A Berkeley ballot measure to protect children, seniors, community, and workers from wildfire smoke, toxic pollutants, and infections with common sense air quality standards in municipal buildings that pay for themselves.
Clean Air for All! Vote YES on HH.
A community and worker coalition is collected signatures for a ballot measure that would adopt minimum ventilation and air disinfection safeguards in City-owned or leased buildings.
“Implementing the Healthy City Building Ordinance, and the associated ASHRAE Standard 241 in the City of Berkeley’s facilities is essential for enhancing indoor air quality and reducing the risk of airborne disease transmission.”
– The Berkeley Public Works Department
“Standard 241…fundamentally changes the game. It is one of the most important public health interventions I have seen in…decades.”
– Dr. Ashish Jha, President Biden’s White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator
Berkeleyans stopped drinking dirty water over a century ago–why breathe poisonous air?
City Buildings Are Not Safe; They Are Sick Buildings
- City-owned and leased buildings, e.g., libraries, senior/recreation/permit centers, health facilities are not adequately ventilated.
- City data shows COVID-19 outbreaks remain frequent, negatively impacting the public. City employees have died of COVID likely contracted at work. Many more developed long COVID.
- During wildfires and heatwaves, City buildings become dangerous and unfit as designated disaster shelters.
- City buildings providing essential services for seniors, kids, and people with disabilities dangerously recirculate dirty air.
- City Hall has no clean supply air except through outdated windows/doors.
- Workers out sick harm services and increase costs.
Making Them Safe
To protect occupants, the measure requires the City to achieve minimum air quality. These standards were developed by the White House COVID-19 Response Team and American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). Governments and businesses have already adopted it.
Pays for Itself
Senior economists at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security specializing in cost-benefit analysis of public health policy found that each COVID infection costs society (including the City) $1,900 and that the ASHRAE standard in this measure could save up to $62,000 per room annually! There’s also City savings from avoided sick leave, workers’ compensation, and health care.
For COVID infections alone:
- $175 saves $5,000 per medical waiting room;
- $61 saves $1,700 per cell block;
- $41 saves $158 per office;
- $8 saves $183 per patient room;
- $7 saves $100 per dwelling unit.
The City overestimates the cost of clean air. Simple measures are both inexpensive and effective: opening windows – $0; Corsi-Rosenthal Boxes – $65; portable HEPA filters – $150.
As part of the American Rescue Plan Act in 2021, the City received $67 million from Congress intended in part for ventilation upgrades to protect the public, but has failed to act!
Air Pollution Kills Millions
The New York Times: “Wildfire Smoke is Erasing Progress on Clean Air.” Clean indoor air is needed now more than ever.
The World Health Organization:
- Air pollution, including indoors, kills 6.7 million people prematurely per year;
- Bad air contributes to stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, and asthma.
Ventilation Needed as City Abandons Infection Protocols
COVID is more infectious than ever, but the City is not taking the simple steps required to prevent disease transmission.
City Falling Behind National Standards
Schools/businesses across the country are adopting the national air quality standard in this measure to protect health. Healthy City buildings pay for themselves. Vote YES on HH!
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