Radon Levels at Boulder Hill School Prompt Special Meeting

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that has been named the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, after smoking. It is colorless, odorless and tasteless, and the only way to know it’s there is to test for it.

So when staff at  came to the   with concerns about radon levels there, that’s exactly what district officials did. And the results of those tests have Oswego School Board members concerned enough that they have called a special meeting for Thursday to determine their next move.

According to Kristine Liptrot, the district’s director of communications, at least two employees at Boulder Hill Elementary have contracted some form of cancer. Staff there asked the district to test for radon earlier this spring, and within two weeks, the district hired Wight & Co. of Chicago.

Wight tested Boulder Hill Elementary twice, from May 11 to 17 and from June 10 to 13, and found higher-than-recommended levels of radon both times—in two classrooms the first time, and in four the second. The United States Environmental Protection Agency recommends taking action if radon levels exceed 4.0 picocuries per liter of air.

The second Wight report found two rooms at 4.0 picocuries per liter, a third at 5.4, and a fourth at 9.4, although it also found radon levels acceptable in one of the rooms the first report flagged as dangerous. The second report recommends mitigation in those four rooms, and long-term radon testing in 10 additional rooms.

Liptrot said Wight also tested the drinking water at Boulder Hill Elementary, and found it clean.

At the suggestion of Wight, the district commissioned a third study, this one conducted by Radon Detection Specialists Inc. of Burr Ridge. That company’s report, prepared in July, shows no rooms above the EPA standard of 4.0 picocuries per liter.

In the four specific rooms highlighted in the Wight report, Radon Detection Specialists found significantly lower levels: all four tested between 0.6 and 1.0 picocuries per liter.

This discrepancy has led Montgomery resident Pat Stiles to charge the district with “lab shopping” to get the best result. But Liptrot disputes that, saying Radon Detection Specialists was recommended by Wight, and uses “more sophisticated, specialized equipment” in its research.

The district spent $10,000 on the reports, and Liptrot said mitigation efforts would cost another $35,000.

But, she said, the school board might very well choose to do just that. In the meantime, long-term radon testing will be conducted at Boulder Hill Elementary through the school year. Kirsten Schmidt of Radon Detection Specialists said long-term testing can last between 90 days and a year.

In a letter written to parents, Boulder Hill Principal Jeff Schafermeyer said three radon monitors would be placed in the school this month, and would be reviewed at different intervals throughout the year.

“We appreciate the district’s investment in additional testing at the school, as the safety of our staff and students is always our top priority,” Schafermeyer wrote. “If further action is eventually deemed necessary, the Board of Education is expected to approve cost of mitigation.”

No other schools are scheduled to be tested for radon, Liptrot said, but that may change based on the board's decision.

But testing isn’t enough for Stiles, the parent of a Boulder Hill Elementary student.

"Radon causes cancer, that's been proven,” he said at Monday’s school board meeting. "It's alarming. That bothers me not only as a parent, but as a taxpayer. What are we doing here? Fix the problem at Boulder Hill, that's all you've got to do."

Liptrot said the board could decide to take further action, and the district would “do whatever is necessary to keep (staff and students) healthy.”

The special meeting is set for 7 p.m. Thursday at , 1525 Harvey Road.