Rep. Emily McAsey

Filed: 3/2/2012

 

 


 

 


 
09700HB4665ham001LRB097 19079 JLS 66990 a

1
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 4665

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 4665 by replacing
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4    "Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Radon
5Ventilation Construction Act.
 
6    Section 5. Findings. Radon is a radioactive element that is
7part of the radioactive decay chain of naturally occurring
8uranium in soil. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer
9among non-smokers and the number one risk in homes according to
10the Harvard School of Public Health, Center for Risk Analysis.
11The 2008-2009 Annual Report from the President's Cancer Panel
12stated: "Comparative risk assessments by the Environmental
13Protection Agency and its Science Advisory Board have
14consistently ranked radon among the top 4 environmental risks
15to the public.". The World Health Organization's Handbook on
16Radon Key Messages include: "There is no known threshold

 

 

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1concentration below which radon exposure presents no risk. The
2majority of radon-induced lung cancers are caused by low and
3moderate radon concentrations rather than by high radon
4concentrations, because in general less people are exposed to
5high indoor radon concentrations.". The Surgeon General of the
6United States urged Americans to test their homes to find out
7how much radon they might be breathing. The United States
8Environmental Protection Agency estimates that more than
920,000 Americans die of radon-related lung cancer each year.
 
10    Section 10. Primary responsibility with Illinois Emergency
11Management Agency. The Illinois Emergency Management Agency
12shall have primary responsibility for coordination, oversight,
13and implementation of all State functions in matters concerning
14the presence, effects, measurement, and mitigation of risks of
15radon and radon progeny in dwellings and other buildings. The
16Department of Natural Resources, the Environmental Protection
17Agency, the Department of Public Health, and other State
18agencies shall consult and cooperate with the Agency as
19requested and as necessary to fulfill the purposes of this Act.
 
20    Section 15. Definitions. As used in this Act, unless the
21context requires otherwise:
22    "Agency" means the Illinois Emergency Management Agency.
23    "Director" means the Director of the Illinois Emergency
24Management Agency.

 

 

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1    "New residential construction" means any original
2construction of a single-family home or a dwelling containing 2
3or fewer living units.
4    "Passive radon ventilation" means an installation of
5piping extending from the sub-grade granular fill, isolated by
6code required vapor barrier below the concrete floor to an exit
7above the roof line, allowing for passive ventilation of radon.
8    "Radon" means a gaseous radioactive decay product of
9uranium or thorium.
10    "Radon contractor" means a person licensed in accordance
11with the Radon Industry Licensing Act to perform radon or radon
12progeny mitigation or to perform measurements of radon or radon
13progeny in an indoor atmosphere.
14    "Radon ventilation construction" means the installation of
15passive radon ventilation during new residential construction.
16    "Residential building code" means an ordinance,
17resolution, or law that establishes construction standards
18applicable to new residential construction.
19    "Residential building contractor" means any individual,
20corporation, or partnership that constructs new residential
21construction.
22    "Task Force on Radon-Resistant Building Codes" means the
23Task Force on Radon-Resistant Building Codes as authorized by
24the Radon Industry Licensing Act.
 
25    Section 20. Adoption of passive radon ventilation. All new

 

 

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1residential construction in this State shall include passive
2radon ventilation.
 
3    Section 25. Installation of passive radon ventilation. The
4installation of passive radon ventilation may be performed by a
5residential building contractor or a radon contractor during
6new residential construction.
 
7    Section 30. Local administration and enforcement. A local
8governmental unit that has adopted any ordinance, resolution,
9or law regulating radon ventilation construction may provide
10for its administration and enforcement.
 
11    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect June 1,
122013.".