Radon Reduction Sweepstakes Report 2017-2019
The Radon Reduction Sweepstakes is a Canada-wide contest run by Take Action on Radon (TAOR) in conjunction with the Canadian Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists (CARST). The contest provides 10 prizes of up to $1,000 each to homeowners who have tested their home for radon and used a C-NRPP professional to reduce levels to below Canada’s recommended guideline of 200 Bq/m3. A key part of TAOR’s mandate is to encourage Canadians to take action on radon, and the Sweepstakes does just that with the [...]
Take Action on Radon Preliminary Data Report – November 2021
A new report by Take Action on Radon (TAOR) reveals that the overwhelming majority of communities that have taken part in their 100 Radon Test Kit Challenge program are finding that dangerous levels of radon are much more common that Health Canada’s national estimate or 7% of Canadian homes have elevated radon levels – would suggest. The 100 Radon Test Kit Challenge program takes a Citizen Science approach to gathering data on radon levels. A turn-key program, it was designed to engage and support communities [...]
Radon and the BC Building Code: Assessing Implementation
Radon can become trapped and accumulate in your home and other buildings unless systems are installed to prevent it. The BC Building Code now requires “extended radon rough-ins”—basic systems that can be upgraded once homes are occupied to ensure radon levels remain under Canada’s Radon Guideline in certain areas according to Table C-3 of the building code. BC Lung Association and Simon Fraser University are conducting a study to learn about how the Code provisions are playing out in practice. As part [...]
Tackle Radon Launches Season 3
Tackle Radon is an awareness campaign created to educate the residents of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba about radon and encourage them to take action and test their homes. They are expanding their successful program into Alberta for Season 3 and now have four professional football ambassadors representing three provinces. The Season 3 Tackle Radon roster includes professional football players Andrew Greene, Saskatchewan Roughrider Alumnus, and Adam Bighill, Winnipeg Blue Bomber, and new ambassadors Trevor Harris and Calvin McCarty. The campaign runs from October 6 until December 15, 2021 [...]
Health Canada – Radon Action Guides – Cross-Canada Consultation
Radon is a class I human carcinogen according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and is recognized by international authorities and experts as the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. It is estimated that over 3000 Canadians die of radon-induced lung cancer each year. Elevated radon is easy to detect and fix but too few Canadians are taking action on the problem. Health Canada’s National Radon Program has produced Draft Radon Action Guides. These guides are designed to help [...]
World Cancer Day the WHO has launches a new National Radon Database
In recognition of World Cancer Day, WHO has launched a new National Radon Database on policies and regulations, as well as an updated Fact sheet on “Radon and health” and a news story, and several tweets. The scientific evidence is now clear that radon, a radioactive gas, is responsible for a sizeable portion of lung cancer cases worldwide. Based on this knowledge, over the past decade member states have implemented actions to manage this health risk in both dwellings and workplaces. Radon is [...]
Congratulations to Saskatchewan!
The Saskatchewan government has announced a renovation tax credit which includes radon mitigation. This is ground breaking announcement as the first tax credit in Canada which covers radon mitigation. You can find details about the tax credit on the Saskatchewan Lung Association's webpage here: https://www.lungsask.ca/about-us/news-room/news/2021/01/lung-association-partnership-take-action-radon-coalition-commends The tax credit is a credit which is developed for general home renovations, but the Saskatchewan Lung Association has received clarification from the Minister of Finance stating, "A radon mitigation system would meet the Home Renovation Tax Credit [...]
November TAOR Newsletter
Welcome to November 2020! Of course, it’s been said before that 2020 is a year like no other, however when it comes to radon awareness, we think there’s a more positive feel to it. Prior to March 2020, we were seeing more groups engage in radon then ever before and this November, it seems like all that interest has continued. In our last newsletter, we mentioned the significant recognition that Health Canada’s Radiation Protection Bureau received for their radon program. This ties into [...]
