13
###
good for anyone. We want more folks doing
testing and radon mitigation. We just want it
done professionally.
Remember (just being blunt here) radon is a
class A (group #1) carcinogen which means it
is known to cause cancer in humans. Having
a contractor who is not certified / licensed
working on a radon system install in your home
is not a good fit. Again, I would love to have
more contractors doing radon testing and radon
mitigation, I just want it done in a professional
manner. Certification and licensing helps
ensure at least a minimum of training and
knowledge in the industry. With training also
comes national standards that ensure the
customer is taken care of. The standards set for
a precise guideline for testing and mitigation
that if followed will help protect the customer.
As I stated earlier, I am not a fan of big govern-
ment, but I am for protecting my clients and the
people of Missouri from a known cancer (lung
cancer), if the two comingle (government and
certification) then so be it. I believe that
certification will also bring about radon
awareness. I have heard for years and years
the statement, I did not know there was radon
in this area, this is nothing more than a lack of
knowledge that radon is present in all air
everywhere. There is an old saying that says,
"...for a lack of knowledge, my people perish."
We aim to change that.
Again, the short of it is this, if you are alive
and breathing air, any air, then yes, ... radon is
present because radon is present in all air to
one degree or another. The big question is
always, how much radon? You do not know
how much is present in your home if you have
not tested for it. It could be, (in your home) the
lowest levels in the United States, or it could be
the highest number ever recorded. You do not
know and neither do I, The only way to know is
to test (doing a radon test in a professional
manner). This is another reason for certification
(radon testing certification and radon
mitigation certification are two separate
certifications).
The end goal (and the ongoing goal) is to create
a call to action, I have found it to be very true
that when you provide the truth to your
customers and when they understand the
issues through awareness of the truth then
you also create a call to action. Everyone
wants to feel safe in their home. Having your
home tested by a certified radon contractor
helps ensure that. Without certification and
licensing there is no control over the situation.
It becomes a dark cloud on the horizon.
Whether it is radon testing or radon mitigation
it is important to have a level playing field.
AARST National (American Association of
Radon Scientists and Technologist) and the NRPP (National Radon Proficiency Program) has been working on and improving the national guide-lines for more than 30 years. There are in place guidelines for testing and mitigating every type of structure there is in the United States. Most states that have licensing (25 states and counting) almost always follow and use these professional guidelines.
The guidelines go through a detailed vetting
process to ensure that they are of the highest
standard. And recently AARST has (on a
Professional level) connected with ANSI
(American National Standards Institution). This
ensures not only the highest level of standards
available in the industry it also ensures
professionalism at the highest levels also.
There are100 more reasons why we need
certification and licensing here in Missouri but
(again) it boils down to protecting the customer
and ensuring professionalism in the radon
testing and radon mitigation industry here in
Missouri. Our customers, the people of
Missouri, deserve nothing less.
Sincerely,
Jim Medley
Radon Systems 4U LLC
President of The Heartland Chapter of AARST
Radon Measurement - NRPP Certification #
106335-RMP
Radon Mitigation Specialist – NRPP Certification #
106336-RMS
Radon Resistant New Construction Certification
(RRNC)
Multi-Family Measurement Certification (MFM)
Multi-Family Mitigation Certification (MFMT)