EPA Awards TU Grant To Study Indoor Air Quality For Tribal Schools

The University of Tulsa will be working with the Environmental Protection Agency on seeking new ways to protect tribal communities.

The EPA announced Wednesday it has awarded TU a $919,988 grant to study methods to improve indoor air quality and reduce asthma triggers in schools.

“EPA is pleased to be working with University of Tulsa to help find new and innovative ways to improve air quality on tribal communities,” said Regional Administrator Ron Curry. “This effort gives us an opportunity to improve indoor air quality by increasing awareness of environmental health risks.”

In a news release, the EPA says air quality information from the Cherokee Nation, the Nez Perce Tribe Reservation in Idaho and the Navajo Nation will be used to study the health impacts of climate change and indoor air pollution on tribal communities.

The research will identify the impacts of pollution and climate change, and influence decisions to reduce health risks.

“We’re trying to develop a deeper understanding of the interactions in and between school and home environments pertaining to the health of children,” said Richard Shaughnessy, Founder and Director of Research for TU’s Indoor Air Program. “Attention to both settings will help us draft a more complete profile of the air quality tribal children are exposed to throughout the day." 

The agency says since 2000, the EPA has funded 10 research projects focused on tribal communities through the Science to Achieve Results Tribal Environmental Health grants. It says these tribal research grants have helped reform local policies and provided communities with tools to inform them about the potential dangers.