Case Study: Taos Pueblo Indoor Air Quality

Case Study:Taos Pueblo Indoor Air Quality

Evelyn Martinez, Air Quality Programs ManagerTaos Pueblo Environmental Office

National Tribal Forum Conference on Air QualitySan Diego, CaliforniaApril 17-19, 2007

Community Profile

• Located in Northern New Mexico along the Sangre de Cristo Mountains

• Designated World Heritage Site (1992)

• Tribal Enrollment: 2,000 members

• Elevation: 7,600 ft.• 110,000 acres

Indoor Air Quality

• Radon education and remediation

Radon Grant FY 2006• Indoor Air Quality Assessments

- Student Internship Program, NAU/ITEP

- Mold

Program Implementation Components

• Conducted community education and outreach- developed materials for adults and youth

• Identified stakeholders and developed partnerships- attended meetings

• Support from tribal government- conducted workshops for tribal governor and warchief

Proclamations

• February 2006: Radon Action Month

Governor James Lujan, Sr.

• March 2007: Radon Action Month

Governor Gilbert Suazo, Sr.

What You Should Know About RADONAnd how you can protect your family

Taos Pueblo Environmental

Youth Involvement

• Classroom education

- Radon poster contest, National Safety Council

New Mexico Winner:Alyssa Bozzuto, 5th GradeTaos Pueblo Day School

NAU Student Internship Program

• Indoor Air Quality Education

- Training conducted at NAU

- Youth applied acquired skills to identify IAQ problems at local school

What Students Learned

Causes of poor indoor air quality

- inadequate ventilation, high temperature and humidity

- Radon

- use of equipment to measure CO, CO2, humidity, temperature, moisture on paper and wood.

- Hazards of toxic chemicals in cleaning solutions

- identifying contributors to asthma i.e., dust, pet dander, VOC’s

IAQ Assessments

• Taos Pueblo Day School

Based on Indoor Air Quality Essentials for Schools, students used practical approaches to identifying indoor air quality issues

- SIP students conducted a walk through of all classrooms including the exterior

- Students noted ventilation points, took room temperatures and took notes of their observations.

Observations

• moisture on the ceiling of boiler room/basement

• lack of ventilation system; inadequate circulation- Room temperatures averaged

83.3° F; outside temperature was 73° F

- No air conditioning system

• teachers storing hazardous cleaning materials

• dust mites were found in computer lab

Results

• Students attended the school board meeting to present their findings

- School board members received a report created from the notes that students took during the walk through

- Problem areas were noted by board members and requested that the school’s principal take action as necessary

Radon: Community Education

• Educate and inform tribal community members

• Encourage participation in voluntary testing

Media Approach• KTAO Solar Radio• Taos News• National Native News• Taos Mountain Wind

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Community Testing Results

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Results

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Findings

• In 2006, 48 homes and buildings were tested and 34 had levels of radon greater than 4.0 pCi/L, the EPA action level.

• The homes and workplaces at Taos Pueblo have radon levels that far exceed the average levels found in homes across the nation.

Remediation Location

• Red Willow Learning Center

Education center for youth and community

Built by community volunteers: 2002-2003

2080 sq. ft.

- March 2006: 16.7 piC/L (average of 2 kits)

Short-term radon test (48 hours)

- March 2007: 10.2 piC/L overall average

Professional Radon Monitor

one hour time intervals• Readings after installation: 5.4 piC/L

Contact Information

Taos Pueblo Environmental OfficePO Box 1846

Taos, New Mexico 87571Phone · (505) 751-4601

Fax · (505) 751-9024emartinez@taospueblo.com