From Name
Peter Hendrick

Information
forwarded from Scott Hendrick,
National
Conference of State Legislatures
 
 
Maine
Legislature
House Majority
Office
www.housedemocrats.maine.gov
 
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 15,
2009
Contact: 
        Rep. Jim Martin, 356-9418
Casey
Johnson Bromberg, Legislative Aide, 287-1430
Kyle Leighton, Communications Director, 287-1433
 
Committee
endorses bill to curb lung cancer
House will
consider testing, disclosure of radon levels for rental properties
 
AUGUSTA
– The Maine House of Representatives is poised to consider a
first-in-the-nation proposal next week from Rep. Jim Martin, D-Orono, to
prevent lung cancer in residents living in apartment homes and rental
units.  On Wednesday, the Legislature’s Legal and Veteran’s Affairs Committee
voted unanimously to support Martin’s bill to require rental property owners to
test for the presence of radon, a naturally occurring gas carcinogen found in
soil and water, and the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United
States and in Maine.  
 
According
to radon policy experts at the National Conference of State Legislatures, if
Martin’s bill passes, it will be the first law in the country to address
exposure to radon for tenants in rental units. 
 
“More
than half the homes in Southern Maine, and a third of all homes statewide have
radon levels above EPA standards, but tenants in apartments may not know if
they’ve been exposed,” said Martin, who is also a rental property owner. 
“Long-term exposure to high levels of radon presents a significant health risk,
but there’s little public awareness about the danger it poses to us.  It’s
important that all Mainers have the opportunity to protect themselves.”
 
Under
Martin’s proposal, landlords would have to test for radon in their rental units
at least once every 10 years, notify tenants of the presence of unhealthy
levels of radon, and mitigate until healthy levels are achieved.  More
than 30 percent of all Mainers live in rental housing. 
 
Martin
refined his proposal with the help of stakeholders from the Maine Centers for
Disease Control (CDC), Maine Indoor Air Quality Council, and apartment
homeowner associations to refine the bill and ensure that certified testing
professionals are employed when landlords perform radon air tests, and that they
are educated about the importance of mitigation. 
 
Maine’s
rates of radon exposure are some of the highest in the nation.  The gas
cannot be detected by smell, taste or sight.  However, upon detection, it
can be easily mitigated.
 
 According
to the Maine CDC, only about one-quarter of all Maine homes have actually been
tested for radon, with most tests occurring during property sales.  When
combined with smoking or exposure to second-hand smoke, radon can greatly
increase one’s risk of lung cancer.  Exposure to radon has also been
linked to illnesses such as pulmonary fibrosis, leukemia, and stomach and liver
cancer.
 
The
legislation received support from cancer advocates, indoor air quality experts,
and state officials seeking to promote greater awareness of radon in Maine
during the public hearing process.  LD 943, An Act to Reduce Lung
Cancer Rates in Maine, will be considered by the Maine House of
Representatives in the coming weeks.
 
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