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Do Mold, Dampness Cause Adverse Health Effects?
Consumers Drop $3.5B Yearly on Asthma Attributable to Dampness
By Steve Sauer
The widely cited and oft-misinterpreted Institute of Medicine’s May 2004 report “Damp Indoor Spaces and Health” found that while “excessive indoor dampness is a public-health problem,” it did not conclude there exists a causal link that translates dampness into even the simplest of human health effects, much less the wide variety of symptoms claimed in a multitude of mold lawsuits over the last several years.
The report’s committee concluded merely that evidence suggests an association, a concept that means the two merely exist but does not guarantee one causes the other.
A new study published in last month’s edition of the journal Indoor Air results in the same logical conclusion. Specifically, wherever dampness existed in buildings in the analysis, the risk of a variety of respiratory and asthma-related health outcomes increased by as much as half.
While the latest research still falls short of concluding that dampness and mold have a causal relationship with asthma-related and respiratory health effects, the carefully constructed language about this relationship is closer toward establishing a cause. A separate examination finds a national annual cost of $3.5 billion on asthma cases said to be “attributable to dampness and mold exposure in the home.”
Both sets of research were conducted by staff of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, including William J. Fisk, who had also been one of nine members of the committee collaborating on the 2004 Institute of Medicine report. That report, a review of the existing literature on indoor dampness and the health effects associated with it, fulfilled a 2001 request by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Fisk, who is currently acting director for the lab’s Environmental Energy Technologies Division, is quoted in a May 24 laboratory press release: “Our analysis does not prove that dampness and mold cause these health effects. However, the consistent and relatively strong associations of dampness with adverse health effects strongly suggest causation by dampness-related [pollutant] exposures.”
The press release announces the availability of this analysis and the other Fisk-coauthored study, both of which were published in the June issue of Indoor Air.
The day after that press release was issued marked the second anniversary of a press conference in Washington, D.C., that saw Fisk and two fellow committee members fielding media questions upon the release of the Institute of Medicine report.
That report earned significant mainstream media coverage in the days that followed, although some initial interpretations of the committee’s conclusions varied so much as to provoke contrasting newspaper headlines: The Wall Street Journal’s “Indoor Mold Linked to Problems Such as Asthma and Coughing” clashes with Scripps Howard News Service’s “Study: No evidence household mold causes major illness.”
Fisk’s health-effects study was coauthored by Quanhong Lei-Gomez and Mark J. Mendell, also of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s Environmental Energy Technologies Division. The study was funded jointly by the Department of Energy and also the Indoor Environments Division of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Radiation and Indoor Air.
Fisk’s other study published last month, which provides the $3.5 billion total due to dampness-attributable asthma, concludes that the “economic consequence from dampness and mold due to asthma alone ... should be significant enough to justify a significant community response.”
Fisk coauthored this study with Dr. David Mudarri, who retired earlier this year from the EPA’s Indoor Environments Division.
The two authors find that about 4.6 million current asthma cases in the United States “are attributable to dampness and mold exposure.” The figure represents more than 21 percent of those currently reported asthma cases nationally.
“Public policies and programs can reduce these impacts by both preventing moisture and mold problems in buildings and mitigating them when they do occur,” write Fisk and Mudarri in their conclusions.
They calculated the estimate of $3.5 billion by using an estimate of asthma costs for both children and adults in the United States in 2004, which totals $16.8 billion, and taking into consideration that only 21 percent of those cases are attributable to dampness, as per Fisk’s other study.
The cost estimate is derived from averages of reported or estimated medical care costs and indirect costs representing the value of lost work and school days. The figure also accounts for $1.9 billion in mortality, as identified in a 2001 study.
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Mold Regulation, Licensing Rules Passed in Fla.
By Steve Sauer
A bill in Florida regulating mold professionals
became law on June 27 when signed by
Gov. Charlie Crist. Taking full effect in July
2010, the law requires mold assessors and remediators
to apply for examinations and two year
licenses.
The law leaves many specifics of the regulation
up to the state’s Department of Business
and Professional Regulation, which is in the
process of approving volunteers to participate
on a board that would influence the rules committee.
The board is authorized to tie many
loose ends of the regulation in the intervening
three years.
Among the decisions the board is to reach
is the issue of whether any certain groups
would be exempted from the examination requirements
to qualify for licensing. The board
would also be responsible for tasks related to
preparation of the exam and for determining the
amounts for fees.
The new board is to consist of a limited number
of members representing various aspects of
construction, including architects, developers
and builders.
One aspect of the regulation already determined
is the insurance requirements applicable
to mold professionals. Under the new law,
The law creates new sections in the chapter of
a Florida statute that already regulates a wide
range of professions including building code
administrators and inspectors, dietetics, athlete
agents, and occupational therapists.
The state legislature had approved the licensing
bill in May despite Senate committees’ expressed
concerns that its financial requirements
would widen the state’s deficit. The state would
lose nearly $18,000 every two years, according
to a prediction by the state Department of
Business and Professional Regulation reported
in April in Senate Criminal Justice Committee
analysis. Earlier estimates had painted an even
bleaker picture of the financial consequences of
a previous, more complex version of the bill. |
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Word on the Street
IAQA EXTENDS CALL FOR PAPERS
The Indoor Air Quality Association has extended the call for papers for its October 2007 conference. Persons interested in giving technical presentations must submit an abstract including the title of the presentation and a brief description of its contents. Descriptions should be limited to 300 words. Submissions must also include the speaker’s biography and distinguish whether the presentation can be 45, 60 and/or 90 minutes in length. Descriptions should also indicate if the presentation is designed for those with beginner, intermediate or advanced knowledge of the general subject matter. Final selections are to be made by the Convention Steering Committee. The submission deadline is July 15. Submissions should be sent to Kristy M. Lee, IAQA technical director, by fax at (301) 231-8321 or by e-mail to klee@iestandards.org. This year’s IAQA convention is scheduled to take place Oct. 14–17 in Las Vegas. For more information, visit www.iaqa.org.
