Date Published: 10/14/2020 [Source]
Recently updated Routt County building codes include changes meant to curb the effects of two potential problems: radon and earthquakes.
The changes come as the county updates local building codes as it does every three years. Two of the more noticeable changes adopt codes requiring new construction of single-family homes to lay the groundwork for radon prevention and a reclassification of what seismic zone the county is in.
Radon, a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas that forms naturally in soil when uranium breaks down, is found in high concentrations across most of Colorado, according to Colorado State University Extension. It is also the second leading cause of lung cancer.
Building code changes would require new single-family houses to be built with the piping needed for radon mitigation in place below the foundation.
"There is no change with radon levels in our area," said Todd Carr, a building official with the county. "It is just about being preventative and proactive."
Shane Campbell, operations manager with Certified Radon Mitigation based in Steamboat Springs, said radon is found in roughly half the homes in the area. Campbell anticipated completing up to 200 mitigation jobs in Routt County in the next year, which typically cost around $2,000.
Campbell said that having the pipes needed for a mitigation system in place would make it much easier to install a full system in the future.
No level of radon is safe. While the average indoor radon level is about 1.3 picocuries per liter of air, in Colorado that number is 6.3. A house measuring at 4 picocuries per liter should have radon mitigation installed. The risk of that level of radon in a home is similar to the risk of dying in a car accident, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
While much less common than radon, earthquakes are not unheard of in the Yampa Valley. There have been 24 earthquakes in Routt County since 2000, the largest with a magnitude of 3.9 in 2005. There were six recorded earthquakes in 2019, though the largest registered just a 2.5 magnitude.