HB1316 —A bill to require renovations of commercial buildings greater than 4,000 square feet to follow Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design guidelines relative to volatile organic compounds   

Volatile organic compounds (VOC) are a large group of compounds that evaporate at room temperature.  Some building materials which give off VOCs are:  carpets and adhesives; composite wood products; paints; sealing caulks; solvents; upholstery fabrics; varnishes; and vinyl floors. The health effects from inhaling VOCs from these building materials depend on how much is in the air, how long, and how often a person breathes it in. Scientists look at short-term (acute) exposures as hours to days or long-term (chronic) exposures as years to even lifetime. Breathing low levels of VOCs for long periods of time may increase some people’s risk of health problems.  Several studies suggest that exposure to VOCs may make symptoms worse in people who have asthma or are particularly sensitive to chemicals.

For this reason, Breathe New Hampshire will submit written testimony in support of the bill.

Legislative Office Building, Room 207, 1:00 p.m. — Education Committee
HB 1289 — A bill requiring school boards to develop a policy to address air quality issues in schools

The school board of each school district shall develop and implement a policy governing air quality issues in schools.  The policy shall include procedures for monitoring and addressing potential air-quality-related problems inside school buildings and on outside school property near school buildings. The policy shall address methods of minimizing or eliminating emissions from buses; cars; delivery vehicles; maintenance vehicles; and other motorized vehicles used for transportation on school property taking into account the state anti-idling and clean air zone policies established by the department of environmental services.

This is one of our legislative priorities.  Breathe New Hampshire will provide both oral and written testimony on this bill.

Legislative Office Building, Room 207, 1:30 p.m. — Education Committee
HB1265 — Relative to air quality in public schools

The school principal or designee shall annually investigate the air quality of any schoolhouse or building used for school purposes using a checklist provided by the NH Department of Education. The completed checklist shall be filed after the annual inspection with the NH Department of Education, the local school board, and the local health officer. Checklists shall remain on file for five years. Checklists shall be reviewed during the five-year school approval process and shall be a factor in the approval process for a public school.

This is one of our legislative priorities.  Breathe New Hampshire will provide both oral and written testimony on this bill.

Legislative Office Building, Room 207, 2:00 p.m. — Education Committee
HB 1391— Implementing the Tools for Schools program in public schools

The NH Department of Education shall ensure that every public school in New Hampshire possesses a copy of the United States Environmental Protection Agency Tools for Schools program, and shall encourage public schools to implement the program to help provide and maintain good indoor air quality in public school buildings.

This is one of our legislative priorities.  Breathe New Hampshire will provide both oral and written testimony on this bill.