More than 40 years ago, Congress banned harmful polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, from schools. And it’s been 37 years since Congress directed schools to address asbestos. But today, millions of schools continue to be plagued by these and other toxic chemicals.

Specific concerns:

Children are especially susceptible to harm from chemical exposure. Yet many U.S. schools have not been upgraded to eliminate PCBs, asbestos, lead and other threats. Exposure to toxics has a significant, negative impact on educational outcomes, a Brookings study shows.

Many schools, especially those in low-income communities, facing tough budget choices, lack the resources to address the threats posed by toxics.

For example, an investigation in 2015 by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee found that schools across the U.S. are taking a haphazard approach to tracking and cleaning up asbestos.

And only a handful of states require schools to test at the tap for lead, and often just once. Last year, California enacted a health-protective program to test drinking water for lead in licensed child care facilities and require significant reductions in lead detected.

Cash-strapped schools have been slow to address light ballasts containing PCB, which was banned from manufacturing in 1976 for its toxic effects. These light ballasts have exceeded their life span and can emit PCBs that can harm children.

And most schools don’t limit the amount of chemicals like pesticides that can be sprayed in or around buildings, putting students at risk.

Nearly 40 states have some type of regulation addressing the use of pesticides, like fungicides, herbicides and insecticides, on school grounds. Some states, including Connecticut, Maine and New York, have taken steps to ban dangerous pesticides, improve indoor air and require green cleaning products, but most have not.

Congress misses chance to fund schools

Students and teachers are paying the price, and students of color are disproportionately affected. It is hard to measure how much toxics like PCBs, lead and asbestos threaten students, because no state, nor the federal government, systematically tracks children’s risks and exposures in American schools.

Congress has so far failed to give schools the resources they need. Between 2009 and 2019, Congress provided only 1 percent of the cost of upgrading our schools.

The $550 billion bipartisan infrastructure law recently signed by President Joe Biden should help. It provides funds to make schools more energy efficient, allocates $5 billion to buy zero emission school buses, and contains billions to clean up brownfields and Superfund sites, many of which are near schools. The law also funds schools’ efforts to test and reduce lead in drinking water.

The separate Build Back Better infrastructure bill passed by the House of Representatives in November includes other important new investments for schools, including free school meals for millions of students and $250 million to support healthier food offerings. 

But the bill, which now faces an uncertain future in the Senate, provides only $50 million for the Environmental Protection Agency to monitor and reduce air pollution in schools in low-income communities.

Replacing substandard HVAC systems and ensuring healthy air quality would cost an estimated $72 billion. Some schools may be able to tap into $9 billion for lead remediation projects to replace drinking water foundations, but specifics are uncertain.

Biden proposed investing $100 billion in school construction in the Build Back Better infrastructure bill in March. Schools face an $85 billion gap in the annual spending needed to upgrade their facilities, and that investment would have made a big difference. But the House cut it entirely in November.

It’s not too late for the Senate to act. Other bills – including the Get Toxics Substances Out of Schools Act – await congressional action.

Biden’s EPA can act now to protect schoolchildren

The Biden administration can take other steps to protect students from toxic chemicals in schools. The EPA can revive a rule – blocked by the Trump EPA – to require schools to finally remove PCBs from light ballasts. The EPA could also take steps to ban pesticides linked to serious health harms.

And Biden could request more funding for schools to address toxics and indoor air in his upcoming fiscal year 2023 budget request. The budget should also prioritize replacing light ballasts, windows with PCB-containing caulk, and HVAC systems in schools, so children who are learning don’t have to worry about toxic exposures.  

Special thanks to Claire Barnett, executive director at Healthy Schools Network, a national leader on children’s environmental health at school. For information on states that are taking action to improve school environments, see Towards Healthy Schools: Reducing Risks to Children.

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Originally Appeared Here

To protect the health and safety of all attendees, presenters and staff, organizers for the Healthy Buildings Conference will host the upcoming conference, scheduled to take place Jan. 18-20, 2022, in a virtual format. This live event, sponsored by the International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate (ISIAQ) and hosted by the Cleaning Industry Research Institute (CIRI) will feature more than 200 science-based oral presentations, poster presentations and workshops focused on “Bridging the Gap Between Research and Practice—In the Age of COVID-19 and Beyond.” 

“Particularly now, as new COVID-19 variants proliferate, everyone wants a better understanding of how to keep our buildings healthy and safe,” said John Downey, Executive Director, CIRI. “This change in plans is not totally unexpected given all the uncertainty of the past two years. We are well prepared to deliver an abundance of new research in a real-time, virtual format.” 

