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The AARST Consortium on National Radon Standards has announced release of a provisional American National Standard for radon mitigation professionals entitled, "Radon Mitigation Standards In Multifamily Buildings." The new document establishes preliminary standards for mitigating multifamily housing in the United States.
The American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists (AARST) believes this material necessary for fixing the problem of radon exposure (radioactivity) in multi-family housing.
"Up until now," said Gary Hodgden, Chair of the Executive Stakeholder Committee at AARST's Standards Organization, "we have been witnessing that building owners and occupants of multifamily buildings are conducting radon testing but are faced with a problem. No standards or guidance documents have existed for mitigating radon (radioactivity) from apartments or multifamily dwellings."
"I am happy to report that a document now exists to help remedy that situation."
"This new guidance document will save American lives."
John Mallon, Chair of the AARST Consortium National Radon Standards Committee thanked all of the members who served on the development committee.
"Every member of this committee," said Mallon, "a wide range of dedicated stakeholders, have worked very hard on this project and we look forward to proceeding with the ongoing professional work that will lead to a final consensus document."
"According to the US census in 2000, approximately 25% of Americans live in multifamily buildings that include condos or apartments. AARST members have found that risks associated with radon gas (radioactivity) in single family homes are also found in multifamily buildings in those same areas. That is a large portion in the United States. As more of these millions of families test for radon (radioactivity), the need for appropriate mitigation guidance has grown."
Hodgden said the standard will be undergoing the consensus standards development process following AARST's accredited procedures towards publication within two years as an American National Standard (ANS.)
"AARST will be beginning the public review process to ensure this document also becomes a full consensus standard under the accreditation of the American National Standards Institute."
AARST Executive Director Peter Hendrick has said that testing and mitigating multifamily housing for radon will reduce not only health risks but will reduce liability for apartment managers, developers, and the multifamily housing sector.
"This is both a health risk issue and a risk management issue for the housing sector," said Hendrick.
AARST estimates that over 8 million American homes and 70,000 classrooms have high levels of radon in them.
The American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists is an ANSI accredited standards writing organization and they have previously produced and published an American National Standard for multifamily measurement: "The ANSI-AARST Protocol for Conducting Radon and Radon Decay Product Measurements in Multifamily Buildings."
The mitigation guidance document was processed in accordance with AARST requirements for stakeholder balance and consensus within the RMS-MF subcommittee assigned to Radon Mitigation Standards for Multifamily Buildings.
The new standard will be available online at the AARST Bookstore.