2023 EPA Region 3 Radon Stakeholders Meeting
--------------EPA REgion 3 Radon Stakeholders' Meeting Resources--------------
Presentations
- Welcome - Robert Lewis
- Lung Cancer causes, diagnosis, treatment and screening - Dr Rebecca Bascom, Yu Ma Htwe, Mia Ray
- Consumer Digital Device Comparison - Alexandra Bahadori
- US EPA Update - Michelle Moyer
- AARST Update
- State Report Cards, disparity testing and radon risk reduction in rental housing - Kevin Stewart
- Challenges in Multi-family testing and mitigation - Jeremy Ling and Bob Lewis
- Region 3 State Updates
- Fan Electrical Wiring - Dave Demar
- NRSB Update - Sara Romero
- NRPP Update - Diane Swecker
- Single-family Measurement and Mitigation Update - Brian Hanson
- HUD Policy update - Glenn Schroeder
- FHFA Policy Update - Brian Hanson
- Citizens for radioactive radon reduction (CR3) and PA Youth Ambassadors - Jackie Nixon
- Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors (CRCPD) Update - Denise Bleiler
Speaker Bios (as supplied)
Dr. Rebecca Bascom
Dr. Bascom is Professor of Medicine and Public Health Sciences, and active staff at Penn State Hershey Medical Center in the Division of Pulmonary Allergy and Critical Care. She is a member of the Penn State Cancer Institute and collaborates on NCI-funded research developing multidimensional imaging processing systems for bronchoscopic lung cancer diagnosis with Dr. William Higgins of the Penn State College of Engineering. She trained at the Johns Hopkins Hospital/School of Public Health in internal medicine, pulmonary/critical care, preventive/occupational medicine/inhalation toxicology. She is active in clinical research. She recalls working with the American Lung Association of Maryland in 1979 to develop radon awareness meetings for people living in Columbia MD, and is delighted to be working on addressing radon in EPA region 3.
Yu Ma Htwe
Yu Maw Htwe MBBS is Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Penn State College of Medicine in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care, Section of Interventional Pulmonology. Her clinical practice in interventional pulmonary medicine focuses on bronchoscopic diagnosis and staging of lung cancer
Dr. Htwe leads the multidisciplinary Early Lung Cancer Detection Working Group for the Penn State Cancer Institute. The group’s goal is to reduce the burden of lung cancer in central Pennsylvania catchment area through implementation of guideline-based lung cancer screening and risk factor reduction.
Mia Ray
Mia Ray graduated from Harrisburg University of Science and Technology in 2023, with a major in Integrative Sciences, and a Concentration in Biology. Her senior year research project used GIS spatial analysis tools to determine the relationship between historical redlining policies and current access to green spaces. Currently, she is a Pulmonary Research Specialist at the Penn State College of Medicine in Dr. Rebecca Bascom’s research group. Her current radon research project focuses on radon testing and mitigation in communities identified by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Justice Screening & Mapping tool (EJScreen), and linking it to the Penn State Cancer Institute’s Population Health Initiative in its catchment areas.
Alexandra Bahadori
Alexandra Bahadori is a Radon Specialist with the K-State Radon Programs at Kansas State University. She received her Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Florida in 2010. Alexandra maintains and operates the Kansas State University Radon Chamber, conducting device performance tests, spikes, and calibrations. She also regularly interfaces with the public via the EPA Radon hotline and is a radon instructor for the Kansas Radon Program.
