funded activities as the Administrator requires. (d) COORDINATION- In carrying out this section, the Administrator shall coordinate with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. OFFICE OF INDOOR AIR QUALITY SEC. 11. (a) ESTABLISHMENT- The Administrator shall establish an Office of Indoor Air Quality within the Office of Air and Radiation at the Agency. (b) RESPONSIBILITIES- The Office of Indoor Air Quality shall-- (1) carry out indoor air quality activities within the Agency and coordinate those activities with Federal statutes and programs administered by the Agency relating to indoor air quality and reduce duplication or inconsistencies among these programs; (2) work with other Federal agencies, including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the Department of Energy, to ensure the effective coordination of programs related to indoor air quality; and (3) work with public interest groups, labor organizations, and the private sector in development of information related to indoor air quality including the health threats of human exposure to indoor air contaminants, the development of technologies and methods to control such contaminants, and the development of programs to reduce contaminant concentrations. COUNCIL ON INDOOR AIR QUALITY SEC. 12. (a) AUTHORITY- There is established a Council on Indoor Air Quality. (b) RESPONSIBILITIES- The Council on Indoor Air Quality shall-- (1) provide for the full and effective coordination of Federal agency activities relating to indoor air quality; (2) provide a forum for resolution of conflicts or inconsistencies in policies or programs related to indoor air quality; and (3) review and comment on the national indoor air response strategy developed pursuant to section 8 of this Act and the model indoor air quality remediation program developed pursuant to section 9(b). (c) ORGANIZATION- (1) The Council on Indoor Air Quality shall include senior representatives of Federal agencies involved in indoor air quality programs including-- (A) the Agency; (B) the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; (C) the Consumer Product Safety Commission; (D) the Department of Energy; (E) the Department of Housing and Urban Development; (F) the Occupational Safety and Health Administration; (G) the Department of Transportation; (H) the Department of Health and Human Services; (I) the General Services Administration; and (J) the National Institute of Standards and Technology. (2) The Agency shall chair the Council in the 2 years following the date of enactment of this Act. In each subsequent year, members of the Council shall select the chair for that year. (d) EXPANSION OF INDOOR AIR PANEL OF ADVISORY BOARD- The Indoor Air Panel of the Agency's Science Advisory Board shall be expanded to include technical advisors with expertise in the assessment of technologies and management practices for the control and measurement of indoor air contaminants, including ventilation design, construction, and operation, indoor air contaminant diagnostic techniques, and energy efficiency. Subcommittees with expertise in particular disciplines such as the health effects of indoor air contaminants, building sciences, or other topics addressed in this Act may be created in order to increase the effectiveness of the Panel. INDOOR AIR QUALITY INFORMATION CLEARINGHOUSE SEC. 13. (a) ESTABLISHMENT- The Administrator, in consultation with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, shall establish a national indoor air quality clearinghouse to be used to disseminate indoor air quality information to other Federal agencies, State, and local governments, and private organizations and individuals. (b) PURPOSE- The clearinghouse shall be a repository for reliable indoor air quality related information to be collected from and made available to Federal and State agencies and private organizations and individuals. At a minimum, the clearinghouse established by this section shall make available reports, programs, and materials developed pursuant to the requirements of this Act. (c) HOTLINE- The clearinghouse shall operate a toll-free `hotline' on indoor air quality which shall be available to provide to the public general information about indoor air quality and general guidance concerning response to indoor air quality contamination problems. (d) CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENT- The Administrator may provide for the design, development, and implementation of the clearinghouse through a contractual agreement with a nonprofit organization. BUILDING ASSESSMENT DEMONSTRATION SEC. 14. (a) AUTHORITY- (1) The Director shall, in consultation with the Administrator, the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and other appropriate sources of expertise, implement a Building Assessment Demonstration Program to support development of methods, techniques, and protocols for assessment of indoor air contamination in nonresidential, nonindustrial buildings and to provide assistance and guidance, consistent with bulletins published pursuant to section 6(a), to building owners and occupants on measures to reduce indoor air contamination. (2) In implementation of this section, the Director shall have the authority to conduct on-site assessments of individual buildings, including Federal, State, and municipal buildings. (3) Nothing in this section shall in any way limit or constrain existing authorities pursuant to the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (29 U.S.C. 651). (b) ASSESSMENT ELEMENTS- Assessments of individual buildings conducted pursuant to this section shall, at a minimum, provide-- (1) an identification, when advantageous, of contaminants in the air in the building and the level of such contaminants; (2) an identification of the probable sources of contaminants found in the air in the building; (3) a review of the nature and extent of health concerns and symptoms identified by building occupants; (4) an appraisal of building management