National Environmental Health Association

National Environmental Health AssociationIndoor Air Quality Workshop

February 18 – 20,2004Washington, DC

Montgomery County, Maryland Indoor Air Quality Program

DEP – Division of Environmental Policy and Compliance (DEPC)

• Field • Indoor Environments• Noise• Air • Pollution Prevention

& Brownfields• Stormwater• Energy

Indoor Environments Program

• Compliance • Public

Outreach and Education

Program InititiativesRADON Pesticides Integrated Pest

Management

Carbon Monoxide

Environmental Asthma Triggers

Indoor Mold

Indoor Painting Practices

Compliance Local Executive Ordinances

Chapter 3

Air/Indoor Air Quality

Chapter 33-B Pesticides

Basic Language of Chapter 3• Section 3.10 Control and prohibition of

indoor air pollution.• (a) A person must not cause or allow the

emission of indoor air pollutants beyond the person’s property line in a manner that creates indoor air pollution.

• (b) subsection (a) does not apply to:The residential use of personal hygiene products;Smoking in non-restricted areas; orResidential cooking odors.

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Chapter 3 Continued - Property Line Defined:

•“Property line” means the boundary of a residential or non-residential area that a person legally uses or owns. For a property divided into more than one legal unit, such as multi-family housing or a multi-tenant commercial property, “property line” also includes any boundary between a unit and a common area or between units.

A Common IAQ Occurrence

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Some Examples:

A car repair shop is next to a day care enter and fumes from the paint spray booth are entering the day care center.

A nail salon is next to an office and fumes from the nail salon are entering the neighboring offices.

A tenant in an apartment building is concerned with visible mold growth on the interior surfaces of the unit caused by water damage due to a roof leak.

Who Would be Affected?

Montgomery County’s Indoor Air Quality Strategy …

• Typical examples

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Strategy Continued-DEPs IAQ enforcement is complaint driven. Therefore, when we receive a complaint that falls within our jurisdiction, DEP will:

Perform a preliminary investigation that includes, interviews, IAQ testing with appropriate meters, and ventilation testing.

If DEPs preliminary investigation reveals a problem, we will require that the facility perform further monitoring, utilizing a professional industrial hygiene firm, and submit a corrective action plan to DEP for approval.

If the facility fails to comply, DEP has the ability to issue citations and proceed with enforcement actions.

Guidance Documents

Mold … Instrumentation

Tramex Survey Encounter

SURVEY ENCOUNTER

METER FOR MEASURING MOISTURE IN WOOD, DRY-WALL, PLASTER, BRICK, ROOFING, SIDING AND OTHER CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS

Additional Tools …Indoor Air Quality Building Education and Assessment Model (I-BEAM) Software

What is I-BEAM?I-BEAM is computer software for use by building professionals and others interested in indoor air quality in commercial buildings.

The Second Aspect of Our Program and the MOST EMPHASIZED is Public Outreach

MOLD

Developing a Local

Community Program

Why Develop a Public Outreach Program for Indoor Mold?

To Educate the Public on Sane Approaches to Handling Mold.

Developing a Successful Public Outreach Program Things to Consider…

A. Conduct information needs analysis • Who is most at risk?• What do they need to know? B. Determine Goals/Objectives• Determine what you are trying to accomplish.C. Identify an intended or “target” audience• Who needs this information?• What public outreach materials will be needed to reach

your target audience?D. Identify partnerships• Are there other agencies and organizations with similar

interests?E. Develop overall theme/message• The theme will be the overall approach that sets the tone

for the outreach program. Example: Mold – The Fungus Among Us! Slide 12 of 12

• DEP receives over 3,000 indoor air related inquiries per year. Over half are mold related.

Determine Goals/Objectives

• Educate our Residents on Sane Approaches to Mold.

Identify an intended or “target” audience

• Residents, Property Mangers, Business Owners and Operators

Conduct information needs analysis

Sept. 17th 2002 edition of the Washington Post

• Child Care Resource Center, Public Schools,Health Department, Housing Authority, Building Officials, Park and Recreational Centers, Community and Homeowner Associations, Realtors, Property Managers, EPA and NACo.

D. Identify partnerships

Aspects of DEP’s Public Outreach Campaign- Mold

– Development of fact sheets

– Responding to telephone inquiries

Dissemination of the information…Mass Mailings to

County Agencies

Colorful Newspaper Ads

Health Fairs

Use of DEP’s Website Potential Sources of Water Intrusion

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DEP’s County Cable Station

Additional Ideas

Create a Healthy Indoor Air Action Kit using FREE EPA Documents

Lessons Learned

Be prepared! We didn’t anticipate the volume of calls and requests for information concerning mold.

We Need to Focus More Activities on Mold Prevention.

A Few Things to Remember…Educate your residents.

Network!

Partner with County Agencies and other interested parties.

Use EPA Documents

Make information easily accessible to your residents

And finally,

Develop a Website

Indoor Air Quality and Mold Resources

Montgomery County, MD Department of Environmental Protection

www.ASKDEP.comMontgomery County Executive Ordinance

Search for Chapter 3 and Chapter 33-Bhttp://www.amlegal.com/montgomery_county_md/

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Indoor

Air Quality – Mold/Moisture/Mildewwww.epa.gov/iaq/molds

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Parting Thoughts…Mushrooms Should Not Grow in Your

Buildings

If They Do, Water is in Your Walls

THANK YOU!Michele Courville

240.777.7757michele.courville@montgomerycountymd.gov