Recent developments in radon testing in Connecticut may effect the home purchase transactions.

The solution to preventing many problems due to radon testing during a home sale can be found by clicking here; however, please read on first, so you can understand why.  Now let us tell you why this simple information has become much more critical for sellers to know about and comply to:

There are no national or state of Connecticut laws or regulations that require any type of certification to test for radon or how to test for radon.  Some states do require certification, Connecticut is not one of them.  The EPA has developed a radon testing protocol.  For those states which require certification, this EPA protocol is the standard.  It is also viewed as the standard by  any responsible radon tester even in states like Connecticut that does not legally require adherence to it. The Connecticut Dept. of Public Health Radon Program feels tests should not be considered valid if not adhering to the EPA protocol.

There are two national organizations that have come to be recognized as providers of radon certification.  They are: the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) and  the National Radon Safety Board (NRSB). NEHA’s certification comes under a program they call the National Radon Proficiency Program (NRPP).   These certification providers maintain a list of certified radon testers on their web sites.  By law, the Connecticut Dept. of Public Health - Radon Program also maintains a list of anyone certified by either organization on their web site.  If you go to either certification organization's web sites, you will notice that there is only handful of the over 500 Connecticut home inspection companies listed.  (For more Radon information click here)

So what has changed that might lead to problems due to radon testing?  The DPH Radon Program has had a problem.  They represent that

they receive a significant volume of calls from the public wondering whether their radon test was done properly.  Up until now, the only response the DPH could give  a caller is that they cannot validate the test if the tester is not on the certification lists.  This does not mean the test was not done properly, it only means the DPH could not validate it or verify that it was done properly.  By itself, this has lead to some difficulties in real estate transactions because many hear “cannot validate” as “not valid.” 

The DPH understood that because certification is not legally required and due to the costs involved in obtaining certifications, it was unlikely that the number of home inspectors that are certified was going to ever increase significantly.  They would therefore have to go on saying they cannot validate many home inspector’s tests results. 

The solution For The DPH:  The DPH Radon Division developed a radon training class for home inspectors and it is being taught through a local chapter of the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI).  This training is not to be considered a certification but it does accomplish the following: The DHP Radon Program will now list on their web site any home inspector who has taken this class, representing that they are adequately trained to do radon testing in Connecticut. The DPH will not have to say they cannot validate the test.

Here is the problem for real estate transactions:  In the past, many home inspectors may have winked at inadvertent minor infractions of the protocol by the sellers.  An inspector who has taken time and paid to take the class so they can be listed on the DPH web site will not want to be removed because they did not strictly adhere to the protocol.  Therefore, there will be increased invalid tests due the seller’s violation.  This means retesting and the potential for buyers and sellers to argue over who will pay for it.  Bad feelings and time delays mean greater possibility for the deal to fall apart.  These potential problems are easily reduced if the seller is aware and abides by the testing "closed house" protocol.  A copy can be obtained by clicking here.  We recommend that all seller's realtors provide a copy of this protocol to the seller at least 12 hours before the home inspection is to be conducted.

From left to right:  Continuous Monitor,  Electret Ion Chamber, Charcoal Devices

The information contained on this page is not exhaustive and is meant to be only an overview.  For complete documentation on this subject please contact local or State heath officials.