The Iowa Cancer Plan 2023-2027 was developed through a partnership between the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (Iowa HHS) and the Iowa Cancer Consortium.
Iowa’s latest cancer plan lists radon in the “Prevention and Risk Reduction” section of the plan.
“Decrease Exposure to Radon” includes:
• Strategy A: Increase awareness and research around the connection between radon and cancer risk.
• Strategy B: Increase the testing for and mitigation of radon in homes and other buildings.
• Strategy C: Increase the number of residential and other buildings built or remodeled using radon reducing methods.
The multi-step plans for radon include highlights as follows.
In increasing awareness, steps include:
• Support research and funding to increase knowledge about the effects of climate change on radon levels.
• Enhance data collection to understand the impact of radon in different geographic and socioeconomic areas of the state.
To increase testing and mitigation, the plan gives emphasis to actions to:
• Increase the number of residential properties/units in low-income neighborhoods that test for radon and install radon mitigation equipment when indicated.
• Collaborate with cities, housing departments, and other organizations to develop initiatives that provide financial assistance for radon testing and mitigation.
Regarding radon reduction, the plan includes the step to require newly constructed homes and buildings to be built using passive radon control methods according to the 2015 International Residential Building Code.
Source: Iowa Cancer Consortium. (January 2023). 2023-2027 Iowa Cancer Plan. https://www.canceriowa.org/iowa-cancer-plan
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