Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
C. Public health advisories
In 1987, USEPA, in conjunction with the Surgeon General, issued a public
health advisory recommending that all homeowners voluntarily conduct
radon testing in their homes to determine radon levels and take appropriate
remedial action if radon levels were excessive. Subsequent to this, USEPA
issued a public health advisory to school districts recommending they do
the same in their schools.
Response to USEPA's public health advisories was strong, with millions
of homes and tens of thousands of school buildings tested for radon. Though
not all homes or school buildings were tested, as the advisories recom-
mended, they nevertheless had a significant impact on public awareness of
potential radon exposure and hazards in buildings.
D. Performance guidelines and requirements
1.
ASHRAE proposals
In its attempt to revise ventilation guidelines, ASHRAE's IAQ committee
changed the focus of its ventilation standard-setting process from designat-
ing numerical values to describing performance guidelines for the operation
and maintenance of HVAC systems. These performance recommendations
include provision of adequate ventilation and thermal control, and mainte-
nance of system components to ensure adequate air filtration and prevent
problems associated with microbial growth. These and other proposed revi-
sions provoked a storm of controversy and, as a consequence, ASHRAE
refused to ratify the recommendations of its IAQ committee on Standard 62-
1989R. The proposed revisions would have introduced a standard of care
for the design, operation, and maintenance of HVAC systems. As such,
system designers and building facility managers would have had a duty,
under penalty of civil litigation, to design and operate systems according to
the consensus principles adopted by ASHRAE.
Because of the lack of support for ASHRAE Standard 62-1989R, ASHRAE
changed its approach to its standards revision process. It put its existing
standard under “continuous maintenance,” by which Standard 62-1989 is to
be modified by proposing and approving incremental changes through the
use of addenda. This “continuous maintenance” process is intended to serve
as a vehicle for revision of Standard 62-1989. Revisions will include a code-
intended standard, a user's manual, and guidelines containing additional
information that is not appropriate for a minimum standard.
The code-intended standard is being written primarily for building code
organizations, design professionals, construction and property managers,
and other building professionals. It is intended for adoption by the American
National Standards Institute (ANSI). While the standard's goal is to achieve
acceptable IAQ, it will state that compliance may not necessarily provide
health, comfort, or occupant acceptability. Standards requirements are to be
written in mandatory enforceable language that describes what must be done
