Our kids may be breathing in toxic gas while sitting in their classrooms, yet Iowa has no law in place to stop it.

That gas is radon — a cancer-causing gas that seeps up from Iowa’s soil at alarming rates. In fact, Iowa is ground zero for this stuff, with one of the highest rates of radon levels in the country.

It makes its way into our buildings, including schools. You can’t smell, see or feel it, but it is devastating to our health as the second-leading cause of lung cancer, right behind tobacco.

Our legislators have the opportunity to pass legislation that would make sure our children’s schools are tested for this toxin, and if high levels are found, the school is mitigated. Passing this law is just common sense.

I hope our leaders stand up for the health of our kids by passing this bill. Our kids deserve safe schools.

Christy Thurman

Walford