Building & Environmental Industry Links
Air cleaners
Not all air-cleaning devices are appropriate for home use — some can be harmful to human health. The ARB recommends that ozone generators, air cleaners that intentionally produce ozone, not be used in the home. Below is a link to approved CA air cleaners for residential use.
www.arb.ca.gov/research/indoor/ozone.htm
MA Home Inspection Regulations
Massachusetts home inspectors must be licensed. Below is a link to the Board of Home Inspectors. Information on Rules and Regulations governing home inspections may be found here (266 CMR 1.00-11.00)
www.mass.gov/dpl/boards/hi/index.htm
Asthma
Homes may be the most critical environment for managing asthma. Homes too often contain known asthma triggers, including secondhand smoke, dampness and mold, cockroaches and dust mites. Below is the link to the American Lung Association
Radon
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas and has been identified as a leading cause of lung cancer, second only to cigarette smoking in the United States. EPA’s most recent health risk assessment estimates that 20,000 lung cancer deaths each year are due to radon. You can’t see or smell radon because it is a colorless, odorless gas. The only way to know whether radon exists in elevated levels in your home, and to protect your family from radon, is to TEST!
www.epa.gov/radon/pubs/citguide.html
Water Testing
If your family gets drinking water from a private well, do you know if your water is safe to drink? The information contained in this web site will help you answer these questions.
www.epa.gov/safewater/privatewells/index2.html
Phase I ESA’s
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established federal standards and practices for conducting all appropriate inquiries as required under sections 101(35)(B)(ii) and (iii) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). The final rule establishes specific regulatory requirements and standards for conducting all appropriate inquiries into the previous ownership and uses of a property for the purposes of meeting the all appropriate inquiries provisions necessary to qualify for certain landowner liability protections under CERCLA.
www.epa.gov/reg3hscd/fr/2005/11/01.htm
Other Web sites of Interest
U.S. EPA
MA DEP
American Council for Accredited Certification
Indoor Air Quality Association
Certified Hazardous Materials Managers
ASTM