WA COMMERCE DEPT: Gov. Inslee proclaims Oct. 30 Weatherization Day in Washington State

Press release issued from the Washington State Dept. of Commerce 10/28/16
Celebrating 40 Years of weatherization and a new initiative to combat indoor asthma triggers

OLYMPIA, WA – Gov. Jay Inslee joins community action agencies, housing authorities and local governments across the state and nation in recognizing Oct. 30, 2016 as Weatherization Day in Washington. This year marked the 40th year nationally, and the 37th year locally, of the federal/state energy-saving service for low-income households around Washington.

“The Weatherization Assistance Program is an important resource for low-income citizens who struggle with high heating bills and energy-inefficient housing” said Gov. Inslee. “The investments we make in their home energy efficiency will save them money for years to come.”

Each year, Washington’s Weatherization Assistance Program has helped many households make it through the cold weather season – and the years ahead – by adding insulation, sealing cracks and making other improvements that reduce heat loss and save money on energy bills. In 2016, the Washington Weatherization Assistance Program expects to weatherize approximately 2,000 low-income homes. Read about successful work in Clark County (Vancouver Columbian).

Asthma and other respiratory diseases are also a chronic problem for many families in the homes weatherized by the Weatherization Assistance Program. Low-income families are more likely to have asthma, and children with asthma have the highest rates of hospitalization. In 2010, Washingtonians with asthma made 164,000 visits to emergency rooms, and paid $73 million for asthma-related hospitalizations. Public funds paid for about 60 percent of these costs (Washington State Department of Health data).

The new “Weatherization Plus Health” initiative can help reduce the impact of asthma by reducing indoor asthma “triggers” such as carpets, cockroaches, water damage and mold. A recent national study of the low-income weatherization program by Oak Ridge National Laboratory showed that weatherization in homes with asthma reduced asthma-related emergency room visits significantly. When Weatherization Plus Health is combined with homeowner education, Medicaid costs for asthma treatment can be reduced by over $400 per year per household.---click here to continue


NEWS NOTEBOOK

Peninsula College composites program’s open house set Tuesday in Port Angeles--PDN
PORT ANGELES — Peninsula College will host an open house for its advanced manufacturing and composites technology program Tuesday.
The free event will be from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the new Composite Recycling Technology Center building at 2220 W. 18th St. near William R. Fairchild International Airport in west Port Angeles. Refreshments will be provided.