Liz Orten, Outreach and Communication Specialist for the Iowa Cancer Consortium, was a presenter at the IEA International Radon and Vapor Intrusion Symposium. Her presentation provided detail on the Gail Orcutt School Radon Safety Law that was passed in the State of Iowa in May of 2022. Key components of the bill, named in honor of Gail Orcutt who was a retired Iowa teacher and radon safety advocate who lost her battle with radon-inducted lung cancer in 2020 include:
* Requiring all Iowa public schools to test their attendance centers for radon and, if necessary, mitigate radon in their schools.
* All testing needs to be completed by all Iowa public schools by 2027 and repeated at least once every 5 years.
* The law also requires all new school construction to incorporate radon-resistant construction techniques.
Passage of this law is an example of how radon professionals can work with their state, tribe, or territory’s Comprehensive Cancer Control Program to increase radon awareness, create lasting policy change, and save more lives. For decades, the Iowa Cancer Consortium has convened local and national partners to work on radon risk reduction strategies outlined in the Iowa Cancer Plan. With the help of radon measurement and mitigation specialists, lung cancer survivors, researchers, realtors, healthcare providers, community non-profits, and more, Iowa is working to reduce the incidence of radon-induced lung cancer in a state where every county is high risk for radon.
The video about the project: Prevention and Risk Reduction (Radon): A Win in Public Policy, featuring Gail Orcutt's story https://youtu.be/WurAimV672U?si=NA3ahYq78I05U1CL
Other references about the bill about the bill and about Gail Orcutt:
https://canceriowa.org/legislation-to-save-lives-gail-orcutt-radon-school-safety-act/
https://canceriowa.org/mourning-the-passing-of-gail-orcutt/
Contact:
Liz Orton (she/her)
Outreach and Communications Specialist
Iowa Cancer Consortium
Direct: 319-467-4569
PO Box 859 | North Liberty, IA | 52317
United States