This rule enacted by the Rhode Island Board of Governors of Higher Education in 1996 has helped immeasurably to ensure that the air in the buildings is of the highest possible quality. Sources of common indoor air pollutants are practically nonexistent within the College. Welding and spray painting operations are done inside air-capturing enclosures to protect workers and keep pollutants out of the general air circulation. Chemistry laboratory experiments that emit toxic vapors have been scaled down in size and are done inside laboratory fume hoods. All cafeteria cooking equipment at the Flanagan and Knight uses electricity rather than gas.
Natural gas is known to produce toxic nitrogen oxides when it burns.
Vehicle maintenance operations are never performed indoors in the main buildings where they could emit gasoline vapors and carbon monoxide. Almost all elemental mercury, which can cause severe air contamination if spilled, has been removed from the College. There are no mercury-containing thermostats in the buildings. All mercury containing barometers and most mercury manometers have been removed from laboratories. The few manometers that remain are protected by secondary containment in case of breakage or spill.