The three-day conference will include three tracks, each containing multiple 90-minute sessions organized around key themes, such as the impact of indoor air quality on health, comfort, productivity and perception, sources and health effects, cleaning and disinfection, ventilation, SARS-CoV-2 transmission and more. 

Most sessions will feature up to eight short “lightning” presentations with a live Q&A. Others will be in an interactive workshop format, including two to three presentations around a specific topic. Each workshop will also include a panel discussion and a question and answer session with presenters. All content will be searchable by topic and author, allowing you to determine your preferred schedule.

A few of the topics covered include:

• A Pilot Study on School Cleaning Intervention — Dr. Richard Shaughnessy, Dr. Ulla Haverinen-Shaughnessy, Dr. Mark Hernandez

• Disinfectant Type and its Relationship with Antimicrobial Resistance in Isolates and Communities — Ms. Olivia Barber, Prof. Erica Hartmann

• Disinfection By-Products Arising from Indoor Space Disinfection for COVID-19 — Dr. Caroline Widdowson

• Assessment of Enhanced Cleaning and Disinfection in Hilton Hotels in Colorado, North Carolina and Oklahoma — Dr. Richard Shaughnessy, Dr. Ulla Haverinen-Shaughnessy, Dr. Eugene Cole, Dr. Mark Hernandez

• Chemical Exposure Reduction in Cleaning and Disinfectant Processes — Dr. Pawel Misztal, John Downey, Dr. Dustin Poppendieck, Dr. Kerry Kinney

In addition to oral and poster sessions and workshops, Healthy Buildings will feature plenary talks from renowned experts from research and practice:

• Joseph G. Allen, associate professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and co-author of Healthy Buildings: How Indoor Spaces Drive Performance and Productivity.

• Terry Brennan, building scientist, educator and author of the USEPA Moisture Control For Commercial Building Design, Construction, Operations And Maintenance Guidance. With a background in physics, biology and building construction, Mr. Brennan combines theory and practice in a unique and integrated way.  

• Lidia Morawska, Professor at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Brisbane, Australia, and the Director of the International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health (ILAQH) at QUT, which is a Collaborating Centre of the World Health Organization on Research and Training in the field of Air Quality and Health. Professor Morawska was recently identified as one of Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People of 2021.” 

• Jordan Peccia, Associate professor of Environmental Engineering at Yale University. Peccia’s research integrates engineering and public health approaches with quantitative molecular biology tools to study human exposure to microbes in the built environment.

• Anita van Breda is Senior Director of Environment and Disaster Management at the World Wildlife Fund. With more than 20 years of experience in conservation and disaster management, she currently leads WWF’s work supporting environmentally responsible disaster recovery, reconstruction, and risk reduction including international policy, operations, and training, and is a member of the WWF Internal Covid-19 Working Group. 

• Greg Whiteley, Chairman of Whiteley Corporation and Adjunct Fellow in the School of Medicine at Western Sydney University.

“To create and maintain healthy buildings, we first need to understand the research,” added Downey. “Attendees to this conference will leave equipped with the scientific data they need to make informed decisions around creating and maintaining healthy indoor spaces.”

To learn more about this conference, please visit https://hb2021-america.org

Disclaimer: Please note that Facebook comments are posted through Facebook and cannot be approved, edited or declined by CleanLink.com. The opinions expressed in Facebook comments do not necessarily reflect those of CleanLink.com or its staff. To find out more about Facebook commenting please read the Conversation Guidelines.

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Originally Appeared Here

The following message with updates and reminders about COVID-19 guidelines was sent to the Drexel community.

Summary

• All eligible students, faculty and professional staff must get a booster shot and record it in the Drexel Health Checker. Booster shots are also available on campus.
• Now is the time to upgrade your mask (see below).
• Get tested before coming to campus if possible; if positive, isolate at home following the latest CDC guidance.
• Philadelphia’s indoor dining vaccination mandate is now in effect; please be prepared to show proof of vaccination for off-campus dining.
• Campus facilities are currently open.
• Drexel has checked all facilities to ensure that they meet ventilation standards; if you have questions about a specific space, please contact your building or department manager.
• All visitors to Drexel must complete the Drexel Visitor Health Checker Pass AND provide proof of full vaccination in the print or digital form of a vaccination card that matches personal identification.
• Please stay tuned as Drexel continues to set data-supported COVID guidelines in response to pandemic conditions and advances in science.

