by Margaret Henderson
State of Rhode Island Department of Health Radon Program’s mission is to protect Rhode Islanders from lung cancer due to radon exposure by ensuring that no homes, schools, or other high priority public buildings have unacceptable radon levels.
Two activities in support of that mission include:
- managing and maintaining a comprehensive radon database of public/high priority and residential test results; and
- implementing and enforcing the mandatory radon testing and mitigation requirements for public and high priority buildings.
Radon Database
Rhode Island’s radon database (2011) indicates that one in four homes in Rhode Island contain radon at or above the Environmental Protection Agency action level of 4.0 pC/L, which is higher than the national average of one in fifteen homes. The program’s database is used in an on-line mapping display available at http://www.health.ri.gov/data/radon/
Testing and Mitigation of Public and High Priority Buildings
Testing for radon is required in all public and high priority buildings. Public buildings are defined as any building owned, managed, leased, furnished or occupied by a state or municipal agency or commission. High priority buildings are defined as any public, private, and/or parochial school (grades pre-K-12) and/or child care facility. The requirements include measurement and mitigation protocols and other specifications that may be found at
http://sos.ri.gov/documents/archives/regdocs/released/pdf/DOH/7047.pdf.
Radon mitigation must be conducted for all areas that have average annual radon levels equal to or greater than 4.0 pCi/L, as determined by follow-up testing.
Additional activities of the program involve such topics as certification of radon professionals, promotion of testing and mitigation through educational and outreach programs, and promoting radon resistant new construction in homes, schools and public buildings.
For more information, contact:
David Spink
Rhode Island Department of Health
401-222-7756 phone
401-222-2456 fax
David.Spink@health.ri.gov
http://www.health.ri.gov/healthrisks/poisoning/radon/
United States