California Air Resources Board

The Governor signed Assembly Bill 1173 (Keeley) into law in September, 2002. This bill required the California Air Resources Board to compile a comprehensive report on indoor air pollution, including information on the health effects and sources of indoor pollutants; the effects of existing regulations and industry practices; and possible mitigation options for homes, schools and non-industrial workplaces. The report received external scientific peer review as well as public review. It was approved by the Board in March 2005, and was submitted to the Legislature in July 2005.

Summary of AB 1173

CARB shall provide a report to the Legislature that summarizes the best scientific information available on indoor air pollution. The report should be prepared in consultation with the Department of Health Services (DHS), the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), the California Energy Commission (CEC), affected indoor emissions sources and interested members of the public.

The report shall summarize all of the following:

• The best scientific information available on Toxic Air Contaminants (TACs) and criteria pollutants.
• Potential adverse health effects, including vulnerable populations.
• Effects of existing regulations and current industry practices.
• A summary of work performed by other state or federal entities regarding biological and radiological substances (prepared by DHS).
• A list of indoor pollutants ranked high, medium and low, based on potential for exposure and their likelihood of having significant health effects.
• Source categories for listed pollutants.
• Options for mitigating exposures (and health effects) in schools, office buildings, workplaces and homes.
• The feasibility of implementing mitigation options.
• Options for schools and school districts to improve indoor air quality.

The report shall be peer reviewed by an academic review team and be presented at a public meeting. The report is due January 1, 2004.

Scientific Review Panel for Report on Indoor Air Pollution in California 

• Chairman: Kirk R. Smith, Ph.D., MPH School of Public Health Environmental Health Sciences Division University of California Berkeley
• S. Katharine Hammond, Ph.D. School of Public Health Division of Environmental Health Sciences University of California Berkeley
• William W. Nazaroff, Ph.D. Civil and Environmental Engineering University of California Berkeley
• Richard Sextro Indoor Environment Program Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Air Board Forwards Indoor Air Quality Report to Legislature, CARB News Release March 2005