BANGOR (AP) – A legislator from Orono is pushing a bill that would make Maine the first state in the nation to require that apartment buildings be tested for potentially dangerous levels of radon.

Democratic Rep. Jim Martin would require owners to test their buildings at least once every 10 years starting in 2012. The Bangor Daily News said the bill received unanimous endorsement from the Legal and Veterans Affairs Committee.

Radon, a naturally occurring radioactive gas, is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S., after smoking.

Martin, who owns rental properties, said he introduced the bill at the request of a constituent. But he said that as he learned more about radon’s health risks, he came to recognize the need for testing requirements.