Dear Drexel Students and Colleagues, 

It’s been almost two years of pandemic and disruptions. Yet with the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, differences in vaccination levels, and seemingly constant changes in national, state and local guidelines, the path forward at the start of this winter term can feel more uncertain and confusing than ever for many of us. There is simply no “one-size-fits-all” guidance at this time of unprecedented community viral transmission and infection. During this period of remote instruction and high COVID caseloads, we are working hard to adapt available information for our campus community.

While the majority of COVID infections among vaccinated, boosted persons are thus far mild, the current surge and attendant high numbers of infected and exposed persons presents vast logistical challenges. Working with the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, we are revising evidence-based testing, and isolation/quarantine guidelines that support our most vulnerable community members, keep our educational experience satisfying, and help protect our on-campus community as much as possible. We are doing what we can to avoid campus restrictions as we prepare for returning students and in-person instruction.

As we prepare for a fuller return to campus and in-person instruction, there are a few things everyone can and should do right now to minimize their COVID risk this term and support a healthy return to in-person classes and campus activities

• Get your booster shot. Drexel requires a booster shot for all students and employees who are eligible as defined by the CDC. Data repeatedly shows that fully vaccinated people are less likely to get seriously ill or need hospital care. Vaccine protection from infection, however, lessens over time. In addition, current vaccines provide up to only 30-35 percent protection against infection by the Omicron variant. Booster shots increase your immune response against COVID and the Omicron variant, resulting in much better protection. Please get your booster shot and upload your documentation to the Drexel Health Checker. If you are unable to find a booster before you arrive, you can obtain one through Student Health (call 215.220.4700) or at one of our Sunray Pharmacy clinics. Upcoming clinics are January 12, 13, 19 and 21 for students and employees — click here to schedule. Adult family members can also schedule appointments at these special clinics. If you have been granted a religious or medical exemption from COVID vaccination, you are also exempted from the booster. We understand that recent COVID infection impacts booster timing. We are here to work with you.
• Upgrade your mask. Masking remains mandatory in all Drexel buildings. Preventing classroom transmission is critical to our ability to hold in-person classes. The contagiousness of the Omicron and Delta variants coupled with current, high community transmission means a single cloth mask no longer provides enough protection. We recommend KF94, KN95 or other NIOSH-approved, valveless respirator masks. While 2-layer, surgical face masks with wire clips are still somewhat effective, strongly consider doubling up with a surgical mask underneath a cloth mask that fits snugly against your face. All masks should completely cover your nose and mouth and fit well to prevent air escaping out of openings in the mask while still being comfortable. Learn more about evolving mask recommendations in this CNN article. Bandannas, balaclavas, scarves, neck gaiters and masks with ventilation valves are NOT permissible indoors at Drexel.
• If possible, get a rapid test before you come to campus so you can isolate at home. Know when to test. If you had a positive test over winter break/before returning to campus, please upload this information on the Drexel Health Checker App. Depending on the date of your infection, Drexel will advise regarding booster date and any change in testing schedule. Drexel’s testing facilities are open and operating normally. Due to the high number of people exposed and/or symptomatic during the current surge, we ask that you carefully consider the reason for your test before scheduling it. If you are symptomatic and a rapid home test is positive, you do not need to repeat a PCR test at Drexel. People living in Drexel housing, people with vaccine exemptions, and people with COVID symptoms or exposures are given priority at this time. If you’re not among those groups and don’t feel sick, consider using an at-home test or getting a test elsewhere if you are concerned about your COVID risk. We recognize that tests are hard to obtain in the community and we still welcome everyone who feels they need a test in addition to those in mandatory screening programs. Anticipate occasional waiting times at testing sites as we work to test larger numbers of people than usual.
• If you have had COVID infection over winter break, record it in the Drexel Health Checker if you’re well. If you’re sick, record your symptoms or positive test result in the Health Checker and don’t come to campus until you’re well. You can add your test result and even upload a picture of the test under the Test section of the app. If you’ve had COVID or a COVID exposure, wait until the required period of isolation or quarantine is over as currently defined by the CDC. You should also wait to receive your booster shot until your period of isolation or quarantine is over.
• Follow other health precautions including getting a flu shot and washing your hands. Non-COVID respiratory viruses are also highly active in the United States right now, often leading to COVID-like symptoms and risking overwhelming medical facilities. You can get a flu shot as well as a booster shot at the same time.