guidelines and inspection of maintenance practices that affect ventilation rates, regulation of temperature and humidity, and other factors that may lead to employee health concerns; (5) identification of appropriate measures to control contaminants in the air in the building, to reduce the concentration levels of contaminants, and to reduce exposure to contaminants; and (6) evaluation of the effectiveness of response measures in control and reduction of indoor air contaminants and indoor air contaminant levels, the change in occupant health concerns and symptoms, the approximate costs of such measures, and any additional response measures which may reduce occupants' health concerns. (c) ASSESSMENT REPORTS- (1) The Director shall prepare-- (A) a preliminary report of each building assessment which shall document findings concerning assessment elements (1) through (5) of subsection (b); and (B) a final report which shall provide an overall summary of the building assessment including information on the effectiveness and cost of response measures, and the potential for application of response measures to other buildings. (2) Preliminary assessment reports shall be prepared not later than 180 days after the selection of a building for assessment. Final assessment reports shall be prepared not later than 180 days after completion of the preliminary report. (3) Preliminary and final reports shall be made available to building owners, occupants, and the authorized representatives of occupants. (d) BUILDING ASSESSMENT PROPOSAL- (1) The Director shall consider individual buildings for assessment under this section in response to a proposal identifying the building and the building owner and providing preliminary, background information about the nature of the indoor air contamination, previous responses to air contamination problems, and the characteristics, occupancy, and uses of the building. (2) Building assessment proposals may be submitted by a building owner or occupants or the authorized representatives of building occupants, including the authorized representatives of employees working in a building. (e) BUILDING ASSESSMENT SELECTION- (1) In selection of buildings to be assessed under this section, the Director shall consider-- (A) the seriousness and extent of apparent indoor air contamination and human health effects of such contamination; (B) the proposal for a building assessment submitted pursuant to subsection (d) of this section; (C) the views and comments of the building owners; (D) the potential for the building assessment to expand knowledge of building assessment methods including identification of indoor air contaminants, assessment of sources, and development of response measures; and (E) the listing of a building pursuant to section 9(a)(5). (2) The Director shall provide a preliminary response and review of building assessment proposals to applicants and the applicable building owner within 60 days after receipt of a proposal and, to the extent practicable, shall provide a final decision concerning selection of a proposal within 120 days after submittal. (f) BUILDING ASSESSMENT SUPPORT- (1) The Director may enter into agreements with private individuals, firms, State and local governments, or academic institutions for services and related assistance in conduct of assessments under this section. (2) The Director may enter into agreements with other Federal agencies for the assignment of Federal employees to a specific building assessment project for periods of up to 180 days. (g) SUMMARY REPORT- (1) The Director shall provide, on an annual basis, a report on the implementation of this section to the Administrator and to the Council on Indoor Air Quality established pursuant to section 12 of this Act. (2) The Director shall coordinate with the Administrator to ensure that relevant information and conclusions of assessments conducted pursuant to this section are incorporated into the management practice bulletins developed under section 6(a). VENTILATION STANDARDS FOR PUBLIC OR COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS SEC. 15. (a) NEW BUILDINGS- (1) Any public or commercial building which receives a permit for construction after the effective date of regulations issued under subsection (c), and any public or commercial building which receives a permit for significant renovation after such effective date, shall have, maintain, and operate an HVAC system designed to provide a minimum of 20 cubic feet per minute of outdoor air per occupant to all occupied space in such building, and a minimum of 60 cubic feet per minute of outdoor air per smoking occupant to rooms where smoking is permitted. Exhaust air from a room where smoking is permitted shall not be returned to the general ventilation system. All HVAC supply ductwork in such buildings shall be designed to permit less than 3 percent leakage, and the building shall be designed to permit less than 0.75 air changes per hour at 25 pascals. (2) Appropriate records on the design and operation of the HVAC system in each building described in paragraph (1) shall be maintained onsite, or in an easily accessible location, and shall be made available to building occupants upon request. Such records shall be maintained for the life of the building, and shall include, at a minimum-- (1) design specifications, including equipment specifications and control logic; (2) `as built' drawings of the HVAC system; and (3) a complete record of the inspection, operation, and maintenance of the HVAC system. (b) EXISTING BUILDINGS- (1) Any public or commercial building which received a permit for construction before the effective date of regulations issued under subsection (c), and any public or commercial building which received a permit for significant renovation before such effective date, other than a building described in subsection (a)(1), shall have, maintain, and operate an HVAC system which complies with all applicable HVAC-related building codes. (2) Appropriate records