Pittston sits in EPA Zone 1, the highest risk classification for radon exposure in Pennsylvania. The Wyoming Valley's geological foundation was formed millions of years ago during the Appalachian mountain-building events that created uranium-bearing rock formations throughout northeastern Pennsylvania. This ancient geology means that naturally-occurring radon gas - a radioactive decay product of uranium - is constantly being generated deep beneath Pittston homes and migrating upward through soil and bedrock.
What makes Pittston's radon risk particularly severe is the region's anthracite coal mining legacy. From the 1840s through mine closures in the 1950s-60s, extensive deep mining beneath the city extracted millions of tons of coal from the Pittston and Exeter seams. These mining operations created vast networks of underground voids, collapsed tunnels, and fractured bedrock. Where solid geology once blocked radon migration, mining activities created preferential pathways - essentially underground highways - that allow concentrated radon gas to travel rapidly from deep uranium deposits directly into home foundations.
The Wyoming Valley's bowl-like topography adds another layer of complexity. As radon gas rises from bedrock, the valley's enclosed geography tends to trap and concentrate it rather than allowing natural dispersion. Combined with Pittston's location along the Susquehanna River where fractured water-worn geology provides additional pathways, the result is one of Pennsylvania's most significant radon risk areas.
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