Campus remains open during this remote period

During the remote learning period at the start of this term, Drexel facilities, including the dining halls, remain open to serve students and employees who are returning to or need to remain on campus.

In addition, please remember that Philadelphia now requires proof of vaccination for indoor dining establishments. Drexel students, faculty and professional staff are not required to show proof of vaccination to access Drexel dining halls, but this requirement does apply to local businesses throughout the city where food is sold, including those around Drexel’s campus. If you choose to go to an indoor dining establishment in Philadelphia, be prepared to show your vaccine card or a legible photo of it along with personal identification.

Buildings and ventilation

Drexel continues to follow CDC and OSHA guidelines to ensure that all spaces on campus are as safe as possible. Facilities has assessed and adjusted ventilation systems in Drexel buildings to ensure all facilities follow ASHRAE 62.1 standards for ventilation and indoor air quality. If you have questions about facilities safety or concerns about your specific workspace/classroom, please speak to your building manager and/or department manager to express your specific concerns.

Visitors and public health

Remember that all visitors to Drexel must now complete the Drexel Visitor Health Checker Pass AND provide proof of full vaccination in the form of a vaccination card that matches personal identification. A clear, legible photo of a vaccine card is also acceptable. This applies to everyone without a Drexel ID, including those attending events. Eating and/or drinking are NOT currently allowed at indoor events because viral transmission remains high.

Hope moving forward

We have been continually gratified with the adaptability and care you have shown despite the many challenges and changes to the start of the winter term. We know that many are asking why we are doing all of this when so many vaccinated and boosted people experience something akin to a head cold when infected with COVID. We fervently wish we could just move forward to a time of campus life with rare, if any, restrictions. However, information from the CDC and local health department tells us it’s just not time yet and the fastest way to arrive at that time is to follow the guidelines we have all come to know well.

Please refer to the Drexel Response to Coronavirus site for the latest public health guidelines; we strive to update our web pages as quickly as possible. With a public health emergency that stretches on so long and keeps throwing us curveballs, it’s understandable to be tired of all these changes. We ask you, and thank you, for your continued patience.

Take care,

Marla J. Gold, MD, FACP
Chief Wellness Officer
Senior Vice Provost for Community Health

Janet Cruz, MD
Director, Student Health Service

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Originally Appeared Here

The Chicago Teachers Union is planning to convene an emergency meeting to vote on whether its teachers should move to virtual teaching amid a surge in Covid-19 cases, according to a union official, setting up a potential “electronic lockout” by the school district.

Chicago Public Schools, the third-largest school district in the country, resumed in-person learning Monday and has maintained conditions are safe for in-person instruction.

The union meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, would include a poll of the group’s delegates (elected union leaders for individual schools) on if they support a return to remote learning until the pandemic is under better control.

The union will also be sending the same question electronically to its roughly 25,000 rank-and-file members Tuesday, according to the official.

If rank-and-file members vote to return to remote learning, those teachers would notify their respective principals either Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning that they would be ready to teach, but only remotely — effectively walking out of their physical classrooms.

At that point, it would be in the hands of Chicago Public Schools to potentially lock teachers out of their remote classrooms, as the district has threatened to do under similar circumstances in the past.

At a union virtual town hall meeting Sunday, about 80% of the 8,000 members who attended indicated they did not want to return to work in-person under the current conditions, according to the union official.

The vote could trigger a “mass electronic lockout,” the official said.

Part of the union hesitation to return has come from a recent surge in Covid-19 cases among both students and in the wider community, along with uncertainty over the current picture of infection.

According to data released by Chicago Public Schools, 35,590 Covid-19 tests were completed by students and staff between December 26 and January 1, and 24,843 were declared invalid. Of those tests that were accepted, 18% tested positive for Covid-19.

In a statement to CNN, Chicago Public Schools wrote, “Over the holiday weekend, we learned from our vendors, ThermoFisher and Color, that more than half of the 40,000 submitted tests could not be validated. While we continue to seek answers, we are focused on increasing on-site testing opportunities for the impacted students and schools this week as part of our ongoing weekly testing.”

School system ‘deeply concerned’

“CPS is aware of the CTU’s calls for possible member actions, including refusal to report to work which CPS is deeply concerned could place the health and safety of members of our community, particularly our students, at increased risk,” part of the statement read.

“In the face of evolving pandemic challenges, our plan is to double down on those proven COVID-19 mitigation strategies: vaccination, testing, contact tracing, universal masking; social distancing; strong hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette; monitored and high indoor air quality; appropriately cleaned and disinfected spaces; and making certain staff and families know that sick people must stay home,” it continued.

