Naperville residents Dave Masa and his wife Vickie are on a mission to change state law to protect millions of school children across Illinois.
“What is the most precious gift on this planet? Our children,” said Dave.
Their goal is to ensure that the state’s 2-million public school students and staff are safe from elevated levels of radon, a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas known to cause cancer.
“Any time you’re in a closed environment, that’s where the radon collects,” said Vickie. “And as you’re breathing in the air, in these fresh, new little lungs that are breathing, this, if your school does have radon, your child is going to be breathing in the radon gas.”
An invisible threat
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, radon exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S., only trailing behind smoking, and is responsible for roughly 21,000 deaths each year.
The gas comes as a result of the natural breakdown of uranium in the soil and can seep into buildings undetected. Currently, Illinois law only recommends radon testing in schools – it does not require it.
“There [are] fire extinguishers in schools. There’s carbon monoxide detectors in schools, there’s smoke alarms in schools,” said Dave. “Why aren’t our schools being tested for radon?”
Breaking down the bill
Sponsored by State Senator Laura Ellman, Senate Bill 2438 aims to close the loophole, proposing several mandates, including:
- All schools in the state must be tested for radon by 2029 and retest every 5 years
- All new schools being built must utilize radon-resistant construction
- If a school tests high for radon, it must hire a professional to perform mitigation
- School districts may use life safety funds, if available, for radon testing and mitigation
“Radon is a silent threat, and waiting to act is not an option when it comes to protecting our schools,” said Ellman. “This legislation takes a proactive approach by requiring regular testing and timely mitigation, helping ensure safer learning environments for students, teachers, and staff.”
A career-long mission
The Masas are no strangers to this fight. Having had their own business, Radon Reduction Systems, Inc., for more than 35 years, they’ve tested for and mitigated radon in more than 16,000 homes.
“We make people’s homes safe. Safe from radon gas. So you can come home and you can go to sleep every night and you can think, ‘Oh, we’re safe from radon gas.’ But in schools, if they don’t know they have radon, they’re not safe,” said Vickie.
Local school districts perspective
Melanie Brown, director of buildings and grounds for Naperville School District 203, says the district is aware of the bill and is “closely monitoring its progress through the General Assembly.”
“We continue to follow Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) guidelines to guide our testing and inspection frequencies,” said Brown in a statement to NCTV17. “While radon testing is currently recommended rather than required for Illinois schools, Naperville 203 has long taken a proactive approach to environmental safety. For the past twenty years, we have conducted radon testing in phases across our facilities.”
Indian Prairie School District 204 said it had no comment on the matter at this time.
Third time’s a charm?
For Dave, fondly known for years as The Radon Man, and Vickie, this marks their third attempt to get this legislation passed. As members of the Illinois Radon Task Force, they remain optimistic.
“That would be a dream for both Dave and I,” said Vickie.
Senate Bill 2438 is currently awaiting a vote by the Senate.
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