TAKE
ACTION TODAY: Contact Your Local Code Official About Model Code Changes Up for
Vote This Month
On Sept. 20 or 21 in Minneapolis, MN, building code officials
from across the country will be considering proposals to improve the International
Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) at the International Code Council’s (ICC)
Final Action Hearing. The Alliance for Healthy Homes and the National Center
for Healthy Housing have submitted seven
proposals for consideration. Three of the proposals
will directly impact lead poisoning prevention. Two – PM4 and PM6 –
require the use of the lead safe work practices enacted in EPA’s Renovation,
Repair and Painting Rule when repairing deteriorated paint on or in pre-1978
housing. Also, PM6 requires repair of the underlying cause of paint deterioration.
The third – PM19 – allows the building code official to order a
property owner to eliminate lead hazards (e.g. lead dust over 40 ?g/ft2 on the
floor) when presented with evidence that lead hazards are present.
The other proposals address similarly critical health issues.
PM3 updates the “extermination” section by renaming the requirement
“pest elimination,” eliminating references to poison spraying and
fumigation, and adding references to all rodents and water sources. PM14 caps
the water temperature in showers and tubs at a maximum of 120 degrees Fahrenheit
to prevent serious burns. PM7 requires carbon monoxide alarms in properties
with an attached garage or fuel-burning furnace, water heater, or other appliance.
Finally, PM13 calls for smooth, hard, nonabsorbent bathroom floor surfaces to
facilitate cleaning and sanitation.
Only governmental code officials are allowed to vote at
the Final Action Hearing, and the proposals need a two-thirds majority for passage.
That means every vote counts and getting code officials to speak – even
if briefly – in favor of the proposals is essential. So, we need your
help! Click
here for a draft letter that you can send to your state or local
building code official to urge their support for these important proposals to
improve the IPMC. If you act quickly with a letter or call to your state or
local building code official, you could make a huge difference!
To find out which communities in your area have adopted
the IPMC, go to www.iccsafe.org/government/adoption.html.
Building code officials participating in the ICC hearings will have a vote even
if the IPMC is not law in your community. Support for these proposals will ensure
that the basic minimum requirements around the US will be minimally protective
of health.
Information
Available on the Safe Recovery of Flood-Damaged Homes
The month of September marks a statistical peak for hurricane
season on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, and while Hurricane Gustav proved less
of a disaster for the Gulf Coast than was anticipated, storm season nonetheless
continues to threaten homes and communities across coastal regions. The Alliance
has put together several resources for communities affected by flooding, including
a top ten list of quick tips to protect your family from housing-related health
hazards in hurricane impact zones. As this issue is being published in the anticipation
of Tropical Storm Hanna and Hurricane Ike, the Alliance offers the following
information to communities affected by hurricanes
and floods:
States,
Environmental Health Advocates Push for Strong Lead Standard for Air
Several states and many environmental and child health
advocacy groups are urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to
set the most protective lead standard possible for ambient air. Industry representatives
warned that strict standards could have unintended
economic consequences.
The standard in question is part of the first proposed
revision to the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for lead in three
decades. A review of the standard is supposed to take place every five years,
but there is scant evidence that EPA had taken the process seriously since 1978.
This extreme lack of action and environmental contamination and health effects
from a Missouri lead smelter prompted a lawsuit that led a federal court to
order EPA to undertake a serious review of the NAAQS standard for lead. The
agency has until Oct. 15 to make a final determination on how strict the revised
standard will be.
EPA has proposed a lead standard of between 0.10 µg/m3
and 0.30 µg/m3. Industry officials and a Missouri town argue that such
a standard could cause unintended economic consequences and urge caution. Environmental
health advocates, on the other hand, point to the human and economic costs of
a standard that is not adequately protective. Each case of childhood lead poisoning
can end up costing the U.S. economy significant sums due to medical costs, lost
economic opportunity, special education, and possible incarceration for those
lead poisoning victims who become more likely to engage in violent criminal
activity.
Advocates, several states, and EPA’s own Clean Air
Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) have urged the agency to stick with a
standard within the proposed range, and some have asked EPA to adopt an even
stronger standard. The Sierra Club noted that there is no safe level of lead
exposure and also alleged that EPA failed to adequately take environmental justice
concerns into consideration in proposing the standard. Under Executive Order
12898, issued in 1994, EPA is required to examine the possible impacts of NAAQS
and other environmental standards on poor and minority populations.
