By Margaret Henderson
In Utah, surveys conducted by the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Waste Management and Radiation Control indicate that 30% of the homes tested in Utah are at concentrations above the EPA’s recommended action level of 4.0 pCi/L. Short term test results as of January 2013, by zip code and county, are provided on the department’s website at http://www.radon.utah.gov/docs/2013/03Mar/RadonShortTerm2013version3.pdf
With potential exposures above 4 pCi/L throughout much of the state, informing the public of the need to test and mitigate is a significant goal. To accomplish this goal, the department and coalitions have worked to inform the legislature of the need for public health education funding.
Utah Radon Coalition and Utah Radon Policy Coalitions have been critical in encouraging public education about the hazards of indoor radon exposure. The coalitions have broad ranges of membership consisting of realtors, mitigators, oncologists, doctors, cancer survivors, the American Lung Association, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a law student, a former lobbyist who became interested in radon, and state and local health departments.
In 2014, the Utah Radon Coalition met with four different legislative committees, with the Radon Program staff providing expert testimony. Additionally, a lung oncologist and the Utah Medical Association testified.
The outcome of this participation in the legislative process was a $25,000 appropriation for a radon outreach program in the form of a media campaign. The Huntsman Cancer Institute developed a whiteboard video presentation that was highly popular on social media and apparently resulted in increased hits to the health department website and more testing and/or inquiries about radon from the public.
Based on the success of this outreach, coalition partners anticipate additional appropriations to continue funding public health education about radon. The department personnel and the coalition members all serve as advocates for those who have lost lives attributed to radon induced lung cancer in the hopes of encouraging radon testing and mitigation.
Eleanor Divver
Indoor Radon Coordinator
Phone: 801-536-0091
http://www.radon.utah.gov
Radon Information: 800-458-0145
United States