EPA TO REGULATE ANTHRAX CLEANUP PRODUCTS
Guidance has been proposed for the federal registration of products designed to inactivate anthrax in contaminated buildings and other places. As proposed, product labels approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for registration would contain statements restricting anthrax-cleanup products to government contractors, trained response personnel under supervision of federal on-scene coordinators, trained U.S. military, contractors under military supervision, and others who have completed required training. The EPA said it “review and approve any training program proposed in an application for registration or amended registration before determining the product’s eligibility for registration.” Comments on this guidance are being accepted through Sept. 4. Instructions for submitting comments can be obtained by visiting www.regulations.gov and searching for docket ID EPA-HQ-OPP-2006-1004.
BBJ CEO BAKER DROPS OUT, FORMS OWN FIRM
Robert G. Baker, having resigned as chairman and CEO of antimicrobial manufacturer BBJ Environmental Solutions Inc., is launching a new business venture to be called The RGB Group. The company, according to a release, is to “provide advisory and consulting services on the relationship of HVAC ... maintenance to indoor air quality.” The RGB Group is to promote procedures and technology utilizing the recently published ANSI-approved Standard 180, “Inspection and Maintenance of Commercial Building HVAC Systems.” Baker chaired the joint committee that produced the standard for the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers and the Air Conditioning Contractors of America. Joining Baker, who is the current Indoor Air Quality Association president, in The RGB Group are building automation veteran Ross Montgomery, HVAC commissioning authority Carl Lawson, and others to be announced this season. For more information, Baker and his associates can be reached by e-mail at RGB@rgbgp.com or by phone at (813) 774-4651. The Web address for the new venture is www.rgbgp.com.
BUILDING SCIENCE ALREADY ON TOUR
A set of national lecture dates for building science experts Dr. Joe Lstiburek and Dr. John Straube is now taking place, with the duo traveling to 10 North American locations by the middle of November. “Building Science Fundamentals 2007” is an advanced two-day seminar about optimizing building performance – designing buildings that perform as they should: efficiently and without assemblies that spall, decay, corrode, peel, blister, mold, condense water, leak air and water, and otherwise annoy occupants, clients and authorities with jurisdiction. Participants are learning how to correct these problems in existing buildings and how to avoid them in new buildings. Straube and Lstiburek cover fundamental building-science principles (such as the control of heat, moisture and IAQ) as well as applications in disaster management, building investigations and sustainability. The topics are close to the hearts of their presenters, such as Lstiburek’s irreverent take on energy issues, which appeared in an IE Connections editorial this March as “How to Defeat al Qaeda with Insulation.” Another: “How mold is not the Ebola virus or plutonium.”
Seminars in Toronto (July 10–11) and Philadelphia (July 17–18) wrap up the first part of “Building Science Fundamentals 2007.” More dates follow after the summer, including another stop in the Great White North. Autumn dates commence with Houston (Sept. 25–26) and continue through Chicago (Oct. 16–17), Seattle (Oct. 23–24), Orlando (Nov. 6–7) and Vancouver (Nov. 13–14). Their first tour was held last autumn. For more information or to register for a seminar, visit www.buildingscienceseminars.com or contact Christine Cronin by phone at (617) 800-2633.
AIHA SEEKS COURSES FOR NEXT YEAR’S CONFERENCE
The American Industrial Hygiene Association will be accepting proposals for professional development courses to be held May 31 and June 1, 2008, in conjunction with the 2008 American Industrial Hygiene Conference & Expo in Minneapolis, Minnesota. PDCs provide information on new standards, regulations, and innovations in technology; traditional occupational and safety issues; new chemical and biological threats; and upcoming career challenges. The deadline for submissions is Aug. 15. To request a printed brochure, contact Bruce Hermit, AIHA’s continuing education coordinator, by e-mail at bhermit@aiha.org or by phone at (703) 846-0752. AIHA’s online PDC submission site for AIHce 2008 is www.aiha.org/callforpdcs.htm.
REMEDIATION SURVEY REWARDS PARTICIPANTS
The Indoor Air Quality Association offered a $35 gift certificate for a limited number of participants in a large survey of mold remediation professionals. The online survey, which is conducted by the St. Louis University School of Public Health and funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, is to provide findings to be considered for publication in scientific research or for presentations at professional conferences. The university promises to keep the identities of participants confidential. IAQA offered to donate gift certificates to the first 400 participants. The school estimates the survey takes one or two hours to complete in full, and it says participants can save their progress so that they can complete the survey a little at a time. Survey participants are being recruited only through July 31, so anyone interested in taking part should act quickly to contact either Anu Dixit, Ph.D., by e-mail at dixita@slu.edu or by phone at (314) 977-3221, or Rodel Desamu-Thorpe, M.D., by e-mail at rdesamut@slu.edu or by phone at (314) 977-8223.
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RIA Parts with Directors in Spar over Service Mark
Association Moves to Defend Mark it Does Not Own
By Steve Sauer
A lawsuit filed in May by the Restoration Industry Association names two of its board members who are involved with an Idaho company bearing a name similar to that of an RIA certification.
Two RIA board members, Ronald K. Reese and Michael Griggs, are defendants in the RIA lawsuit due to their involvement with The Certified Restorers Consulting Group LLC. The dispute concerns the rights to use the term “Certified Restorer,” for which both sides have laid their claim.
RIA, which was until earlier this year known as ASCR International or the Association of Specialists in Cleaning and Restoration, says the Certified Restorer designation “has been a core credential of RIA for nearly 30 years.”
RIA, while operating under its original name, successfully registered trademarks in 1989 and 2000 for graphic logos that incorporate the term “Certified Restorer.”
However, both registrations include a notation that expressly denies the two-word phrase itself. “No claim is made to the exclusive right to use ‘Certified Restorer’ apart from the mark as shown,” reads a statement appearing in the records for both of RIA’s registered trademarks. The older one is a logo displaying the letters “NIFR” and the phrase “Certified Restorer” with the shape of a house inside a rectangle; the other is identical except with the letters “NIDR.”
It was not until August 2006 that RIA sought to obtain a trademark on the term itself. However, by that time, Certified Restorers Consulting Group, or CRCG, had been incorporated in Idaho. Reese founded CRCG in April 2004 and was initially its sole manager – while also running Ree-Construction out of Bellevue, Idaho.
During the same month that RIA began the yet-unfinished process of obtaining a trademark for the term “Certified Restorer,” it also started to deliver messages intended to enforce what it believes is its exclusive right to use the term. Among other things, RIA challenged CRCG to rebrand itself. The association’s most recent action, filing the lawsuit, was done “in an effort to protect the Certified Restorer name in the restoration industry.” In a May 31 press release, RIA printed the term along with the letters “SM” to indicate “service mark.”