Michelle Moyer
Michelle is the Radon Program Manager, and the project officer for multiple grant programs at the Region 3 (Philadelphia) Regional Office of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. She is an Environmental Scientist who has over 25 years of experience in the environmental/government sector. As the Radon Program Manager for Region 3, Michelle manages the State Indoor Radon Grants (SIRG) for the Mid-Atlantic States. Michelle has a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Environmental Science from East Stroudsburg University with additional Master’s course work from Arcadia University in teaching elementary education. As a fun fact, she worked as a seasonal Park Ranger at Jockey’s Ridge State Park in Nags Head North Carolina. moyer.michelle@epa.gov
Diane Swecker - NRPP & AARST
Diane Swecker, the new Executive Director of AARST, holds degrees in civil engineering and has more than 25 years of program management experience in both the private and public sectors. With a career serving in multiple leadership roles in technical organizations Diane has proven successes in association and certification work. Recently coming from the American Society of Civil Engineers as director of one of its 9 technical institutes, Diane has a demonstrated track record in membership growth, oversight of certifications, supporting standards development and facilitating the work of diverse and talented teams.
Kevin M. Stewart
Mr. Stewart is Director of Environmental Health for the American Lung Association. He has served the Lung Association since 1987.
Mr. Stewart has served as a member of the AARST Board of Directors and of the Policy Advisory Board of NRPP. He has experience with radon issues regarding policy, law, and scientific and technical review. He is a member of the ANSI-AARST Committees for Measurement and NCSG standards and serves on the Executive Stakeholder Committee of the AARST Consortium.
He works on the Lung Association team supporting the National Radon Action Plan, including creating resources for professional use. He has directed grant-funded radon reduction projects under Pennsylvania DEP annually since 1990 (for which work he was recognized in 2008 by CRCPD).
Mr. Stewart holds a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from Princeton University. He resides with his family in Lancaster, PA.
Robert K Lewis
Robert K. Lewis is a Radiation Health Physicist with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Radiation Protection. Robert has been with the Bureau for the past 37 years, and for the past 13 years as the Radon Division Program Manager. Robert participated in various studies such as the EPA House Evaluation Project (HEP study), the TENORM study, the EPA Moisture Study, and most recently the Re-entrainment study. Robert has a BS and MS from the University of Wyoming in Zoology and Physiology, with additional course work in radiological sciences from Penn State University.
Amanda Lacklen
Amanda Lacklen graduated from the University of Mississippi in 2012 and has an educational background in Chemistry, Biology, Calculus, Anthropology, and Sociology. Amanda currently works as an Environmental Scientist IV for the State of Delaware – Department of Public Health as the Radon Program Manager. Amanda has worked for the Department of Public Health for two and a half years and strives to help her community by implementing her strong science background to help those in need solve complex health concerns. Prior to moving to Delaware, Amanda worked as an Archaeologist in the state of Virginia for an Environmental Company for three years.
Amanda has also spent over ten years rescuing over 50 dogs and 12 cats. She currently has three foster fails, Django is a ten-year-old Labrador, Roux is a 6-year-old Labrador mix, and Mr. Fitzgerald is an 8-year-old tuxedo cat. In addition to her fur children, she has a very large garden and is currently growing sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, beans, tomatoes, okra, lettuce, cantaloupe, watermelons, various types of corn, and many other edible plants.
Abdurahman Ablimit
Abdurahman Ablimit is the Radiation Health Program (RHP) Supervisor for the Radiation Machines Division within the Maryland Department of the Environment.
Abdurahman (Rahman) began his role as a Radiation Health Physicist Supervisor in the MDE Radiation Machines Division in July 2022. Prior to his work with the RHP, he held a full-time position as a Lead in the Radiation Laboratory within the Laboratories Administrations of the Maryland Health Department since 2006. He has B.S. degree is in Biology and a M.S degree in Environmental Science.
Notably, while he was working at MDH. Rahman utilized Gamma Spectroscopy to detect I-131 in air filter samples in Maryland during the Fukushima Power Plant meltdown in Japan in March 2011.
Maria Coons
Maria is the Radiation Protection Program Supervisor of the Radon Certification Section within the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). She began working for the Radon Division in 2017.
Prior to employment with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Maria worked in the healthcare field for 20 years and was employed as a Nuclear Medicine Technologist for 17 of those years.
