USEPA in “Spotlight: Successful Approaches for Reducing Radon Risk, noted the success of the Washington Radon Program in collaborating with the state’s Choose Safe Places program to create mapping tools on the Washington Tracking Network, which was designed to provide childcare facilities increased awareness of environmental exposures at existing facilities or sites of new building/purchase for additional facilities. The Radon Program is also working with home-based childcare centers to test and provide free mitigation to childcare centers with elevated test results.
Washington Choose Safe Places is a non-regulatory, education-based statewide initiative designed to help early care and education (ECE) programs protect children and staff from harmful environmental substances by choosing safe locations or sites for their ECE center. Safe Places consider risk related to naturally occurring contamination such as a variety of naturally occurring contaminants in the air, soil, and water that can be harmful to health, like asbestos, arsenic, radon, or lead. Washington laws say that early care and education (ECE) centers must be “on a site free from known environmental hazards.”
Washington Choose Safe Places provides educational materials, contact directory and training and education for ECE programs. Washington Choose Safe Places refers individuals to the Washington Tracking Network, and Washington State Department of Health Radon Program regarding to environmental contaminants such as radon and to the Children’s Environmental Health Network brochure on Eco-Heathy Child Care.
Sources: Washington Tracking Network on Radon
https://doh.wa.gov/data-statistical-reports/washington-tracking-network-wtn/radon
Washington Choose Safe Places
wcsp@doh.wa.gov
Source: Overview of EPA’s State Indoor Radon Grants Program: A Focus on Activities Conducted during 2021 https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2022-02/final-2021-annual-sirg-activities-report-508c.pdf
United States