Bill 96 explained in plain English
Radon Awareness and Prevention Act, 2013
Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. Representative vote breakdowns appear when the Assembly publishes an Ayes and Nays page for the bill.
Our plain-language take, written for civic education.
Source: By PoliticalData.ca
The Radon Awareness and Prevention Act, 2013, establishes a radon registry, mandates public education and testing in provincial properties and workplaces, and enables changes to the Building Code to reduce radon entry in new homes.
This bill, the Radon Awareness and Prevention Act, 2013, aims to increase public awareness about radon, establish the Ontario Radon Registry, and reduce radon levels in homes and workplaces. It requires the Minister to educate the public and encourage homeowners to test their homes for radon. The bill also mandates radon testing in provincially owned dwellings and enclosed workplaces. Additionally, it amends the Building Code Act, 1992, to allow for regulations requiring new homes to be built in ways that minimize radon entry. The Minister must review these building code requirements within five years of the Act coming into force.
- Establishes the Ontario Radon Registry to collect information on radon levels.
- Requires radon measurement specialists and laboratories to report radon test results to the Ontario Radon Registry.
- Mandates the creation and maintenance of a radon map of Ontario based on registry data.
- Requires the Minister to conduct public education programs about radon's health risks and reduction methods.
- Encourages homeowners to measure radon levels in their homes and take action if levels exceed 200 Bq/m3 per year, unless regulations specify otherwise.
- Requires the Minister to ensure radon levels are measured in all provincially owned dwellings and that remedial action is taken if levels exceed 200 Bq/m3 per year, with some conditions related to occupier authorization.
- Requires owners of enclosed workplaces to measure radon levels and take remedial action if levels exceed 200 Bq/m3 per year, unless regulations specify otherwise.
- Amends the Building Code Act, 1992, to allow regulations for minimizing radon entry and facilitating its removal in new dwellings.
- Requires the Minister to review building code requirements for radon prevention within five years of the Act coming into force.
- The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing (or responsible Minister)
- Radon measurement specialists
- Laboratories that analyze radon samples
- Homeowners
- Occupiers of provincially owned dwellings
- Owners of enclosed workplaces
- The Crown
- The public in Ontario
- The Minister has a duty to establish and operate the Ontario Radon Registry.
- Radon measurement specialists and laboratories have a duty to provide specified information to the Registry.
- The Minister has a duty to conduct public education programs on radon.
- Homeowners are encouraged to measure radon levels and take action.
- The Minister must ensure radon levels are measured and addressed in provincially owned dwellings.
- Owners of enclosed workplaces must ensure radon levels are measured and addressed.
- The Minister has the right to make regulations regarding radon measurement, reporting, and acceptable levels.
- The Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.
- Radon levels in provincially owned dwellings must be measured by December 31, 2021, and as frequently thereafter as prescribed by regulations.
- Radon levels in enclosed workplaces must be measured by December 31, 2016, and as frequently thereafter as prescribed by regulations.
- Action to reduce radon levels in workplaces must be taken within two years of the owner receiving the results.
- The Minister must initiate a review of building code requirements for radon prevention within five years of the Act coming into force.
- Offences under the Act are subject to fines of up to $25,000 for individuals and up to $500,000 for corporations, or imprisonment for individuals.
- The Act does not specify costs for testing or remedial actions for homeowners or workplace owners, relying on regulations and the Minister's discretion for certain actions.
- Contravention of the Act or regulations is an offence.
- Convicted individuals may face fines up to $25,000 or imprisonment up to 12 months, or both.
- Convicted corporations may face fines up to $500,000.
- The Act relies on regulations to prescribe qualifications for radon measurement specialists, specific information to be provided to the Registry, the frequency of radon level measurements, and specific radon levels that trigger action.
- The application of Section 5 regarding provincially owned dwellings is conditional on the occupier authorizing entry for measurement.
- The Act does not specify the costs associated with radon testing or remediation for homeowners or workplace owners.
- The definition of 'normal occupancy area' is based on spending more than four hours per day in that area, which may require interpretation.
- The exact nature and extent of public education programs are not detailed, beyond the Minister's authority to use various media and partnerships.
Provides authority for regulations that require new dwellings to be constructed to minimize radon entry and facilitate post-construction radon removal.
Source: Section 9 (1)
Adds a requirement for the Minister to review building code requirements related to radon prevention in dwellings within five years of the Radon Awareness and Prevention Act, 2013 coming into force.
Source: Section 9 (2)
Generated using AI from official bill text. Not legal advice. It is written by PoliticalData.ca for civic education, automatically checked and spot-reviewed before publishing.
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Vote Summary
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No published representative vote breakdown
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Official sources
Status, sponsor, votes, and timeline on this page are drawn from these official legislative sources and public records. Each summary above is attributed to its own source.
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