HUD Officially Published Its Departmentwide Radon Policy
After over two years of development, the HUD notice Departmental Policy for Addressing Radon in the Environmental Review Process is available on HUD website. With this policy, HUD increases its commitment to radon awareness and the importance of addressing the risk of residential radon exposure. HUD is requiring that radon be considered as part of the HUD environmental review process.
ALA Releases Advancing Health Equity in Radon Risk Reduction
The American Lung Association has released a new policy backgrounder, Advancing Health Equity in Radon Risk Reduction, available at Radon Resources for Professionals webpage in the section “For State and Local Policy Makers.” In the last couple of decades, much progress has been made to find and fix cancer-causing radon problems in homes, schools and other buildings. But the historical emphasis on voluntary programs and single-family homeowners has left many people behind. This backgrounder includes an overview of the factors that contribute to inequities in radon risk protection and presents strategies for addressing them. It is time to close the equity gap in radon risk protection. Lawmakers, state radon programs, housing agencies, public health officials and community advocates all have an important role to play in ensuring a more equitable approach to radon policies and practices that protect everyone from the health harms of deadly radon gas.
ALA Published State Credentialing Programs for Radon Services
The American Lung Association has just published a new reference for advocates, available at its webpage in the section “For State and Local Policy Makers” at State Credentialing Programs for Radon Services.
The Lung Association thanks all those who contributed information and recommendations to improve this document. Nevertheless, any errors are ours. Furthermore, we acknowledge that this overview will need to be revised when the EPA Radon Credentialing Criteria are finalized and we look forward to working to produce an updated version.
In the meantime, advocates working to encourage the adoption of credentialing requirements that protect public health are welcome to use this document to encourage policymakers to act, recognizing that states have a key role to play in ensuring the radon industry in their communities is strong, stable, and providing quality services.
ALA and NCHH Release Policy Brief: Radon Risk Reduction Strategies in Rental Housing
The American Lung Association and the National Center for Healthy Housing have released a policy brief titled Radon Risk Reduction Strategies in Rental Housing: Opportunities to Strengthen State and Local Policies. The policy brief highlights the need for additional state and local requirements to protect people who live in rental properties from radon. I also raises awareness about the issue of radon in rental properties and encourage local and state officials to implement recommended policies to reduce radon-caused lung cancer in the United States.
The report finds that while there has been an increase in federal action to address radon in rental properties in recent years, those policies only cover a fraction of the 48 million rental properties nationwide. The recommended components for state and local policy action to protect tenants from radon-caused lung cancer include:
- Requiring disclosure to tenants of known radon levels and a warning statement of potential radon risks.
- Requiring radon testing according to national standards in 100% of ground-contact units and not less than 10% of all upper floor units.
- Requiring radon testing be performed by credentialed radon measurement professionals.
- Requiring mitigation in rental housing when radon levels are found to exceed EPA’s action level.
HUD Updates the Radon Requirements for Multifamily Housing
HUD’s Office of Housing updated the radon testing and mitigation requirements for the Office’s Multifamily Housing Program, which are found in the program’s Multifamily Accelerated Processing (MAP) Guide. Major updates include removing the exemption for properties located in Zone 3 of EPA’s radon risk map and increasing the requirement for testing of ground floor multiunit buildings from 25% to 100%, consistent with the ANSI-AARST MAMF-2012 consensus standard. View the latest HUD Multifamily Program’s MAP Guide.
RRNC Published in 2018 International Green Construction Code (IgCC)
Provisions for schools and large buildings to build RRNC and test and commission if results are greater than 2.7 pCi/L is now published in the 2018 IgCC. The code is available in a read-only format at https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/IGCC2018. RRNC language is in Chapter 8, and testing language is in Chapter 10. Also, in summer 2018 at the ASHRAE annual meeting, the Task Group discussed and agreed that radon should be kept as a core requirement as the standard harmonizes with LEED.
Connecticut Adds RRNC to Statewide Building Codes
Effective October 1, 2018, RRNC techniques will be part of the 2018 Connecticut State Building Codes.
AARST Develops Policy Alert on Radon Proposals for the ICC Code Hearings
AARST developed a policy alert to advance radon risk reduction by requesting members and public to reach out to state and local code officials to support a proposed change to the plumbing section of the IRC. Deadline for action is October 23, 2018.
EPA Proposes Changes to IBC and IRC
Two code change proposals were submitted: one for International Building Code, which would mandate Zone 1 schools and residential institutions build RRNC, and the other for International Residential Code, which would mandate radon testing for all Zone 1 new homes. Consider supporting the code change proposal by attending the public comment hearing in October in Richmond, VA. Click here to view the proposal.
https://cdn-web.iccsafe.org/wp-content/uploads/2018-2019-Code-Development-Schedule.pdf
Proposed Conference/Forum to Address Radon and Risk Management within the Housing Sector
NRAP Team has identified addressing radon gas risk reduction via informing housing finance underwriters about radon in liability risk management. The concept is explored in the “Managing Radon’s Radioactive Liability” presentation. The Team is beginning work on a series of webinars communicating risk management of radon to housing finance sector in 2018.
State Radon Resistant New Construction Laws (2017)
Visit AARST's State Radon Policies for 2017 or search the National Conference of State Legislatures database for latest details on radon policies/laws by state.
- Nebraska enacted a law to create the Radon Resistant New Construction Task Force to develop minimum standards for radon resistant new construction that may be enforced by a county, city, or village as part of its local building code, and recommend such minimum standards to the governor and the legislature.
- Utah enacted a law amending its state building code to require that, when passive radon controls or portions thereof are voluntarily installed, the installation shall comply with Appendix F of the IRC.
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