>>AND GOOD EVENING. IT’S CALLED THE SILENT KILLER AND MOST OF YOU
HAVE NEVER HEARD ITS RAID ON
A CAR.
>>I’M LIZ ODORLESS GAS THAT
SEATS IN NEARLY EVERY HOUSE IN
CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST, VIRGINIA
IN FACT OUR AREA HAS SOME OF
THE HIGHEST CONCENTRATIONS OF
RADON IN
THE COMMONWEALTH.
>>AND TONIGHT 10 NEWS REPORTER
LINDSEY KENNETT IS WORKING FOR
YOU
TO EXPLAIN HOW THE SILENT
KILLER HAS DEVASTATED A LOCAL
FAMILY.
SHE JOINS US TONIGHT WITH THAT
STORY
LINDSAY.
STORY LINDSAY. >>GUYS THAT FAMILY TELLS ME
THAT THEY HAD NEVER EVEN HEARD
OF RADON UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE
AND NOW THEY WANT TO RAISE
AWARENESS ABOUT THE DANGERS OF
RADON AND HOPE THEIR STORY
SERVES AS A WARNING FOR OTHER
FAMILIES.
>>SISTERS ANGELA AND TINA FLOODED WITH MEMORIES. YOU WANT TO BE SAD.
IT’S BEEN ALMOST 9 YEARS TO THE DAY SINCE THEY LOST THEIR MOTHER
GINGER COLLINS.
SHE WAS JUST 58 YEARS OLD IT
WAS.
SHE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH LUNG CANCER. HE DIDN’T A VERY LONG.
TINA AND ANGELES GRANDMOTHER ALSO DIED FROM LUNG CANCER AT A YOUNG AGE.
IT WAS VERY NON AND I’M LIKE WHAT IS RIGHT ON RADON IS A
NATURALLY OCCURRING RADIOACTIVE
GAS THAT COMES FROM ROCKS AND
DIRT IN THE GROUND AND ESCAPES
INTO THE AIR EVERYWHERE.
KEVIN STEWART WITH THE AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION SAYS RADON CAN ATTACH TO PARTICLES IN THE AIR
WHICH WHEN BREATHE IN CAN STICK
TO YOUR LUNGS AND OVER TIME
LEAD TO CANCER.
IS THE SECOND LEADING CAUSE OF LUNG CANCER IN THE US BEHIND SMOKING THE
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
SAYS RADON KILLS 21,000 PEOPLE ACROSS THE COUNTRY EACH YEAR, 700 PEOPLE DIE FROM RADON RIGHT
HERE
IN VIRGINIA.
THE EPA RECOMMENDS KEEPING
RADON LEVELS IN YOUR HOME AND
OR 2, BUT REMEMBER NO LEVEL OF
READ ON THE SAFE ANYTHING FOR
OR HIGHER PUTS YOU AT A GREATER
RISK.
NEARLY
RISK. NEARLY HALF OF HOMES IN CENTRAL AND
SOUTHWEST, VIRGINIA HAVE HIGH
LEVELS OF RADON CERTAIN SPOTS
TEST HIGHER THAN OTHERS.
SO I HAD MY HAVE TESTED.
HIGH IN THE COUNTY THIS PEARISBURG NEIGHBORHOOD IS WHERE GENERATIONS OF THE COHEN
FAMILY WERE BORN IN RAISED MY
MOM WAS A HOMEMAKER SHE STAY
HOME ALL THE TIME.
>>HE’S AVOIDED IT BECAUSE HE WAS MAN.
>>THANKS TO A LOCAL RADON MITIGATION SPECIALIST THEIR HOMES RADON LEVELS ARE
UNDER CONTROL.
AND THE SISTERS HOPE BY SHARING
THEIR MOM STORY.
THE ONLY WAY TO KNOW IF YOUR HOME HAS HIGH RADON LEVELS IS TO TEST FOR IT.
>>YOU CAN BUY INEXPENSIVE DO IT
YOURSELF KIDS ONLINE
AT HOME IMPROVEMENT STORES OR
YOU CAN HIRE A LICENSED
PROFESSIONAL.
THE EPA RECOMMENDS YOU TEST
YOUR HOME EVERY 2 YEARS DURING
THE WINTER WHEN RADON LEVELS
ARE THE HIGHEST
BECAUSE WE KEEP OUR WINDOWS AND
DOORS SHUT SO THERE’S
LESS VENTILATION NOW TOMORROW
NIGHT ALL INTRODUCE YOU TO A
ROANOKE WOMAN WHO SAYS NOT
TESTING HER HOME PARADE ON
WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST MISTAKES
OF HER LIFE.
IF YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT
RAID ON HOW TO TEST
FOR IT AND TO FIND OUT IF YOU
LIVE IN A HIGH-RISK ZONE.
WE HAVE ALL OF THAT INFORMATION
AND MORE POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE