Radon gas

Josh Smith made this Freedom of Information request to University College Falmouth

The request was partially successful.

From: Josh Smith

19 March 2010

Dear University College Falmouth,

I recently became aware that Tremough Campus Services Ltd, the
company you jointly own and manage with the University of Exeter
for the provision of services on your campus at Tremough, detected
a build-up of radon gas beyond the recommended levels in several of
its buildings.

In a letter to students dated 18 March 2010, the Campus Services
Director stated that "the modern buildings on Tremough Campus were
designed with this [the need to prevent radon gas from becoming
concentrated] in mind."

Bearing in mind that three of the four rooms in which excess radon
was detected were recently built, I request the following:
1) An explanation of how the design of the student accommodation
buildings on your Tremough campus differs from that of a typical
student accommodation building, specifically with regard to
measures to aid the monitoring and dispersal of radon gas
2) The specific concentration of radon which Tremough Campus
Services recently measured in the kitchens of flats GP-H8 and
GP-J7, in the Design Centre plant room, and in the basement of
Tremough House, preferably expressed in becquerels per square
metre.
3) The number of times a concentration of radon gas exceeding the
recommended limit has been detected in a building on any of your
three campuses within the past five years and, if possible, what
the detected concentration was.

Many thanks,

Josh Smith

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From: Eyre, Jacqueline
University College Falmouth

24 March 2010

Attachment FOIA request form UCFincDCA.doc
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Dear Mr Smith

Thank you for your Freedom of Information request received 19 March 2010.

Please find attached a Freedom of Information Act 2000: Information Request Form for you to complete. This can be submitted either in hard copy to the Office of the Secretary & Registrar or by return email.

Please mark the envelope or email (as appropriate) 'Freedom of Information Request'. If you choose to reply by email please use the [email address] address.

Thank you.

Jakki Eyre
Assistant Registrar
University College Falmouth
Woodlane, Falmouth, Cornwall, TR11 4RA

01326 213763
www.falmouth.ac.uk
University College Falmouth – incorporating
Dartington College of Arts

This email is sent on the basis of commercial confidentiality. If you should
not have received it, please do not copy it, forward it or show it to others,
but delete it and inform the sender.

For all Freedom of Information queries, please email: [email address]

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Richard Taylor left an annotation (24 March 2010)

The form requires a postal address. There is no need, according to the FOI act, as it has been interpreted by the information commissioner, to provide a postal address. Our advice on this can be viewed at:

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/about...

--

Richard - WhatDoTheyKnow.com volunteer

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From: Josh Smith

24 March 2010

Dear Jacqueline,

Thank you for getting back to me.

I believe that my initial email to you constituted a valid request
for information, and so have not completed the form you sent. You
should either provide the information I requested, or issue a
formal decision notice, with reference to the appropriate
exemptions in the FOI for why you are withholding it.

I would like to point out that neither a full name nor postal
address are required in order for a request to be valid. In his
hints for practitioners, the Information Commissioner states:
"Any correspondence could include a request for information. If it
is written (this includes e-mail), legible, gives the name of the
applicant, an address for reply (which could be electronic), and
includes a description of the information required, then it will
fall within the scope of the legislation." [1]

Yours sincerely,

Josh Smith

[1]
http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/l...

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From: Eyre, Jacqueline
University College Falmouth

16 April 2010

Dear Mr Smith

Thank you for your email of 19 March requesting information. Your request
is in part for Environmental Information; this information is exempt from
the Freedom of Information Act and is accessible under the Environmental
Information Regulations.

Please see the responses to each of your questions below:
1) An explanation of how the design of the student accommodation buildings
on your Tremough campus differs from that of a typical student
accommodation building, specifically with regard to measures to aid the
monitoring and dispersal of radon gas

The student residences at the Tremough Campus were constructed with full
radon protection which consists of a beam and block suspended floor that
incorporates a radon barrier / DPM (damp proof membrane) that is taken
across the cavity at the perimeter and linked with the DPC (damp proof
course) in the external leaf. The sub-floor void is ventilated with
ventilators positioned at 2m centres along the external walls. In
accordance with Guidance in BRE 211 this construction is classed as full
protection.

2) The specific concentration of radon which Tremough Campus Services
recently measured in the kitchens of flats GP-H8 and GP-J7, in the Design
Centre plant room, and in the basement of Tremough House, preferably
expressed in becquerels per square metre.

The Environmental information Regulations provide an exception Section
12(4)(d) which allows organisations to withhold incomplete data. The
recent tests were what are described as grab or snatch tests that only
provide an indication of levels as such, they are not a reliable measure.
The approved tests for radon take 2-3 months to complete, these tests are
now taking place to help us collate full and complete data, the results
will be made public once they are received in a few months time. At this
time, until we have the results of the approved tests we believe it is in
the public interest to withhold the information rather than release
misleading information.

3) The number of times a concentration of radon gas exceeding the
recommended limit has been detected in a building on any of your three
campuses within the past five years and, if possible, what the detected
concentration was.

During the past five years there have been no cases at Tremough, Woodlane
or Dartington Campuses where the detected concentration of radon gas has
exceeded the Action Limits (as defined in the Ionising Radiations
Regulations, IRR, 1999). At Tremough Campus, tests are currently underway
but not yet complete. These are the first reliable tests to be carried out
within the past 5 years. At Woodlane Campus, tests are currently
underway, with no previous reliable tests within the past 5 years. We
expect test results in July. At Dartington, we have requested any test
results from the past 5 years from the Dartington Hall Trust and await
their response.

Yours sincerely

Jakki Eyre
Assistant Registrar
University College Falmouth

Woodlane, Falmouth, Cornwall, TR11 4RA
Tel: 01326 213763 (direct line), 01326 211077 (switchboard)
Email: [1][email address]
Web: [2]www.falmouth.ac.uk

University College Falmouth - incorporating
Dartington College of Arts

This email is sent on the basis of commercial confidentiality. If you
should
not have received it, please do not copy it, forward it or show it to
others,
but delete it and inform the sender.

For all Freedom of Information queries, please email:
[3][email address]

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.falmouth.ac.uk/
3. mailto:[email address]

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