 "During Lung Cancer Awareness Month, we're encouraging everyone to
test their homes for radon, because testing is the only way to find
out if your home has elevated levels of this cancer-causing
radioactive gas," said IEMA Director Andrew Velasquez III. "It
really doesn't matter where you live in Illinois or what type of
home you live in, because we've seen excessive radon in every county
in Illinois and in every type of home -- old, new, with basements,
with a crawl space or on a slab."
Radon is a colorless, odorless, tasteless radioactive gas that
comes from the radioactive decay of naturally occurring uranium in
the soil. It can enter homes and buildings through small cracks in
the foundation, sump pumps or soil in crawl spaces. The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency has determined that radon is the
second-leading cause of lung cancer in the nation and the leading
cause of lung cancer for nonsmokers. The National Academy of
Sciences and the surgeon general estimate that 21,000 radon-related
lung cancer deaths occur annually in the United States, with as many
as 1,100 of those in Illinois.
To increase awareness of the need to test homes for radon,
Blagojevich signed the Illinois Radon Awareness Act into law this
summer. Beginning Jan. 1, 2008, anyone buying a home, condominium or
other residential property in Illinois must be provided with
information about indoor radon exposure and the fact that radon is
the leading cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers and the
second-leading cause overall. IEMA is preparing an informational
brochure that can be used during real estate transactions to meet
this new requirement on radon.
To get a better picture of radon in Illinois, IEMA is tracking
results from home tests. In September 2006, IEMA released a report
showing that nearly half of 22,000 Illinois homes tested by
professional radon measurement contractors had potentially unsafe
levels of radon. Test results from those homes showed radon levels
at or above the action level recommended by the U.S. EPA of 4.0
picocuries per liter of air. The study also found 80 counties where
few, if any, professional tests for the naturally occurring
radioactive gas were conducted during the two-year study period.
IEMA is working to increase the number of home radon tests
conducted throughout the state and has made free radon test kits
available to Illinois residents since early 2006. To date, more than
27,000 test kits have been distributed. Results from those tests are
being recorded and analyzed for an updated report on radon
occurrence throughout the state.
IEMA encourages anyone who discovers their home has elevated
levels of radon to contact a licensed radon mitigation professional
to correct the problem. As with radon measurement professionals,
mitigation experts in Illinois are licensed by IEMA to ensure they
have the proper equipment, specialized training and technical skills
to do the job right and reduce radon in the home to safe levels.
Depending on the home, radon mitigation can cost $800-$1,200.
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"If you find your home has high radon levels, it's a relatively
easy problem to fix," Velasquez said. "There are more than 70
contractors licensed by IEMA to install radon-reduction systems in
Illinois homes. In just the past two years, these contractors have
helped more than 10,000 homeowners reduce the radon health hazard in
their homes."
More information about radon, including results from the
statewide study, lists of licensed radon measurement and mitigation
professionals, and requests for free home test kits are available at
www.radon.illinois.gov.
Radon information and free home test kits are also available by
calling 1-800-325-1245.
Text of gubernatorial proclamation for Lung Cancer Awareness
Month:
WHEREAS, lung
cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States.
This year alone, lung cancer will claim the lives of more than
163,000 Americans, including 6,790 from the State of Illinois; and
WHEREAS, lung
cancer takes the lives of more Americans than breast, prostate,
colon, liver, and kidney cancers combined. Clearly, lung cancer is a
serious health issue; and
WHEREAS, despite
that, there is currently no standard screening for lung cancer; and
WHEREAS, sadly,
more than 50 percent of lung cancer patients are diagnosed in a late
stage with only a 5 percent five-year survival rate. However, with
early and regular checkups and exams, lung cancer can be diagnosed
in an early stage when the chance of survival is as high as 85
percent; and
WHEREAS, this year,
the Lung Cancer Alliance, a national patient advocacy group for lung
cancer, and other organizations throughout the country will raise
awareness about the disease this November:
THEREFORE, I, Rod
R. Blagojevich, Governor of the State of Illinois, do hereby
proclaim November 2007 as LUNG CANCER AWARENESS MONTH in Illinois to
call attention to the devastating problem of lung cancer, and in
support of efforts by organizations such as the Lung Cancer Alliance
to combat this terrible disease that affects so many families in our
state.
[Text from
Illinois
Emergency Management Agency
file received from the
Illinois Office of Communication and Information]
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