EPA Says Only ASD Radon Mitigation Effective Against Radon

A Nevada School Board was recently reminded by the US Environmental Protection Agency, in the strongest possible terms, that only an active soil depressurization (ASD) radon system will reduce high radon levels. In response to a letter from the School Board President, EPA’s Radon Team Leader Phil Jalbert and Health Physicist Gene Fisher said:

"The EPA does not recommend (air) filtration as a radon control measure," stated EPA Radon Team Leader Phil Jalbert and Health Physicist Gene Fisher. "EPA’s principal recommendation for mitigating radon levels in school buildings is to control the source and minimize or prevent radon entry. The technique used most often and successfully is sub-slab or sub-membrane active soil depressurization."

The School Board President wrote to EPA after a local contractor had installed air filters to reduce the radon levels in an elementary school. The filters did not mitigate the radon. This method was used despite the concerns of parents who had researched radon and found that filtration is not the method recommended by EPA for mitigating radon. Read a more detailed account of this story here. 

For years, EPA has been clear regarding radon mitigation in homes, schools and all buildings. The proven, most effective method for achieving radon reduction consists of a radon fan connected to suction pipe(s) to draw the radon gas from below the house or school and release it into the outdoor air while simultaneously creating a negative pressure (vacuum) beneath the slab. See EPA’s online booklet, "Consumer’s Guide to Radon Reduction".

To find some solutions for radon mitigation in your own home or office building, please have a look at HomeAire’s selection of radon test kits, radon mitigation fans, and other radon informational resources. 

Pat Everett
Spruce Environmental Technologies and HomeAire