Bipartisan legislation to better protect Ohioans from radon is in the works at the Statehouse following a Dispatch investigation that revealed failures by policymakers and regulators on a toxic gas that can lead to life-threatening health problems.
Rep. Kellie Deeter, R-Norwalk, and Rep. Bride Rose Sweeney, D-Westlake, are working on legislation to address some of Ohio’s shortfalls on radon.
In particular, the duo’s bill could mandate radon testing in schools by requiring districts to test for the gas and providing potentially $14 million in funding for remediation, said Jessica Karns, a licensed radon tester and board member of the Ohio Association of Radon Professionals trade group.
The bill could also offer a $2,000 tax credit to Ohio homeowners and business owners who mitigate for radon. But research is still being conducted and specific details of the bill are still up in the air, Deeter said.
Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers and has also been linked to leukemia, stroke, heart attacks and dementia, research shows. Parents and students deserve to know if they’re being exposed to the gas, Deeter told The Dispatch.
“Radon is a known carcinogen and children are uniquely vulnerable,” Deeter said in a prepared statement. “Their lungs are still developing and have a longer lifetime exposure window. These exposures may go unnoticed for years.”
Ohio is behind other states when it comes to radon testing and mitigation efforts.
At least 11 states require radon testing in schools and 13 require testing be performed in day cares. Ohio is not one of them.
Since 1993, Ohio has required home sellers notify potential buyers of previous radon testing results in their house. Ohio offers no protection for renters, however, as the state fails to require landlords to notify tenants of previous radon test results.
The Dispatch’s “Invisible Killer” investigation found federal, state and local policymakers have failed to protect Ohioans from the deadly gas for decades. Radon is an odorless, colorless gas that seeps into buildings through the porous concrete slabs and basements beneath them.
The Invisible Killer investigation also found that many Ohioans only learn of radon if they buy a home, despite the fact that the gas can pose a danger in any building, including rentals, offices, schools and businesses. Sweeney said she didn’t know radon posed a significant health risk until reading The Dispatch’s investigation and doing her own follow-up research.
Although the Ohio Department of Health runs a radon awareness campaign every January and offers free test kits, Sweeney criticized the state’s inaction on radon in schools.
“I’ve been really pulled in out of a deep concern and genuine shock that the way the state has decided to deal with this issue —that they know about— is to keep ignoring it,” Sweeney said. “I think it’s incumbent upon us to help in whatever way possible.”
Buildings in each of Ohio’s 88 counties have tested positive for dangerous levels of the radioactive gas. And homes in Newark’s 43055 ZIP code have the highest concentration of radon in the nation, a 2025 Harvard University study found.
The Dispatch’s own testing found radon near or above dangerous levels throughout the region, including in some of the wealthiest neighborhoods, in public housing and in rural areas. Fifty-four of 68 homes tested, or 79.4%, returned results for radon above the EPA’s remediation threshold of 4 picocuries per liter.
If the forthcoming bill becomes law, it’s impact would likely go far beyond the state’s initial investment by raising awareness and safeguarding kids and families from radon, Karns said.
“Protecting people from radon exposure is not only a public health priority—it’s a preventable risk,” Karns said. “With the tools and knowledge already available, taking action now will help save lives for generations to come.”
Dispatch investigative reporter Max Filby can be reached by email at mfilby@dispatch.com. Find him on X at the handle @MaxFilby or on Facebook at @ReporterMaxFilby.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Radon testing could be required in schools under proposed Ohio House bill
Reporting by Max Filby, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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