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Another section addresses a state’s housing. Potential radon exposure locations are summarized by number of existing homes, additional homes built annually, and the number of public schools. The percentages of radon test above EPA’s action level of 4 pC/L illustrates the extent of radon’s burden in the state’s buildings. This data varies state-to-state and according to information gathered from the CDC National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network, 36% of the radon test results are above the acton level.
The final section summarizes the status of public policy in a given state. To protect families from ineffective work, some states require regulation of
radon professionals (which includes prohibition of radon work by untrained
and uncredentialed personnel) and adherence to the current radon standards. Only 20 states require certification or licensing; half of these states rely on the current standards exclusively.
Other protective statewide policies presented in the report notify prospective homebuyers through a warning statement including encouragement of testing before purchasing (nine states), require radon systems in new homes (11 states) and schools (nine states); and mandate testing of existing school buildings (eight states). Although much progress has been made, there remains room for policy improvement in every state.
Each Report Card relies on national data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention the Census Bureau, and the National Center for Education Statistics. The use of these national sources insures validity in state-to-state comparisons. An example report card (Pennsylvania) is shown below and all
the report cards can be found here:
The 2022 report cards are available for public access now and will be re-issued on an annual basis.
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State Radon Report Cards - [Click on the state to view]
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