Payment for 2010 Midwest AARST Chapter Dues and Spring Conference can be paid here.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Midwest AARST Recognizes Two Organizations
Top - Paul Ybarra, Midwest AARST secretaty, presents an award to David Parkhill, President of the SIL Radon Awareness Task Force, Mt Vernon, IL www.silradon.org
Bottom - Paul Ybarra presents an award to Michael Brown, Executive Director of the Ecology Action Center, Normal, IL www.ecologyactioncenter.org.
The awards were presented November 13, 2009 at the Chateau in Bloomington, IL. The awards were to recognoze the efforts that the two organizations have expended in creating radon awareness in their respective areas.
Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers claiming an estimated 21,000 lives annually in the United States. The only way to know the radon level in a house is to test the house for radon gas. A list of Illinois Emergency Management Agency licensed radon measurement personnel can be found at www.radon.illinois.gov.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Proposed Illinois Administrative Code 422 Changes
Those Chapter members that attended the May 2009 meeting heard Patrick Daniels say that the IEMA website is now the means of communication with licensees.
Proposed rule changes have been posted on the website and can be found on the bottom of the licensee page and reads Informational Notice for Radon licensees - 32 Ill. Adm. Code 422 - Proposed Amendments began 1st Notice on 5/22/09. The link to the IEMA page with the information is http://www.radon.illinois.gov/licensees.htm.
Proposed rule changes have been posted on the website and can be found on the bottom of the licensee page and reads Informational Notice for Radon licensees - 32 Ill. Adm. Code 422 - Proposed Amendments began 1st Notice on 5/22/09. The link to the IEMA page with the information is http://www.radon.illinois.gov/licensees.htm.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Waterloo School Says Thank You
Following is the thank you note received from Debbie Clinebell and her students thanking the Chapter for the mini-grant that was awarded at the Midwest AARST May 2009 meeting. It was our pleasure to make the award.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Science Teacher and Class Honored
Science Teacher and Students are Making a Difference!
Pictured below are Cancer Survivors Against Radon, Vice Presidents, Gloria Linnertz, Lung Cancer Survivor, Barb Sorgatz and Debbie Clinebell. Barb and Gloria discovered their homes had high levels of radon only after lung cancer entered their lives.
On May 8, 2009, at the Spring Radon Conference of the Midwest Chapter of The American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists (AARST) Waterloo Junior High School science teacher, Debbie Clinebell and her eighth grade science students were recognized with a plaque and a $500 grant from Midwest AARST. The award was given for the continued effort to bring the awareness of the danger of radon gas to the community, government officials and educators.
For years Debbie and her students have received an EPA State Indoor Radon Grant (SIRG) to purchase radon test kits for the Waterloo community and to educate the local government officials and citizens of the danger of radon gas. However with the challenge of no money from EPA this year, Debbie and her students created the Radon Community Service Project. They began to design fundraisers to earn enough money to purchase the radon test kits and seek out ways to bring awareness to others that radon gas is present, it causes lung cancer, and it can be prevented.
The students’ efforts to raise money and their outreach methods may have a greater impact on the surrounding area than their original goal of placing the test kits in the homes. Through the sale of the Reduce Radon t-shirts, the Hat day and the autographed Cardinal baseball and photograph, the students raised $470. The students’ activities included reading the “Radon Story” to first graders, writing Oprah and requesting a show focusing on radon, creating pamphlets and flyers on radon displayed and distributed in local businesses, requesting the Chamber of Commerce to create a Radon Walk, displaying information at the local Relay for Life, writing letters to the editors of many newspapers in the two-state area, creating a You Tube video and a Face book page, requesting to speak on radio and TV stations, entering the Radon Poster Contest, contacting local veterinarians requesting information placed on their websites on the radon effect on animals, educating all of the Waterloo Community School District 5 employees through an email, making a presentation at Southern Illinois University--Edwardsville to future science teachers, creating power point presentations to be shown to other classes, creating a spreadsheet to show the results of over 800 radon tests that have been performed by the science classes over the last several years. These are just some of the buzz of activities going on concerning radon awareness and education in Waterloo Junior High in Waterloo, Illinois.
Radon is a radioactive gas that can enter buildings—homes, schools and workplaces—through openings around sump pumps, plumbing pipes or other tiny crevices in basements or other locations. Radon comes from the decay of uranium in the ground beneath buildings. Radon can be found throughout our state, nation and world. The only way to know if you are living, working and studying in an environment with high levels of radon is to perform a simple test. If the level is near 4.0 picocuries per liter of air or higher, Illinois Emergency Management Agency and the Surgeon General recommend that you have your home remedied by a licensed radon migitator.
Debbie Clinebell has been a junior high science teacher for 20 years, and she is most proud of her students’ accomplishments. Debbie and her students are making a difference!
