Radon in Construction

Effective June 1, 2013, all new residential construction throughout Illinois must include passive radon resistant construction. The Village of Bartlett has required a passive radon system to be installed in all new residential homes since May of 2002.

To learn more about radon, read this report, Radon in Construction from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency.

Cook County Encourages Radon Testing

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) states that radon is associated with 15,000 to 22,000 lung cancer deaths in the U.S. each year. Almost 50% of Illinois homes and nearly 30% of homes in Cook County that were tested by professionals had radon levels higher than what is recommended by the US EPA, according to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA).

The Cook County Radon Awareness Program is encouraging residents of Cook County to test their home for radon. This naturally occurring, colorless, odorless radioactive gas can seep into a house through cracks in basement floors and walls, around openings of sump pumps or through crawl spaces. It is easy to test for radon and simple to fix your home, if necessary.

You can order a radon test kit through Cook County by sending a check for $7 to: Cook County Department of Environmental Control, 69 West Washington Street, Suite 1900, Chicago, IL 60602. Kits may also be available at local hardware and home improvement stores.

For consumer protection, the Radon Industry Licensing Act (RILA) requires measurement professionals, who test for radon, and mitigation professionals, who reduce radon in structures, to be licensed by IEMA. Should a home have high radon, the names of licensed mitigators can be provided by IEMA, 1-800-325-1245 or visit www.radon.illinois.gov.

For a free packet of radon information or questions about Cook County’s test kit, please call the Cook County Department of Environmental Control Radon Awareness hotline, 708-865-6177 and leave your name, address, and phone number.

DuPage Single Family Rehabilitation Accessibility Program

 Are you a DuPage County homeowner with a severe disabiltiy or do you know someone who is? You may qualify for help with the following improvements to your home:

1. a wheelchair ramp
2. railings
3. bathroom grab bars
4. accessible doorknobs
5. a warning system for the hearing impaired
6. other limited services

You may qualify if you are a DuPage County homeowner that meets certain income guidelines (ranging from $42,100 gross annual income for a 1-person family to $54,100 for a 3-person family, for example) and you fit the following criteria:

1. use a wheelchair or another special aid for 6 months or longer; or
2. are unable to perform one or more functional activities (seeing, hearing, having one's speech understood, lifting and carrying, walking up a flight of stairs and walking); or
3. need assistance with activities of daily living (getting around inside the home, getting in or out of bed or chair, bathing, dressing, eating and toileting) or instrumental activities or daily llving (going outside the home, keeping track of money or bills, preparing meals, doing light housework and using the telephone) or
4. are prevented from working at a job or doing housework; or
5. have a selected condition, including autism, cerebral palsy, Alzheimer's disease, senility or dementia, mental impairment; or
6. are younger than 65 years of age and are covered by Medicare or receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

Grants for this program are available up to $4,999.00 and must be eligible under applicable federal regulations. All work performed must fix a condition or install a "fixture" in your home and must be performed by contractors who are qualified as determined by DuPage County.

For more information, call DuPage County Community Services, 630-407-6500 or 1-800-942-9412.