My (recently-updated) presentation, "Crash Course on School Air Quality in NB" includes some background information on indoor air quality and the testing program in New Brunswick schools. If you are interested, you can view that document here (PDF on OneDrive): buff.ly/IBtCHs1

These charts and recommendations have been shared with all MLAs, as well as the Superintendents, Directors of Schools, and Facility Managers for the 4 Anglophone School Districts. I also shared the collated data.

Please follow-up with those who influence purchasing & policy.

buff.ly/hrzWjyu

Other schools with significant increases this past year, compared to the year they tested out of the program, include:

Chipman Elementary School (+934 PPM)
Grand Bay Primary School (+821 PPM)
Loch Lomond School (+1077 PPM)
Upper Miramichi Elementary School (+740 PPM)

Princess Elizabeth School tested out in 2021 – 2022 with an average score of 371.4 PPM and a peak score of 392 PPM. This wasn't caught, so no tests were completed in 2022 – 2023.

When the school was tested again, the peak score was 1902 PPM – even higher than their initial testing of 1830 PPM.

At least 19 schools that had previously met the 1500 PPM guideline (and therefore would not have received further testing) showed higher levels when the program was expanded back to its original scope.

That includes two schools with reported results better than outdoor air.

Some noteworthy results from the 2023 - 2024 data (buff.ly/2fEeTTu ):

Thirty-seven schools had peak carbon dioxide values above the 1500 PPM guideline. That's more than half.

The highest peak value was recorded at Petitcodiac Regional School - a building with mechanical ventilation.

For the 2023 - 2024 school year, the testing program was expanded (maybe "un-contracted" is more accurate) to include all schools originally part of the School Ventilation Program - including those that had previously reported one day of good testing & schools that had ventilation systems installed.

Recommendation 3:

The Province must increase testing to include all rooms.

Data includes 37 schools with peaks above 1500 PPM - including 8 with average values below 1000 PPM. Their peaks averaged 1975 PPM.

What if the outliers were not tested? How many other schools have similar untested rooms?

Recommendation 2:

The Province must increase the frequency of testing.

Twelve of 29 schools that had previously tested out of the program (a single day of meeting 1500 PPM) now produced results above 1500 PPM.

Boston Public School's IAQ dashboard shows real-time & historical data for 4000+ rooms.

Recommendation 1:

GNB must expand the Air Quality Testing program to include all schools – including those with mechanical ventilation.

Petitcodiac Regional School reported the worst peak value. It has a mechanical ventilation system - and it turns on at 4:00 AM, hours before most other schools.

Based on my analysis, I provided three recommendations on the scope of the Province's testing.

Results for each school are recorded on 1 day each year & in approximately 10% of each school's rooms. Only schools without ventilation systems are tested & only until they score below 1500 PPM.

Last month, EECD released the results of air quality testing from the 2023 - 2024 school year. Data was again presented as a PDF chart, making analysis difficult.

I used their data to create visuals and a report, of sorts. You can read the full report here (PDF on OneDrive):

buff.ly/msa9XeV

Samples.

(No affiliation. Also, @aranethome.bsky.social wouldn’t do this, so someone wonderful did it for us.)

Most of our province’s schools - at least the ones with forced air mechanical ventilation systems - use MERV8 filters.

In short: yes.

In May, the PCNB government decided against taking action on Motion 36, saying protections already exist.

The protections were based on standards from 2010 & were altered if schools could not meet them.

The protections did not consider the existence of children in schools.

It is also in Mandate Letters to:
- Hon. John Dornan, (Health)
- Hon. Cindy Miles, (Social Development)
- Hon. Claire Johnson, (Education & Early Childhood Development)
- Hon. David Hickey, (NBHC)
- Hon. Isabelle Thériault, (Tourism, Heritage & Culture)
- Hon. Robert Gauvin, (Public Safety)

Hon. Gilles LePage, who introduced Motion 36, is now the Minister of Environment and Climate Change.

He will also act as lead for the updates cited above.

Our work is paying off.

Today, Mandate Letters from Premier Susan Holt
incoming Ministers were shared with the public.

The Hon. Chuck Chiasson, Minister of Transportation & Infrastructure, will take the lead on the party's commitment to improve the air in public buildings.