on the design and operation of the HVAC system in each building described in paragraph (1) shall be maintained onsite, or in an easily accessible location, and shall be made available to building occupants upon request. Such records shall be maintained for the life of the building, and shall include, at a minimum, all available drawings, inspection, operation, and maintenance records, and other documentation. (c) REGULATIONS- The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, shall, within 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, issue regulations establishing standards for the implementation of this section. (d) ENFORCEMENT- (1) The Occupational Safety and Health Administration shall enforce compliance with this section. If a violation of regulations issued under subsection (c) is discovered, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration shall issue a notice of noncompliance to the person responsible for such violation. (2)(A) It shall be unlawful for any person to violate regulations issued under subsection (c). (B) Subparagraph (A) shall take effect on the expiration of 6 months after the issuance of regulations under subsection (c), or such other period of time after the issuance of such regulations as the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency determines necessary for any specified category of public or commercial buildings. (e) PENALTIES- (1) Any person who knowingly violates this section shall be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $5,000 for each such violation. (2) Any person who knowingly and willfully violates this section, after having received a notice of noncompliance under subsection (d)(1), shall be subject to imprisonment for not more than 1 year or fined under title 18, United States Code, or both. (3) For purposes of this subsection, a person shall be considered to have knowingly violated this section if a reasonable person acting in the same circumstances and exercising due care would have known of such violation. (f) EVALUATION OF STANDARDS- Within 2 years after the effective date of regulations issued under subsection (c), the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall evaluate the need for additional standards related to the levels of specific indoor air contaminants present in public or commercial buildings to supplement the requirements of such regulations. Upon completion of the evaluation, the Administrator shall submit to Congress a report containing findings and recommendations based on the evaluation. (g) DEFINITIONS- As used in this section-- (1) the term `HVAC' means heating, ventilation, and air conditioning; (2) the term `public and commercial buildings' means nonindustrial, nonresidential buildings which are owned by public agencies or which are used in interstate commerce, and to which the general public has access; and (3) the term `significant renovation' means substantial repair or renovation of the HVAC system, as determined by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency by regulation. CONTAMINANT EMISSIONS PRODUCT LABELING SEC. 16. (a) MEASUREMENT STANDARDS AND PRODUCT LIST- The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, in cooperation with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, shall, within 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, issue regulations which-- (1) establish standard methods for the measurement, and description in appropriate scientific units, of indoor air contaminant emissions; and (2) identify products that pose a significant adverse human health threat through indoor air contaminant emissions. In carrying out paragraph (2), the Administrator shall at a minimum assess the indoor air contaminant emission threat from pressed wood products, including particleboard, plywood, and medium density fiberboard; floor coverings; combustion appliances, including gas stoves, gas dryers, and kerosene and unvented gas space heaters; products containing solvents; and pesticides. (b) LABELING REGULATIONS AND ENFORCEMENT- (1) The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, in cooperation with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, shall, within 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, issue regulations requiring that products which pose a significant adverse human health threat bear a label, or be accompanied by written material, informing consumers and commercial purchasers in a uniform and consistent manner of the indoor air contaminant emission rate of such products. Such emission rates shall be determined using the standard methods of measurement established under subsection (a)(1). Any product labeling required under this subsection shall be visible to the consumer or commercial purchaser before the time of sale, and any written material required under this subsection shall be provided to the consumer or commercial purchaser before the time of sale. (2) The Administrator shall enforce the regulations issued under this subsection. If the Administrator learns of a violation of regulations issued under this subsection, the Administrator shall issue a notice of noncompliance to the person responsible for such violation. (c) UNLAWFUL ACTS- (1) It shall be unlawful for any person to offer for sale, at wholesale or retail, or import into the United States any product identified under subsection (a)(2) that-- (A) does not have a product label or accompanying written material as required under subsection (b); or (B) has a product label or accompanying written material that contains information which is false when tested according to the standard methods of measurement established under subsection (a)(1). (2) Paragraph (1) shall take effect on the expiration of 6 months after the issuance of regulations under subsection (b), or such other period of time after the issuance of such regulations as the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency determines necessary for any specified category of