Kingston sits in EPA Zone 1, the highest risk classification for radon exposure in Pennsylvania. This historic borough along the Susquehanna River shares the Wyoming Valley's geological heritage - ancient uranium-bearing rock formations created millions of years ago during mountain-building processes. These rocks continuously produce radon gas as uranium naturally decays, creating a persistent source of radon beneath Kingston homes.
Kingston's riverfront location adds a unique dimension to its radon story. The borough developed along the Susquehanna's banks, where coal mining operations flourished from the mid-1800s through the 1950s. Deep shaft mines extracted anthracite coal from beneath Kingston's streets, leaving behind underground voids and fractured bedrock. The Llewellyn Formation shale that underlies Kingston is particularly susceptible to fracturing, and decades of mining created pathways for radon to travel upward from deep geological sources.
The river valley's bowl-like shape concentrates radon gas that would otherwise disperse in open terrain. Kingston's many older homes - built directly over former mining areas - are particularly vulnerable. These historic foundations often sit on fill dirt containing coal refuse and mine tailings, which can themselves contain elevated radium and uranium concentrations. The combination of natural uranium-bearing bedrock, mining-induced fractures, and valley geography makes Kingston a moderate-risk radon area where professional testing is essential.
Professional with older neighborhoods near former mining operations showing particularly elevated readings.