Cooperative Agreement Funding for Indoor Air Quality

Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas
The Kansas State University (KSU) is a public, land-grant institution of higher education, and an original member of the EPA-founded Regional Radon Training Centers. KSU will provide support to state and tribal radon programs by operating a radon hotline that provides technical assistance and other radon guidance to 12,000 persons annually, selling radon test kits to the general public to facilitate radon action, and hosting a website servicing 80,000 unique visitors annually.

Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors, Frankfort, Kentucky
The Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors (CRCPD) is a professional organization dedicated to radiation protection. CRCPD will collaborate with EPA to provide nationwide assistance to state, tribal, and local government officials in order to reduce the public’s exposure to radon in homes and other buildings. The project will assure that technical assistance, tools, and information provided by states and tribes are based on the most current science and best practices available. CRCPD will also work to increase collaboration among organizations to raise radon awareness and reduce risks through the mitigation of existing buildings and in building new structures that are radon-resistant.

American Lung Association, Washington, DC
The American Lung Association (ALA) is the leading organization that works to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease through education, advocacy and research. ALA oversees the National Radon Action Plan (NRAP) and NRAP Leadership Council whose members represent government, non-government, and industry organizations. The NRAP is a national effort to implement strategies for preventing future lung cancer deaths by mitigating existing homes and schools, and by constructing new homes and schools with radon-reducing features. These efforts by ALA and the NRAP Leadership Council will move the nation closer to meeting the NRAP’s 2020 goals to reduce radon risk in 5 million homes and save 3,200 lives.

Green & Healthy Home Initiatives, Baltimore, MD
The Green & Healthy Home Initiatives (GHHI) is a non-profit organization that integrates energy, and health and safety-based housing interventions in lower income households. GHHI is a national leader in evaluating the business case for environmental services for asthma. GHHI will lead a national effort with fifteen asthma programs to develop their capacity to deliver comprehensive environmental asthma services. Also, GHHI’s 2020 goal is to assist ten of these programs in structuring business transactions so that they are reimbursed by state Medicaid or health plan business partners.

Public Health Institute, Oakland, CA
The Public Health Institute (PHI) generates and promotes research, leadership, and partnerships to build capacity for strong public health programs. PHI’s Regional Asthma Management and Prevention (RAMP) project promotes comprehensive strategies for reducing asthma and asthma disparities that include clinical management and environmental protection. The RAMP project will increase the engagement of school- based health centers in the environmental management of asthma. RAMP will support two learning collaboratives—one to further identify best practices and one to conduct demonstration projects based on best practices. The RAMP project will develop a tool that highlights tips for success and will strengthen the network of partners advocating for sustainable financing for in-home asthma interventions. The project will also develop a tool to educate health plans about how to effectively provide such services to their beneficiaries with poorly controlled asthma.

Environmental Law Institute, Washington, DC
The Environmental Law Institute (ELI) is an internationally recognized, non-partisan research and education center that works to strengthen environmental protection by improving law and governance worldwide. The Institute advances innovative and practical solutions to environmental challenges, and produces research reports and policy recommendations. ELI will partner with EPA to support state and local efforts to improve indoor air quality by convening workshops, sponsoring a webinar series, promoting adoption of best practices and policies, and maintaining a database on state/local laws/policies related to indoor air quality.