Published: May 8, 2008
New homes built in Pittsylvania County will be required to have radon- detection equipment and services soon.
The Board of Supervisors voted 6-1 Monday night to hold a public hearing on May 20 on the proposed amendment to the county code.
The change would establish radon requirements as a condition of building inspections of all new homes in the county. It also would bring the county in line with the 2006 Virginia Construction Code, which took effect May 1, County Administrator Dan Sleeper said.
Staunton River Supervisor Marshall Ecker opposed the amendment, citing its effect on local builders.
“What are we going to do to the building industry in Pittsylvania County (by voting for this)?” Ecker asked.
Tunstall Supervisor Tim Barber said the health of residents must be considered.
“This to me is about public safety,” he said.
A memorandum sent to Sleeper from county building official Donald Stickel states that Pittsylvania County is in the highest-risk zone on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s radon map.
“We have received numerous inquiries by citizens asking why we are not enforcing the provisions…,” Stickel wrote.
Radon is a cancer-causing, radioactive gas that has no taste and is odorless, according to the EPA. It results from the breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water.
Radon exposure is highest in homes, since that is where individuals spend most of their time, the EPA states.
Sleeper reminded supervisors before their vote Monday night that the amendment is a state requirement.
“The state of Virginia says you have to do it,” he said. “It’s in the Virginia Construction Code.”
Since the county adopts updates to the Virginia Construction Code, it’s already a part of county code anyway, Sleeper said Tuesday. Sleeper said he didn’t know how much more the amendment’s conditions would cost builders or consumers.
A public hearing on amending the Pittsylvania County Code will be held during the board’s next regular meeting at 7 p.m. May 20 in Chatham.
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