Indoor Air Quality

U.S. House of Representative members requested that the General Accounting Office determine what federal and state actions have been taken in addressing indoor air quality (iaq) concerns raised in certain school, state, and federal buildings within Vermont, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. This report responds to this request and describes the investigation process, the level of federal agency involvement, and the role of Vermont officials in addressing iaq problems. The report indicates that Vermont has already conducted investigations of 8 of the 15 buildings selected for review and is actively pursuing iaq improvements in all its state buildings. State actions in resolving the most frequently noted iaq complaints have mostly come through improvements in better air ventilation and cleaning and maintenance procedures. The Environmental Protection Agency (epa) is assisting Vermont officials in some iaq testing and is providing guidance and sponsoring workshops. The agency has addressed iaq problems at the two federal buildings selected for review, including extensive physical improvements in its Washington, D.C., headquarters buildings. Similar improvements have been made at the General Services Administration(GSA) office building in Baltimore, Maryland. Additionally, the epa and gsa have increased the availability of medical services at each of these buildings to assist occupants with IAQ-related problems. (Gr).