“The Certified Restorer designation is the premier restoration designation in the industry,” RIA President Gary Dooner said in the association’s press release. “Achievement of this designation requires significant education and experience, and RIA will diligently protect any trademark infringement concerning this or any other RIA designation.”
On its Web site, RIA describes the Certified Restorer program as “a week-long master’s course in damage repair offered to experienced contractors and restorers.” The course, it says, “is offered twice yearly. Class size is limited to 25.” It is one of six advanced designations available from RIA.
Martin L. King, a technical adviser to the association, said he trained “every Certified Restorer in the world, a number which now totals more than 520 at last count.”
Griggs and Reese, who both served CRCG in managerial capacities, were elected as members of RIA’s Board of Directors beginning in March 2006, nearly two full years into the company’s existence. Their tenure with the association ended in the wake of the lawsuit, filed May 18 in the U.S. District Court for Idaho. Spokespeople for RIA have not disclosed publicly when or how Reese and Griggs were removed from RIA’s board.
In separate communications with IE Connections, Reese did not comment on his removal from the board, but Griggs confirmed that his own removal was not voluntary. Griggs also said, in an interview on June 20, that he had already resigned from CRCG by the time RIA filed its lawsuit. Further, he said, “I still have not received formal notification” of his dismissal from the RIA board.
Griggs and Reese, along with another CRCG manager, Michael Eggman, voluntarily withdrew their names from their managerial positions, an official document filed with the state attorney general May 23 shows. Griggs said he had actually resigned effective May 10. The same document lists three other current managers – Thomas C. Geoffroy, Brian Boone and Michael Cosley.
All six are named as defendants in RIA’s lawsuit, along with their individual companies in California, Colorado, Idaho and Texas. Geoffroy, Reese and Griggs are listed on RIA’s Web site as bearing the Certified Restorer credentials.
“RIA’s Board of Directors in 2006 determined to undertake protection of the Association’s intellectual property wherever any of the Association’s trademarks were used incorrectly or without proper authorization,” said Dooner.
RIA followed its Aug. 11 filing with a cease-and-desist letter dated Aug. 22 and addressed to Certified Restorers Consulting Group, alleging the name infringed on its term. The association, in its letter, demanded a rebranding of the company so as not to contain the name in question.
Dooner, in the recent press release, described RIA’s actions in the matter as “efforts to monitor and assure appropriate use of RIA’s intellectual properties.”
In a letter dated Feb. 13, the association offered to license use of the term, although it rescinded the offer two weeks later. It is unclear whether CRCG responded to these letters, but the company in April filed an official document to oppose RIA’s intent to trademark the term “Certified Restorer.”
Because the term was already part of the company name, CRCG said registration of it would be detrimental to its business and also cause confusion in the marketplace.
Reese declined to speak with IE Connections about particulars of the case but said in an e-mail on June 18 that he wishes the dispute had not resulted in litigation. “It was my understanding that many of the issues had been satisfactorily addressed and my belief that the rest of the issues could have been resolved fairly and amicably without resorting to the burden of litigation,” said Reese. “It is now apparent that not everyone shared that viewpoint.
“The remaining members of the Board of the RIA have now filed a lawsuit and chosen to move this matter to the courts,” Reese continued. “I personally find this an unfortunate circumstance much akin to the fights among even the closest of siblings (as in ‘Bobby hit me!’-‘Did not!’-‘Did too!’) … I suspect that when all is said and done, it will amount to little more than a footnote in the history books of accomplishments of the RIA, making for a topic of quickly forgotten conversation at the bar and little more.”
Griggs shared similar sentiments. “I believe it didn’t have to happen this way,” he said. “It could have been amicably settled. I’m kind of disappointed.” He said he hopes the lawsuit can be resolved “with the least possible effect on both parties and in a fair and amicable way.”
RIA’s side also said litigation was undesirable and could have been avoidable. “Taking legal action against members is something no board of directors ever wants to do,” Dooner said in RIA’s press release. “However, when RIA attempted to rectify the situation without litigation, CRCG chose not to comply. At that point, failure to act would send a message of weakness and indecision that is contrary to RIA’s ethical standards and to the principles of the professionals who uphold the high standards embodied in Certified Restorer.”
King expressed a similar viewpoint in his letter to those bearing that certification. Explaining why the lawsuit had been filed, he said, “This step was taken because the RIA board, many of whom hold the Certified Restorer designation, felt that allowing an individual business in the restoration industry to bear the name Certified Restorer would diminish its value for those who have worked so hard to earn and maintain their CR credential. Imagine if every time someone clicked on an Internet hyperlink that reads ‘certified restorer’ they landed on the CRCG website. Would you think that your credential was working for you or someone else? This was not what I envisioned when I started the Certified Restorer program.” |
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IAQA Urges Members to Object to Council Policy
By StaffAn e-mail sent by the Indoor Air Quality Association at the end of May urged the organization’s members to object to a policy shift expected to be implemented by the American IAQ Council on June 1.
The dispute between IAQA and the Council, which partnered along with the Indoor Environmental Standards Organization last year to unify and consolidate their activities, was the first aired publicly since responsibility for certification program administration was transferred to Council in January 2006.
At issue was an announcement by the Council that it intended to expand its online guides for certification candidates by revealing publicly the page numbers of reference texts from which exam questions are derived. Previously, the Council’s policy was to publish the titles of the reference texts without disclosing specific page numbers.
IAQA’s call to action, sent to its 5,000 members by e-mail, generated more than 200 replies and phone calls to both IAQA and the Council. According to IAQA officials, a majority of respondents followed IAQA’s lead and expressed skepticism or objection about the Council’s policy change. Other respondents, however, were less passionate about the policy change than they were about the need for IAQA and the Council to overcome their differences.
“Hundreds of our members objected to the release of the page numbers,” said Bob Baker, IAQA president, whose signature was under the association’s call to action. “Whether the Council will change its direction as a result of our members’ opinions remains to be seen.”
