Contributed by Cynthia Stephenson
The annual NYS Radon Stakeholders meeting was held on October 25, 2018, at the Traditions at the Glen, in Johnson City, New York. There were 53 stakeholders in attendance made up of county health department staff, home inspectors, and radon testers and mitigators.
The keynote address was presented by Ronald Hublall, M.D., on the topic of “Avoiding Lung Cancer: Improving the Air We Breathe.” His address was impactful and moving. Using a case study from Illinois of a father who is a non-smoker and has a young son that has been diagnosed with stage 4 lung carcinoma, the presentation reinforced the importance of radon testing in the home.
Additional speakers presented on:
* radon and the real estate transaction
* continuous radon monitoring, testing and equipment calibration
* NYS regulations for the Environmental Laboratory Approval Program (ELAP)
* radon testing and mitigation for contractors
* National Radon Safety Board (NRSB) updates
Michael Kitto, Ph.D., presented his Housing and Urban Development (HUD) project, “Evaluating and Assessing Radon Testing in Housing – The Earth Study;” George Schambach, NY American Association Radiation Scientists and Technologists (AARST) provided AARST updates; and Department of Health staff provided updates on their radon program and the Healthy Neighborhoods project. Janise Palmer, USEPA Region II, also provided updates and shared information.
For more information, contact:
Cynthia Stephenson
Health Program Administrator
Radon Program
NYSDOH – BERP
518-402-7556
United States