HP0988, LD 1433, item 1, An Act To Protect Maine Children from Lung Cancer by Requiring Radon Testing in Schools

An Act To Protect Maine Children from Lung Cancer by Requiring Radon Testing in Schools

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §4013 is enacted to read:

§ 4013. Radon

1. Testing required. A school administrative unit shall hire a person registered with the division of environmental health within the Department of Health and Human Services under the Radon Registration Act to test an occupied elementary school or secondary school of the school administrative unit every 5 years for radon.

A. If the results of a radon screening test under this subsection indicate radon levels of 4.0 picocuries per liter of air or above, the radon levels in the affected areas must be mitigated by a person registered with respect to both design and installation with the division of environmental health within the Department of Health and Human Services under the Radon Registration Act. A school administrative unit shall consider corrective action in consultation with a person registered with the division of environmental health within the Department of Health and Human Services under the Radon Registration Act for levels found to be between 2.0 picocuries per liter of air and 3.9 picocuries per liter of air.

B. The school administrative unit shall maintain, make available for review and notify parents, faculty and staff of test results under this subsection. The school administrative unit shall report radon test results to the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services. The Department of Health and Human Services shall prepare a report of the test results from all schools and no later than October 1, 2022 and every 5 years thereafter shall submit this report to the Legislature and the Governor.

2. New schools. A school administrative unit, when building a new elementary school or secondary school, shall use 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.

SUMMARY

This bill requires school administrative units to test schools for radon every 5 years. If radon levels are above a certain level, the school administrative unit must take action to mitigate the affected areas. The school administrative unit must notify parents, faculty and staff of test results and must report test results to the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services. The Department of Health and Human Services must report these results every 5 years to the Legislature and the Governor.

The bill also requires school administrative units to build new schools using radon-resistant new construction techniques as recommended by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

HP0988 LD 1433	Session - 128th Maine Legislature		LR 1725 Item 1
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