Kentucky day care centers would be required to be tested for radon under legislation approved by a House committee. Louisville Representative Steve Riggs says Kentucky ranks in the top ten nationally when it comes to radon levels. “It’s a piece of legislation that requires where young children spend nine or ten hours a day, day care centers actually get a test from a licensed professional for radon which cause lung cancer,” said Riggs.
Riggs says the 150 to 250 dollar cost for the test would be borne by day care centers.
Christian Wagner, with the Kentucky Cancer Consortium, says radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. “It is cumulative. The more you are exposed to radon, the more you risk increases, so people who are in a day care center or child care center for hours, whether than be the children or the workers, their risk increases with every day,” said Wagner.
Some discussion in committee centered on expanding the requirement to all schools across the state. Riggs admits that would be a tall task this session. “Well, there’s people that want more. They want schools to be tested, but I don’t think we’re there yet. I think that that might be something in the future and that’s worth debating and maybe this creates that demand that schools be tested right now, it’s voluntary,” said Riggs.
The measure moves on to the full house.
