>>>
>>> WHAT
>>> WHAT DOES RADON TEND TO CAUSE?
CAUSE?
CAUSE? >>
CAUSE? >> IT CAUSES LUNG CANCER.
>> THAT'S EXACTLY WHY ALL
MINNESOTA SCHOOLS ARE
RECOMMENDED TO TEST FOR RADON.
BUT A NEW KARE 11 INVESTIGATION
FINDS THAT'S NOT HAPPENING.
SO WHICH SCHOOLS ARE TESTING,
WHICH ARE NOT?
HERE'S INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER
A.J.
A.J.
A.J. LAGOE WITH RADON ROULETTE.
>> MOM, YOU READ.
>> Reporter: THERE ARE MOMENTS
PARENTS WISH THEY COULD HOLD
ONTO FOREVER.
ONTO FOREVER. >> I THINK THAT YOUR MAMA MUST
BE A?
BE A?
BE A? >>
BE A? >> SWAN.
>> SWAN.
>> SWAN. >> Reporter: RACHAEL MALMBERG IS
JUST MONTHS AWAY FROM LETTING GO
JUST A BIT SENDING HER DAUGHTER
HARPER OFF TO KINDERGARTEN.
BUT BEFORE THAT HAPPENS, SHE HAS
QUESTIONS FOR HER SCHOOL
DISTRICT.
DISTRICT.
DISTRICT. >> SHOW ME THE VALID PROOF, SHOW
ME THAT YOU TESTED.
>> Reporter: TESTING SCORES, NOT
MATH AND READING BUT RADON, THE
RADIOACTIVE GAS THAT OCCURS
NATURALLY IN THE SOIL AND ENTERS
BUILDINGS LIKE HOMES AND SCHOOLS
THROUGH CRACKS AND OPENINGS IN
WALLS OR FOUNDATIONS, OFTEN
ACCUMULATING AT UNSAFE LEVELS.
ODORLESS, COLORLESS AND
TASTELESS, THE CDC SAYS RADON IS
THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF LUNG
CANCER AMONG NON-SMOKERS,
RESPONSIBLE FOR AN ESTIMATED
20,000 DEATHS EACH YEAR.
>> AND, SO AS A PARENT MY FIRST
THOUGHT IS HOW DO I PROTECT MY
DAUGHTER?
DAUGHTER?
DAUGHTER? >> Reporter: PROFESSOR BILL
ANGELL IS ONE OF THE LEADING
NATIONAL EXPERTS ON RADON AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA,
LITERALLY WRITING THE TRAINING
MANUAL ON TESTING AND SIMPLE
MITIGATION PROCEDURES TO REDUCE
THE DISC.
THE DISC.
THE DISC. >> ALL PARENTS SHOULD TEST THEIR
HOMES AS WELL AS EXPECT THEIR
SCHOOLS TO TEST FOR RADON.
>> Reporter: PARENTS SHOULD
EXPECT THE SCHOOLS TO BE
TESTING?
TESTING?
TESTING? >> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. IT'S BEEN A RECOMMENDATION
THAT'S BEEN AROUND FOR 25 YEARS.
>> Reporter: RACHAEL HAS MORE
REASON THAN MOST TO EXPECT HER
DAUGHTER'S CLASSROOM BE RADON
TESTED.
TESTED.
TESTED. >> RIGHT HERE, THIS IS THE MASS
IN MY LUNG, AND IT METASTASIZED
TO MY LYMPH NODES AND MY BRAINS.
>> Reporter: RACHAEL HAS LUNG
CANCER.
CANCER.
CANCER. >> ONE PERCENT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE
DIAGNOSED WITH MY TYPE OF
DISEASE AT MY STAGE MAKE IT FIVE
DWREERS.
DWREERS.
DWREERS. >> Reporter: SHE WAS A HIGH
LEVEL ATHLETE AND NEVER SMOKED,
PLAYING HOCKEY FOR THE GOLDEN
GOPHERS, EVEN PLAYING FOR TEAM
USA.
USA.
USA. SHE'S NOW A LONG SHOT TO SEE HER
DAUGHTER GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL.
