The Catawba County Board of Health, Public Health Department, and the Environmental Health Division are committed to improving air quality in Catawba County. The counties of Catawba, Burke, Caldwell, Alexander, and the cities of Hickory, Morganton, Lenoir, Taylorsville, Newton and Conover have joined an Early Action Compact with the State of North Carolina and the EPA to take steps in the areas of industry, transportation and personal behavior to lower ozone levels in the area. The Public Health Department's and the Environmental Health Division's mission in this regard is to provide information on outdoor and indoor air quality and how it affects your health. Below are some links and information which you may find informative.

INDOOR AIR QUALITY LINKS

The Environmental Protection Agency has an extensive amount of information on indoor air quality including articles on asthma, molds and mildew, second hand smoke, air quality in schools, and radon at their Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) page. They also have a page Just for Kids.

The Occupational Health and Safety Administration has a page on Safety and Health Topics: Indoor Air Quality which covers recognition, evaluation and control of indoor air quality problems, and a section on compliance with current laws and requirements.

The Environmental Health Center of the National Safety Council provides fact sheets and educational materials on indoor air quality on their Indoor Air Program site. Topics cover asbestos, carbon monoxide, environmental tobacco smoke, pesticides, sick building syndrome, and others. Materials available include a Community Leader Kit for Women and Children, Indoor Air Quality Outeach Activities, a Kid's Corner, and much more.

The American Lung Association has information on Indoor Air Pollutants, Air Quality in the Home, Air Quality in the Workplace, Air Quality in Schools, and much other information on lung health at their Indoor Air Quality Index page.

Montana State University has a Healthy Indoor Air page with information on Indoor Air Science, Building Science, Health and Economic Effects, a FAQ, links, and more.

The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission has a number of publications on how to protect yourself from paint strippers, asbestos, lead, carbon monoxide, as well as information about carpet, water sealers, portable generators, room humidifiers, and a host of other topics.

The California Research Bureau of the California State Library has prepared a paper on Molds, Toxic Molds, and Indoor Air Quality (PDF) that contains much useful information about a topic much in the news today.

Another page on Mold, Mildew, Fungus and Other Indoor Air Quality Problems is provided by the Rhode Island Department of Health.

The University of Minnesota has developed much information on indoor air quality problems in schools.

Healthy Indoor Air for America's Homes is the General Services Administration website for Indoor Air Quality. This is part of the Federal Citizen Information Center in Pueblo, Colorado.

Information about mold from the Epidemiology Section of the North Carolina Department of Public Health

OUTDOOR AIR QUALITY LINKS

The American Lung Association has information on Outdoor Air Pollutants, Electric Utilities, Cars, Trucks, and Drivers, Protecting Yourself from Air Pollution, Woodburning, and other lung health issues at their Outdoor Air Quality Index page.

Ozone and Particulate Pollution by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences on their website in studies conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health.

Clean Cities is an program organized by the U.S. Department of Energy that supports public-private partnerships that deploy alternative fuel vehicles and build supporting alternative fuel infrastructure. The site features information about local coalitions and clean corridors, alternative fuel news and events, fleet success stories, support and funding, tips for starting a coalition in your area, available alternative fuel vehicles, related links and more.

The Alternative Fuels Data Center is a one-stop shop for all your alternative fuel and vehicle information needs. This site has more than 3,000 documents in its database, an interactive fuel station mapping system, listings of available alternative fuel vehicles, links to related Web sites, and much more.

Air Now is an EPA website featuring ozone maps, air quality forecasts, local air forecasts and publications.

The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy has The Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings. Every time you buy a home appliance, tune up your heating system, or replace a burned-out light bulb, you're making a decision that affects the environment. This guide will help you save money while benefiting the environment.

The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy also features Making Business Sense of Energy Efficiency and Pollution Prevention, their guide for business listing case studies of projects that have successfully combined energy efficiency and pollution prevention technologies and strategies to enhance the environment, productivity, and the bottom line.

The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Division of Air Quality, has a site on air quality in NC listing laws and regulations, programs to monitor and evaluate air quality, and sections on enforcement and compliance. See North Carolina Ozone Forecast