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 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 crawlspaces. Elevated levels
of the radioactive gas have been found in all 102 Illinois counties.
Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers and the
second leading cause of lung cancer overall in the U.S. IEMA
estimates nearly 1,200 Illinois citizens die from radon-related lung
cancer each year.
“It’s best to test for radon under ‘closed house’ conditions,
meaning your windows and doors are closed except for normal traffic
in and out of doors,” said IEMA Director Jonathon Monken. “The
winter months are a good time to conduct a radon test and find out
if your home has high levels of radon.”
As part of Radon Action Month, IEMA also announced the launch of
statewide poster and video contests that encourage students to use
their creative talents to promote radon awareness.
The Illinois Radon Poster Contest is open to students ages 9-14.
Entries are due by March 1. Prizes include $200 for first place,
$150 for second place and $100 for third place. For more information
about the poster contest, visit
http://healthhouse.org/radon/il_poster.cfm.
High school students can compete for prizes by producing creative
60-second YouTube videos about radon and entering them in the
statewide High School Radon Video Contest. Videos can be created by
an individual student, group of students or classroom. Prizes
include $1,000 for first place, $750 for second place, $500 for
third place and $250 for seven honorable mention videos. In
addition, the schools of the top three winners will receive $300,
$200 and $100 for first, second and third places, respectively.
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 All videos, entry forms and release forms must be submitted
by March 5 at 5 p.m. Details about the video contest are
available on the American Lung Association in Illinois (ALAIL)
website at
www.healthhouse.org/radon/il_vidcontest.cfm.
All contest prizes are funded by a grant from the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency. Both contests are sponsored by
IEMA, ALAIL and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5.
The top posters and videos from the 2014 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.
[Illinois Emergency Management
Agency]
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