IEMA, American Lung Association announce radon video, poster
contests
Annual
contests promote awareness of radon health risks
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[January 21, 2013]
SPRINGFIELD -- As part of Radon
Action Month during January, the Illinois Emergency Management
Agency and the American Lung Association in Illinois have announced
two opportunities for Illinois students to use their creativity to
help increase awareness of radon's health hazard.
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High school students can compete for prizes by producing creative
60-second YouTube videos about radon for the fourth annual Illinois
High School Radon Video Contest. Students ages 9-14 can use their
artistic abilities to create posters depicting the radon message in
the annual Illinois Radon Poster Contest.
"Students bring a fresh approach to the serious topic of radon,"
said IEMA Director Jonathon Monken. "These contests help students
learn more about the health risks associated with radon, and
hopefully they will encourage their friends and family to test their
own homes."
Videos entered in the 2013 contest can be created by an
individual student, group of students or classroom. Entries must be
submitted by March 4. Complete details about the video contest,
including entry and release forms, are available at http://healthhouse.org/radon/il_vidcontest.cfm.
The entries will be judged by a panel
from the sponsoring agencies. Prizes will be awarded as follows:
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First place:
$1,000 to the winning student or group, $300 to their school
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Second place: $750
to the student or group, $200 to their school
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Third place: $500
to the student or group, $100 to their school
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Honorable mention: seven $250 prizes to
be awarded.
The prizes are funded by a grant from the U.S Environmental
Protection Agency.
The radon poster contest is open to students ages 9-14. Entries
for the 2013 contest are due by March 1. Prizes include $200 for
first place, $150 for second place and $100 for third place. In
addition, the top three posters will compete for a $1,000 first
prize in the national contest.
For more information about the poster contest, visit
http://healthhouse.org/radon/il_poster.cfm.
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"The number of entries has increased each year, and the students
provide radon messages that are outstanding," said Harold Wimmer,
president and CEO of the American Lung Association in Illinois.
Radon is a colorless, odorless, tasteless 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. EPA has determined that
radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer, behind smoking.
However, among nonsmokers, radon is the leading cause of lung
cancer. It's estimated that nearly 1,200 radon-related lung cancer
deaths occur in Illinois each year.
The top videos and posters from the 2012 contests can be viewed
on IEMA's radon website at www.radon.illinois.gov. The website also
includes information about radon and lists of licensed measurement
and mitigation professionals. Information is also available through
IEMA's Radon Hotline at 800-325-1245.
[Text from
Illinois
Emergency Management Agency file received from
the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information]
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