Preliminary testing at NewBrook Elementary and Townshend Elementary has shown radon that exceeds the federal “action level” of 4 picocuries per liter of air, Superintendent Bill Anton said Wednesday.
Those tests were spurred by the discovery of high radon levels at Leland & Gray Union Middle and High School. As is the case at Leland & Gray, Anton said remediation projects are planned at the two elementary schools.
There are “no immediate health concerns,” Anton said. “We want to do the follow-up (tests) and do the mitigation as suggested.”
Long-term exposure to high levels of radon – especially in conjunction with smoking – has been linked to increased risk of lung cancer.
The gas is naturally occurring and can seep into buildings through foundations. In Vermont, the average outdoor level of radon is 0.4 picocuries per liter of air, while the average indoor level is about 2.5 picocuries per liter, according to the state Department of Health.
But the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends that property owners take action if levels reach 4 picocuries per liter.
In February, tests showed radon readings above that level in Leland & Gray’s library, music room and weight room, as well as in a nearby classroom and in the basement of the Dutton Gym. The school has retained Manchester-based M&M Plumbing and Heating to undertake a remediation project.
That work is scheduled to happen next week, Anton said.
School administrators took heat from some parents last month because elevated radon levels initially were discovered at Leland & Gray in 2009. Parents were notified at the time, but no further action was taken, officials have acknowledged.
Leland & Gray School Board now has a Building Committee that will focus on the facility’s physical condition and needs. That group “has started regular meetings,” Anton said.
Officials also initiated radon testing at Windham Central’s other schools. All are below the EPA’s action level except for NewBrook Elementary, off Route 30 in Newfane, and Townshend Elementary, which is situated just a short walk from Leland & Gray.
At NewBrook, which serves students from Newfane and Brookline, there were “two areas in the building that were slightly above the recommended (EPA) level,” Anton said.
“They have contacted M&M Plumbing to do additional testing over the April break and devise a mitigation plan,” he said.
Tests in Townshend Elementary’s basement also showed radon exceeding the federal government’s action level, Anton said. The school is following a similar plan.
Anton said the state Health Department recommends follow-up testing when elevated radon levels are discovered. He expects that “more precise testing by M&M will give us an even more accurate reading.”
While Windham Central’s radon problems seem to be piling up at the moment, there are problems with the gas statewide. The Health Department says 1 out of 8 Vermont homes has unsafe radon levels, and 12 percent of schools tested since 2005 have radon that exceeds the EPA limit.
“I am not a radon expert by any means, so I don’t have context if this is surprising or not,” Anton said of the supervisory union’s test results. “We simply wanted to be thorough, find out what the levels were and take the appropriate actions based on the results.”
