MISSION
CR3 is committed to providing education, awareness, and action on the danger of radioactive radon exposure —the leading environmental cause of cancer mortality. Increasing and unifying radon reduction advocates who have a mission of awareness and legislative change will help prevent future radon-induced lung cancer deaths.
CR3 has members on the national board of AARST, Heartland Chapter of AARST Board , MidWest AARST Chapter Board, TN Comprehensive Cancer Consortium Board
and more.
PUBLISHER & DESIGNER
Jacquelyn Nixon
PA Chapter Advocate
Lung Cancer Survivor
412-961-1980
"2020 is not only
dedicated to survivors ...
but to surviving!!"
FROM THE DIRECTOR:
What connects us:
A caring spirit, a need to right a wrong, a desire to help and make a difference.
Gail Orcutt possessed all of these characteristics including more stamina than could possibly be imagined. She never, never gave up on her determination to have schools, homes, and workplaces tested for radioactive radon gas and mitigated if high.
She engaged others from the medical field, the educational community, and the legislative chambers to join her and jump on her never-ceasing bandwagon to make a change in radon awareness and action using her life story. Gail, a retired teacher, a lung cancer survivor and patient at times, was a change maker who tenaciously lead others to help attack the radon problem in Iowa schools and communities. Her willingness and dedication to speak out about the life-threatening danger of radon gas exposure resulted in Iowa preschools and day care facilities that receive funding from the Department of Human Services to test for radon. The Johnson School district tested their eight school buildings; and a local nonprofit, Energy Association of Iowa Schools (EAIS), is equipping districts with the knowledge and tools to test. Julie Weisshaar, Executive Director of EAIS said over 130 schools have been tested since last year and 42 percent had at lease one classroom with elevated levels of radon.
Iowa HB755, formally HF673 and HF349, requires radon testing and mitigation of public schools. This bill is now in the Appropriations Committee as of 4/27/2019, but on 6/14/2020 the Iowa 88th General Assembly adjourned. However, many schools in Iowa are deciding to test even without the mandate thanks to Gail’s advocacy.
Gail’s hope is that every Iowan know that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer and that testing and mitigation is a simple home improvement. Please listen to Gail and Dr. Bill Field on Iowa’s Dangerous High Radon Risk athttps://www.iowapublicradio.org/show/river-to-river/2015-01-28/iowas-dangerously-high-radon-risk?fbclid=IwAR2qNoYM6euwXtOpdE1eN3FJ849aE34o7MFeiL0UR1n78Et9A3zHj9hChgI
Gail is certainly a hero to all of us and we hope to follow her lead!
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