“The value of your American IAQ Council certification is in imminent danger,” warned IAQA in its call to action, which then proceeds to describe why the release of the page numbers allegedly diminishes the value of Council certifications. In its description, IAQA cites a previous agreement with the Council under which only IAQA-approved training providers were given access to the page numbers.
Although Council officials declined to comment for this article, Executive Director Charlie Wiles explains, in an editorial published in this issue of IE Connections, why he believes publishing the page numbers does not reveal “specific information about exam questions.” He also says the publication of page numbers complies with standards for educational testing that caution against inconsistently distributing study materials.
While widespread support for IAQA’s position was evident, so was skepticism for IAQA’s motives. One member of an Internet chat group frequented by industry professionals asked, “Is this about protecting the value of certification, or protecting the turf of course providers?” The sentiment was echoed by others who view the Council’s release of page numbers as an action that opens the field of IAQ training to course providers outside of IAQA.
“Yes, we want to protect and preserve the integrity of IAQA’s education courses,” Baker told IE Connections, “but that’s not why IAQA issued the call to action. Our elected Board unanimously agreed that the page number release diminishes the value and credibility of Council certifications.”
Within hours of IAQA’s call for action, the notice was copied to Internet chat groups, where debate over the subject dominated discussions for several days. One member of the Yahoo! IE Quality Group, Dr. Wei Tang, principal of QLab, started his own online petition drive.
On the evening of May 31, Tang sent an e-mail to the executive leadership of IAQA, IESO and the Council on behalf of the 241 people who had signed his petition. He wrote, “For the best interest of IAQA members and AmIAQ [Council] certificants, we sincerely hope that AmIAQ will refrain from publishing any examination reference sources on its website before this issue can be further discussed and resolved between involved organizations, AmIAQ certificants and IAQA members.”
The Council did not post its new candidate guides or page numbers of examination reference texts on June 1, leading to speculation that the Council was reconsidering its position.
A source close to the Council, however, told IE Connections on June 8 that the organization did not actually plan to release its new material June 1, but rather had given a notice at the end of April to IAQA and IESO that named June 1 as the earliest date it might do so. The source also confirmed the Council has not changed its decision and would, in fact, release the materials when they are finalized.
Asked how the Council’s action would affect IAQA’s course program, IAQA Education Committee Chairman Mark DeLisle said, “IAQA courses have earned an outstanding reputation because of their quality, and that will not change. Over the last year, nearly two-thirds of those who attended IAQA courses did so purely for the educational value. They did not pursue certification. And for the third of our students who did seek Council certification, IAQA training provided an excellent preparatory course and will continue to do so in the future.”
Editor’s Note: The
editorial by Council Executive Director Charles Wiles, providing an
explanation and justification regarding the policy change, appears
on page 22 of this issue of
IE
Connections |
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What Steps Should I Take Before Sampling for Mold?
Dr. Harriet Burge
Director of Aerobiology
EMLab P&K
San Bruno, Calif.
Q.What steps should I take before beginning sampling for mold?
A.I’ve been asked this question several times recently, and have been hesitant to write about the subject since so many of you have more experience in on-site investigations than I do. In spite of that, here goes, and if you have comments, corrections, etc., let us know. Also, as you will probably predict, my first answer will be to develop a hypothesis then a sampling strategy based on all the information you can obtain from the client and an initial visual inspection.
Clearly, in many moisture-related incidents, sampling is not necessary. A good visual assessment for conditions that caused the incident and for conditions that are likely to cause future incidents is likely to lead to remediation recommendations. In the second case, poor overall maintenance (e.g., peeling paint, dirty windows, poor landscape maintenance, etc.) is an indication that you will probably find problems. Whether or not the client will want to fix them is another story.
So, how do you decide whether or not sampling will be necessary? First is to consider the client’s reason for the investigation. Does he/she seek to address a water event? visible mold growth? moldy odors? What about the effects of the composting plant that is going in down the block? Are there health or comfort complaints? Or is the client dissatisfied with, for example, the new air-conditioning system and wanting to sue the manufacturer or installer?
The next step is to decide whether or not mold is likely to be involved. If mold is clearly not the source of the problem, then sampling for mold is most likely a waste of time. Of the above examples, visible mold growth, moldy odors and water events are likely to involve mold. Health complaints that are not associated with one of the mold-associated events are unlikely to be related to mold, and no amount of sampling will prove otherwise. There are exceptions, of course, and covering bases by doing, for example, a good MoldScore assessment could be useful in case there is hidden mold that actually is making the occupants uncomfortable in some way. Remember that infections such as colds, influenza, acute sinus infections, etc., are not caused by mold. Neither is cancer in home or office environments.
A walkthrough with the client is the next step. It is important to write down the client’s specific concerns and all conditions that either you or the client considers to constitute a mold problem. At this point you should be able to establish some sort of probability of whether or not mold is actually part of the problem. If it is, then you can proceed with the mold investigation. If not, you will have to decide whether or not you want to undertake a negative investigation (i.e., document that mold is NOT the problem). You may still need to continue the investigation for legal reasons or because the client thinks the investigation might calm people down, or for other reasons. However, then, your hypothesis-development stage will be a challenge, and you may have to suggest a general overall investigation of the property for mold indicators. As we have discussed many times, this is an expensive proposition.
At this point, you should have enough information to formulate one or more hypotheses that can be tested. The simplest of these is “that visible mold is caused by the obvious wetness in the wall.” In this case you really don’t need to do any testing unless the extent of the problem is unclear. You can base your decision to go directly to remediation on your professional opinion. A similar hypothesis is “that the visible discoloration is caused by obvious wetness in the wall.” In this case, you could decide you need to confirm that the discoloration is mold. Some investigators do this using a tiny microscope; more commonly, you would collect a tape sample for analysis. It really doesn’t matter what kind of mold. The remediation will be the same regardless.
There are a broad range of hypotheses of differing complexities that can be developed that lead to investigative strategies that include extensive sampling. We can’t go into all of them here, so instead here are a few observations and problems that I have encountered with investigative strategies.
The first concerns site-specific (i.e., event) investigations where the client does not want you to evaluate the rest of the building. It is important to make sure that the client understands that other problems may exist that will not be solved by a site-specific investigation. You need to ensure that you will not be blamed when other mold or wet conditions are discovered in places where you were told not to look. We all have been a part of investigations where the client was convinced that a certain factor has caused the problem, and doesn’t want you opening any cans of worms that might not be caused by that factor.
