Illinois Radon Awareness Act

The Illinois Radon Awareness Act went into effect Jan 1 2024. The goal of this new law is to reduce lung cancer illnesses and the approximate 1100 deaths per year that occur within Illinois.

Public Act 103-0298 creates a change to 420 ILCS 46/25 rep. the Illinois Radon Awareness Act. https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=042000460K25

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive element that is part of the radioactive decay chain of naturally occurring uranium in the soil. Radon can be found in water, and air, and there are higher concentrations in some areas vs others. It is odorless, tasteless and invisible. Outdoors, radon disperses rapidly and, generally, is not a health issue.

Unlike carbon monoxide and many other home pollutants, radon’s adverse health effect, lung cancer, is usually not produced immediately. Thus, you may be exposed to radon for many years without ever suspecting its presence in your home. Most radon exposure occurs inside homes, schools and workplaces. Radon gas becomes trapped indoors after it enters buildings through cracks and other holes in the foundation.

Breathing radon over time increases your risk of lung cancer for both smokers and non smokers. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. Nationally, the EPA estimates that about 21,000 people die each year from radon-related lung cancer. Only smoking causes more lung cancer deaths.

Fortunately, most of the time indoor radon can be controlled. It is one of the cancer risks we can easily identify and minimize!

Here is a synopsis of the law as introduced:  “Creates the Tenants Radon Protection Act. It Provides that, before a lease is signed, a landlord shall provide each tenant in a dwelling unit with any records or reports that pertain to radon concentrations within the dwelling unit and that indicate a radon hazard exists and shall furnish each prospective tenant with a prescribed radon hazard disclosure form. Provides that, if a tenant performs a radon test, the tenant shall provide the test results to the landlord within 10 days after receiving them. Provides that nothing in the Act implies an obligation for a landlord or tenant to conduct any radon testing. Provides that a lease may be terminated under specified circumstances involving radon hazards. Preempts home rule powers. Amends the Illinois Radon Awareness Act. Repeals a provision requiring landlords to give certain disclosures to tenants. Effective January 1, 2024.”

There are landlord rights as well as tenant rights within the bill and there is no requirement for testing or mitigation. The primary drive is to create awareness of the risk and provide options for correction without requiring the property owner to make any corrections.

More information is available on the Illinois Emergency Management Website (IEMA) where you can also find the ‘Radon Guide for Tenants‘ and the ‘Disclosure of Information on Radon Hazards to Tenants‘ documents.

At Evergreen Property Inspectors, we provide radon testing services in Illinois and Missouri, but do not perform any mitigation work. We recommend following EPA to test every two years to ensure the levels in your home are kept below 2.0 pCi/l.  Learn more about radon and home testing devices that have become affordable in recent years. You can reach us at https://www.evergreenpropertyinspectors.com/  ContactUs@EvergreenPropertyInspectors.com or 877-805-5255.

View an Illinois radon zone map here. 

Article Last Updated 02/02/2024