A quarter of schools tested for harmful radon gas have at least one room above EPA action level

MAINE PUBLIC • March 22, 2026

Almost a quarter of the schools in Maine tested for harmful radon gas had at least one room above the Environmental Protection Agency's action level, according to a new report. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, and Maine ranks third worst in the nation for estimated radon-induced lung cancer. At the current funding level, testing rate, and fee structure, the report says it will take 37 years and cost $3,500,000 million dollars to complete initial radon testing on all the schools in the state.