Submitted by:
Gloria Linnertz
Pictured below are Cancer Survivors Against Radon, Vice Presidents, Gloria Linnertz, Lung Cancer Survivor, Barb Sorgatz and Debbie Clinebell. Barb and Gloria discovered their homes had high levels of radon only after lung cancer entered their lives.
On May 8, 2009, at the Spring Radon Conference of the Midwest Chapter of The American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists (AARST) Waterloo Junior High School science teacher, Debbie Clinebell and her eighth grade science students were recognized with a plaque and a $500 grant from Midwest AARST. The award was given for the continued effort to bring the awareness of the danger of radon gas to the community, government officials and educators.
For years Debbie and her students have received an EPA State Indoor Radon Grant (SIRG) to purchase radon test kits for the Waterloo community and to educate the local government officials and citizens of the danger of radon gas. However with the challenge of no money from EPA this year, Debbie and her students created the Radon Community Service Project. They began to design fundraisers to earn enough money to purchase the radon test kits and seek out ways to bring awareness to others that radon gas is present, it causes lung cancer, and it can be prevented.
The students’ efforts to raise money and their outreach methods may have a greater impact on the surrounding area than their original goal of placing the test kits in the homes. Through the sale of the Reduce Radon t-shirts, the Hat day and the autographed Cardinal baseball and photograph, the students raised $470. The students’ activities included reading the “Radon Story” to first graders, writing Oprah and requesting a show focusing on radon, creating pamphlets and flyers on radon displayed and distributed in local businesses, requesting the Chamber of Commerce to create a Radon Walk, displaying information at the local Relay for Life, writing letters to the editors of many newspapers in the two-state area, creating a You Tube video and a Face book page, requesting to speak on radio and TV stations, entering the Radon Poster Contest, contacting local veterinarians requesting information placed on their websites on the radon effect on animals, educating all of the Waterloo Community School District 5 employees through an email, making a presentation at Southern Illinois University--Edwardsville to future science teachers, creating power point presentations to be shown to other classes, creating a spreadsheet to show the results of over 800 radon tests that have been performed by the science classes over the last several years. These are just some of the buzz of activities going on concerning radon awareness and education in Waterloo Junior High in Waterloo, Illinois.
Radon is a radioactive gas that can enter buildings—homes, schools and workplaces—through openings around sump pumps, plumbing pipes or other tiny crevices in basements or other locations. Radon comes from the decay of uranium in the ground beneath buildings. Radon can be found throughout our state, nation and world. The only way to know if you are living, working and studying in an environment with high levels of radon is to perform a simple test. If the level is near 4.0 picocuries per liter of air or higher, Illinois Emergency Management Agency and the Surgeon General recommend that you have your home remedied by a licensed radon migitator.
Debbie Clinebell has been a junior high science teacher for 20 years, and she is most proud of her students’ accomplishments. Debbie and her students are making a difference!
Submitted by:
Gloria Linnertz
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Sample letter for Illinois HB4223 support
RE: HB4223
HB4223 which amends the School Code and recommends that every occupied school building of a school district be tested every 5 years for radon was voted out of the House March 24 by a vote of 112-002-000.
The bill was introduced in the Senate today by Senator David Luechtefeld and has been referred to Assignments.
Please support this bill and consider signing on as a co-sponsor.
Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. This bill sets the stage to determine that children and school employees are not exposed to this silent killer while in the school building.
Thank you for your support.
If you have any questions, please contact me.
HB4223 which amends the School Code and recommends that every occupied school building of a school district be tested every 5 years for radon was voted out of the House March 24 by a vote of 112-002-000.
The bill was introduced in the Senate today by Senator David Luechtefeld and has been referred to Assignments.
Please support this bill and consider signing on as a co-sponsor.
Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. This bill sets the stage to determine that children and school employees are not exposed to this silent killer while in the school building.
Thank you for your support.