Study
Finds Rise in Number of Emergency Room Visits for Non-Fatal Carbon Monoxide
Poisoning
A recent study published in the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
(MMWR) has found an increase in the number of emergency room visits for non-fatal
carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. While the rise in reported
cases is striking, it remains unclear whether the increase was caused by more
frequent carbon monoxide exposures or better reporting by emergency room professionals.
Between 2004 and 2006, the article’s authors estimated
20,636 visits to emergency rooms per year. This is a substantial increase over
the 15,200 CO-related visits per year estimated during 2001-2003. The study
also found the highest rates of CO-related visits were among children under
age five, whereas people over the age of 65 tend to have the highest death rates
for CO poisoning.
Also, the study found that nearly three quarters, or 72
percent, of CO exposures occurred at home, and less than 18 percent of the cases
had a CO detector present and properly alerting the residents to danger, although
data on the presence of CO detectors was missing in nearly a third of cases.
The study indicates the need for continued efforts to prevent
the build-up of CO in homes and to require the presence of functional, trusted
CO detectors in all housing units with a combustion appliance or attached garage.
The Alliance for Healthy Homes, along with our colleagues at the National Center
for Healthy Housing, have proposed incorporating a carbon monoxide detector
requirement into the International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC), a model
code adopted by states and localities around the country. The proposal was recently
rejected by committee but will have a second shot in front of a larger group
this month in Minneapolis. See www.afhh.org/aa/aa_housing_codes.htm
for more information on the IPMC proposal.
2007
Energy Legislation May Impact Healthy Housing
According to an analysis by the National Center for Healthy
Housing's Tom Neltner, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007
contains a number of provisions that will impact the health of housing directly
or indirectly.
The EPA is required to issue indoor air quality (IAQ) guidelines
to states for schools that should be directly relevant to housing. Specifically,
EPA will conduct a detailed study of how sustainable building features such
as energy efficiency affect multiple perceived indoor environmental quality
stressors on students in K-12 schools. The study shall:
• Investigate the combined effect building stressors such as heating,
cooling, humidity, lighting, and acoustics have on building occupants' health,
productivity, and overall well-being;
• Identify how sustainable building features, such as energy efficiency,
are influencing these human outcomes singly and in concert; and
• Ensure that the impacts of indoor environmental quality are evaluated
as a whole.
Furthermore, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is required
to fund research on IAQ benefits and conflicts in green buildings, and health
is one of four criteria for determining who gets weatherization grants.
DOE will develop and recommend a high-performance green
building research plan that identifies information and research needs, including
the relationships between human health, occupant productivity, safety, security,
accessibility, and a number of indoor environmental concerns.
Rhode
Island Settlement Funds Will Help Provide Lead-Safe Housing in Four Localities
In the aftermath of the recent disappointing Rhode Island
Supreme Court decision that threw out a landmark jury verdict against three
former lead pigment manufacturers, the state is moving forward in distributing
funds received from a fourth company that settled with Rhode Island before the
original case went to a jury.
In 2005, DuPont settled with the state for an estimated
$12 million. Several million dollars went to two hospitals to fund research;
much of the rest of the money was set aside for education, outreach, and to
make housing lead-safe. Current state Attorney General Patrick Lynch recently
announced that Rhode Island will use some of those funds to make grants to organizations
that will make 600 housing units in four municipalities lead-safe.
Groups that receive funds from the settlement will work
to prevent childhood lead poisoning in Providence, Central Falls, Pawtucket,
and Woonsocket. They will target housing built before 1950 because, while lead-based
paint was not banned until 1978, pre-1950 housing generally contains the highest
concentration of the toxic coating. The work will be focused in neighborhoods
that have high concentrations of poverty, where high numbers of children with
elevated blood lead levels reside, and where large numbers of families with
young children live.
Scientists
Question Necessity of Anti-Bacterial Agent in Household Products
Environmental health scientists and bacteriologists have
begun raising concerns about a potent antibacterial agent found in a wide variety
of household products. The chemical, called triclosan, can be found in everything
from soap to toothpaste, mattresses to shower curtains,
and cutting boards to food containers. Despite its heavy use, triclosan has
not been extensively studied, which gives researchers pause.
