3. Radon Reduction and Control in Schools: State Laws and
Regulations
3.1. State Radon Testing in School Requirements
Currently, only thirteen states’ statutes explicitly address radon issues in schools,
and radon testing in schools is only mandatory in nine states (Table 1). For
example, radon testing in schools is not mandatory in California, a state that has
over 10,000 public schools (elementary and secondary) with over 6.3 million
students [23]. Even within these nine states, state regulations on radon testing in
schools vary considerably in stringency. Connecticut statutes, for example, require
radon testing in public schools only, whereas in New York, radon testing is only
required for public schools located in Radon Zone 1. In contrast, radon testing is
mandatory for all schools (Public and Private) in Rhode Island. The timing and
frequency of radon re-testing also differ among the states (Table 1).
Table 1
Radon testing in schools: State policies.
% of
Counties
Time
Designat
State
ed as Radon
EPA Test
Zone 1
Requireme
nt for
Initial
Testing
or Zone
Freque
ncy of Type of School
Re- Covered
Testing
Who New
May School
Conduc RRNC
t the Requirem
Testing ent
Mitigation
Requirement for
Radon Level ≤ 4
pCi/L
2 a
Public Private SE CP
Yes Yes ND ND
Within 19
Colorado
100
Required
months of
occupancy
5
ND
No
No