 Council tables radon ordinance -- again!
By Eric Fleischauer Decatur City Council President Pat Woller for the third time tabled a vote Monday on whether the city will require new homes to include radon reduction systems. Because Mrs. Woller sets the agenda as president, she did not need a council consensus to table a vote on the issue to Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. Decatur code inspector Amos Morris said the Building Department has received only 12 test results since the city began distributing test kits in May. Two of those results exceeded the safety levels that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency set, he said. The Morgan County Extension System previously provided 543 test results to the City Council, 13 percent of which exceeded EPA safety levels. The EPA designates Morgan County as Zone 1, which means it is has one of the worst radon emission problems in the nation. The EPA weighed in on the issue last week when its EPA Region 4 Radon Program manager, Patsy Brooks, sent a letter to all of the council members. The letter stressed "the importance of including radon control methods in the city of Decatur, Alabama's building code. The health risks associated with exposure to radon and the need for radon-resistant construction techniques are great in northern Alabama." The EPA letter says builders can incorporate radon-resistant techniques in new homes for $500. Before tabling the vote, Mrs. Woller said, "I know we run the risk of being accused of not making a decision." She said she wants more radon test results before council votes on the issue. Council member Phil Hastings questioned whether the test results from the Morgan County Extension System are current.
He said the geologic factors creating radon gas do not vary significantly over time. Hughes said he attended the City Council meeting because he thought the council would vote on the issue this time. Hughes said that he thinks the decision on whether to require radon reduction systems in new homes needs to be a local one, but hopes Decatur understands the risk created by its location and confirmed test results. "Do I think there are benefits in an area like this, with the kind of test results we see here? Yes. Both health benefits for radon reduction and other air quality issues," Hughes said. Extension Agent Julie Dutton expressed frustration that the City Council says it wants more test data, but is ignoring the data she provided. "I just don't understand what they are doing. I feel like the Home Builders Association is putting some pressure on," Mrs. Dutton said. |
"The age of the data is neither here nor there," said Jack Hughes of Auburn University's Southern Regional Radon Training Center.
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