January 25, 2023

Media Contact: Jonathan Modie, 971-246-9139,

PHD.Communications@oha.oregon.gov

Housing authority’s radon procedures manual inspires state protocol

OHA gives nod to Home Forward in testing plan for multifamily buildings

PORTLAND, Ore.— In 2017, Home Forward began testing its Portland public housing buildings for radon to prepare for a major rehabilitation project. The agency discovered some buildings had elevated levels of radon, but guidance on addressing it was limited.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) had issued recommendations for radon testing in 2013, but there was no requirement specific to testing public housing properties.

So, Home Forward took a proactive approach to addressing elevated radon levels, creating a policy to test, mitigate where necessary, and re-test all the properties it owns – more than 100 buildings. That spawned the Home Forward Radon Procedures Manual.

“The only way of knowing if a property or a unit has high levels of radon is by testing,” said Carolina Gomez, Home Forward’s director of Integrated Facilities Services and Safety who helped draft both the policy and the procedures manual. “We don't know where we're going to find it until we test, so we are in the process of testing all our properties.”

Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is recognizing National Radon Action Month during January to highlight the dangers of the colorless, odorless and invisible radioactive gas. Winter is the best time to test for radon because windows and doors are closed tight, and HVAC systems can create interior pressure differences that cause more radon to be sucked up through a home’s foundation.

Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer behind smoking and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates radon is responsible for more than 20,000 lung cancer deaths per year in the United States.

The Home Forward Radon Procedures Manual lays out detailed procedures for initial testing, mitigation, post-mitigation testing and ongoing testing, as well as requirements for notifying residents about testing and mitigation, and procedures for procurement of radon contracting services, ensuring safety, and maintenance. The manual also describes each Home Forward department’s responsibility regarding radon testing and mitigation.

Home Forward is now on track to completing testing and abatement at all its properties – home to some 14,000 households – by the end of 2023.

OHA took notice of Home Forward’s success in developing its radon policy and procedures manual. In late 2022, OHA published its own Radon Testing for Multifamily Buildings guide – available on OHA’s Radon Resources page – to help multifamily building owners and managers in the state accurately test their buildings for elevated radon.

“What inspired us was the Oregonian’s “Cancer Cloud” article, and then learning about Home Forward’s commitment to test their buildings for radon,” said Jara Popinga, OHA’s Radon Awareness Program coordinator. “It was clear that local housing authorities could use more support and encouragement for radon testing.”

OHA had recently finished the protocols and procedures document for testing radon levels in schools – as part of ORS 332.341 and 332.345 – and a risk communication tool kit. It was an opportunity for the agency to reconstruct those resources to make something geared toward property owners and tenants. Because Home Forward has experience with radon testing in multifamily buildings and communicating with tenants, “we thought they would be a great partner to work with to build these resources. Lucky for us, they agreed to provide support and input on our materials,” Popinga said.

HUD points to a document created by the American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists (AARST), Protocol for Conduction Measurements of Radon and Radon Decay Products in Multifamily Buildings, for recommendations on how to test larger properties. But it’s technical, and copies are expensive.

“We wanted to make a document that stuck to the AARST protocols but was less technical, easier to digest and free to use,” Popinga said. “Our goal is to create a packet of useful information that’s easy to read, contains AARST standards for testing multifamily buildings, has fillable documents that help to organize and plan for testing, and materials to help communicate with tenants. We want to remove barriers and make it easier for property owners to test for radon.”

The guide, developed with funding from the EPA, follows national guidelines for measuring radon in multifamily apartment buildings. It provides step-by-step instructions and other tools to help property owners and managers plan and carry out radon testing.

“It’s not a requirement for private housing rental companies to test for radon. In addition, it’s not a requirement for them to fix high levels of radon, if detected. However, we hope that the document will encourage such companies to seek radon testing and make it easier to take action when testing a property,” Popinga said.

Having a guide for multifamily building owners and managers is important because radon levels can vary widely from building to building, as many parts of Oregon remain at risk of high radon. For example, one multifamily apartment building can have low or no elevated radon levels, while the building next door can have dangerously high levels.

For Home Forward, regular communication with residents was paramount to developing and successfully implementing its Radon Procedures Manual.

“Now we have a policy in place where we have timelines in which we are going to notify residents as soon as we can” about testing and abating at their properties, Gomez said. “It’s active communication. There is less stress on residents in that they know we are taking care of the problem.”

For more information on areas of the state at moderate to high risk of elevated radon levels, radon testing and mitigation or to order a test kit online, contact the Radon Awareness Program at radon.program@state.or.us or visit its webpage.

Visit Home Forward’s radon page for information about the housing authority’s work, policy and manual, and links to resources.

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