As the school district headed into winter break, it reported its highest weekly Covid-19 case count since the school year began. Citywide, over the past two weeks, Chicago has reported its highest daily case counts of Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic.

“Remote two-way live online instruction” is available for any students directed to quarantine because of coronavirus concerns.

The-CNN-Wire

™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.

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Originally Appeared Here

As workers get back in the swing of things after the holidays, facility managers are busy taking down decorations and lights and clearing away discarded wrapping paper. Don’t be quick to throw everything in the trash and jeopardize your sustainability practices. KXLY-TV offers a quick break down of what holiday trash is recyclable.

Here’s what can be recycled:

• Most wrapping paper
• Paper boxes
• Cardboard
• Glass bottles and jars.

Here’s what needs to be trashed:

• Foil wrapping paper
• Metallic ribbons and bows
• Styrofoam
• Boxes with plastic coating
• Christmas lights
• Bubble wrap.

Take any real Christmas trees to a commercial composting facility. Just make sure you remove all lights and ornaments.

Make a few phone calls before you throw burned out strands of lights in the trash. Along with glass, plastic, and copper that could be recycled, these light strands often contain small amounts of lead.

Check with your municipal solid-waste office or other local government authority for information about local options for recycling light strands. Call nearby hardware and home-improvement stores to see if they accept holiday lights for recycling. Ask about coupons or other incentives, too, since stores sometimes hold promotions to encourage swapping incandescent lights for LEDs.

If all else fails, you can mail the lights to one of three companies that provide recycling services online, all of which offer discounts on new lights in exchange for your old ones.

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Originally Appeared Here

Rochester, MN (KROC AM News) – Public safety agencies around southeast Minnesota were kept busy through Wednesday morning and afternoon dealing with traffic crashes and other mishaps.

Many of the incidents happened on the I-35 corridor between Owatonna and the Twin Cities and the Highway 52 corridor between Rochester and the Cannon Falls area.

Here’s what it looked liked Wednesday morning near Owatonna.

Accidents were still being reported at 4:30 pm Wednesday.

The good news is that the strong winds and snow that created tough driving conditions began slowly diminishing by late afternoon but the National Weather Service says there still may be challenges into the evening in open areas.

Very cold air will move in as the storm moves out. Temperatures are forecast to fall below zero Wednesday night and may not return to positive numbers until Friday afternoon.

And then a rollercoaster pattern is expected as temperatures may reach 30 degrees Saturday but top out in the single digits for a few days before climbing to near 30 again by Wednesday.

Woman killed when stolen car crashes in St Paul

KEEP READING: See 25 natural ways to boost your immune system

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Originally Appeared Here

A smaller space consumes less resources, but can create problems when trying to move in the furniture. Resource Furniture understands the struggle and responds with multi-purpose furniture that fits the needs of the minimalist lifestyle, reduces waste and provides solutions for small spaces. 

Continue reading below

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Resource Furniture pieces are versatile, often serving more than one purpose, which intrinsically means less furniture is required in the home. This reduces consumption of products and the materials required to build them. For example, Swing, one of the company’s cornerstone wall beds, works in conjunction with the sofa for easy set up and retraction without moving any furniture to make space. Other wall beds work in conjunction with desks.

Related: Cheap, durable and natural furniture from PlayWood

“Unlike a sofa bed, our wall beds are designed to be comfortable and easy enough to use every single day,” said Challie Stillman, VP of sales and design at Resource Furniture. “In a studio, for example, a wall bed transforms the way an occupant lives with and in the space. The apartment can function like a one-bedroom, and the conversion from sofa to bed also allows a mental conversion to take place — out of sight, out of mind!”

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The company also offers a seemingly small table that converts into a dining table that will seat eight guests. That’s a recipe for a successful dinner party, even in a small space. 

It also has a desk that looks like it’s part of the wall until it’s folded out to create a workspace. Anyone living, working or studying in a small space can appreciate the ability to hide a desk from sight when it’s not in use. Similarly, the company makes hidden closets, nesting table sets and modular storage solutions.

The modular aspect of many of the pieces allow the user to replace parts without the waste that comes from throwing out the entire piece of furniture. However, the company is dedicated to making durable furniture and offers a lifetime warranty with that in mind. 

To this end, Resource Furniture is committed to material selection and production that ensures a long usable life for each product. According to a press release, “Resource Furniture facilities and furniture craftsmen adhere to the most stringent environmental, quality and ethical standards in the world.”

