Radon testing will postpone relocation of the Lackawanna County controller's office into the Gateway Center until at least later this month.
County engineer Gary Cavill received the go-ahead Monday to proceed with radon tests at the county-owned building at 135 Jefferson Ave., chief of staff Maria Elkins said Tuesday.
Controller Gary DiBileo and his staff are moving into the building's basement from leased space in the Scranton Electric Building on Linden Street.
The move was originally set for May 25 but was postponed after employees expressed concern about possibly elevated radon levels. It was rescheduled for Saturday, but Ms. Elkins said she notified Mr. DiBileo it was being pushed back again pending receipt of the test results.
Although the testing will take only a few days, it could be one week, two weeks or longer before the results are available, she said.
"The delay is going to be the lab processing the results," Ms. Elkins said.
The administration will give the controller's office a minimum of one week's advance notice of the move, meaning the relocation won't happen until late June or July, she said.
Based on a letter written by the union shop steward in the controller's office, both Ms. Elkins and Mr. DiBileo said last month employees wanted the new office tested for mold, mildew and overall air quality in addition to radon.
Ms. Elkins said Michelle M. Williard, the union's business agent, clarified last week that the union was officially requesting only a radon test.
Efforts to reach Ms. Williard on Tuesday were unsuccessful.
Contact the writer: dsingleton@timesshamrock.com