The second most common problem I encounter concerns investigations in cases that eventually lead to litigation. These kinds of investigations are driving the need for complete documentation of everything. Remember that attorneys and judges know nothing about your field. This is why you need to write down everything the client says and everything you observe (including photographing conditions you consider important). You need to document your hypotheses, and make it clear how your investigative strategy addresses your hypotheses. Most importantly, you need to define your interpretation parameters at the beginning of the investigation.
The third most common problem involves health-effects investigations. Unless you are an epidemiologist with plenty of money or a forensic expert (like Gil Grissom on “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” assuming such a person exists in the real world) you cannot collect the kind of data that is necessary to document the cause of health effects. I have encountered many reports where investigators have concluded that, since “pathogenic” organisms were recovered in a space, they are causing the reported health effects or complaints.
Dr. Harriet Burge is director of aerobiology at EMLab P&K and associate professor and director of the microbiology laboratory at the Harvard School of Public Health. Widely considered the leading expert in IAQ, Burge pioneered the field more than 30 years ago. She has served as a member of three National Academy of Sciences committees for IAQ, including as vice chair of the Committee on the Health Effects of Indoor Allergens.
To submit a question to Dr. Burge, write to her by e-mail at askdrburge@emlab.com. All questions posed to Burge will receive a reply, although space limitations prevent us from publishing them all. By submitting a question, you agree to have your question and its answer published in a future edition of IE Connections.
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IAQ Council Certification: A Mark of Integrity
Charlie Wiles
Executive Director
American Indoor Air Quality Council
Glendale, Ariz
At the American IAQ Council, we think of certification as both a door and a bar. It is a door in the sense that it welcomes people into the certification program; it is a bar in the sense that it accepts only those who meet its standards.
We believe that the most respected certifications have two things in common: The door is open, but the bar is high.
As an independent certifying body, the American IAQ Council has always provided the widest door and the highest bar in the indoor air quality industry.
Raising the Bar
The Council’s work in raising the bar is well documented. Our certifications have always been and continue to be board-awarded by a nationwide panel of industry experts, who award certification by unanimous vote only. Certification board members volunteer their time to review each application, and remain completely independent of training organizations or other financial interests.
Our certifications require extensive field experience from every candidate – up to eight years’ experience in the case of our most prestigious designations. IAQ Council staff members verify project documentation by phone or affidavit for every application and maintain detailed records of verification in case of a subpoena.
Our certification exams are delivered in a secure electronic format by independent, third-party proctors. This means that no one has access to IAQ Council certification exams – ever. It also means that exam topics, items, answers and distracters are randomized to protect exam security.
Our recertification requirements are the most stringent in the industry. IAQ Council certifications must be renewed every two years and require up to 20 recertification credits per year in registered professional development activities.
In short, an IAQ Council certification is simply harder to obtain, and harder to keep, than the average run-of-the-certification-mill designation. This is why IAQ Council certifications are the only marks in the industry to earn prestigious accreditation by CESB, a nationally-recognized, independent accrediting body.
Third-party Accreditation
The Council for Engineering and Scientific Specialty Boards has accredited certification programs in engineering and applied science since 1990. CESB is entirely independent of industry organizations and exists solely to promote high standards in the certification industry.
CESB accreditation is extremely difficult to achieve. It is available only to certifying bodies who maintain rigorous standards for candidate eligibility and program operation. Accredited certifying bodies must be independent of training organizations. They must follow strict guidelines for exam development and security. They must evaluate education and field experience as well as exam performance. Such standards are the reason that CESB-accredited programs like the Certified Industrial Hygienist are revered as marks of integrity and credibility.
The IAQ Council has achieved CESB accreditation for eight of its certification programs:
Indoor Environmental Consulting
- Council-certified Indoor Environmental Consultant (CIEC) – eight years’ experience required
- Council-certified Indoor Environmentalist (CIE) – two years’ experience required
Microbial Consulting
- Council-certified Microbial Consultant (CMC) – eight years’ experience required
- Council-certified Microbial Investigator (CMI) – two years’ experience required
Microbial Remediation
- Council-certified Microbial Remediation Supervisor (CMRS) – five years’ experience required
- Council-certified Microbial Remediator (CMR) – two years’ experience required
Indoor Air Quality Management
- Council-certified Indoor Air Quality Manager (CIAQM) – two years’ experience required
Residential Mold Inspection
- Council-certified Residential Mold Inspector (CRMI) – two years’ experience required
In compliance with CESB guidelines for accredited certifying bodies, each of these programs is administered independently of organizations that offer training and/or review leading to certification. A quick look at the industrial certification landscape will demonstrate the wisdom of this requirement.
Instant Certification
Candidates for IAQ-related certifications have grown accustomed to a familiar process. First, they take a training course from a certification body. Immediately following the course, they take a certification exam administered by the trainer. The exam covers exactly the same material as the course, since the trainer typically has access to exam content during course construction. By the same token, the course is usually taught “to the test,” meaning that the candidates often learn little more than how to pass the examination. If they do pass, they are automatically certified. It’s a one-stop shopping experience that can turn out certified “professionals” at an alarming rate.
The problem is that such “instant” certifications attest to little more than course attendance; they don’t necessarily represent broad industry knowledge. Truth be told, since the exam is given immediately after the course, they don’t even guarantee that candidates really remember what they’ve learned. Certifications obtained this way are often inexpensive to acquire and maintain, and for good reason: their practical value is low. They are useless to the certificant when it comes to buying professional insurance and, once challenged in court by a subpoena, often become a liability rather than an asset.
Industry Certification
In other, more established industries such as industrial hygiene, engineering, architecture, law and medicine, there is a vastly different pattern. Candidates for certification must pass a standardized exam based on a range of industry texts and administered independently of training organizations. These “industry certifications” are more difficult to acquire and often more expensive to maintain – but they are worth the investment because they have value in the marketplace. Certificate holders are respected by insurance companies as experts in their field and by juries as authorities in the courtroom.
The IAQ Council’s accreditation by CESB signals the creation of the first true “industry certifications” in indoor air quality. Because of the reputation our certifications have developed, certificants enjoy a wide range of benefits:
- They have exclusive access to the best professional liability insurance in the industry.