This is reinforced by the selection of sustainably sourced, FSC-CoC Certified, TSCA Title VI and CARB2-compliant materials. Resource Furniture’s wall beds are constructed with composite wood panels, which contain a minimum of 90% recycled and reforested wood product.

Even the mattresses are environmentally-conscious, made from completely biodegradable and solvent-free materials. The company relies on water-based lacquers, paints and glues to prevent off-gassing emissions. During production, the Italian manufacturer for the wall beds, Clei, recaptures sawdust and gas by-products that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere.

To the very last moment of use, Resource Furniture has a plan for environmental responsibility.

“I like to say that our product is low-tech — most of the products are operated manually,” said Steve Spett, cofounder of Resource Furniture. “This serves several purposes. The furniture is easy to maintain and has a long warranty. Since it uses no electricity, it’s also a zero-emission product. The products are also easy to operate and do not require any special accommodations for electrical outlet placement.”

+ Resource Furniture 

Images via Resource Furniture

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Originally Appeared Here

The western United States has endured a sharp increase in two kinds of pollutants related to wildfire smoke since the beginning of the century, a new analysis suggests. 

Scientists examined records of fine particulate matter and ozone from 2000 to 2020, and discovered that events in which people were simultaneously exposed to extreme concentrations of both pollutants have become more frequent, cover larger areas, and last longer. Furthermore, the researchers found a connection between days in which high levels of ozone and fine particulate matter co-occurred and areas burned by wildfires. They estimate that the maximum extent of land subjected to these noxious air conditions on a given day has more than doubled over the past two decades.

“We are expecting these trends to continue given climate change, so the best we can do at this point is to increase awareness and take steps to protect ourselves from worsening air pollution,” says Dmitri Kalashnikov, a doctoral student in environmental science at Washington State University Vancouver. He and his colleagues reported the findings on January 5 in Science Advances. 

Wildfires emit a mixture of hazardous compounds that contribute to cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses when people breathe them in, including fine particulate matter or “PM2.5.” These tiny particles suspended in the air are less than 2.5 micrometers in size—a small fraction of the width of a human hair. Wildfires also release some ozone, Kalashnikov says, as well as compounds that react with other pollutants to produce ozone. Studies indicate that ozone and fine particulate matter are disproportionately harmful when people are exposed to both pollutants at the same time, he adds.

In the past, levels of fine particulate matter across the western states tended to peak in winter. “You have these stagnant air patterns, and air gets trapped in the valleys and just sits there for days, which builds air pollution,” Kalashnikov says. “But wildfires have changed that equation.”

Climate change is worsening summer wildfire activity. Meanwhile, the hot, sunny conditions that persist during fire season also fuel the chemical reactions that increase ozone. “It used to be that ozone would be high in summer and PM2.5 would be high in winter,” Kalashnikov says. “It’s now changed to where both are high during the summer thanks to wildfire smoke.”

To investigate these trends, he and his colleagues examined daily air pollution records from a region that spanned from eastern Colorado to the west coast. The team divided the area into a grid with squares, or cells, measuring 1-degree latitude by 1-degree longitude. For every grid cell, the researchers identified the 37 days with the highest concentrations of ozone and of fine particulate matter annually. “Each year I looked at what are the top 10 percent days of PM2.5 and what are the top 10 percent days of ozone,” Kalashnikov says. “I was interested in seeing when and how often high levels of these two pollutants coincide.” 

Over the past two decades, the team found, periods when extreme levels of fine particulate matter and ozone co-occurred have significantly increased over much of the western U.S. between July and September. As a result, the researchers calculated, people’s exposure to poor air quality increased by about 25 million person-days per year (a measure that refers to the population of a given location multiplied by the number of days it faced extreme levels of ozone and fine particulate matter).

[Related: Colorado just saw its most destructive wildfire ever—in the middle of winter]

To understand the weather patterns that might drive this pollution, the researchers zeroed in on phenomena called atmospheric ridges or heat domes. During a heat dome—like the one that engulfed the Pacific northwest last summer—a block of hot air sits over an area for days on end. This leads to hot, dry conditions that allow wildfires to spark and spread, and allows air pollutants to build up. In the past four decades, Kalashnikov says, these weather patterns have become more common and persistent during the summer in the western states.

