Dear Campus Community,
As you may know, Florida State University is conducting a thorough environmental review of the Sandels Building due to health and safety concerns raised by faculty working there.
Today, we met with Sandels faculty and staff to provide an update on this review. We included public health consultants to help provide expertise and insight on this process. If you were not able to attend, more information is available about the university’s efforts to address these health and safety concerns at sandelsresponse.fsu.edu.
University administrators have received the results of preliminary professional radon testing of Sandels, conducted Jan. 26 – 28 by a licensed independent contractor. The initial radon screening found somewhat elevated levels of radon based on residential standards present in two basement locations and five locations on the second floor of the building.
Radon levels were measured below the EPA recommendation for residential remediation action on the first, third and fourth floors of the building.
Radon Professional Services of Jacksonville Beach measured radon levels in 25 locations throughout the building on all floors using activated charcoal short-term radon test devices. The initial Sandels Building radon test results are available at sandelsresponse.fsu.edu.
Experts recommend follow-up testing whenever elevated residential levels are detected to ensure accuracy, aid in determining the source and to formulate an effective remediation plan. The entire Sandels Building will be retested as a result of this preliminary screening.
For context, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends any sustained indoor measurement above 4 picoCuries per liter (pCi/L) be remediated. However, additional, or follow-up, radon testing is recommended for measurements between 4 – 8 pCi/L before remediation plans are formulated and action taken. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) has established a radon exposure limit of 30 pCi/L for adult employees, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has set an acceptable 8 hour Time Weighted Average Permissible Exposure Limit (TWA-PEL) of 100 pCi/L for radon.
As a result, Florida State University will schedule follow-up testing of Sandels by an independent licensed contractor during the week of February 14. This additional testing will help determine the source of the radon and develop and carry out an effective remediation plan.
Prior to the initial screening, university administrators had relocated all classes, offices and laboratories assigned to the Sandels Building for the remainder of the spring semester at a minimum in an abundance of caution.
In addition to the university’s efforts to investigate radon levels in Sandels, FSU Facilities and FSU Environmental Health and Safety are collaborating with the Florida Department of Health and other experts to develop a comprehensive plan for all our facilities. We will communicate more information as details are finalized.
We understand that you may have questions that were not addressed in our meeting or on the website. Please email sandelsresponse@fsu.edu, and we will try to answer your individual questions to the best of our ability.
Sincerely,
Richard McCullough
President
Jim Clark
Provost