Building upon the Biden-Harris Administration’s Clean Air in Buildings Challenge, a key component of the President’s National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking public comment to inform efforts by EPA and others to support the widespread adoption of actions that lead to improvements in indoor air quality in the nation’s building stock, with a particular emphasis on schools and commercial buildings, to help reduce disease transmission indoors and improve public health.

EPA will review information received during this public comment period to support the potential development, improvement, and implementation of technical assistance efforts, including tools, training, guidance, and other strategies to support sustained ventilation, filtration, air cleaning, and other indoor air quality improvements in buildings.

The Agency is inviting comment from the broad array of individuals and organizations with knowledge and expertise relating to the built environment and health, indoor air quality, epidemiology, disease transmission, social sciences, and other disciplines, and from the general public.

Comments must be submitted by December 5, 2022.  For more information, see FR Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2022-0794.

IAQ improvements can be achieved and sustained through actions such as increasing ventilation, optimizing HVAC filtration, using portable air cleaners appropriately sized for the space, reducing the source of air pollutants found in and around a building, and other actions that use a layered approach to reduce the risk of indoor air quality problems in schools, offices and commercial buildings, and homes. Visit the Indoor Air Quality website for more information.