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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2023 - 2024
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | May 5, 2023 12:35 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Devlin J. Robinson |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Radon Testing in Schools |
| In the near future, I will introduce legislation to ensure radon testing is conducted in every school building across the Commonwealth at least once every five years. Radon is a radioactive, colorless, odorless gas that comes from decaying radium in the soil that enters buildings through cracks in the foundations. Pennsylvania’s geology puts residents at a higher risk of radon exposure. In fact, all 67 counties have shown radon tests above the EPA action level of 4.0 pCi/L. Radon gas inhalation is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers, and it is especially harmful to children who are still developing and growing. It can cause permanent damage to lungs, and it also increases the risk of certain other cancers like leukemia. Most schools in Pennsylvania do not perform testing despite estimates that 40% of school buildings have unhealthy levels of radon. My legislation will require radon testing, and subsequent mitigation, for those schools that have elevated radon levels at or above 4.0 pCi/L. Additionally, it will require any newly constructed or remodeled school buildings conduct a test within 19 months of completion. Please join me in co-sponsoring this important legislation to keep our children, educators, and staff safe and healthy. |