- They are respected in courtrooms across the country as reliable authorities on indoor air quality issues.
- They command higher wages and professional fees.
The professional world treats IAQ Council certifications as marks of distinction and expertise – thanks to our work in raising the bar.
Opening the Door
The IAQ Council’s work in opening the door is perhaps less well known. Since the division of labor mandated by the unification of the Indoor Environmental Standards Organization, Indoor Air Quality Association and the IAQ Council, our organization has moved consistently to increase the availability of its programs to all applicants.
We have eliminated required preparatory courses. Eligibility for an IAQ Council certification no longer depends upon attendance at a specific training course. Anyone may sit for an IAQ Council certification exam.
We have standardized test administration by employing a network of testing centers throughout North America. This means that candidates can schedule the exam at a time and place of their own choosing and can see exam results (including areas requiring further study) instantly upon completion of the test.
We have created apprentice programs to welcome candidates who do not qualify for accredited IAQ Council certifications. These programs help newcomers gain the field experience necessary for certification while at the same time protecting the integrity of the certifications themselves.
We have based our exams on readily available industry texts, which are listed on our Web site. This means that candidates may supplement their training by self study, or challenge the exam altogether.
We have dramatically increased the range of professional development activities that qualify for recertification credits. From membership in an industry association or attendance at an industry convention to participation in a school-based IAQ program or taking an online reading test on industry publications, the list provides a multitude of ways for certificants to maintain their designations.
We have expanded the reach of our certification work by presenting new programs to new areas of the market. Our Council-certified Indoor Air Quality Manager, for example, is designed for property and building managers whose work involves hiring IAQ professionals rather than performing IAQ services. The CIAQM program is ideal for those responsible for indoor air quality in schools, government agencies and commercial buildings.
These changes mean that everyone is welcome to join our certification programs, and that each candidate for a certification exam has access to exactly the same information and opportunities as all other candidates.
The Final Step
In a recent review of its programs, however, the IAQ Council board of directors concluded that while the bar for certification remained high, the process of opening the door was still unfinished.
Therefore, the board decided to publish a series of examination study guides that had previously been available only to select course providers.
The IAQ Council board made this decision in compliance with standards for educational testing published by the American Educational Research Association, the American Psychological Association and the National Council on Measurement in Education. These standards require that exam information made available to some candidates be made available to all candidates. They caution that non-uniform distribution of study material may compromise the validity and reliability of examination results.
The IAQ Council’s release of study guides brings its programs into compliance with these standards by eliminating exclusive arrangements with certain course providers and opening the door to all candidates equally.
What is a study guide? The practice of publishing a study guide is common in the credentialing world. Study guides are designed to familiarize candidates with the topics covered by an exam without divulging actual exam content. This goal is usually accomplished in one of three ways: Some certifying bodies publish detailed topic lists or core skills; others publish sample questions, including actual questions from previous editions of the exam; still others publish sections of the reference texts which deal with examination topics.
IAQ Council Study Guides
It is the policy of the IAQ Council never to release actual examination questions or answers to anyone, for any reason. The IAQ Council board therefore decided to provide exam guidance via the other two methods. IAQ Council study guides contain exam topic lists and/or reference text page numbers from which exam items may be drawn.
Page numbers actually reveal no specific information about exam questions. Each page in a reference text may deal with a variety of topics that could be the source of multiple exam questions. Topics addressed on a single page may be informed by previous pages and extend to subsequent pages. Additionally, these exam topics may be addressed in a different context in other areas of the reference text.
The IAQ Council certification boards have also incorporated distracters into each exam item that force a candidate to draw upon comprehensive knowledge of the reference texts. Studying the listed sections or page numbers alone is not adequate preparation for the exam. For this reason, it is still highly recommended that candidates for certification attend a study/review course prior to the test.
IAQ Council study guides are designed to help candidates in this process as well. Candidates may use the guides as a standard by which to judge the quality of certification study/review courses and to evaluate whether the courses have prepared them adequately for the exam. We believe this will increase the quality and uniformity of certification preparation across the IAQ industry.
With the publication of exam study guides, the process of “opening the door” is complete. Our industry designations now possess all the essential qualities of the most prestigious certifications: They are available to all candidates equally but also enforce a high standard of knowledge, experience and continued professional development.
Honoring Our Commitments
As a unification partner, the American IAQ Council is charged with creating and maintaining the finest certifications in indoor air quality. We believe three values are crucial to achieving this goal: integrity, credibility and independence.
As we have done since long before the unification, we continue to stand firmly behind our commitments to these values. We have maintained the integrity of our program operations at all levels, we have established and enhanced the credibility of our certifications in the marketplace, and we have protected the independence of our organization.
You can be sure that we will continue to honor these commitments in the years to come, and that IAQ Council certifications will continue to distinguish true professionals.
Charlie Wiles is executive director of the American Indoor Air Quality Council and has more than 35 years’ experience in the field of IAQ. He is the founder of Metro Environmental Company in Phoenix, Ariz., and has served as an IAQ consultant for major corporations throughout the United States. He is the inventor of and holds the federal trademark for the WallChek interstitial sampling device. Wiles has written numerous articles on IAQ topics ranging from ventilation and sampling protocols to risk management and certification. He can be reached by e-mail at charlie@iaqcouncil.org or by phone at (623) 582-0832 or toll-free at (800) 942-0832.
SideBar
IAQ Council Study Guides
- Exam questions are NEVER published
- Sections and page numbers refer to exam topics
- Exam topics extend beyond listed sections and pages
- Exam requires comprehensive knowledge of texts
- Study guides help candidates evaluate prep courses
For more information, visit www.iaqcouncil.org
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Radon Legislative Initiatives Continue to Grow
Douglas Kladder
Director
Center for Environmental Research & Technology Inc.
Colorado Springs, Colo.
Last month’s column describes a number of radon-related bills that were being proposed in state legislatures. It would appear that the number continues to grow, with some of them being approved or appearing to be headed toward passage.
Minnesota Governor Signs Bill Requiring Radon Control Systems in New Homes
In May 2007, Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota signed an amendment to Statutes 2006, section 16B, identified as the “Radon Code.” Although fairly brief, the new law alludes to more comprehensive details as included in Appendix F of the International Residential Code, as follows:
“The commissioner of labor and industry shall adopt rules for radon control as part of the State Building Code for all new residential buildings. These rules shall incorporate the radon control methods found in the International Residential Code Appendix as the model language, with necessary amendments to coordinate with the other adopted construction codes in Minnesota.”