Finally, the researchers examined wildfire activity and air temperatures in the week leading up to occasions when ozone and fine particulate matter reached extreme concentrations. They identified a “robust correlation” between the extent of air pollution events and the amount of land that burned in the western United States and southwestern Canada in the preceding seven days, Kalashnikov says. Similarly, he says, widespread hot weather was correlated with widespread air pollution. 

“It’s this perfect storm of things which are all increasing to produce more air pollution and more population exposure to air pollution,” Kalashnikov says. “We can link these changes to increases in the kinds of weather patterns that cause this pollution…and also more severe wildfire years which produce more smoke.”

Questions for future studies include how these air pollution trends might continue to play out under climate change and how variables such as the type of land a wildfire sweeps over influence the kinds and amount of air pollution unleashed, Kalashnikov says.

One limitation of the findings is that the researchers had to rely on a network of stations to monitor air quality that is “relatively sparse” in some parts of the western United States, Kalashnikov and his team acknowledged in the paper. Increasing the number of monitoring stations is vital to get more accurate and detailed estimates, they wrote. 

Understanding the relationship between fine particulate matter and ozone levels “is tricky,” says Daniel Jaffe, an environmental chemist at the University of Washington who wasn’t involved in the research. He and his colleagues have previously found that the most extreme ozone and fine particulate matter concentrations tend to occur on different days. 

“Exactly why is it that we get these co-occurrences of [fine particulate matter] and ozone on some days but not others, and what is the interplay between wildfire smoke and urban air quality?” Jaffe says. Still, he says, the new paper “is definitely a step forward.”

The worsening air pollution described in the new report isn’t going away anytime soon, he adds, highlighting the importance of protecting indoor air quality and using prescribed burns and other techniques to manage forests so they’re less vulnerable to massive fires. “All of us in the West have to think about how we’re going to live with wildfires,” Jaffe says.

One crucial step is increasing people’s awareness of how pervasive and unhealthy air pollution from wildfire smoke can be, Kalashnikov says. “If there was more awareness, then it might lead to better policy solutions, maybe better protection for vulnerable communities [such as] outdoor workers and farm workers.” 

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Originally Appeared Here

Montgomery County reported Tuesday an increase of more than 5,000 new COVID-19 cases locally in a week and on Wednesday, thousands of local students returned to the classroom after winter break.

COVID cases have been rising rapidly over the last several weeks with the spread of the highly-contagious omicron variant. On Dec. 14, there were fewer than 2,000 active cases being reported by the county. Only three weeks later, the county is reporting an estimate of 9,547 active cases.

Conroe Independent School District, the largest district in the county with 68,000 students and the largest employer in the county, increased its COVID-19 safety alert level from two to three just as students were returning. On Tuesday, the district reported 150 student cases and 50 staff cases of COVID on its COVID-19 dashboard, the largest one-day increase since September.

The CISD level three alert includes the precautions from one and two — keep sick students and staff home; communicate with the county health department; daily department briefings; review continuation and pandemic plans; frequently clean common areas; and potentially limit travel, large gatherings, visitors, and deliveries — as well as extra precautions like recommending masking, cohorting students, and enhanced cleaning protocols.

“We look forward to welcoming your students back to school,” CISD Superintendent Curtis Null told the community in a video update Monday when he announced the move to alert level three. “While we are excited for all that this fall semester will bring, we know that we are once again facing a challenge with COVID in our community. The good news in this is that we have handled these challenges before.”

Since school was reopened in September of 2020, Null’s priority about the pandemic and the district response has been to keep students safe and keep school open. But what districts were allowed to do last school year is vastly different from what they can do this school year. School districts cannot mandate mask wearing or COVID vaccines for students or staff, and the Texas Education Agency did not grant schools a pass to conduct online school this year, limiting districts’ response to the virus in schools.

On yourcouriernews.com: Conroe ISD adds air cleaners to COVID mitigation strategy

As part of the increased alert at CISD, the district will be enhancing cleaning protocols, limiting the size of indoor activities, and recommending masks. One advantage that CISD has this school year that it didn’t last year are new air filtration systems on each campus.

Back in September the school board approved an expenditure not to exceed $1.7 million to purchase the air filtration systems from Biodefense Indoor Air Protection, which claim to kill not only COVID but other airborne viruses as well.

“We will continue to monitor the impact of COVID in our community and we will move to level four if it is necessary, in the coming weeks,” Null said. “Hopefully in very short time we will be moving back to level two.”

CISD moved to level four just two weeks into the school year as the delta variant brought the highest number of cases in the district since the pandemic began. As cases dropped, the district moved to threat level two after the Thanksgiving break.

