Radon risks live chat with Scott Learn: Your questions answered http://www.coveritlive.com/index2.php/option=com_altcaster/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=532f81bdda/height=//width= Wed, 20 Feb 2013 1:31:16 GMT Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:25:33 GMT 1 en-us <![CDATA[5:35 The Oregonian]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 1:35:06 GMT Hello, this is The Oregonian's Radon live chat with Scott Learn. You can enter your questions now and Scott will get will answer them when the chat starts on Wednesday at 1pm. Check back during or after the chat to get your answers. ]]> <![CDATA[12:29 The Oregonian]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 20:29:27 GMT Thanks for the questions. Keep them coming. Scott will be here at 1 p.m. with answers. ]]> <![CDATA[12:51 The Oregonian]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 20:51:30 GMT Just a reminder: It really helps us track the conversation if you fill out the name field, even if it's with a simple set of initials, before you submit your question. Thank you. ]]> <![CDATA[12:59 Scott Learn]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 20:59:23 GMT Hey folks: I’m ready to take your radon questions. I’m going to dump a few answers first to questions filed early. ]]> <![CDATA[12:59 Comment From Guest]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 20:59:33 GMT <![CDATA[12:59 Scott Learn]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 20:59:46 GMT Guest: On that NE PDX house: Basements typically have higher radon levels – they’re buried in dirt. But homes with crawl spaces or slab-on-dirt can have high levels, too. I wouldn’t worry too much – it’s a long-term health risk and it’s fixable -- but I’d ask for a test as part of the home inspection. ]]> <![CDATA[12:59 ]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 20:59:48 GMT]]> <![CDATA[12:59 Comment From Chris]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 20:59:58 GMT <![CDATA[1:00 Scott Learn]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:00:03 GMT Chris: In Madison South, you’d be in either a high or moderate risk area overall. But here’s the problem with the radon risk maps: Any house can have high levels, even in overall low-risk areas, and the levels can vary from house to house. That’s why the experts say everyone should test. ]]> <![CDATA[1:00 Comment From JIm]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:00:09 GMT <![CDATA[1:00 Scott Learn]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:00:20 GMT Jim: Radon contractors – and the Environmental Protection Agency – will tell you that sealing will fail in the long run, as the house shifts and settles. But it doesn’t hurt short-term. If you ever sell your house, the buyer is probably going to want a pipe-and-fan system installed before they sign on the dotted line. If you get the EPA’s citizen guide to radon – at epa.gov/radon – it’ll give you the relative lung cancer risk of 8 picocuries per liter (close to your level). It’s a lot worse for a smoker than a non-smoker. ]]> <![CDATA[1:00 Comment From 97229]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:00:37 GMT <![CDATA[1:00 Scott Learn]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:00:44 GMT 97229: Don’t know for sure, but my guess is it’s geology, not the new construction. It depends a lot on where granite-infused sediment from the Missoula floods settled out. Granite has higher levels of uranium than other rocks, and radon is a byproduct of uranium decay. State geologists are thinking about putting together a map that shows flood distribution along with radon risk, which would help us both. ]]> <![CDATA[1:00 Comment From Joe F]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:00:56 GMT <![CDATA[1:01 Comment From Guest]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:01:21 GMT <![CDATA[1:01 Scott Learn]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:01:45 GMT Guest: Nowhere to get tests for free that I know of, and no government help, either. Some states offer free tests, but not Oregon. Have not heard of government subsidies for radon remediation work. It does become a social justice issue. The remediation cost, around $1,500, is lower than some big home projects but still a painful chunk of money. ]]> <![CDATA[1:01 Comment From Guest]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:01:53 GMT <![CDATA[1:02 Scott Learn]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:02:14 GMT Joe F: Good questions. I’d test, if only to gain peace of mind. Don’t test in the crawl space. Family room sounds good, but the kits have pretty precise directions and may suggest somewhere else. Radon can definitely seep into the house from a crawl space. Opening the vents would likely reduce radon levels, at some heating cost. Run a short-term test and see where you’re at first. ]]> <![CDATA[1:02 ]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:02:32 GMT]]> <![CDATA[1:02 Comment From Guest]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:02:55 GMT <![CDATA[1:02 Scott Learn]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:02:59 GMT Guest: Nowhere to get tests for free that I know of, and no government help, either. Some states offer free tests, but not Oregon. Have not heard of government subsidies for radon remediation work. It does become a social justice issue. The remediation cost, around $1,500, is lower than some big home projects but still a painful chunk of money. ]]> <![CDATA[1:03 Comment From Joe F]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:03:10 GMT <![CDATA[1:03 Comment From Mark]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:03:39 GMT <![CDATA[1:04 Scott Learn]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:04:35 GMT Mark: Latest news is new radon numbers compiled by Portland State University. They used a lot more data and showed higher risk than before. But, like we said in the story, the risk isn’t astronomical. Just something to test