Bill addressing radon in schools advances in Iowa House
School districts in Iowa would be required to test their buildings for radon and mitigate high concentrations of the cancer-causing gas under legislation moving forward in the Iowa Legislature.
The bill approved on Thursday afternoon requires all schools in the state to be tested for radon by 2025, and mandates tests once every 10 years after that. Schools that show readings above a level deemed harmful would be required to install equipment that removes the gas from the air.
An amendment presented to the panel would create a $5 million pool of state money available to districts for no-interest loans to install mitigation equipment.
Radon is a gas that occurs naturally in Iowa soil and has been shown to cause lung cancer.
The bill is supported by the American Cancer Society and medical groups in the state, although school associations have expressed concern over the potential cost of mitigation.
Similar legislation was proposed in the Iowa Senate last year, but has not advanced.