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| Public Act 096-0417 |
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AN ACT concerning radon.
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WHEREAS, The Surgeon General of the United States issued a | ||||
Health Advisory in 2005 warning Americans about the health risk | ||||
from exposure to radon in indoor air; and | ||||
WHEREAS, Indoor radon is the second-leading cause of lung | ||||
cancer in the United States, and breathing it over prolonged | ||||
periods can present a significant health risk to families all | ||||
over the country; and | ||||
WHEREAS, The nation's chief physician urged Americans to | ||||
test their homes to find out how much radon they might be | ||||
breathing; and | ||||
WHEREAS, The United States Environmental Protection | ||||
Agency, National Academy of Sciences, and the Surgeon General | ||||
estimate that 21,000 radon-related lung cancer deaths occur | ||||
annually in the United States, as many as 1,100 of those in | ||||
this State; and | ||||
WHEREAS, Results of 96,000 home measurements conducted by | ||||
professional contractors and homeowners between 2003 and 2008 | ||||
submitted to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency show that | ||||
40% of homes tested in this State had radon levels above the | ||||
4.0 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) action level; therefore | ||||
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Sections | ||
10-20.46 and 34-18.37 as follows: | ||
(105 ILCS 5/10-20.46 new) | ||
Sec. 10-20.46. Radon testing. | ||
(a) It is recommended that every occupied school building | ||
of a school district be tested every 5 years for radon pursuant | ||
to rules established by the Illinois Emergency Management | ||
Agency (IEMA). | ||
(b) It is recommended that new schools of a school district | ||
be built using radon resistant new construction techniques, as | ||
shown in the United States Environmental Protection Agency | ||
document, Radon Prevention in the Design and Construction of | ||
Schools and Other Large Buildings. | ||
(c) Each school district may maintain, make available for | ||
review, and notify parents and faculty of test results under | ||
this Section. The district shall report radon test results to | ||
the State Board of Education, which shall prepare a report | ||
every 2 years of the results from all schools that have | ||
performed tests, to be submitted to the General Assembly and | ||
the Governor. | ||
(d) If IEMA exempts an individual from being required to be | ||
a licensed radon professional, the individual does not need to | ||
be a licensed radon professional in order to perform screening | ||
tests under this Section. A school district may elect to have | ||
one or more employees from the district attend an | ||
IEMA-approved, Internet-based training course on school | ||
testing in order to receive an exemption to conduct testing in | ||
that school district. These school district employees must | ||
perform the measurements in accordance with procedures | ||
approved by IEMA. If an exemption from IEMA is not received, | ||
the school district must use a licensed radon professional to | ||
conduct measurements. | ||
(e) If the results of a radon screening test under this | ||
Section are found to be 4.0 pCi/L or above, the school district | ||
may hire a licensed radon professional to perform measurements | ||
before any mitigation decisions are made. If radon levels of | ||
4.0 pCi/L or above are found, it is recommended that affected | ||
areas be mitigated by a licensed radon mitigation professional | ||
with respect to both design and installation. IEMA may provide | ||
the school district with a list of licensed radon mitigation | ||
professionals. | ||
(f) A screening test under this Section may be done with a | ||
test kit found in a hardware store, department store, or home | ||
improvement store or with a kit ordered through the mail or | ||
over the Internet. However, the kit must be provided by a | ||
laboratory licensed in accordance with the Radon Industry | ||
Licensing Act. | ||
(105 ILCS 5/34-18.37 new) | ||
Sec. 34-18.37. Radon testing. | ||
(a) It is recommended that every occupied school building | ||
of the school district be tested every 5 years for radon | ||
pursuant to rules established by the Illinois Emergency | ||
Management Agency (IEMA). | ||
(b) It is recommended that new schools of the school | ||
district be built using radon resistant new construction | ||
techniques, as shown in the United States Environmental | ||
Protection Agency document, Radon Prevention in the Design and | ||
Construction of Schools and Other Large Buildings. | ||
(c) The school district may maintain, make available for | ||
review, and notify parents and faculty of test results under | ||
this Section. The district shall report radon test results to | ||
the State Board of Education, which shall prepare a report | ||
every 2 years of the results from all schools that have | ||
performed tests, to be submitted to the General Assembly and | ||
the Governor. | ||
(d) If IEMA exempts an individual from being required to be | ||
a licensed radon professional, the individual does not need to | ||
be a licensed radon professional in order to perform screening | ||
tests under this Section. The school district may elect to have | ||
one or more employees from the district attend an | ||
IEMA-approved, Internet-based training course on school | ||
testing in order to receive an exemption to conduct testing in | ||
the school district. These school district employees must | ||
perform the measurements in accordance with procedures | ||
approved by IEMA. If an exemption from IEMA is not received, | ||
the school district must use a licensed radon professional to | ||
conduct measurements. | ||
(e) If the results of a radon screening test under this | ||
Section are found to be 4.0 pCi/L or above, the school district | ||
may hire a licensed radon professional to perform measurements | ||
before any mitigation decisions are made. If radon levels of | ||
4.0 pCi/L or above are found, it is recommended that affected | ||
areas be mitigated by a licensed radon mitigation professional | ||
with respect to both design and installation. IEMA may provide | ||
the school district with a list of licensed radon mitigation | ||
professionals. | ||
(f) A screening test under this Section may be done with a | ||
test kit found in a hardware store, department store, or home | ||
improvement store or with a kit ordered through the mail or | ||
over the Internet. However, the kit must be provided by a | ||
laboratory licensed in accordance with the Radon Industry | ||
Licensing Act.
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