The funding opportunity is intended to protect children’s health by providing resources to organizations that help K-12 schools in low-income, disadvantaged, and Tribal communities develop and adopt comprehensive indoor air quality management plans to reduce indoor air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions in schools.
Air pollution has been linked to asthma and other conditions that harm students’ health and can cause them to miss school or reduce normal activities. Children face risks from indoor air pollutants like radon, asbestos, mold, methane, and pollution, such as particulate matter from vehicle exhaust, that gets into classrooms from the outdoors. There are also serious risks to children from greenhouse gas pollution, like more frequent exposure to heat waves and wildfire smoke. Helping schools to develop comprehensive plans to tackle air pollution will help prevent respiratory illnesses in children and staff working in schools, while improving student attendance, performance, and comfort, particularly for vulnerable students with asthma. Schools near fracking operations are exposed to a variety of cancer causing chemicals.
The Grant Funding to Address Indoor Air Pollution at Schools Program
EPA anticipates awarding four to six grants of $5 million to $8 million to support five years of school indoor air quality and energy efficiency activities. Eligible projects to benefit schools include indoor air quality and greenhouse gas reduction capacity building, training and education campaigns, and research and demonstration projects.
Nonprofit organizations, state governments, and other eligible entities with experience administering national, regional, or multi-state indoor air quality programs that have achieved positive impacts in communities (especially with schools and Tribal entities) are encouraged to apply. The deadline to apply for the competitive grants is March 19, 2024. EPA estimates that the grants will be awarded by fall 2024.
The grants are not expected to have much impact since most sources of school air pollution are from outside sources. However, forward thinking schools might choose to the funds to install air filtration systems.
Like a lot of federal spending, these grants may be intended as vote buying by the current occupants of the White House.