Presumably, the content of Appendix F will be reviewed with respect to more recent energy code provisions that have occurred. This is especially true for crawlspace ventilation provisions that have been introduced for moisture reduction that can also provide radon reduction benefits.
In any event, whatever the revisions may be, they should be happening pretty fast since the effective date for the law is Aug. 1.
Illinois Legislation Moves Forward
Legislation that requires definitive information to be provided to buyers of real property was unanimously voted out of the Illinois Senate on May 22. All that is necessary is the governor’s signature, which individuals close to this bill indicate is likely to happen.
Although the bill does not require radon testing at the time of sale, it will certainly have an impact of increasing awareness, that will likely increase radon testing as well as radon mitigation.
Delaware Enacts Disclosure Requirements for Radon
Although we did not report about this one previously (mea culpa), the Delaware State Assembly passed Senate Bill 198, which specifically requires the disclosure of radon information to buyers at the time of sale of residential property. Similar to Illinois’ proposed legislation, this would require:
- information regarding the potential for exposure to radon
- disclosure of known radon hazards
- the development of informational materials describing radon related health risks, testing and remediation techniques, as well as the buyer’s rights during a real-estate transaction
Alabama Joins in Efforts for Clear Disclosure
Alabama House Bill 365, which had its first reading in the spring, includes provisions similar to other states cited above wherein the seller of residential real property would be required to disclose any known radon hazards. Also similar to Illinois’ legislation, the Department of Public Health would be called upon to provide information describing potential hazards from radon exposure.
Conclusion
I imagine there are additional legislative efforts underway that we have overlooked, but that is not the issue. The issue is that they are happening and it appears they are happening with increasing frequency. In locating local news stories regarding these legislative efforts, it seems that these bills are coming not from recommendations from federal agencies like the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or even state health departments, but rather from consumers who are becoming more and more indignant about buying new homes that do not incorporate systems to protect them from a Class A carcinogen, or buying homes without the full disclosure of known hazards.
As always, who says there is nothing new in radon?
Douglas Kladder is director of the Center for Environmental Research and Technology Inc. He can be reached by e-mail at dougkladdr@aol.com or by phone at (719) 477-1714.
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Global Warming and Green Mechanical Systems
Dan Chiles
Vice President of Marketing
Watts Radiant
Andover, Mass.There are an estimated 130 million mechanical rooms in the United States. Almost all of them were built in a time of energy abundance, fresh water and favorable climates.
Those days are behind us. The rising price of carbon fuels, scarcity of fresh water, growing waste streams, deteriorating indoor air quality and the alarming climate changes caused by human activities are the new realities in our lives.
The Big Picture: Global Warming
The United Nations has completed its updated Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, a document that took three years to complete. Its authors are scientists with competing and conflicting points of view and representing from 150 countries. Yet their conclusions are a consensus: Global warming is happen¬ing, and humans are causing it.
Science has spoken, but some people want further confirmation from politicians, pundits, entertainers, preachers or comedians. Take this simple global warming test: Would you rather install a mechanical system with engineering specs from a scientist or a media personality? OK, then why should media personalities be dictat¬ing public policy instead of scientists?
This Jan. 22, on the eve of President Bush’s State of the Union Address, 10 large corporations held a news conference to call for a federal law that would “slow, stop and reverse” the growth of global warming emissions “over the shortest period of time reasonably achievable.”
Where was the HVAC industry at this news conference?
By most estimates, the buildings in America produce 50 percent of the carbon dioxide emit¬ted by a country that is by far the largest single contributor of greenhouses gasses in the world. That CO2 comes from our mechanical equipment. It was designed by our engineers and installed by our contractors and mechanical professionals.
So, why wasn’t the HVAC industry at that news conference?
I can think of a few other upcoming news conferences we are likely to be left out of. How about the news conferences from any one of 50 state leg¬islatures that just might take the Kyoto treaty seriously and just might pass legislation restricting CO2, or conserving water or saving energy or man-dating better indoor environments?
When you read the analysis of the decision by these 10 large companies (General Electric, DuPont, Alcoa, Caterpillar, Duke Energy, BP and others), you’ll find a wonderful stew of altruism and naked self interest.
They know change is coming, and they want to be ahead of the curve. As the Wall Street Journal said, these companies feel they will be at the table or on the menu. The weight of public pressure and scientific proof is com¬pelling and, frankly, some companies make money and take pride in their ability to anticipate future events.
We can do that, or we can walk around with big targets painted on our backs. As an industry, we burn a lot of fuel, use a lot of electricity, consume a lot of fresh water and produce a lot of waste. Some of that waste never leaves the interior spaces of the building.
We do these things with mechanical systems. Over the lifetime of a build¬ing, the cost of operating these systems will dwarf the original cost to design and build that structure. The improved performance of people in green buildings is the biggest bang for any owner’s building budget.
Actual operating costs are important concerns, sure, but there are exter¬nalities involved and that is twice the reason to pay attention. The operat¬ing costs might be for us, but the external costs are most fully borne by our children.
Green buildings need green mechanical systems and that central truth has been overlooked in the rush to build new and sustainable structures. The leader of that effort, the U.S. Green Building Council, awards LEED (Lead¬ership in Energy and Environmental Design) points for green mechanical systems. The problem is expertise. New green mechanical systems can be quite complex, and there are so many things you can do with one that selecting the reasonable options is daunting.
As for retrofitting HVAC systems in our existing 130 million buildings, that is an even bigger problem. It’s not glamorous, and it’s not architectural. It’s a dirty job, but if we are to meet the coming mandates for smaller carbon emissions and reduced impact on air and water quality, then somebody has to do it.
At this exact moment, the pressure to install green mechanical equipment is coming from enlightened owners and developers. There aren’t that many of them right now, but there are more every day. The success of LEED shows that Americans love to compete and they love to win. If there is a contest, we want to play – even if the contest is to see who is the most green. There would be enough interested owners today, both commercial and residential, to drive stupendous growth in green installations if the equip¬ment and expertise were available, which it is not.
