CALL 6: Most Indiana schools ignore federal radon testing recommendations because it's not required

INDIANAPOLIS—Call 6 Investigates has uncovered that most Indiana schools do not test for radon gas, a carcinogen known to cause lung cancer, despite federal recommendations that all schools test at least once every five years.

Radon is a radioactive, naturally occurring gas that seeps into buildings from the surrounding soil.

It’s the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, killing an estimated 600 people a year in Indiana and roughly 20,000 people across the country.

Central Indiana students and teachers spend a lot of their time in schools, and that’s why the EPA recommends schools test for radon but Call 6 Investigates found most school districts aren’t doing it.

A RADON SURVIVOR: “IT’S LIKE A DIRTY BOMB”

Annie Cacciato is a wife, a mother, and a survivor.

“I have stage four lung cancer,” said Cacciato.

Diagnosed in 2013, Cacciato had never smoked.

Although there’s no way to prove what caused her lung cancer, radon is the prime suspect.

Following her diagnosis, Cacciato learned her workplace and high school contained toxic levels of radon.

“I was in shock,” said Cacciato.

EPA’s nationwide survey of radon levels in schools estimates that nearly one in five has at least one schoolroom with a radon level above the action level of 4 pCi/L (picoCuries per liter) - the level at which EPA recommends that schools take action to reduce the level.

Cacciato said her workplace tested at 25 pCi/L and her school tested at 24 pCi/L and “There are thousands of children in schools right now breathing in air, day after day, that is damaging their lungs,” said Cacciato.  “It’s a like dirty bomb in the building.”

Cacciato has been fighting for her life for five years and wants to prevent others from going through lung cancer.

“I look healthy, but my lungs are filled with cancer,” said Cacciato. “With radon, it just seems to be this very elusive problem that people are very indifferent to, they don’t understand they don’t educate, and they don’t believe it.  You wouldn’t just let a fire go off in your house and leave it burning forever.”

INDIANA SCHOOLS NOT TESTING DESPITE EPA RECOMMENDATION

Radon is odorless, colorless and tasteless, and the only way to know if it’s there is to test for it.

The EPA recommends schools test at least once every five years.

Call 6 Investigates surveyed dozens of schools and analyzed Indiana State Department of Health data and found of the state’s 289 public school corporations only 4% have tested for radon in the last decade.

“Let’s just call it out for what it is—it’s negligence,” said Cacciato.

RTV6 found large districts with thousands of students like Wayne Township, Carmel Clay, Perry Township, Mt. Vernon, Lawrence Township and Westfield haven’t tested for radon in the last ten years.

Some districts pointed out Indiana does not require schools or daycares to test for radon.

A dozen states have laws or regulations in place that require or encourage radon testing in schools including Illinois, Colorado, Florida, Virginia, Oregon, Connecticut, Iowa, Minnesota, and Nebraska.

DISTRICT SHOWS HIGH RESULTS, BUT ACTION REMAINS UNCLEAR

Call 6 Investigates uncovered the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation found dangerous of levels of radon in 2013, and it’s unclear, what if anything they did about it.

The EPA recommends schools take action to mitigate when the radon level hits 4 pCi/L or above.

Bartholomew Consolidated schools had not one, but seven schools test above that.

Call 6 Investigates did not get answers from the school board or the superintendent via email, so we showed up to a public school board meeting.

Call 6:  Can you tell us if there was any mitigation or not?

Dr. Jim Roberts:   There was a test done in 2013. You made us aware of the information. We’re following up and gathering information.

Call 6:  Have you been able to determine if any parents were notified?

Dr. Jim Roberts: I was not superintendent at that point. We’re looking at information. I appreciate you sharing that information with us.

Call 6: Is there a public health concern to the kids in those buildings?

Dr. Jim Roberts: That’s… again. We are looking for information.

Call 6: You have schools that tested at 11, 13. Are those numbers concerning to you?

Dr. Jim Roberts: I guess that would be, based on interpretation of those numbers and understanding completely what that means to get a reading.

Call 6: Would you consider this an urgent issue?

Dr. Jim Roberts: Anything that deals with the safety of our children is an urgent issue.

Shortly after Call 6 spoke with Dr. Roberts, he announced at the public board meeting:

“Radon is not a required test in Indiana, and it’s something the school corporation chose to do. We have received some readings on those.”

Stephanie Studley, a mother of a kindergartner at Parkside Elementary, became concerned after hearing Roberts announcement.

Call 6 Investigates shared with Studley the test results showing a 7.1 pCi/L radon level in 2013 at Parkside Elementary.

“That is concerning,” said Studley. “When it comes to school safety or security, parents just need to keep putting pressure on the board and including Dr. Roberts. I think things need to be communicated, just like in Flint Michigan when there’s lead in the water and the children had been exposed and suffered horrendous health complications because of it.”

EXPERT WEIGHS IN ON RADON TESTING

Kyle Hoylman, managing partner of Protect Environmental, does radon testing for schools, daycares and other buildings in Indiana.

“Some schools don’t test because they don’t want to know the results,” said Hoylman. “How are they going to fix it?”

Hoylman said fixing a radon problem can be as simple as adjusting your HVAC system.

A test can cost a school a few thousand dollars to tens of thousands of dollars.

“School testing is important especially with the lungs developing when they’re in school,” said Hoylman. “At the end of the day, radon causes lung cancer. It’s a lot more economical to pay for radon testing in schools than to foot the bill later for lung cancer.”

Hoylman emphasized radon is prevalent throughout the entire state of Indiana.

“The only way to know if you have a problem, is to have your building tested,” said Hoylman.

Call 6 Investigates shared our results with Hoylman that only 4% of schools have tested for radon in the last decade.

“Its disappointing schools wouldn’t be taking steps to make an environment healthy and safe, even though it’s not required,” said Hoylman.  “Personally, I couldn’t sleep at night knowing I had the power to test a school or fix a school and did nothing about it. These are children.”

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Annie Cacciato doesn’t know what her future holds, but she’s one of the few to make it five years past her diagnosis.

Cacciato advocates for schools to test for radon and started crying as she pleaded for parents to do something.

“You can prevent this for your family, and that’s why I’m here to talk about it,” said Cacciato. “It’s preventable. This problem should have been fixed.”

Here’s what you can do to protect your family against radon-induced lung cancer:

• Contact your school board and superintendent and ask for their most recent radon test results
• If your school doesn’t have any test results, ask them to do a radon test
• Do a radon test on your home using an at-home kit or hire a company
• Remember radon can impact newer buildings as well—they’re so airtight they trap the gas
• Ask your workplace or employer to do a radon test
• Contact Indiana state representatives and senators and ask them to consider legislation requiring schools to test for radon
• Call the American Lung Association radon hotline at 1-800-272-9723
• Learn more about radon on the EPA website: https://www.epa.gov/radon

Below is a list of schools that tested for radon and submitted their results to the Indiana State Department of Health. 

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