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PA Governor Rendell Taking New Steps to Protect Pennsylvania Families From Radon

Posted on: Thursday, 5 January 2006, 15:00 CST

HARRISBURG, Pa., Jan. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell said today Pennsylvania is taking steps to help more families protect themselves and their children from a leading cause of lung cancer with the expansion of its Newborn Radon Program.

The Governor said 19 new hospitals have agreed to join the 50 hospitals already participating in the program.

"This program can give new parents peace of mind," Governor Rendell said. "The Newborn Radon Program not only teaches parents about radon, it gives them the opportunity to get a free radon testing kit."

"We are getting vital information into the hands of parents so they can take action to protect their families against radon in their home," Environmental Protection Secretary Kathleen A. McGinty said at a news conference in the maternity center of Harrisburg Hospital, one of the 19 new participants. "Radon test kits typically cost about $25, but by giving new parents the opportunity to get free test kits, more Pennsylvanians will test their homes and take action to reduce radon levels, if needed, to keep their families safe."

DEP's Radon Division has been working with hospitals throughout the state to implement the Newborn Radon Program for the past 12 years. Participating hospitals provide a radon booklet, which contains a certificate for a free radon test kit, as part of the information new parents receive before they leave the hospital. Of those families that have submitted the free test kit certificate, 39 percent have returned the kits to determine radon levels in their homes.

"PinnacleHealth is pleased and proud to participate in Pennsylvania's Newborn Radon Program," said Cheryl Key, vice president of nursing professional development and practice at PinnacleHealth System, which owns Harrisburg Hospital. "By providing this important safety information to new parents, we foster an awareness of this issue and help educate adults to keep their families healthy and safe."

DEP launched an outreach initiative last fall to get more hospitals involved in the program and enhance the state's national leadership on radon protection. Alabama, Michigan, New York, North Carolina and Utah all have asked for information on Pennsylvania's program. The Utah Radon Program duplicated Pennsylvania's effort last year and won a statewide public service award for its work.

Radon is an odorless, colorless gas that occurs naturally from the breakdown of uranium. High levels of radon have been found in homes throughout Pennsylvania, and the only way to know the level in your home is to test. Testing is recommended to be done during colder months, when homes are closed and radon concentrations tend to be at their highest.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates approximately 22,000 Americans die each year from lung cancer caused by exposure to high levels of radon, second only to cigarette smoking-related lung cancer deaths.

"The Newborn Radon Program has more people testing their homes for radon," McGinty said. "That means more people are taking action to reduce high radon levels, and that saves lives."

Pennsylvania law requires anyone who tests or performs remediation work on a home other than the home in which they live must be certified by DEP.

Residents who don't qualify for the Newborn Radon Program can buy test kits in stores.

For more information on radon and a list of certified testers and remediators, visit http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/, or call 1-800-23 RADON.

The Rendell Administration is committed to creating a first-rate public education system, protecting our most vulnerable citizens and continuing economic investment to support our communities and businesses. To find out more about Governor Rendell's initiatives and to sign up for his weekly newsletter, visit his Web site at: http://www.governor.state.pa.us/.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Following is a list of the 69 hospitals participating in the Newborn Radon Program. The asterisk (*) indicates the 19 hospitals that joined the program this year.

ALLEGHENY COUNTY Allegheny General Hospital Magee-Women's Hospital * Ohio Valley General Hospital West Penn Hospital * Western Pennsylvania Hospital Forbes Region Campus ARMSTRONG COUNTY Armstrong County Memorial Hospital BEAVER COUNTY The Medical Center--Heritage Valley Beaver BEDFORD COUNTY UPMC Bedford Memorial BERKS COUNTY Reading Hospital and Medical Center St. Joseph Medical Center BLAIR COUNTY Altoona Hospital Bon Secours Holy Family Hospital Nason Hospital Tyrone Hospital BRADFORD COUNTY Memorial Hospital, Inc., Towanda Robert Packer Hospital BUCKS COUNTY * Doylestown Hospital * St. Mary Medical Center BUTLER COUNTY Butler Memorial Hospital CARBON COUNTY Gnaden Huetten Memorial Hospital CHESTER COUNTY * Chester County Hospital * Jennersville Regional Hospital CLARION COUNTY Clarion Hospital CLEARFIELD COUNTY Clearfield Hospital DuBois Regional Medical Center CLINTON COUNTY Lock Haven Hospital COLUMBIA COUNTY Berwick Hospital Bloomsburg Hospital CUMBERLAND COUNTY * Carlisle Regional Medical Center * Holy Spirit Hospital DAUPHIN COUNTY * Harrisburg Hospital DELAWARE COUNTY Riddle Memorial Hospital FRANKLIN COUNTY * Chambersburg Hospital Waynesboro Hospital HUNTINGDON COUNTY Blair Memorial Hospital INDIANA COUNTY Indiana Regional Medical Center LACKAWANNA COUNTY Community Medical Center Mercy Hospital LANCASTER COUNTY * Ephrata Community Hospital LAWRENCE COUNTY Jamison Memorial Hospital LEBANON COUNTY * Good Samaritan Hospital LUZERNE COUNTY Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center Hazelton General Hospital Hazelton-St. Joseph Hospital Mercy Hospital, Wilkes-Barre Nesbitt Memorial Wilkes-Barre General Hospital LYCOMING COUNTY * Susquehanna Health System - The Birthplace Williamsport Hospital and Medical Center MIFFLIN COUNTY Lewistown Hospital MONTGOMERY COUNTY * Montgomery Hospital Medical Center Pottstown Memorial Medical Center Pottstown Hospital NORTHAMPTON COUNTY * CHB Easton Hospital St. Luke's Hospital--Bethlehem NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY Sunbury Community Hospital SOMERSET COUNTY * Somerset Hospital SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY Barnes-Kasson County Hospital TIOGA COUNTY * Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hospital UNION COUNTY * Evangelical Community Hospital VENANGO COUNTY Northwest Medical Center WESTMORELAND COUNTY H.C. Frick Memorial Hospital Jeannette District Memorial Hospital Latrobe Area Hospital * Westmoreland Hospital/Excela Medical WYOMING COUNTY Tyler Memorial Hospital YORK COUNTY Hanover General Hospital York Hospital Memorial Hospital

CONTACT: Kate Philips, Pennsylvania Office of the Governor, +1-717-783-1116, or Ron Ruman (DEP), +1-717-787-1323.

Pennsylvania Office of the Governor

CONTACT: Kate Philips, Pennsylvania Office of the Governor,+1-717-783-1116, or Ron Ruman (DEP), +1-717-787-1323

Web site: http://www.state.pa.us/http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/http://www.governor.state.pa.us/

Source: PRNewswire

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