products. (d) PENALTIES- (1) Any person who knowingly violates subsection (c) shall be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $5,000 for each such violation. (2) Any person who knowingly and willfully violates subsection (c), after having received a notice of noncompliance under subsection (b)(2), shall be subject to imprisonment for not more than 1 year or fined under title 18, United States Code, or both. (3) For purposes of this subsection, a person shall be considered to have knowingly violated subsection (c) if a reasonable person acting in the same circumstances and exercising due care would have known of such violation. (4) A violation of subsection (c) shall constitute a separate offense under paragraph (1) or (2) of this subsection with respect to each product involved, except that the maximum civil penalty under paragraph (1), and the maximum fine under paragraph (2), shall not exceed $2,000,000 for any related series of violations. (5) Maximum penalty amounts stated in this subsection shall be adjusted for inflation by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency by regulation every 5 years. (e) CONSUMER EDUCATION- The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall inform and educate consumers and commercial purchasers about the indoor air contaminant emission rate labeling of products as required under this section. Such information and education efforts shall emphasize the importance to the protection of human health of selecting products with lower emission rates. WORKPLACE INDOOR AIR QUALITY PROTECTION SEC. 17. (a) DETERMINATION OF NEED FOR STANDARDS- The Secretary of Labor, in coordination with the Director and the Administrator, shall, within 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, evaluate available evidence and determine whether standards on workplace indoor air quality are necessary to protect the health and safety of employees, pursuant to section 6 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (29 U.S.C. 655). This evaluation shall include a review of currently required or recommended exposure limits and whether such limits provide protection from cumulative, synergistic, or combination effects of indoor air contaminants present in workplace indoor air. (b) STANDARDS- If the Secretary of Labor determines under subsection (a) that a standard is necessary, the Secretary shall issue, within 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, a final standard which shall include the following provisions: (1) WORKSITE ANALYSIS- Requirements for comprehensive evaluations of contamination and other causes of poor indoor air quality. (2) PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE OF AIR HANDLING SYSTEMS- Evaluation of proper maintenance and operating procedures to reduce build up of indoor air contaminants and provide adequate fresh air. (3) SAFE WORK PRACTICES- Safe handling of toxic materials used in construction, renovation, operation, or maintenance to reduce or eliminate unnecessary indoor contamination. (4) HAZARD COMMUNICATION- Material Safety Data Sheets maintained for materials that may emit indoor air contaminants. (5) EXPOSURE LIMITS- Requirements for permissible exposure limits to provide protection from cumulative, synergistic, and combination effects for indoor air contaminants present in workplace indoor air. (6) EDUCATION PROGRAM- A program to educate workers who may be exposed to workplace indoor air contaminants. RELATION TO OTHER LAW SEC. 18. (a) STATE AND FEDERAL AUTHORITY- Nothing in this Act shall be construed, interpreted, or applied to preempt, displace, or supplant any State or Federal law, whether statutory or common, or any local ordinance, which establishes a more restrictive compliance standard. (b) CLARIFICATION OF AUTHORITY- Notwithstanding subsection (a), the Radon Gas and Indoor Air Quality Research Act of 1986 (42 U.S.C. 7401 note) is repealed. (c) EXERCISE OF AUTHORITY- In exercising any authority under this Act, the Administrator shall not, for purposes of section 4(b)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, be considered to be exercising statutory authority to prescribe or enforce standards or regulations affecting occupational safety and health. AUTHORIZATIONS FOR RESEARCH AND RELATED ACTIVITIES SEC. 19. (a)(1) For the purpose of carrying out sections 5, 6, and 7, there are authorized to be appropriated $25,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, and 1996. Of such sums appropriated, at least 1/4 shall be for carrying out section 7, and at least 1/4 shall be for carrying out section 5(c). (2) For the purpose of carrying out sections 8, 9, 11, and 13, there are authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, and 1996. Of such sums appropriated, at least 1/5 shall be for carrying out section 9, and at least 1/5 shall be for carrying out section 13. (3) For the purpose of carrying out section 10, there are authorized to be appropriated $12,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, and 1996. Of such sums appropriated, at least 1/3 shall be for carrying out section 10(b). (4) For the purpose of carrying out section 12, there are authorized to be appropriated $1,500,000 for each of the fiscal years 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, and 1996. (5) For the purpose of carrying out section 14, there are authorized to be appropriated $5,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, and 1996.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Environment.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Transportation and Hazardous Materials.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health and the Environment.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health and Safety.
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
Executive Comment Requested from EPA, Labor.
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended).
Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Rereferred to the Subcommittee on Environment.