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The good news is that in addition to easy, cost-
effective testing, the fixes for high radon levels
are also usually relatively straight-forward,
inexpensive and effective. Unfortunately, not
all schools are taking the radon risk as
seriously as they should, and many have not
conducted the recommended testing or
followed up on negative test results.
High Radon Levels in Tennessee
Recent radon tests in Tennessee schools
revealed that 29 schools in the Nashville
area had radon levels higher than what was
recommended by the EPA. According to a
report at RadonLeader.org, Two Rivers Middle
School had some of the highest radon levels,
with unsafe amounts showing up in fifth grade
classrooms within the school. Metro Nashville
Public School officials sent an email out to
staff following the testing, assuring them
the elevated levels of radon were no cause
for alarm.
"It is important to know there is no immediate
danger and that the EPA does not recommend
avoiding or evacuating an area or building
during mitigation efforts – this holds true even
in cases where extremely high levels of radon
have been detected," the email read. The
school also posted the radon testing results for
35 schools on the district website, and letters
were sent home with students regarding the
status of their individual schools.
Schools that had high radon readings will be
retested to determine if levels are still high.
Cathy Glapa, radon program coordinator for
the Tennessee Department of Environment
and Conservation said retesting is important
to determine if high radon levels are a real
concern. Glapa told RadonLeader.org, "There
are many factors that affect radon readings.
Ventilation and how it circulates through the
school, and the weather, higher in winter
months, can be a factor."
If readings remain high, schools may need to
take steps to reduce their radon levels, in
accordance with recommendations from
the EPA.
Radon Testing in Colorado Inconsistent
Colorado is another state that has a greater
risk of radon exposure, since the gas is
abundant in Colorado soil. Despite this
concern, local news stations have found many
school districts paying little attention to the
potential radon risks in their school buildings.
According to a report last year from 7 News,
hundreds of schools around the state have
failed to either test for radon exposure or fix
problems after discovering higher than
average radon levels in some classrooms.
The 2010 investigation found that 293 schools
in 77 districts ignored state regulations issued
in 1991 that required all schools to undergo
radon testing. In Denver Public Schools, where
testing was done and high levels of radon were
found, few schools did anything to rectify the
problem or retest the classrooms at a later
date.
A report at Education News Colorado one year
later showed that many Colorado schools still
admit they never did the required radon
testing. Some that did do not have any sort of
documentation proving the tests were done or
providing accurate results regarding radon
levels. Health officials in the state advise
parents to contact their local school board if
they have concerns about radon levels in their
children's school. Officials would also like to
see teachers insist on testing in their
classrooms.
Radon is a real issue, and if it is prevalent in
your area, take action to have your child's
school test for the gas.
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https://www.publicschoolreview.com/blog/
radon-exposure-in-public-schools-are-your-kids-n-danger