County Council T and E Committee Votes 3-0 Supporting Radon Bill (VIDEO)

The Montgomery County Council’s Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy and Environment (T and E) Committee held a worksession on Bill 31-15 today. The bill, which would provide additional information and protection for potential single-family homebuyers, was supported 3-0 by committee members.

Councilmembers Craig Rice and Sidney Katz are the lead sponsors of the bill. If passed by the council, the bill would provide homebuyers with information about potential health risks associated with single-family homes. These risks include high levels of radon which can cause serious illness.

According to a news release:

“The percentage of home sales that went to closing increased 9.3 percent from August 2014 to August 2015. As more homes are being sold, Councilmembers Craig Rice and Sidney Katz want to ensure that County homebuyers are informed about the potential health risks certain homes may have due to the presence of radon. They are urging the Council to adopt Bill 31-15 that would provide that protection.”

The bill complements State Law, which already lists radon as one of the hazardous materials that sellers must disclose to a buyer of a single-family home. The original county bill required the following:

• The sale of a single-family home in Montgomery County must be tested for radon.
• The results must be performed less than one year before the final settlement.
• Both the seller and home buyer must receive a copy of results.

For more information about the harmful effects of radon, you can visit the county’s Department of Environmental Protection site or view this County Report This Week video:

About Maureen Chowdhury

Maureen Chowdhury is a multimedia journalist with Montgomery Community Media. She can be reached at mchowdhury@mymcmedia.org and on Twitter at @MediaMaureen. Maureen authors the blog Sound Check on MyMCMedia.

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