FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 25, 2024
Media Contact: Ashley Sullivan, Ashley.Sullivan@weact.org
Today, Congressman Paul D. Tonko (D-NY) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) announced the introduction of their Indoor Air Quality and Healthy Schools Act, bipartisan legislation that would protect the public from poor indoor air quality (IAQ). In response, Anastasia Gordon, Federal Policy Director at WE ACT for Environmental Justice shared this response,
“WE ACT for Environmental Justice has long advocated that everyone has the right to a healthy home. The Indoor Air Quality and Schools Act of 2024 is a critical step in supporting the health and well-being of all, especially for environmental justice communities unduly impacted by poor indoor and outdoor air quality.
Communities of color and low-income communities often live in older, smaller housing units that lack adequate ventilation and contain inefficient, fossil-fueled appliances, contributing to higher-than-average exposure to air contaminants and allergens. In our Out of Gas, In with Justice pilot alone, we found that NO2 concentrations inside public housing apartments using gas stoves exceeded EPA’s Air Quality Index (AQI) level for “unhealthy for sensitive groups,” with some homes registering “unhealthy levels for all groups.” EPA’s AQI provides guidelines for outdoor exposure, demonstrating how severe this is for indoor air.
Poor indoor air quality negatively affects everyone – people in the U.S. spend almost 90 percent of their time indoors. Yet, it is particularly pervasive for environmental justice communities living in public and affordable housing who are more likely to have asthma than the rest of the population. Congress has never substantially acted on this critical issue. We are grateful for Representative Tonko’s leadership to address unhealthy indoor environments and we call on Congress to swiftly pass this legislation.”
# # #
WE ACT for Environmental Justice is a Northern Manhattan membership-based organization whose mission is to build healthy communities by ensuring that people of color and/or low-income residents participate meaningfully in the creation of sound and fair environmental health and protection policies and practices. WE ACT has offices in New York and Washington, D.C. Visit us at weact.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.