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There's always something you can do!
Dear Representative,
My name is Gloria Linnertz and I am seeking your co-sponsorship for HB2217 – Tenant Radon Protection Act. The Chief sponsor is Ann Williams, and I think you will be a great co-sponsor!
My sincere passion for this bill comes from the fact that I know how dangerous radioactive radon exposure can be. My husband passed from lung cancer 17 years ago, and we had no idea we were living with over four times the EPA radon action level for 18 years in our home. I was instrumental in getting the IL Radon Awareness Act passed in 2007. However, that was directed to home owners. Approximately 1/3 of the Illinois residents rent. HB2217 will help protect these residents and educate them and their landlords about the danger of radon exposure.
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The bill is not a mandate, but an information tool for the tenant and the landlord. The leading cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers is radon exposure. Most citizens never think about the fact that they may be sharing their residence with this silent killer. Radon is not detectable through our human senses; the only way to know of its presence in indoor environments is to test.
People have said to me, “just open the windows.” That doesn’t solve the problem and can sometimes increase the radon level. We are lucky in Illinois because all radon testers and mitigators must be certified by the state ensuring the professionalism of these individuals.
Please see the attachments including HB2217 and a factsheet. The rest of our nation recognizes Illinois as a state that protects its citizens from this demon—radon, but there is more to do! We need to protect our tenants and our school children. I look so forward to your co-sponsorship of HB2217. There is a sister bill in the senate—SB 1929. I pray we can get these bills off and running as soon as possible. Your support will help to save lives.
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LETTER FROM
THE director
Gloria Linnertz, Founder
Citizens for Radioactive Radon Reduction
February 20, 2023