What scientists do know about triclosan has them questioning
whether it is necessary in household and personal care products, or whether
the chemical should even be used at all. Triclosan indiscriminately kills bacteria,
even species and strains that are beneficial to humans and the environment.
Some bacteria, including some strains of E. coli, have already developed a resistance
to triclosan, and constant use of antibacterial products in the home can further
increase the probability that more strains and species of bacteria will become
resistant. This can pose serious risks to human health.
Evidence of direct human health impacts from triclosan
is also emerging. The chemical’s structure is similar to that of a substance
made by the human thyroid, meaning triclosan could disrupt normal thyroid function.
Triclosan is also a suspected liver toxin in humans and other species, and the
chemical is not effectively removed during wastewater treatment, meaning it
ends up in lakes, rivers, streams, and other drinking water supplies. Additionally,
when used in hand soap or dishwashing liquid and exposed to chlorinated tap
water, triclosan can form chloroform, a known human carcinogen that can contaminate
indoor air.
To combat the potentially harmful effects of triclosan,
researchers urge consumers to limit their use of antibacterial products. The
American Medical Association (AMA), among others, recommends that antibacterial
soaps only be used in clinics, hospitals, and other medical settings –
the group says such products have no place in the home. To protect against harmful
bacteria, environmental health experts recommend frequent hand washing with
regular soap and water, as well as the use of regular detergents to wash dishes,
cutting surfaces, toys, and other household items. Additionally, when purchasing
toys, bedding, and bathroom accessories, advocates suggest customers check labels
and ask questions to ensure that triclosan and triclocarban (a close chemical
cousin) are not contained within the products.
For more information on triclosan and the potential
hazards posed by the chemical, visit www.ewg.org/node/26721.
EPA
Issues Federal Register Notice on Certification Fees for Remodeling
and Renovation Program
On Aug. 21, the EPA issued a Federal Register
notice on the fee structure for multiple lead disciplines. The EPA’s fees
cover training providers, firms, and workers seeking accreditation under existing
lead disciplines as well as the fees to be collected from trainers and firms
under the new remodeling and renovation rule. The fees covered by the Federal
Register notice only apply to states where EPA will directly administer
the remodeling and renovation rule. States that have accepted delegation of
the existing lead disciplines or that accept delegation
of the remodeling and renovation rule are allowed to set their own fees.
For the remodeling and renovation program, EPA is proposing
to charge $560 to be accredited to deliver the initial remodeling and renovation
training class, $400 to deliver the refresher training class, and $300 to become
a certified firm. The fees for renewing training accreditation (every four years)
are slightly less, and renewing firm certification (every five years) will cost
the same amount. Nonprofits, government agencies, and Indian tribes are exempt
from the training provider fees (although not the individual or firm fees).
Free
Fact Sheet Available to Help Renters Avoid Drifting Tobacco Smoke
To address the problem of renters in multi-family housing
who are involuntarily exposed to second-hand tobacco smoke drifting into their
apartments from other units, the Public Health Law and Policy Technical Assistance
Legal Center has released "How Disability Laws Can Help Tenants Suffering
from Drifting Tobacco Smoke." This fact sheet is accompanied by a sample
letter to the landlord and a sample doctor’s note. These documents are
all available at http://talc.phlpnet.org/pubs/publications.php?choice=new_browse&search=199.
Alliance News
The Alliance staff is looking forward to sharing our work
at the 2008 National Healthy Homes Conference: Building a Framework for Healthy
Housing, from Sept. 15-17 in Baltimore, MD. Alliance staff will be presenting
in five out of the conference’s six tracks, on wide ranging topics such
as Developing Enforcement for EPA’s Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting
Rule; Consumer Product Safety Standards and Housing; Setting a National Policy
Agenda for Healthy Housing; Innovative Financing Strategies to Enhance Healthy
Homes Programs; Promoting IPM in Private Housing; and Lessons Learned from Hurricane
Katrina. There’s still time to join us, so register
now!
* * * * *
If you appreciate the news and information in the Alliance
Alert, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to the Alliance!
We rely on donations from individuals and organizations to allow us to do policy
work in Washington and across the country. You can make a one-time donation
or sign up to make a recurring monthly or quarterly donation on our website.
