RALEIGH, N.C. — Not only are most school district officials ignoring a federal recommendation to test for cancer-causing radon, they're passing up the chance to do it for free.
According to state officials, not a single school district over the last five years has taken advantage of a fund that would give them a select number of radon test kits.
Rep. Chaz Beasley, (D) NC House District 92, made the discovery after hearing the results of our Defenders investigation that identified dozens of schools that haven't recently tested for radon.
He's since learned North Carolina has an Environmental Protection Agency grant available to "support supplying a small number of short term radon test kits to a school system" on a "first come-first serve basis." According to the state lawmaker's research, there is roughly $58,000 in grant money still available.
Radon is in the ground naturally but enters buildings through cracks, gaps in floors, and walls that touch the ground. It's known as the invisible killer and the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers.
The EPA recommends schools test for radon, estimating there are elevated short-term levels inside one in every five schools. It's most prevalent in counties highlighted in red on the EPA's radon map, but also common in counties highlighted in orange.
Our investigation found most districts, including Gaston, Union, Rock Hill, Fort Mill, and Rowan-Salisbury, didn't spend the time and money in recent years to test for the gas.
Eric Roberts tests for radon for a living. He said he wishes more schools would take radon seriously.
"Our kids are spending six or eight hours a day there, our teachers even more. It's just as important as testing our homes," Roberts said of the need to test schools.
Roberts said he's witnessed radon testing in schools become less and less of a priority, saying at one time years ago, he tested about 400 school rooms for a couple of area districts.
"A large majority of the school systems didn't have the money for it and probably didn't try as hard as they could've to get the money," he said.
We've since made the local districts in North Carolina who don't test aware of the free kits, including Rowan-Salisbury Schools, which is now moving forward with a radon testing program. It's unclear if the school systems didn't know about the program or just weren't overly concerned.
Rep. Beasley said he hopes the public's new awareness of this old problem inspires districts to now put out their hands and ask.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services recommends schools that are interested in its resources, including the grant dollars for free tests, to contact Lee Cox or Catherine Rosfjord in DHSR, NC Radiation Protection Section at (919)814-2252 or the agency's website.
While no districts have requested free test kits, DHHS said since 2017, three schools and one school system have used the NC Radon Program's technical assistance and training for radon testing.
State officials said those schools included:
- Evergreen Community Charter School in Asheville in 2017, which eventually tested, found some rooms with elevated levels, and mitigated the problem
- Forsyth County School System in 2018, which ultimately turned down the state's offer to receive 200 test kits and paid for travel expenses for a testing training class and two school systems in 2019
- Craven County and Jackson County, wanted to gather information for their superintendents.