President’s Message
From Erin Bouttenot, President, Maine Indoor Air Quality Council
The seasons are changing, and life for most is returning to normal after a three year break for some activities and events. But MIAQC has definitely not been hibernating this winter. We provided countless opportunities aimed towards achieving our goals to create healthy indoor spaces.
Feature: Ultraviolet (UV) Installations in Residential Mechanical Systems
Contributed by Jeffrey C. May, May Indoor Air Investigations, Tyngsborough, MA
©2023
Installers and manufacturers often recommend UV lamps as a way to improve air quality and to keep an HVAC system clean, but I am going to play devil’s advocate regarding use of such lamps in residential mechanical systems.
Feature: Eek! Get that thing out of my house!
Contributed by Christine G. Crocker, Executive Director, Maine Indoor Air Quality Council
Article originally published in the Spring issue of Green & Health Maine Homes Magazine.
There’s no doubt that Maine homeowners, at some point, will have to deal with unwanted guests. No, not the human kind. The creepy crawly kind. Things that fly (birds, bats and bees), things that crawl and scurry (ants, cockroaches, bedbugs, mice, rats, squirrels and larger mammals) and even things that slither (snakes). Besides the ick factor, these unwanted guests can cause health problems for you and your family, as well as cause damage to your home.
IAQ & Energy Returns in October 2023
Mark your calendars for October 30, 2023, when IAQ & Energy returns as a complete conference event: 18+ education sessions, keynote presentations, exhibits, learning stations, and plenty of networking.
Interested in presenting? Submit a presentation proposal for our consideration!
IAQ Stuff to Do
Residential Ventilation Design & Installation
May 4, 5, 12, 19 – 2023
Johnstone Supply, Portland, ME (and online)
Higher performance homes deserve higher performance ventilation. Learn how to design and install residential energy recovery systems. This is a certification course.
Energy Code, Building Components Trainings
PassivhausMAINE is hosting recurring sessions all over the state in the next few months. Session topics include Meeting Maine’s Energy Code and High Performance Building Components
Fore! Indoor Air
Wednesday, June 8, 2023
Poland Spring Resort
Poland, Maine
Mark your calendars for the 2023 Annual Golf Outing! Not a tournament, just a fun way to sneak away from work and onto the golf course. Please come play and support our great little organization.
IAQ Club Series
Just like a book club, but with video. Each month, we “unlock” access to a recorded presentation from the MIAQC archives, then host a discussion forum with the original presenter so you can ask questions, get answers, learn from each other, and have a bit of fun.
Legislative Update
Here’s a listing of some of the legislation MIAQC has been following this session. The summary links take you to the state website, where you can learn more about each piece of proposed legislation. As always, there are plenty of opportunities for MIAQC members to testify, either in-person at the state house or via on-line submissions of testimony and Zoom testimony presentation. Contact Christy Crocker at christy@maineindoorair.org if you have any questions about these bills, or know of others we should be following.
- LD 1353: An Act to Establish a Model Residential Ventilation & Installation Standard This is a MIAQC initiated piece of legislation to adopt the CSA F326 residential ventilation design and installation standard as a model (voluntary) standard for Maine. Think of it as a stretch ventilation code to go along with the stretch energy code.
- LD 1173: Ventilation and Adequate Air Quality in State owned and leased buildings We have been working directly with the bill sponsor to identify some specific actions that could be included in this bill. Just last week MIAQC convened a meeting with the bill sponsor, representatives of Maine BGS, representatives from Maine DAFS, and a representative from MSEA. Be on the lookout for an amendment.
- LD 954: An Act to Improve Indoor Air Quality in Child Care Facilities
This bill would establish a grant fund administered by the Maine Department of Health & Human Services to promote IAQ improvements in child - LD 280: An Act to Make Schools Safer and Healthier by Increasing the Maximum Debt Service Limit. MIAQC submitted written testimony in support of this bill, recognizing that we have a large number of Maine school without mechanical ventilation.
- LD 612: An act to Create a Green Schools Coordinator for the Maine Department of Education MIAQC recommended that this bill be amended to include indoor environmental quality, not just energy efficiency. We suggested the title of the proposed new position should be the Green & Healthy Schools Coordinator. (This has already been voted on in committee with a divided report).
- LD 1101: An Act to Support Lower Home Energy Costs by Establishing a Home Energy Scoring System The public hearing on this bill was March 30th. MIAQC supported the bill with a recommendation that indoor air quality (specifically ventilation, radon, and moisture) be included in the assessments needed to obtain the score. Written testimony can be submitted up through the work session.
- There are some other bills we plan to follow, but have yet to be printed or scheduled for hearings: topics include historic preservation, home improvements programs, and contractor licensing.
We need help. If you would like to participate on our Policy team, we could use you! Contact Christy Crocker 207- 626-8115, christy@maineindoorair.org if you have interest.
Interesting Reads
- New Home Indoor Air Quality Study | Indoor Climate Research & Training | UIUC (illinois.edu)
- William Hanage on pandemic lessons we still need to learn – Harvard Gazette
- Ventilation in Schools: A Review of State Policy Strategies | Environmental Law Institute (eli.org)
- https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/feb/02/air-pollution-causes-chess-players-to-make-bigger-mistakes- study-finds?CMP=share_btn_link
- EPA Opens Public Comment Period for Indoor airPLUS Program Update | US EPA
- DIY Air Filters For Classrooms? Experts Are Enthusiastic — And A Citizen Scientist Makes It Easy (wgbh.org)
- Healthy Buildings – Healthy Buildings (forhealth.org)
- Pretty Good House: Pretty Good House
- New: Low–Cost Air Pollution Monitors and Indoor Air Quality | US EPA
- Updated: Builder’s Guide to Cold Climates | buildingscience.com Ebook also available: eBook – Builder’s Guide to Cold Climates | buildingscience.com
- More Infections in Poorly Ventilated Classrooms
- ASHRAE Position Document on Limiting Indoor Mold and Dampness in Buildings (recently updated)
- NADCA ACR Standard (recently updated)
- Experts Urge Air Quality Standards as Safeguard Against Coronavirus – The New York Times (nytimes.com)
A Picture is Worth 1000 Words…
Pictures taken at our first Indoor Insanity 5k in 3 years. So much fun to be back. We raised more than $2000 to add to our fund to fix radon problems in low-income Maine homes!
Maine’s Mad Bill-ding Scientist (a.k.a. Bill Turner) at the December Basements Symposium. Bill hosted a learning station, using common objects to demonstrate basic building science principles.
Images from the IAQ & Energy Symposium, held on March 3, 2022 in Augusta.
Support MIAQC!
Support the Maine Indoor Air Quality Council each time you shop on Amazon. Start at https://smile.amazon.com.
Contact MIAQC Executive Director Christy Crocker to find out how you can participate in and support the work of the Maine Indoor Air Quality Council: 207-626-8115; christy@maineindoorair.org.