Ryan Paris
Mr. Paris has served as the Virginia Department of Health’s Radon Coordinator since 2007. He has participated in numerous public education efforts and has worked with advertisers, public schools, realtors, radon professionals, local government officials, home builders and homeowner associations. He has given numerous radon presentations and has been interviewed for print, radio and TV reports. In April of 2014, Mr. Paris was recognized as a “Public Health Hero” for his work with the radon program.
Justin Teeter
Justin is the Radiological Health Chief of the Rad Health Program within Radiation, Toxics, Indoor Air Division (RTIA), which is a part of West Virginia’s Bureau for Public Health (BPH). Justin joined RTIA as a Radiological Health Specialist September 2012, and has been the program supervisor since October 2022. Justin has been a CRCPD member since 2012.
Prior to beginning employment with West Virginia BPH, he had obtained his B.S degree in Chemistry from West Virginia State University 2011.
Sara Romero
Sara Romero is the new certification coordinator for the National Radon Safety Board. Sara joined NRSB back in November 2022. Sara’s goal is to help bring radon awareness to the public and to hold the highest standards in the certification process for radon professionals.
Brian Hanson
Brian Hanson is currently the Director of the K-State Radon Programs, housed in the Engineering Extension department of the K-State College of Engineering by cooperative partnership with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). Mr. Hanson has been providing technical assistance and training related to radon since 2002, both for public and professional audiences.
Mr. Hanson is a primary technical assistance provider for the National Radon Program Services program, which is a cooperative partnership between Engineering Extension and the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (U. S. EPA).
Additionally, Mr. Hanson has been involved with a number of supplemental radon projects, such as radon resistant new construction housing research and online course development projects with the EPA-founded Regional Radon Training Centers (RRTC’s).
Glenn Schroeder
Glenn Schroeder is a Program Analyst in the Office of Environment and Energy at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. In this role, he serves as the subject matter expert on HUD’s contamination regulations as well as HUD’s environmental review procedures. Glenn leads HUD’s efforts to address radon exposure through its environmental review process and regulations.
Jackie Nixon
Jackie Nixon is the Director of Marketing & Communications for Citizens Radioactive Radon Reduction (CR3) and Publisher of CR3 News Magazine and a Stage 1 Lung Cancer Survivor. She is also the Pennsylvania State Representative for Citizens for Radioactive Radon Reduction (CR3), an Advocate committed to educating communities about radon and it’s lung cancer affects.
She is the developer of CR3 News Magazine (an international publication), the Radon School Calendar, the CLEHR (‘clear’) Network and the Premier Youth Ambassadors for Radon Reduction program.
In 2021, as a member of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer’s IASLC Stars program, Jackie became a Patient Research Advocate and is now participating on numerous lung cancer awareness teams.
She holds an AS in Computer Technology and BA in Computer Technology and a BS in Computer Science with a minor in mathematics from Edinboro University and an AS degree in Art from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. She is the CEO of ROIMarket Media LLC established in 2010.
As a stage one lung cancer survivor, she was a never-smoker, diagnosed … by accident … in 2015 with no symptoms. This lead her to eventually find high levels of radon in her building and to understanding that radon is the number one cause of lung cancer among never smokers. The revelation was the pivot point to her joining CR3 and creating and marketing the radon initiatives to “Get the word out!”
“My entire being is now dedicated to letting others know that simple solutions to good health are obtainable through research and education.”
Denise Bleiler
Denise is the Radiation Protection Program Supervisor of the Radon Monitoring Section within the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Denise joined the Radon Division as a Radiation Health Physicist June 2011 and has been the Program Supervisor since January 2012. Denise has served as member of the E25 radon working group of CRCPD (Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors) since 2018.
Prior to beginning employment with the Bureau of Radiation Protection she has worked full time as a Nuclear Medicine Technologist since 1985. Her B.S. degree is in Biology from Millersville University 1985. She continues to hold Certifications in Nuclear Medicine Technology.
