By Margaret Henderson
From a presentation, “Ohio Health Homes Radon Project,” by Marybeth Rich, at the 25th National Radon Training Conference
At the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) the Indoor Radon program, the Healthy Homes Program and the Lead Poisoning Prevention Program joined together to provide radon mitigation at no cost to the homeowner. This funding is through the Lead Hazard Control Grant from Housing and Urban Development (HUD’s) office of Healthy Homes. The Indoor Radon Program funds the materials and parts for the project, sends a staff member to perform a screening test and pays for the bid specification work. Staff goes out at the end of the project to inspect the mitigation system. The Lead Program pays for the labor portion of the mitigation project.
In a presentation at the 25th National Radon Training Conference held in September 2015 in Bloomington, Minnesota, Marybeth Rich, of the Ohio Department of Health, described the project. The conference was sponsored by the Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors and the EPA.
Project Description
The project area does not include the entire state area, but is focused in specific locations. An additional requirement is that the subject property must qualify for other project funding before radon can become a funded part of the project. The Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control Grant target area of 2013 – 2016 included 16 of Ohio’s 88 counties.
“In the Healthy Homes Program, the project looked for homes with deplorable conditions. In some instances, this meant that a child presented with elevated blood lead levels or the home was in need of renovation that sometimes involved multiple disciplines of contractors to fix. The values of these homes are often far lower than the average home sale prices. They may be on the brink of being condemned,” noted Ms. Rich who is a Senior Health Physicist of the Radon Program at the department.
For radon considerations, the challenges are:
- condition of the housing stock; and
- coordination of Lead Risk Assessors to scrutinize the home for some issues regarding a radon installation.
Selection Process
A one-page checklist was developed for the Lead Risk Assessors to use to convey information to the Radon Program regarding the type of foundation, conditions of the basement, the heating mechanicals, etc.
Ms. Rich works closely with a project manager who will review the projects under consideration. Based upon the cooperation of the owner with the previous trades on the site and what the project manager knows about the structure of the home, a recommendation about certain properties will be made. Then the manager provides contact information on the homeowners and Ms. Rich makes the initial contact, offering a free screening of the home for radon and if the results are elevated to get a radon mitigation system installed for free.
If the results are not elevated, the test report is sent advising to have the home tested again in two years. If the results are elevated, a report is issued with the recommendation to mitigate. Ms. Rich reviews the report and talk to the residents about the next steps and the time commitments involved, being careful to outline the Bid Specialist, and provide name and general information on the contractor and what will be done. The Bid Specialist is notified of the elevated results so that contact may be made with the homeowner to perform an inspection and diagnostics for a system design and also to develop the bid package. The bid package is sent to the ODH Radon Program for review and then forwarded to the Lead Program Specialist for posting. This is an electronic system and all ODH participants are online.
Contractor Selection
Contractors in Ohio are solicited for participation in this program and those eligible have successfully completed an application for this work. There are currently 12 participating contractors. When the bid goes out, the bid stays “open” online for approximately 10 business days. Each contractor is required to fill out a specific form for a bid. They submit them to the Radon Program, which reviews all bids. After this review, the Radon Program notifies the lead contractor and the ODH Radon Program awards the bid to a radon mitigation contractor. This is done quickly in about a day turn around.
Project Completion
Contractors must invoice the job in a particular way to get paid. They have to split out the materials from the labor because two programs pay the job. Once the contractor has completed the project, ODH performs an inspection within seven business days. The ODH mitigation inspector does the follow-up inspection to be able to clear the property and pay the contractor. Once the inspection is complete, and there are no corrections to be made, invoicing takes place, the job gets paid and the project is complete. Payment will be withheld until any inspection findings are corrected to ODH’s satisfaction.
For more information, contact:
Marybeth Rich, Sr. Health Physicist
Environmental Compliance Program
The Ohio Department of Health
246 North High Street
35 Bldg. 7th Floor-Radon
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Office: 614-752-4425
Toll-Free Radon Information (Ohio Residents Only): 1-800-523-4439
United States