>> I'M GOING TO BE THAT ONE
PERCENT, BUT IF I AM OR NOT, AT
LEAST SHE KNOWS THAT I DID
EVERYTHING I COULD TO INFLUENCE
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. >> Reporter: RADON IS THE CHIEF
SUSPECT, AND SHE'S BECOME AN
ADVOCATE FOR INCREASED TESTING
AND AWARENESS, BECAUSE IN
MINNESOTA, NEARLY 80% OF
COUNTIES ARE RATED AS RADON-HOT
ZONES.
ZONES.
ZONES. >>
ZONES. >> IT IS A BIG PUBLIC HEALTH
CONCERN.
CONCERN.
CONCERN. >> Reporter: DAN TRANTER WITH
THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH AND THE EPA RECOMMEND
SCHOOLS TEST CLASSROOMS AT LEAST
ONCE EVERY FIVE YEAR.
>> WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBER
OF CANCER DEATHS ATTRIBUTED TO
RADON EXPOSURE, I THINK THE
NUMBERS ARE STAGGERING.
>> Reporter: SO WE WANTED TO SEE
HOW MANY SCHOOLS ARE FOLLOWING
THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS TO PROTECT
KIDS AND TEACHERS TO PROTECT
KIDS AND TEACHERS FROM THE
CANCER CAUSING GAS.
THE ANSWER WAS NOT MANY.
IN MINNESOTA THERE ARE 331
SCHOOL DISTRICTS, BUT STATE
HEALTH DEPARTMENT DATA REVEALED
SINCE 2012, ONLY 53 DISTRICTS
HAVE REPORTED DOING RADON
TESTING.
TESTING.
TESTING. >> I'M SHOCKED.
I'M REALLY, REALLY SHOCKED AND
SURPRISED, AND THAT'S
UNACCEPTABLE.
UNACCEPTABLE. >> Reporter: WHICH SCHOOLS ARE
TESTING, AND WHICH ARE NOT?
THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT REFUSES TO
RELEASE THAT INFORMATION.
SO KARE 11 DIRECTLY SURVEYED THE
20 LARGEST DISTRICTS IN THE
METRO.
METRO.
METRO. AMONG OUR FINDINGS, MOST
MINNEAPOLIS SCHOOLS HAVE NOT
BEEN RADON TESTED IN MORE THAN
20 YEARS.
20 YEARS.
20 YEARS. SIX OF THE CITY'S 42 ELEMENTARY
SCHOOLS WERE TESTED LAST YEAR,
BUT ONLY SOME ROOMS.
NOT EVERY GROUND-LEVEL ROOM LIKE
THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT
RECOMMENDS.
RECOMMENDS. IN FACT, RECORDS SHOW IT'S THE
SAME STORY IN AT LEAST 7 OTHER
METRO SCHOOL DISTRICTS, EDEN
PRAIRIE, ROBBINSDALE, SOUTH
WASHINGTON COUNTY, EDINA,
LAKEVILLE, ELK RIVER, AND
MINNETONKA, ALSO FAILED TO TEST
EVERY GROUND-LEVEL ROOM.
>> IS THAT A PROBLEM?
>> IT'S A GREAT PROBLEM BECAUSE
RADON CONCENTRATIONS CAN VARY
FROM ROOM TO ROOM, AND YOU
SIMPLY DON'T CATCH THAT WHEN YOU
ARE BASICALLY PLAYING RUSSIAN
ROULETTE BY TESTING ONLY A
FRACTION OF THE ROOMS IN GROUND
CONTACT.
CONTACT.
CONTACT. WE HAVE TESTED ALL OF OUR
BUILDINGS.
BUILDINGS. >> Reporter: SOME DISTRICTS ARE
FOLLOWING THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT
RADON RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDING
ST. PAUL.
ST. PAUL.
ST. PAUL. >> THIS IS ONE BUILDING THAT HAD
HIGHER LEVELS.
HIGHER LEVELS. >> Reporter: DIRECTOR OF
FACILITIES SAYS NOTHING ONLYIS
MONTESSORI CASE STUDIES COULD
BE.
BE.
BE. MOST
BE. MOST OF NOKOMIS HAD NO ISSUES IN
THE 9 990s THECHLT DISCOVERED
TWO
TWO
TWO KINDERGARTEN CLASSROOMS.
KINDERGARTEN CLASSROOMS. >> THERE'S NOT A GOOD EXCUSE FOR
NOT GETTING THIS INFORMATION
ABOUT YOUR BUILDING.
