ST. ANTHONY, N.L. — St. Anthony parents have been left with more questions than answers after a letter from the province’s school district indicated there were high quantities of radon in certain areas of the school.
Parents of students at White Hills Academy received a copy of the letter from the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District (NLESD) on the first day of the school year, Sept. 3.
The letter explains radon readings were conducted at the school in cooperation with Health Canada.
It found radon levels were higher than the recommended maximum in three rooms in the building.
While Health Canada advised school operations could continue as normal, the issue should be addressed within two years.
The letter noted the district was working with an industrial hygienist from the provincial government to mitigate the radon levels.
Health Canada states radon is an invisible, odourless and tasteless radioactive gas produced from the breakdown of uranium in soil and rock.
When radon is released from the ground into the outdoor air, it is diluted and not a concern.
However, Health Canada says in enclosed spaces, radon can accumulate to high levels and become a health risk.
Long-term exposure to high levels of radon can cause cancer.
Health Canada estimates about 16 per cent of lung cancer deaths are related to radon exposure.
Concerns
Gail Sexton and Elizabeth Pond, parents of Kindergarten students, were left with unaddressed concerns.
They questioned why it was okay for the students to go back to school with these radon levels, how long radon has been present at this level, where were the quantities of radon located, how far was it above the standards, and what the school district was doing to reduce the volumes.
None of these matters were addressed in the letter.
“If you’ve got radon levels that are higher than Health Canada’s accepted standards, and you’re still saying it’s okay for a child to resume normal activities, that’s concerning and contradictory,” Pond told The Northern Pen.
“It’s okay for two years? How long as it been there?” asked Sexton. “It’s likely been there since the school was open and the ground has never been tested until now.”
They wondered why testing wasn’t done when the school was built in 2013.
“This is a school, this is where we’re putting our children,” said Sexton.
School district responds
The Northern Pen contacted NLESD about some of the concerns parents want addressed.
A spokesperson for the district explained schools in the province were first tested for radon in 2018.
It began with a Health Canada project in the community of St. Lawrence.
St. Lawrence Academy was among the local buildings tested at that time. It was found to have higher than acceptable radon levels.
The NLESD subsequently requested Health Canada’s help to test more schools. About 60 schools in the province, chosen at random, were tested within the past year.
White Hills Academy was among them.
The remainder will be tested in the upcoming year.
Radon levels below 200 Bq/m3 require no action; 200-600 Bq/m3 requires mitigation within two years.
Three rooms at White Hills Academy tested over the threshold at a peak of 235 Bq/m3.
The school district said radon awareness has grown in recent years and new schools in the province are built with preventative radon mitigation systems.
However, this was not the case when White Hills Academy was constructed.
It is unknown how long these volumes of radon have been present at the school or how long students have been exposed.
The NLESD identified the three key areas as rooms #106, #107, and #147.
Mitigation
The mitigation will entail reducing pressure under the floor slab with pipe and a fan, said the school district.
This will allow gasses from the ground to bypass the school and be expelled into the atmosphere.
The district has confirmed it has ordered the mitigation materials and, rather than wait for it to be done within two years, expects it will be completed before the end of December.
Anyone concerned about radon in their homes can purchase testing kits at local hardware stores.