BWC files radon complaint; district outlines remediation hurdles and timeline

District staff briefed the Groveport Madison Local Board of Education on a Bureau of Workers' Compensation complaint dated July 2, 2026 alleging elevated radon levels in buildings listed in the packet. Tom, a district staff member, told the board that the complaint is "an alleged violation of safety and health standards based on radon testing" and that the district must submit a response within 30 days (the deadline was cited as Aug. 1).

The superintendent and staff reviewed testing and remediation logistics: radon testing is performed in winter months (when heating makes buildings act like chimneys), initial elevated readings require confirmatory testing, and mitigation requires a scope of work, bidding and construction. The superintendent said earlier mitigation work was done during a Christmas break and that "one building took the full two weeks with a dedicated team working" to install multiple mitigation systems. He also warned that asbestos abatement and access to rooms make it impractical to complete all work during the school year, and that there is only a small local commercial market for radon mitigation companies.

Board members asked whether the district will consult Columbus Public Health or other agencies for triage and parental communication and raised concern about possible insurance or claim implications. Staff said they are preparing a factual response to the BWC and will follow up with legal counsel; they also suggested exploring state remediation funding if pending legislation passes. No closure orders were reported in the transcript and staff said no rooms exceeded OSHA closure thresholds, though several exceeded Ohio Department of Health guidelines.

The board asked for a plan and for staff to provide findings; staff said they will develop a mitigation scope and put the work out to bid, likely targeting next summer for large-scale remediation because of asbestos, scheduling and contractor availability.