Municipalities have a great opportunity to help in the campaign to raise awareness on radon risk in Canada. We have some great examples of municipalities who are taking this seriously. CARST has realized this optimal opportunity and are working to provide information to municipalities across the country in an effort to encourage more of them to join in the efforts of radon awareness. We are encouraging others to join us in this effort.
Chelsea, Quebec has used their resources to provide residents with information. They have made information pamphlets available in their public library; town office and made test kits for radon in air and radon in water readily available to their residents through their town office. They have also decided to undergo research on radon levels in their community.
Guelph, Thunder Bay and Central Elgin in Ontario are three other municipalities who have taken initiative to take action to protect their residents from radon. Each of these communities have developed construction standards for new buildings to include radon control measures.
CARST and other Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) have been very active in connecting with municipalities to take action on the campaign to reduce Canadians radon exposure. In response to members, CARST has looked at the Ontario building code and has sent to all the municipalities in Ontario, an opinion letter from a lawyer on their responsibility to protect their constituents with respect to section SB9 of the building code and radon. We have encouraged municipalities to seek their own legal counsel on this and offered them some information on radon and assistance as required. You can email CARST for a copy of this letter - info@carst.ca.
If you are familiar with the mayor or a councilor in your municipality, we encouraged you to talk with them and discuss some suggestions as to how they can become more active in promoting radon awareness. Here is a copy of a sample presentation that you can use if you are able to provide a presentation and a document with some suggestions and a CARST Pamphlet encouraging them to get involved.
We are looking forward to seeing how the increase of awareness and prevention of lung cancer will grow at an exponential rate, once municipalities join the efforts.
