December 8, 2011
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear President Obama:
Please don’t sacrifice lives with budget cuts. My husband died of radon-induced lung cancer. We were not aware of radon--the leading environmental cause of cancer mortality--until our doctor told us about this radioactive exposure from the inhalation of alpha particles emitting from the exposure of radon gas and suggested we test our home. The test resulted with elevated levels of this known human carcinogen.
An American dies every 25 minutes from lung cancer caused by exposure to radon in homes, schools, and workplaces. With eight to ten million U.S. homes existing with elevated levels of radon gas, the Environmental Protection Agency needs a fully functioning vital radon program to help save human lives. I am deeply disturbed of the possibility of a deminished EPA budget for 2013 which would reduce funding for reduction of radon risk in the United States.
The Radon Division of the Office of Radiation and Indoor Air Quality is the most cost- effective, voluntary environmental risk reduction program in the country.
Because our society is ignorant of the danger of a gas that cannot be seen, smelled, or tasted—myself included until after my husband died with lung cancer and I discovered we had been living with elevated levels of this silent killer for 18 years--no one seems to care except those of us who have been robbed of our loved ones and our lives. We have a government to provide protection for our citizens—not just on the battlefields but in our own homes.
The cost of lung cancer treatment mounts to hundreds of thousands of dollars per patient, and there is only a 15 percent five-year survival rate. In contrast, the typical home can have a radon mitigation system installed for $1,500-$2,000. State radon staffing and program grants are essential for the government's moral duty, legal obligation and radon risk reduction to the American public.
President Obama, please ensure the continued existence of a fully funded Radon Program in EPA to protect our citizens against this silent radioactive killer. You have the power to save lives by protecting the public from this little known killer which takes the lives of 21,000 citizens each year. You can make the difference. In 1988, a federal law was passed–the Indoor Radon Abatement Act—which stated that our government would protect the citizens from radon gas with state radon programs providing education and awareness. Your action to support this critical lifesaving program is vital. I devote my life to educating others about the danger of radon so they don’t lose someone they love, and I pray you will help prevent future radon-induced lung cancer deaths.
Sincerely yours,
Gloria Linnertz
V.P. Cancer Survivors Against Radon
Waterloo, IL 62298
www.cansar.org
seascape@htc.net
United States