“We continue to work with the Texas Education Agency and the Department of State Health Services on our quarantine protocols. We’ve made some adjustments for our staff and we will continue to monitor the impact of quarantine on students,” Null said.

Changes to protocols or alert levels can be found on the district’s Roadmap to Remaining Open webpage at conroeisd.net/roadmap-to-reopening.

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Chattanooga’s Smart Grid, operated by EPB, has been recognized by Green Business Certification Inc.TM, the world’s leading sustainability and health certification and credentialing body, for achieving PEER Gold (Performance Excellence in Electricity Renewal) recertification. PEER is the world’s first certification program that measures and improves power system performance and electricity infrastructure, and advances sustainable, resilient and reliable energy systems. This announcement builds on EPB’s designation in 2015 as the first municipal utility to achieve PEER certification.

“Through their Gold recertification, Chattanooga has achieved the most resilient and reliable PEER-certified utility power grid in the United States,” said Sean McMahon, vice president of Product Management at GBCI.

Because the new designation recognizes that EPB has integrated a high degree of environmental stewardship into its advanced electricity distribution system, companies in EPB’s service area can earn extra points toward the LEED certification of their green development projects. LEED is the world’s premiere green building rating system, and recognizes projects that are conserving energy and water, avoiding waste, saving on maintenance costs, improving indoor air quality, creating less environmental burden on their communities and enhancing occupant health and wellness, said officials. 

Building on its continuing commitment to environmental sustainability, Volkswagen Group of America is to integrate Chattanooga’s Smart Grid designation into its pre-established plan to build its new Chattanooga-based Battery Engineering Lab to LEED’s green building standard. The Battery Engineering Lab will house battery testing and high-voltage component engineering, and will drive Volkswagen’s strategy to center assembly of electric vehicles and battery know-how at its Chattanooga site.

“We’re building our Battery Engineering Lab with sustainable development in mind, and we’re proud to team up with GBCI and EPB to facilitate the project,” said Wolfgang Maluche, vice president at Volkswagen’s Engineering and Planning Center in Chattanooga. “This effort is part of Volkswagen’s commitment to establishing more environmentally sustainable facilities in Chattanooga, where we will add comprehensive battery know-how and the localized production of electric vehicles soon, shaping Volkswagen’s electric future in America.”

According to Mr. McMahon, the integrative collaboration between Volkswagen and EPB exemplifies an important step toward becoming more environmentally sustainable. “LEED establishes a much-needed framework for energy efficiency in buildings. But to ensure sustainability in our power systems, we need to go outside the building,” said Mr. McMahon. “After all, a building is only as green as the power that goes into it. Modeled after LEED, PEER addresses these needs to build in resilience, reliability, and sustainable practices, which are then amplified by LEED-certified buildings, like Volkswagen’s facilities, which use that power.”

Volkswagen’s Battery Engineering Lab is the latest in a continuing series of examples of the carmaker’s commitment to the environment. In 2012, Volkswagen’s facilities in Chattanooga were announced to be the first LEED Platinum certified automotive manufacturing plant in the world, also thanks to an integrated development plan which includes a 33-acre solar installation that can generate up to 9.6 megawatts of power.

According to David Wade, president and CEO of EPB, supporting Volkswagen in the LEED development of its Battery Engineering Lab is a great starting point for working with other companies to support job creation and environmental stewardship. “We appreciate Volkswagen for being the first to join EPB in this effort,” said Mr. Wade. “We stand ready to work with other local companies and potential business investors to help facilitate their green building efforts. Together, we can enhance our community’s air quality and preserve its natural beauty while maintaining and creating new job opportunities.”

EPB’s PEER Gold certification is an important tool for job creation because it provides third-party verification from GBCI that the Chattanooga area’s electric infrastructure is the most resilient and reliable PEER-certified utility power grid in the United States, said officials. The PEER designation also certifies that EPB’s infrastructure is ready for renewables, battery storage and EVs while also achieving a high standard for environmentally sustainable power system operations.

EPB is a community-owned electric and communications utility serving the Greater Chattanooga area. About a decade ago, EPB established one of the most advanced smart grid electric distribution systems in the United States. The EPB Smart Grid provides a level of automation and control that allows the utility to reduce power outages and manage power loads to better integrate sustainable power generation sources like solar and reduce environmental impact.

EPB’s new PEER Gold certification adds to Chattanooga’s growing list of environmental and climate resilience accolades which help support economic development and talent recruitment efforts in Chattanooga and the surrounding area.

 

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