This is the chicken-and-egg problem: Experience and success in green mechanical systems will drive down costs and improve installation quality, but until we get more ex¬perience and lower costs, owners are reluctant to be the first on their block to buy.
Several things will motivate owners to go green. New carbon taxes will be imposed on electrical generation, and prices for all fossil fuels will rise. Americans will give up luxuries and the spending that might have gone to jewelry, second homes, Ivy League educations, European travel, sailboats – or whatever – will be redirected to improving our HVAC systems because we don’t want to lose our homes and buildings.
This will be an unprecedented national shift of major financial resources to the HVAC industry. The money spent will be for green mechanical sys¬tems with sophisticated indoor air quality systems, rainwater collection, so¬lar panels, grey-water reuse, radiant floors, ground source heat pumps, co-generation systems and network connectivity/control that we can only imagine.
When you think about adding this much potential technology to over a hun¬dred million mechanical rooms, that’s a lot of green. That’s a whole lot of green.
The Personal Snapshot: Your Wallet
You can’t pick up a magazine or newspaper, or turn on your TV or radio, without being bombarded about global warming. The price of energy is going up faster than your kid’s high score on the new video game. Unfortunately, your paycheck probably isn’t soaring quite as quickly.
It’s hard to think about global warming and doing the right thing by making your personal mechanical systems more energy-efficient when you’re trying to figure out how you’re going to afford gasoline to get to work, the grocery store, and to your kid’s soccer practice. How are you going to afford to run the air conditioner this summer? And the video game wizard/eating machine residing in your house doesn’t seem to understand there is an “off” setting on a light switch.
The global warming picture is bleak, but so is the economic picture on the home front.
Wouldn’t it be great (and socially responsible) to replace the central air conditioner with a 13 SEER system and replace the furnace with the latest high-efficiency, state-of-the-art unit, and install solar panels for electricity and potable hot water production? Sure, it would be. Do your bit for reducing the global crisis we’re facing. It’s the least you can do as a responsible, educated member of our world.
Except for one thing: Most of us don’t have the money to rip out perfectly good mechanical systems and replace them. If you do, that’s a wonderful thing. For the rest of us, we need to evaluate our options. Do we put braces on the eating machine so he can become a more efficient eating machine, or do we install a 13 SEER split system?
OK, So What Is the Next Best Plan?
Back in the day, for many of us our first car was what could be best (and very optimistically) be called a fixer-upper. It’s all we could afford, but it was transportation. In those days, we could go down to the local auto parts store and buy plugs, points, air, oil and gas filters, and some cans of oil and tune up our pride and joy. Boy, she’s gonna hum now! And that $5 fill-up is going to last just that much longer. These days, you need a computer engineering degree just to get the hood up.
Although the old days are gone, the principle is the same. Because we couldn’t afford to buy that candy-apple red Corvette we were drooling over, we learned to make do. Because we can’t afford to start ripping mechanical systems out of buildings, we need to tune up what we have. Make it purr and try to get the best mileage we can from our structural mechanical systems.
Just like today’s automobiles, many mechanical systems need to have a trained trade professional doing the tune-up. It would be unreasonable to expect the typical building owner to know how to do a furnace combustion analysis. But it is reasonable to expect the furnace contractor to know how, have the proper tools and to perform it as part of the annual tune up that I know you’re going to have done each year.
Check with your furnace manufacturer to get the recommended annual tune-up checklist if you don’t have the owner’s manual handy. Then make sure when the contractor comes out, the checklist is followed. It shouldn’t cost any more than what you’ve been paying up until now because you’ve been promised an annual tune-up, right? Making sure your HVAC is purring is greening one of those mechanical systems.
Anything you can do to use less energy, anything you can do to make your mechanical systems more efficient, anything you can do to reduce the waste of what energy you do use makes your building greener.
There are a few things you can do yourself, like changing the furnace filter frequently. For a dollar, you can green your building. How about that? Social responsibility for a dollar!
Going back to the car analogy, another thing you can do to get better mileage out of your building’s mechanical systems is to do a little “operator habit adjustment.” Take your foot out of the carburetor! Remember, we were taught about fuel (and tire) saving practices like avoiding jackrabbit starts, or “peeling out”; gradual slowdown at stop lights instead of standing on the breaks, and avoiding using the car for short trips.
How about these ideas for “operator habit adjustments” for mechanical systems?
- Use a setback thermostat (if it’s correct for your HVAC system)
- Timer on the water heater
- Set the temperature on your water heater to not more than 120 degrees Fahrenheit
- Change the filters on your furnaces frequently
- Motion sensors for lighting (especially exterior lighting)
- Compact fluorescent bulbs
- Clean the exterior of the air conditioner compressor (that’s the part that sits outside on the concrete slab)
- Don’t let the shower run while you brush your teeth (Didn’t think we were watching, did you?)
- Unplug the gadget transformers/rechargers when you’re not using them
- Browse the Internet for helpful sites (EPA Energy Star is a good one)
- Educate yourself as a consumer
- Find properly trained and experienced mechanical system trade professionals
And, probably most importantly, make sure you start to sound like your parents and ask loudly and frequently, “Don’t you know how to turn off a light? Do you think money grows on trees?”
Until we can upgrade our existing mechanical systems, let’s get the most out of what we have. Get the most “mileage” out of our building mechanical systems. Turn it off. Tune it up. Make your trade professional part of your energy reduction (and responsibility) plan. Keep the green in your wallet.
What are the mechanical systems in a building? Here’s a list of the typical mechanical systems in a residential or light commercial building:
- Electrical
- Heating
- Air-conditioning
- Plumbing
- Hot water
- Ventilation
- Refrigeration
- Automated building systems
Do you have to have a mechanical contractor or a mechanical engineer to do the work? Not necessarily. A licensed, insured, properly trained and experienced trade contractor should be good enough. If you have any question about who you should call for a particular system, call your local building inspector.
Dan Chiles is chairman of the board with the Green Mechanical Council. He is also vice president of marketing at Watts Radiant, a subsidiary of Watts Water Technologies. Chiles cofounded a com¬pany that manufactured and distributed solar collector systems, ground source heat pump systems, heat-recovery ventilators and other forward-looking HVAC equipment. He was co-owner and operator of a contracting company for six years. Chiles can be reached by e-mail at dchiles@greenmech.org or by phone at (877) 347-3360.
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