RADON VIDEO SCRIPT TRANSCRIPT: 03/18/09 NARRATOR: The national radon test is about to begin. NARRATOR: Have you heard of radon? MAN: Radon? WOMAN: Radon? Radon? Oh, radon! COWBOY: Is it something that comes up out of the ground or something? WOMAN: Is that a gas? WOMAN #2: Something dangerous that you are supposed to check on to make sure it is not in your home. NARRATOR: What is radon? JONATHAN SAMET (SYNC): Radon is naturally occurring. It’s a gas, it’s released from the decay of radium which is in the environment. WOMAN #3: Why worry about it? NARRATOR: Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. True. BILL FIELD (SYNC): What causes cancer is as radon decays, it produces little solid particles and some are just the precise size that can easily be inhaled and are deposited in the lungs. Once they’re deposited they can initiate the cancer. NARRATOR: According to a recent warning by The U.S. Surgeon General warns that indoor radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. after smoking. NARRATOR: The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year are caused by radon and radon causes lung cancer in smokers and non-smokers alike. NARRATOR: Radon can be found all over the U.S. and in any type of building, including homes, offices, and schools. NARRATOR: A Harvard University report ranked radon number one in a list of home hazards. True. NARRATOR: Radon gets in buildings, because the air pressure inside a building is usually lower than pressure in the soil surrounding it. This difference causes the building to act like a vacuum drawing radon in through foundation cracks and other openings. The greatest exposure risk to radon is at home simply because this is where people spend most of their time. WOMAN #4: Wow, so what do you do about it? NARRATOR: The surgeon general recommends that all homes be tested for radon. MAN W/ GLASSES: False. WOMAN W/ BABY: False. NARRATOR: It’s true. WOMAN W/ BABY: True? JONATHAN SAMET: (SYNC) All homes (more or less) should be tested. It’s the only way to make certain that any particular home, or that my home or your home does not have a high level of radon. NARRATOR: Testing your home is easy and radon problems can be fixed. True. NARRATOR: Every home should be tested for radon and if tests show 4 or more pCi/L’s of air, simple, effective and non-expensive action should be taken to reduce the level of radon. NARRATOR: When is the best time to test my home for radon? BILL BRODHEAD: The best time to do a test is to do it now. However, it does make it a little easier to test in the fall or the winter or the spring because those are the times when you typically have your windows and doors closed anyway. NARRATOR: How do you reduce high radon levels? MARK MITCHELL: What I have done is drilled a hole in the floor and I am tapping into that air space under the floor where the radon is coming out. I’m pulling air from this pipe on up into the attic and there’s a fan that runs continuously there that will constantly pull the air up through this pipe and exhaust the air that was coming up through the basement out above the roof. NARRATOR: Radon problems can be easily fixed. Even high radon levels in most homes can be lowered to an acceptable level for about the same cost as other common home repairs. NARRATOR: How do you find a trained professional? MARK MITCHELL: A good place to start is with your county or state health departments. Many counties and state health departments have lists of people that have had training and credentialing. NARRATOR: Testing and fixing radon not only gives you and your family peace of mind, but it also tells others who might want to buy your home that it is safer and healthier. And, that’s a big benefit when selling or building a new home. NARRATOR: New homes can be built to protect your family from radon. True. NARRATOR: Building a new home? Build it green and healthy with indoor air features that keep radon low and improve overall indoor air quality and energy efficiency. It’s cost effective and smart to do in new homes. TOM KUKLIS: My advice to other people would be to do the test, it doesn't take very much time, it’s very inexpensive and it can be done very easily. ANN RHODES: Once you have the system in, you don’t have to worry about it. There aren’t any additional ongoing costs and it’s more than worth it just not to have to worry about it because you really don’t know what the long term risks are. WOMAN #5: I’m going to call, I’m going to check into it. WOMAN W/ BABY #2: Yes, I’m worried, I’m seriously going to get that kit. COWBOY: If I don’t take care of it, nobody else will. SISTER #1: 1.800.SOS.RADON NARRATOR: See, she is the brighter sister. SISTER #2: Yeah, I told you.