Stay Close To The Phone: It's August and there's an onslaught of Back To School articles in the general media. However, IE Connections warns IAQ pros should watch closely for Arnold Mann's "back to school" article on mold in schools, which is expected to appear in an issue of USA Weekend this month. As evidenced by past major articles by Mann, business phones should be ringing off the hook with scared school administrators and potential new clients.

Residential IAQ Review: ASHRAE has released the first public review of Standard 62.2P, Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality for Low-Rise Residential Buildings. You can download find the draft through ASHRAE's web site at www.ashrae.org/STANDARDS/pubrevdft.htm or more directly from their FTP site at ftp.ashrae.org/stds-info/StdsAction/2000-08-11.

The review period is scheduled to begin Aug. 11 and end Oct. 10, but Committee Chair Max Sherman recommends that people file their comments as early as possible to allow the ASHRAE staff and the committee maximum time to process and evaluate them.

"No doubt there will be those who wish to obstruct any progress by 'spamming' (i.e. sending in a large number of essentially duplicate comments)," he said. " If there is an issue for which you feel you need to gather broad support, it is far more constructive to have people sign on to one or more comments, than to spam.

The proposed standard recommends whole-house mechanical ventilation systems for all residential buildings of three stories or less, and is being developed to set guidelines to achieve acceptable IAQ for homes.

If, after reading the document, you have any questions that you need answered prior to writing a comment, Sherman has offered to answer them individually, saying that it is "far easier to clear up any confusion informally, than to go through the formal comment and response process." You can reach him by e-mail at MHSherman@lbl.gov.

Still On The Web: Despite a special internet report to the contrary, the American Indoor Air Quality Council, an association for IAQ professionals, can be located at www.iaqcouncil.org, according to Executive Director Charlie Wiles. IAQ Publications currently offers a Special Web-Surfing Report that lists 'IAQ' searches and states that Alta Vista lists AmIAQ as having a defunct website.

Still In The News: IE Connections has learned that in a report issued last month by the Committee of Experts on Tobacco Industry Documents, Healthy Buildings International and the Center for Indoor Air Research (CIAR) are listed as once being tobacco company front organizations. The report entitled "Tobacco Company Strategies to Undermine Tobacco Control Activities at the World Health Organization," cites 1990 testimony from Charles Whitley of the now defunct Tobacco Institute. CIAR is also now out of business, while in a November 1999 interview with HBI President Gray Robertson, IE Connections was told that HBI conducted research for a tobacco company but never was a front organization.

Research Database: The MRC Institute for Environment and Health is compiling a database of research on air pollution (indoor and outdoor) in the UK, and on indoor air pollution across Europe. The purpose of this exercise is to provide Governmental departments and funding bodies with an up-to-date source of information which they may use to:

• Identify individuals and groups with expertise in particular aspects of air pollution research
• Provide information on current topics of air pollution research
• Identify gaps in research on air pollution
• Identify new advances in the air pollution field

If you are currently performing research in the air quality field, contact Charles Aylward on 0116 223 1612, or by email at ceficinventory@ le.ac.uk. IEH is currently finalizing the structure of a questionnaire that should be available for download from this site by the middle of this month.

Writing On The Wall: Sources tell IE Connections that the Mechanical System Hygiene Institute (MSHI), a division of the Association of Specialists in Cleaning and Restoration (ASCR), may be disbanded and reorganized as an IAQ division. Long called the "step-child" of the association, MSHI recently scrapped plans to produce their annual seminar in 2001. Meanwhile, ASCR is currently re-incorporating itself and is considering an organizational name change.

No Delay For Lead Safety Rule: Several organizations representing housing owners and developers made an eleventh-hour appeal to Congress to delay the HUD's new lead safety rule, scheduled to take effect Sept.15. Fortunately, strong opposition by a constellation of local, state and national lead poisoning prevention advocates appears to have blocked the rule's delay, at least for now. The House Appropriations Committee expressed concern over the rule, but did not delay its implementation. With the Senate unlikely to take up HUD's appropriation bill this summer due to budget cap constraints, the next (and final) step in the congressional process is likely to come in the House-Senate conference committee in next month.

The shortage of painters and remodelers trained in lead safety and individuals trained and qualified to do clearance tests poses a challenge in many areas. HUD is considering an initial period of "compliance assistance," which would focus attention and resources on building capacity for implementation, rather than enforcement.

IAQ Guidelines Review: The Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association (SMACNA) is seeking ANSI approval for its standard, IAQ Guidelines for Occupied Buildings Under Construction (BSR/SMACNA). The standard includes a general overview of how indoor air quality is affected by construction activities and what planning, management and communication can do to minimize the impact on building occupants. Example planning and inspection check sheets are also included in the appendices. All comments must be received by Sept. 30 to be considered. To obtain a Canvass Letter Ballot for comments, contact Ben Dutton at bdutton@smacna.org or call (703) 803-2980.