Radon-Reporter-2026-Issue-1FINAL

THE RADON REPORTER | 5 ASSOCIATION NEWS The Indoor Environments Project: Continuing the Conversation (continued on next page) Earlier this year, the Indoor Environments Association launched The Indoor Environments Project, a podcast designed to explore the science, policy, and professional practice shaping the indoor environmental industry. The first set of episodes introduced the series and established its goal: to create thoughtful conversations that connect researchers, standards leaders, regulators, and field professionals working in radon, vapor intrusion, and indoor air quality. Episode 8 : Vapor Intrusion in Practice: Why This Evolving Field Demands More Than Radon Expertise Vapor intrusion has moved well beyond the margins of environmental work. Once treated as a niche concern, it now shapes redevelopment decisions, influences building design, and challenges professionals to rethink what “standard mitigation” really means. In the latest episode of The Indoor Environments Project , Executive Director Diane Swecker sits down with two seasoned experts to explore how vapor intrusion projects unfold in the real world, and why the work is far more complex than many assume. Joining the conversation are Rachel Peterson , a professional geologist and Environmental Department Manager with Colorado-based AGW whose work includes complex environmental investigations and system design challenges, and Tony McDonald , CEO of A to Z Solutions who has extensive experience in system design, pilot testing methodology, and mitigation implementation. Together, they bring decades of experience from both the consulting and mitigation sides of the industry. A Different Kind of Risk While radon and vapor intrusion share similar soil-gas entry pathways, the comparison quickly breaks down. Radon risk is largely geologic and predictable. Vapor intrusion, Peterson explains, is “site-specific and often the result of manmade releases.” Former gas stations, dry cleaners, manufacturing facilities, and oil and gas sites all leave behind volatile chemicals that can migrate into overlying buildings. Even shallow coal beds or poorly sealed historical wells can create methane concerns. McDonald adds that the conceptual site model, a foundational tool in vapor intrusion work, is far more involved than anything typically required in radon mitigation. “In the radon world, the conceptual site model is one question: is radon a concern? And the answer is yes,” he says. “In vapor intrusion, there are dozens of variables that determine whether a risk exists and how to address it.” continued on next page