By Margaret Henderson
The New York State Department of Health Radon Program has many focused activities and partnerships that provide outreach and education about radon and its health significance.
The program partners with high-risk counties. “Three-quarters of the counties in New York are considered high risk,” explained Cynthia A. Costello, MS, MPH, CHP,
Chief, Environmental Radiation/Radon Section at the New York State Department of Health.
The potential for radon exposures from concentrations in excess of the EPA’s recommended action level of 4pCi/L exists throughout a large percentage of the state’s geographic region. Maximizing the state’s limited financial resources, the radon program focuses on outreach and partnering to encourage testing and mitigation.
Public information programs and small projects include outreach to families with newborns through hospital Healthy Newborn Programs that distribute radon information packets and applications for free test kits. Other partnerships include one with the Central New York Coalition for Healthy Indoor Air http://www.cnyhealthyair.org/fs-radon.htm. The Coalition provides information about radon and links to the Department of Health.
Outreach to schools included five presentations in 2014, partnering with Boards of Cooperative Educational Services and Healthy Indoor Air programs to provide information about radon. Schools, as well as day care providers are provided radon kits at one-half price. (Daycare providers are required to perform hazard assessments before licensure, which includes radon testing in certain geographic areas.) The state radon poster contest is conducted for school-age participants.
Outreach to realtors incudes offering presentations to real estate professionals and providing information at home shows. The department website includes a page on real estate information regarding radon. Stakeholder meetings are being planned.
Along with outreach activities conducted for the public, printed information is provided through the department website. This information includes a guide in both English and Spanish languages, “Protect Your Family From Radon: A Guide for New York State Residents,” https://www.health.ny.gov/publications/3168/.
Radon levels and map statistics https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/radiological/radon/maps_statistics.htm
are provided through a link to the Open NY https://data.ny.gov website where an interactive application allows viewing and manipulating the radon data collected from 1987 to the present.
Through a variety of formats and partnerships, the New York State Department of Health Radon Program encourages radon awareness for the residents of the state.
For more information, contact:
radon@health.ny.gov
518-402-7556
800-458-1158
United States