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Greenbytes: January 25, 2005 Edition
In this Issue
Greetings from EPA New England. We hope you find this edition of Greenbytes useful and we encourage you to give us feedback. For information on subscribing or unsubscribing see the section at the end of this message.
Feature: January
is Radon Action Month - Have You Tested Your Home?
When school officials in Belchertown, Massachusetts performed voluntary testing on its buildings and found elevated levels of the radioactive gas radon at the Swift River Elementary School two years ago, they acted swiftly and decisively to address the problem. School officials, working with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, immediately installed a temporary sub slab depressurization system to prevent radon gas from entering the school. Once the school was vacated for summer break, the district installed five permanent mitigation systems. Today, the school community in Belchertown can breathe easier as the radon readings at the Swift River School are well below EPA's action levels.
Belchertown's proactive steps to test for radon, appropriately communicate its findings to the school community, and take prompt action to lower radon levels, illustrates how easy it is to protect ourselves and our families from unnecessary exposure to radon. This month, EPA recognized school and town officials with a national award for outstanding work to reduce elevated radon levels in a school system.
Belchertown's experience illustrates the importance of voluntarily testing for radon in New England. EPA agrees with the Surgeon General's national health advisory issued earlier this month urging everyone to test your home every two years and retest it any time you move or make structural changes to your home. If your radon levels are above EPA's action level of 4 picocuries per liter, it is recommended that you take appropriate steps to remedy the problem as soon as possible.
Radon is a radioactive gas that, when inhaled, continues to decay in the lungs. This radiation exposure can cause lung cancer. In fact, exposure to radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers in the U.S. Nationally, approximately 21,000 people die each year from lung cancer due to radon exposure, about 1,080 here in New England. Only cigarette smoking causes more lung cancer deaths than exposure to radon.
Americans spend 85 to 95 percent of their time indoors. Radon is a particular concern in New England due to its unique geology. Buildings in this region are four times more likely to have elevated radon levels than in the rest of the country. Radon levels can soar during the colder months when we keep windows and doors closed and spend more time indoors. Radon can also be a danger in summer when homes may be air conditioned.
The solution is simple: test buildings and homes to see if radon exists and if so, where levels exceed EPA's action level. Many radon test kits which meet EPA guidelines are priced under $25. Information on how to purchase a radon detector and how to have the problem fixed is available from EPA at http://www.epa.gov/iaq/radon as well as from state and tribal nation programs at http://www.epa.gov/region1/eco/radon/index.html, or by calling 1-800-SOS-RADON.
If radon levels are above EPA's action level of 4 picocuries/liter, a qualified radon abatement contractor can take a variety of simple actions to depressurize the basement or other areas to prevent a hazardous build-up of the gas. The average cost for a contractor to reduce radon levels in a home is about $1,200, although this can range from $500 to about $2,500. For more information, contact your State or Indian Nation Radon Program, refer to your local phone book, or visit http://www.epa.gov/iaq/radon to locate radon mitigators in your area.
Radon is not only the leading cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers in the U.S. but perhaps the most preventable environmental hazard we are exposed to on a daily basis. Testing your home for radon is very easy and fixing the problem, if necessary, is very manageable.
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Press Releases
EPA Extends Deadline for Nominations for Annual Environmental Merit Awards to Jan.
Cleanup Work to Begin at Contaminated Site in Attleboro
Pharmaceutical Company Agrees to Pay $22,500 for Failing to Notify Officials of Explosion
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How
to Reduce and Prevent Beach Closures
February 7, 2005 - Warwick, RI
Raymark Advisory
Committee
February 8, 2005 - Stratford, CT
Massachusetts
Military Reservation Plume Cleanup Team
February 9, 2005
Fort Devens Restoration
Advisory Board
February 10, 2005
South Weymouth
Naval Air Station Restoration Advisory Board
February 10, 2005 - South Weymouth, MA
How to Reduce
and Prevent Beach Closures
February 11, 2005 - Portsmouth, NH
NETC (Newport)
Restoration Advisory Board
February 16, 2005 - Newport, RI
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Brownfields
DMRs - updated 2005 instructions
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"In The News" is a free daily service that provides links to today's top newspaper stories about the New England environment and links to related EPA New England information.
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