Working to protect Illinois children in daycare from the dangers of radon poisoning, state Rep. Karen May (D-Highland Park) is sponsoring legislation which recently
passed out of the House of Representatives.

“It is vital that we ensure that daycare centers meet the highest safety standards and our children are protected from the dangers of radon,” said May. “The radon action level is equivalent to smoking a ½ pack of cigarettes a day and is the second greatest cause of lung cancer behind smoking. Given that 67% of children in Illinois are enrolled in some type of child care, we simply cannot ignore the dangers of radon.”

May is the chief sponsor of House Bill 4606 to require state daycare facilities to test for high levels of radon, correct the problems and inform parents.  Radon is a Class A human carcinogen, the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers, and the second leading cause of lung cancer overall. This measure makes radon testing and removal a condition of daycares’ licenses. For additional information regarding radon, contact the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Radon Program at
800-325-1245 or on the internet at www.radon.illinois.gov.

“The dangers of radon have been well-proven, and it’s long overdue for the state to require testing and correction of high radon levels,” said May. “We must not put any children at risk for lung cancer because a facility won’t take
the time to identify a problem.”

For more information on this or any of Rep. May’s
legislation, contact her constituent services office at (847) 433-9100 or by
email at karen@repkarenmay.org.