Research Reports
Indoor Air Quality in Homes: State Policies for Improving Health Now and Addressing Future Risks in a Changing Climate (2016) discusses three residential indoor air quality issues that are significant now and may be further impacted by a changing climate: wildfire smoke; dampness and mold; and the effect of energy efficiency retrofits on indoor air quality. The report reviews current state policies and programs in these areas and highlights approaches for consideration by other jurisdictions.
Addressing Indoor Air Quality in School Energy Efficiency Upgrades: Review of Selected State Policies (2016) describes state laws and regulations that facilitate consideration of IAQ goals in school energy retrofits, focusing on three areas of policy: state funding for facility upgrades, energy savings performance contracts, and control of indoor contaminants during renovation.
Reducing Environmental Exposures in Child Care Facilities (2015) provides an overview of how state policy addresses key indoor environmental exposures in the child care setting and highlights examples to consider in strengthening state laws, regulations and programs. A separate paper, Drinking Water Quality in Child Care Facilities, describes provisions in state laws and regulations for ensuring the safety of drinking water in child care facilities.
Radon in Homes: Strengthening State Policy to Reduce Risk and Save Lives (2012) discusses key developments in state radon policy and highlights opportunities for strengthening policies to accelerate action an dreduce radon risk in homes.
School Indoor Air Quality: State Policy Strategies for Maintaining Healthy Learning Environments (2009) examines how state policies can ensure that K-12 schools address basic IAQ issues as part of their ongoing operations and maintenance activities.
Municipal Green Building Policies: Strategies for Transforming Building Practices in the Private Sector (2008) reviews more than 30 municipal policies that aim to advance green building in the private sector by establishing requirements or incentives for sustainable building practices.
Indoor Air Quality in New Homes: Summary of Selected State Laws (2007) describes how state laws and regulations address several key indoor air quality issues in new home construction.
School District Liability for Indoor Air Quality Conditions (2005) analyzes legal issues that arise in IAQ-related claims brought against public school districts by parents or school staff in three areas of the law: state workers’ compensation schemes; common law tort; and federal disability rights/non-discrimination statutes.
School Districts Building Healthy, High Performance Schools: Summaries of Selected Initiatives (2005) provides detailed summaries of nine school districts that developed high performance school building initiatives aimed at integrating a broad range of environmental and health goals into their building programs.
Building Healthy, High Performance Schools: A Review of Selected State and Local Initiatives (2003) analyzes the policies, programs, and practices adopted by states and school districts to incorporate a high performance approach to school planning, design, and construction.
Improving Indoor Air Quality in Rental Dwellings: A Review of Policies in Five U.S. Localities (2003) discusses how state and local policies and programs can address IAQ-related problems in rental housing, through detailed case studies of five local jurisdictions.
Healthier Schools: A Review of State Policies for Improving Indoor Air Quality (2002) reviews state policies that help prevent indoor pollution through better maintenance and repair practices in existing schools, as well as better design and construction practices in new and renovated schools.
State and Local Indoor Air Quality Programs: Five Case Studies (1997) offers descriptions of the IAQ programs in four states and one county, detailing the types of agencies that implement IAQ programs, the mechanisms for coordinating IAQ activities, the relationship between state and local programs, and the nature of program activities.
Radon in Rental Housing: Legal and Policy Strategies for Reducing Health Risks (1994) discusses a wide range of options for addressing the unique legal and policy challenges posed by the problem of radon in rental housing. Following publication of this report, ELI also prepared the pamphlet, A Radon Guide for Tenants, which provides basic information about the problem of radon and steps to take to reduce risks from radon in rental housing.
State Radon Legislation - Issues and Options (1993) presents a series of radon issues and corresponding policy options for those who are interested in designing or enhancing radon laws and programs.