Thank you for your support!
* * * * *
Sign up to receive updates from the Alliance! To
receive the Alliance Alert in your inbox and to subscribe to our no-cost listservs
(Leadnet and Healthyhomesnet), visit www.afhh.org/forms/alert_subscribe.asp.
Upcoming Events
The National
Healthy Homes Festival will take place just prior to the 2008 National
Healthy Homes Conference on Sept. 12-14 at Druid Hill Park in Baltimore, MD.
The event will bring together local and state community partners; health, housing,
and environmental organizations; local universities; lead and asthma prevention
programs; federal, state, and city agencies; and people from Maryland and across
the nation in an effort to encourage people to take action in their own homes
and rental properties in order to prevent harmful diseases and illness caused
by toxins such as lead, mold, and other home-based environmental hazards. Plus,
you won’t want to miss North Carolina CLPPP Director Ed Norman and his
old-time string band, The Maudlin Brothers, as they perform Sept. 14 at 11:00am
and 1:30pm. Hey, they might even sing healthy homes-themed songs!
Save the date for the 6th
Annual Conference on Children's Health and the Environment. The
conference will be held Sept. 18-19 in Philadelphia. The conference is organized
by the Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PESHU) of Region 3 –
the Mid-Atlantic Center for Children's Health and the Environment (MACCHE).
This two-day event is targeted to health care providers, public health professionals,
and the public. Discussions will explore the intersection between the environment
and child health issues and will be centered on tracks
including climate change, healthy homes, exposure to toxicants and outcomes
in children, and emerging issues in children’s environmental health.
On Sept. 25, the Collaborative on Health and the Environment
will hold its monthly partnership call. The subject of this conference call
will be “From Lab to Law: The Phthalates Ban, the Precautionary Principle,
and How New Science Becomes New Policy” and will explore how the phthalates
ban included in the new U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reform law fits
into a larger movement toward the precautionary approach. Other questions raised
on the call will include: What constitutes "proof of harm" in light
of emerging knowledge about the complexity of disease causation? Who decides
when there is enough evidence of harm to take action? Just how does new science
become new policy? RSVP
for the call.
The Illinois Lead Program, in collaboration with the Illinois
Poison Center, will be conducting a Lead Poisoning Prevention Conference entitled
“Healthy Homes for Healthy Kids” on Oct. 23, 2008 in the Dove Conference
Center at the Prairie Heart Institute of St. John’s Hospital in Springfield,
IL. This joint conference is intended to empower attendees to examine ways to
utilize elected officials, health advocates, community health educators, and
lead industry contractors to reduce incidents of environmentally related illnesses
through public education, community outreach, and safe work practices. To register,
visit www.idph.state.il.us/training.htm.
For more information about the conference, call 217-782-3517.
The Childhood Action Project will be hosting a lead poisoning
prevention conference in Rhode Island on Oct. 24. The conference, entitled “Getting
to Zero,” will include workshops and panel presentations on childhood
lead poisoning prevention in the state, and it will feature keynote speaker
Lois Gibbs of the Center for Health, Environment, and Justice (CHEJ). For more
information, visit www.leadsafekids.org
or call 401-785-1310.
On Oct. 30 and 31, the Children's Environmental Health
Institute will hold its Fifth Biennial Scientific Symposium in Austin, TX. The
theme of this year’s symposium is “Blueprint for Children's Health
in the Built Environment” and will cover subjects related to healthy building
design, construction, and maintenance. Participants will learn how standards
for materials and the adoption of policies for operating practices can reduce
health risks to children by decreasing their exposure to environmental contaminants
and hazards and will see how physicians, architects/builders, businesses, and
others can "green" their practices and how it will impact children's
health and well-being. To receive a registration brochure, e-mail janie.fields@cehi.org.
For more information on the Children's Environmental Health Institute, visit
www.cehi.org.
The 2008 Indiana Lead Safe and Healthy Homes conference,
will be held Nov. 5 and 6 at the Marten House Hotel in Indianapolis. Conference
fees are $135 for the first person from an organization and $95 for each additional
person. The rate increases to $165 and $135 after October 6. More information,
including the conference brochure and registration form, is available at www.ikecoalition.org/Lead_Conf_2008/Conf_Preview_2008.htm.