for and deal with. ]]> <![CDATA[1:05 Scott Learn]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:05:26 GMT Mark: We wrote the second story b/c I got a lot of questions and it was clear people wanted more information. ]]> <![CDATA[1:06 The Oregonian]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:06:11 GMT It sounds like radon testing has become an issue in real estate transactions. What can buyers and sellers expect to be asked to do before a sale goes through? ]]> <![CDATA[1:06 Scott Learn]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:06:54 GMT Sellers can expect they’ll be asked if they’ve tested for radon and what the results were. If they haven’t, there’s a growing chance buyers will ask for a short-term test as part of the home inspection. ]]> <![CDATA[1:07 Comment From Mark]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:07:09 GMT <![CDATA[1:08 Scott Learn]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:08:03 GMT Mark: We’ll have to agree to disagree. It’s the second leading cause of lung cancer. You may be well-informed on it and how to deal with it, but a lot of folks aren’t. ]]> <![CDATA[1:08 The Oregonian]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:08:57 GMT Let's say you're one of the unlucky folks whose home has high levels of radon. What do you need to know before you hire a contractor to fix the problem? Are there certifications or licenses to ask about? ]]> <![CDATA[1:09 Scott Learn]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:09:46 GMT KJ: Oregon has a list of certified radon mitigation contractors. Healthoregon.org/radon. Two other places to check, that can be more up to date: nrpp.info and nrsb.org ]]> <![CDATA[1:09 The Oregonian]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:09:55 GMT Readers, keep those questions coming. What else do you need or want to know about radon risks, testing and fixes? ]]> <![CDATA[1:11 The Oregonian]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:11:13 GMT Scott, what were the most common concerns you heard from readers after your initial report on radon in Portland? ]]> <![CDATA[1:11 Scott Learn]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:11:46 GMT KJ: Lot about where to get the radon tests – online is great, btw, though hardware stores, big box stores and some grocery stores have them, too ... ]]> <![CDATA[1:12 Scott Learn]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:12:51 GMT KJ: Also, lot of folks wanting to know how risky their area is. Those are the ones that made me concerned that radon risk maps could give people in “low-risk” areas false confidence. ]]> <![CDATA[1:13 The Oregonian]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:13:49 GMT Several reader comments about construction standards. Have changing standards on energy efficiency sealed houses up so tight that radon is more likely to be trapped? ]]> <![CDATA[1:14 The Oregonian]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:14:51 GMT I should tell you all that I'm Kjerstin Gabrielson moderating on behalf of The Oregonian. KJ for short. ]]> <![CDATA[1:15 Scott Learn]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:15:05 GMT KJ: Hopefully, the basement or crawl space is sealed up tight, too, which can reduce radon getting in in the first place. The worst case would be a tightly sealed home and a leaky basement or foundation. But even snug-tight homes still have air circulation. ]]> <![CDATA[1:15 Comment From SW]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:15:15 GMT <![CDATA[1:15 Comment From Mark]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:15:33 GMT <![CDATA[1:16 The Oregonian]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:16:16 GMT Scott, is it as simple as Mark suggests? ]]> <![CDATA[1:16 Scott Learn]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:16:19 GMT Mark: Definitely helps, though you could lose a lot of heat in the winter. ]]> <![CDATA[1:17 The Oregonian]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:17:22 GMT Should homeowners attempt to make fixes themselves? Or is professional help required? ]]> <![CDATA[1:18 Scott Learn]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:18:43 GMT KJ: Unless they’re great at diy, not if they’re going for the vent-pipe-and-fan option. The contractors will test around the home to make sure placement is right, and it involves electric and, often, busting through a slab or basement floor ]]> <![CDATA[1:19 The Oregonian]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:19:22 GMT Readers, what else do you want to know before we let Scott go? ]]> <![CDATA[1:20 Scott Learn]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:20:38 GMT Last thing: Wintertime’s a good time to test, when levels are relatively high. Thanks for reading. ]]> <![CDATA[1:21 Comment From Guest]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:21:19 GMT <![CDATA[1:21 Comment From Guest]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:21:56 GMT <![CDATA[1:22 Scott Learn]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:22:32 GMT You can see radon risk maps above. They don’t get any more detailed than Zip Code level. I’d ask the seller if they’ve tested and get their results, and I’d have a test as part of the home inspection ]]> <![CDATA[1:23 The Oregonian]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:23:34 GMT Thanks, Scott, for your help today. Readers, Scott, any last thoughts before we sign off? ]]> <![CDATA[1:24 Scott Learn]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:24:57 GMT Thanks for reading. You can send any story suggestions or other questions to my email, slearn@oregonian.com. ]]> <![CDATA[1:25 The Oregonian]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:25:15 GMT All right then. Thanks all for joining today's chat. You can keep up with Scott's reporting on the environment and natural resources at www.oregonlive.com/environment ]]> <![CDATA[1:25 ]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:25:33 GMT 
 
]]>