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Law on radon leaks takes effect

Tuesday, January 1, 2008 9:20 PM CST

Beginning Jan.1, anyone looking to sell a piece of residential real estate in Illinois will be required to pass along information about radon, the invisible radioactive gas linked to lung cancer.

The mandate is the stipulation of the Illinois Radon Awareness Act, which is aimed at making prospective home buyers aware of radon's risks.

Specifically the law will require that the seller supply the buyer with two documents before the buyer is bound to the contract.

The documents are a pamphlet from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency entitled "Radon Testing Guidelines for Real Estate Transactions" and a form to be signed entitled "Disclosure of Information on Radon Hazards."

The new law does not require sellers to test for radon in the home or to take any action should radon be detected.

According to IEMA, radon is a "colorless, odorless, radioactive gas that comes from naturally occurring uranium in the soil and is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers."

- Blackwell Thomas