>> Reporter: EVEN WORSE IS NOT
TESTING EVERY SCHOOL.
IN EDINA THE HIGH SCHOOL, TWO
MIDDLE AND TWO ELEMENTARY
SCHOOLS HAVE NOT BEEN TESTED IN
THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
BLOOMINGTON, STILLWATER, AND
EAST CARVER COUNTY SCHOOLS
HAVEN'T TESTED ALL THEIR
BUILDINGS EITHER.
BUILDINGS EITHER. WAYZATA HASN'T DONE ANY RADON
TEST ENGINE THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
RACHAEL ONCE TAUGHT IN DULUTH
SCHOOLS.
SCHOOLS.
SCHOOLS. SO WE ASKED FOR THEIR RADON
RESULTS.
RESULTS.
RESULTS. THEY TOLD US THEY'VE NEVER
TESTED.
TESTED.
TESTED. >> AH!
>> AH!
>> AH! IT'S IRRESPONSIBLE NOT TO TEST
FOR RADON IN SCHOOLS.
>> Reporter: DOES THAT MEAN THAT
THERE ARE SCHOOLS WHERE CHILDREN
ARE BEING EXPOSED TO THIS KNOWN
CARCINOGEN?
CARCINOGEN? >> IT'S POSSIBLE.
IT'S UNKNOWN.
IT'S UNKNOWN. >> Reporter: UNKNOWN.
IF A RADIOACTIVE GAS THAT IS
EASILY TESTED FOR AND MITIGATE
SCHOOL DISTRICT IN OUR KIDS'
CLASSROOMS.
CLASSROOMS. >> WHY WOULD WE NOT PROTECT
THEM?
THEM?
THEM? >>
THEM? >> Reporter: A FAIR QUESTION
FROM A MOM WHO WANTS HER
DAUGHTER AND DAUGHTER'S
CLASSMATES TO HAVE THE FUTURE
SHE CAN NO LONGER COUNT ON.
>> AND THIS IS?
MY MAMA, THE END.
GOOD JOB.
GOOD JOB.
GOOD JOB. >> YAY!
>> YAY!
>> YAY! >> Reporter: WE'VE CREATED A
DATABASE ON KARE 11.COM.
THE 20 LARGEST METRO SCHOOL
DISTRICTS WHERE YOU CAN SEARCH
TO SEE IF YOUR KID'S SCHOOL HAS
BEEN TESTED ACCORDING TO HEALTH
DEPARTMENT GUIDELINES.
DEPARTMENT GUIDELINES. AND AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THIS
REPORT'S ALREADY BEEN CREATING A
LOT OF BUZZ.
EDINA SCHOOL SENT OUT A
STATEMENT TO PARENTS IN ADVANCE
OF OUR REPORT STATING THAT THEY
TAKE ALL SUCH CLAIMS SERIOUSLY
AND ARE COMMITTED TO FUTURE
TESTING.
TESTING.
TESTING. >> OKAY.
>> OKAY.
>> OKAY. HOW MUCH DOES IT COST, AND IT'S
ALWAYS A CONCERN FOR SCHOOL
DISTRICTS.
DISTRICTS. IS THIS EXPENSIVE?
>> Reporter: IT'S NOT SUPER
EXPENSIVE.
EXPENSIVE. NOW, IF YOU AND I WERE TO DO IT
IN OUR HOME, IT ONLY COSTS 7
BUCKS, 10 BUCKS TO RUN OUT TO
THE HARDWARE STORE AND BUY ONE
OF THESE TESTS.
OBVIOUSLY IN THE SCHOOL, THEY'RE
TESTING EVERY ROOM SO IT DOES
GET TO BE MORE EXPENSIVE.
ST. PAUL TELLS ME THEY BUDGET
ABOUT $180,000 FOR EACH
FIVE-YEAR-ROUND OF TESTING, BUT
BECAUSE OF THE EXTREME HEALTH
RISK, IT'S JUST NOT AN AREA
WHERE THEY'RE WILLING TO SKIMP.
>> INTERESTING.
>> INTERESTING. >> THANKS SO MUCH, AND CHANGE IS
LIKELY COMING.
LIKELY COMING. WE KNOW THERE IS ALREADY TALK IN
THE CAPITOL.
THE CAPITOL. >> WE'VE ALREADY HEARD FROM SOME
LEGISLATORS WHO