If you have any questions, please contact me.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
HB4223 Passed by Illinois House March 24, 2009
HB4223 was passed by the house today by a vote of 112-002-000. We will continue to monitor the bill as it makes its way through the Senate.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
May 2009 Chapter Meeting Registration
AARST
MIDWEST SPRING RADON CONFERENCE
May 8th & 9th, 2009
McDonald’s “Hamburger University”, 2715 Jorie Blvd, Oak Brook IL
REGISTRATION
Name
Company
Address
City State Zip
Phone
Email
Membership Dues
AARST (National) 2009 $ 140.00
Midwest AARST Chapter 2009 $ 65.00
Conferences Fees
Midwest AARST Members
Until April 24st $ 295.00
After April 24st $ 345.00
One-day Attendance $ 195.00
Dinner Meeting (Friday evening) $ 40.00
Non-Members
Until April 24st $ 370.00
After April 24st $ 420.00
One-day Attendance $ 245.00
Dinner Meeting (Friday evening) $ 40.00
Total Amount
Make check payable to MWAARST and mail to:
MWAARST, 18245 East IL Hwy 15, Mt. Vernon, IL 62864
(if you mail your registration form and check after April 24th, also fax your form to 847-965-1991)
Hotel Accommodations $106 per night
Available next door at Hyatt Lodge at McDonald’s Campus
Please make hotel reservations at 630-990-5800 or www.thelodge.hyatt.com
Group rate code “Prescription for Radon”
Questions? contact Calvin Murphy 618-204-5545 or calvin@alliedradon.com
Paul Ybarra 630-553-8824 or info@midwest-radon.com
MIDWEST SPRING RADON CONFERENCE
May 8th & 9th, 2009
McDonald’s “Hamburger University”, 2715 Jorie Blvd, Oak Brook IL
REGISTRATION
Name
Company
Address
City State Zip
Phone
Membership Dues
AARST (National) 2009 $ 140.00
Midwest AARST Chapter 2009 $ 65.00
Conferences Fees
Midwest AARST Members
Until April 24st $ 295.00
After April 24st $ 345.00
One-day Attendance $ 195.00
Dinner Meeting (Friday evening) $ 40.00
Non-Members
Until April 24st $ 370.00
After April 24st $ 420.00
One-day Attendance $ 245.00
Dinner Meeting (Friday evening) $ 40.00
Total Amount
Make check payable to MWAARST and mail to:
MWAARST, 18245 East IL Hwy 15, Mt. Vernon, IL 62864
(if you mail your registration form and check after April 24th, also fax your form to 847-965-1991)
Hotel Accommodations $106 per night
Available next door at Hyatt Lodge at McDonald’s Campus
Please make hotel reservations at 630-990-5800 or www.thelodge.hyatt.com
Group rate code “Prescription for Radon”
Questions? contact Calvin Murphy 618-204-5545 or calvin@alliedradon.com
Paul Ybarra 630-553-8824 or info@midwest-radon.com
Call For Board Member Nominations
Board Elections:
We will be electing officers at the meeting May 8 and 9, 2009. If anyone would like to run for a position on the AARST-Midwest board, you can self-nominate yourself or nominate an associate. If you nominate an associate you must have their agreement prior to submitting their name. All offices/positions are up for election.
Please submit your nominations to info@midwest-radon.com prior to April 1st, 2009.
Board positions:
President –
Vice-President Finance –
Vice-President Legislative Affairs –
Vice-President Education –
Treasurer –
Secretary –
We will be electing officers at the meeting May 8 and 9, 2009. If anyone would like to run for a position on the AARST-Midwest board, you can self-nominate yourself or nominate an associate. If you nominate an associate you must have their agreement prior to submitting their name. All offices/positions are up for election.
Please submit your nominations to info@midwest-radon.com prior to April 1st, 2009.
Board positions:
President –
Vice-President Finance –
Vice-President Legislative Affairs –
Vice-President Education –
Treasurer –
Secretary –
Sunday, March 15, 2009
March 15, 2009
Dear Members of the Illinois Legislature,
CanSAR, Cancer Survivors Against Radon, is a group of individuals affected by lung cancer who discovered the fact that high levels of radon gas were present in their homes. We strongly support Illinois HB 4223, which recommends that every occupied school building of a school district be tested for radon.
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that more than seventy thousand (70,000) schoolrooms in use today have high short-term radon levels and recommends that all schools nationwide be tested for radon. Radon is a radioactive gas that can cause lung cancer and is the leading cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. Long-time exposure to radon can be deadly. The EPA indicates that 22,000 people each year die from radon-induced lung cancer.
The only way to determine if a radon problem exists is to test for it. Radon is a real threat, but the good news is that it can be fixed. All schools must be tested to determine if there is a problem; indoor radon is ranked among the most serious environmental health problems facing us today.
Radon is a naturally occurring gas, which seeps into buildings from the surrounding soil. It cannot be seen; it has no odor; it is tasteless; the only way to know if high levels of radon exist is by testing for it. Radon gas decays into radioactive particles that get trapped in the lungs as a person breathes. As these particles break down, they release small bursts of energy that can damage lung tissue and lead to lung cancer over a long period of time.
Our Illinois students need a healthy environment in which to learn. Other states that already have a mandatory law in place to test schools and/or daycare facilities for radon include Connecticut, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia, and Rhode Island.
Radon is one health problem nobody should have to live with—at home or at school.
Gloria Linnertz
618 Evansville Ave.
Waterloo, IL 62298
618 830 4660
seascape@htc.net
VP, Cancer Survivors Against Radon
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
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