Damascus Citizens Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
New York State Bills to Protect Public Health from Radon in Natural Gas
New York region
Damascus Citizens for Sustainability(DCS) applauds NYS Assembly member Linda Rosenthal and NYS Senator Diane Savino for their introduction of critical legislation to protect public health from exposure to radon in natural gas. According to DCS Director Barbara Arrindell, “The ‘Protection of Public Health From Exposure to Radon in Natural Gas Act’ is urgently needed because of high radon levels in Marcellus shale gas and the short transport time for gas to travel from nearby producing areas to New York City. Most natural gas consumed now in NYC metropolitan area is from the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast, has a low radon content and a long transit time to NYC allowing most of the radioactivity to change to less harmful substances. High radon content and insufficient time for radioactive decay brings a heightened risk to the public of unsafe radon exposures. New York’s voluminous draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement (sGEIS) mentions some concerns about naturally ocurring radioactive materials, but the sGEIS is certainly quiet concerning radon exposure to gas end-users.”
In recognition of the well-documented fact that people exposed to radon have an increased likelihood of developing lung cancer, Assembly bill A06863 and Senate bill S04921 establish a compliance assurance system to monitor levels of radon and its decay products at the various city gates where natural gas is delivered to local distributors. Further, it requires local distributors to implement radon mitigation response programs if radon is monitored at 1.0 picocuries per liter of air or greater.
Both bills have been referred to their respective Health Committees for further consideration during the three week window that remains in the current legislative session.
Joe Levine, DCS co-founder, said, “The exposure to radon in fracked gas is another sad example of the failure of the agencies responsible for the public health and welfare to critically scrutinize the consequences of hydraulic fracking and the use of the shale gas it produces. It is well known that all natural gas contains radon. Why, if you are going to change the source of natural gas going into New York and Pennsylvania kitchens from low radon conventional natural gas from the Gulf Coast to natural gas extracted from uranium rich shales, you would not ask what this means for the radon levels in the average kitchen, is an amazing lapse of responsibility and common sense by New York State health and environmental agencies. Fortunately Rosenthal and Savino have recognized this and acted to protect the public. Their legislation deserves the support of everyone who uses a natural gas stove in their kitchens.”
Damascus Citizens for Sustainability, a not-for-profit, grassroots educational organization, has been educating the public about the dangers of unconventional drilling including the health threats posed by radon in Marcellus Shale natural gas since early 2008.
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Contact: B. Arrindell DCS@DamascusCitizens.org
office: 25 Main Street , Narrowsburg, NY 12764 Phone: 845-252-6677
Facts About Radon in Natural Gas in NYC
http://www.damascuscitizensforsustainability.org/2012/09/facts-about-radon-in-natural-gas-in-nyc/
