1. Reducing Radon From the Ground-up in Colorado
Our project is called the Public Health Regional Radon Roadmap. The goal is to implement community-based interventions to reduce radon induced lung cancer using policy or system changes that decrease radon exposure in 7 counties located along Colorado’s Front Range.

2. Recent data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has designated all 64 counties as Zone 1.
Colorado is not regulated with regards to radon professionals and real estate transactions. We have a few regulations in the books for testing schools and child care facilities, and recently the (CDPHE) worked successfully to get a program for low-income mitigation assistance.
We applied for a competitive 3 year Cancer, Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Disease (CCPD) grant (funded by the CDPHE) 2 years ago collaborating with 5 Local Public Health Agencies (LPHA’s) in the 7 county region, which encompasses 55% of the state’s population.
CO does not have a statewide building code, Appendix F or Radon Resistant New Construction (RRNC) has to be adopted in the code jurisdiction by jurisdiction. Currently 26 cities/counties have adopted Appx F into the building code in entire state of Colorado. In our 7 county region so far, only one county and 4 cities have adopted Appx F (3 of those in Boulder County, Jeffco-2 cities)

3. The grant consists of 3 separate activities that run concurrently.
PA#1 To implement a Communication Plan (CM) to increases awareness and use of best practices for radon reduction.
PA#2 Policy scan around the county to learn what’s been successfully implemented at state and local levels.
PA#3 Create technical guidance documents for builder and building officials.

4. We have 5 stakeholder groups, those involved in real estate transactions – (Real Estate Professionals (REP) and their clients, homebuyers and sellers HB/S) Those involved in the residential building industry (builders and building officials (BO), and then finally elected officials (EO).
Note-the general public is not one of our stakeholder groups.

5. Initially, we set out to learn what the attitudes, beliefs and knowledge of our stakeholder groups.
We started with surveys to REP, builders and building officials. We received 374 responses from REP, 44 builders, 20 responses from building officials (what might motivate them to adopt Appx F, they responded if-supported builders and elected officials) We took what we learned from these surveys to help develop guides for the focus groups. A focus group is a type of qualitative research where a group of people are asked about their perceptions, opinions, beliefs and attitudes towards a concept product or service. Questions are asked in an interactive groups setting with a facilitator. We contracted with a firm that specializes in focus group research and interviewed 70 of our stakeholders making sure to get a sample from all 7 counties.
We collected some great candid responses that helps us to understand the opinions and knowledge our stakeholders have regarding radon. This helps us make a strategy to approach each group addressing barriers, and promoting the benefits.

6. Real Estate Professionals
Are motivated by providing the best service to their clients, and are expert negotiators. Most are aware of the radon issue and mention it to their clients. They don’t want to be ‘experts’ in radon or other home functions for liability reasons. Very few know about the NRPP certification (voluntary). They want easy access to good information to share with their clients so their clients make good decisions. They thought a way to insure systems are install property was through the permitting process.

7. Home buyers and sellers
Radon is not at the top of the priority list, they have SO many things to consider when purchasing (money, timing) they want to rely on the realtors to guide them. (I think the buyer is an extremely important group to work on educating.)

8. Builders
The majority of the builders know about radon, some even voluntarily install it in all their homes, not just where required. They are concerned with keeping the cost of their homes down and being competitive. They want to know if the risk is real- are people actually becoming ill? They are willing to do the right thing, but many don’t think buyers are that concerned with radon, others think radon scares people and they avoid the topic.

9. Building Officals
Do what they are mandated to do by code and their elected officials. We learned that their opinions about radon hazards are all across the spectrum, from one that was a former mitigator to one that thinks radon is a myth.
Some are not convinced it is serious issue in their community.
They do not focus on long term health and safety; they are more tuned in to the immediate, (fire, CO and the structure.)

10. Elected Officials
Are supportive but, but need to work in conjunction with their building officials. Both of these groups need to work together. I was surprised how supportive the EO’s appeared.

11. Communication Plan
We used the information to develop a plan to communicate to each individual stakeholder group, to develop education and outreach strategies tailored to each stakeholder point of view. In attempt to give them what they need.

12. We broke down what we heard to from our focus group outreach to plan our strategy.
Starting with outreach and education. REP-partner to help them provide value-added service by giving them educational materials to share with their clients. HB/S-make it easy for them to get information about the importance of testing, help builders and BO’s understand the importance of radon to get their buy-in to help protect the public…

13. Social mobilization is a process that raises awareness to create change. It’s often a grass roots type of effort with one on one interactions with in this case, our stakeholders.
Increase awareness, teach buyers and REP’s RRNC is good, it’s taken care of, created an infographic geared toward buyers working to get their attention, presenting to buyers on homeowner education classes, working to get it into the CHFA curriculum.
Beginning to:
Partner with builders to provide test kits, recognize the ones that are doing it voluntarily, and try to use peer pressure to do the right thing.
Network with mitigators neighbor to neighbor.

14. We are out doing realtor presentations, we created a ‘radon aware’ logo, providing a certificate to realtors that agree to share good information and recommend certified contractors

15. Primary Activity #2 (in progress)
Research existing policy at the local, state and national level that address radon. We have a long list to go though and evaluate what’s existing in other communities, what works well, and what we can apply to our communities.
With focus on 5 with topic areas -
RN Professionals Licensing and Certification, Planning and Risk Communication, Disclosure and Public Awareness, RRNC, Testing and Mitigation

16. Primary Activity#3
Contracted with a nationally known radon expert to write 2 technical guide documents that are written for builders and building officials to address Colorado building conditions. Both are intended for existing and new construction one geared toward diagnosing, the other fixing.
Assessing radon concerns in single family and multifamily structures and large buildings in Colorado
Installing radon reduction systems in single family and multifamily structures and large buildings in Colorado

17. Time will tell. We are just starting the second year of our grant
Time will tell. We are just starting the second year of our grant. The first year was a lot of information gathering, which of course is on-going. We will continue with the awareness and education to soften the playing field, as we move forward to create policy with local building codes and local ordinances.

18. www.bouldercountyradon.org Pdooley-strappelli@bouldercounty.org