The American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists (AARST) Midwest Chapter is proud to announce a regional winner of the 2015 Real Estate Leadership Healthy Housing Award. Midwest AARST Chapter nominated Kerry Kidwell based on radon leadership activity in promoting healthy homes in central Illinois with other real estate professionals, coworkers, builders and clients. Kidwell was nominated for the association’s regional award because of his long standing professional dedication to healthy homes through education and outreach about radon.
Radon, a naturally occurring radioactive gas, is the second leading cause of lung cancer according to the U.S. EPA, and it is the leading cause of all environmental cancers. 21,000 lung cancer deaths occur annually in the United States. Radon gas enters a home through a foundation, slab or crawlspace; its presence in a home can be easily tested and mitigated at a reasonable cost by a certified or licensed professional. The U.S. Surgeon general recommends testing for radon in every American home.
Testing and fixing a home for radon is not a complicated or time consuming process, and training real estate professionals on the basic facts and processes allows homeowners and buyers the assurance that a home sale will proceed smoothly and not interfere with the sale or closing.
According to AARST Midwest Chapter President and Radon Program Coordinator for the Ecology Action Center Ruth Ann Lipic, Mr. Kidwell has demonstrated ongoing efforts to educate real estate professionals about the value of a healthy homes, which includes being aware of home indoor air hazards and know how to achieve low levels of radon. Kidwell has been passionate about radon education since he attended an EPA “train-the trainer” class in Atlanta in 1968. He then introduced this class in Illinois, had it licensed for continuing education for realtor estate professionals, and is now a well-respected radon educator in several states. He received a Presidential Medallion for his work as chair of a radon task force that created the Residential Real Property Disclosure Act in Illinois that requires disclosure of radon.
The Midwest AARST Chapter is privileged to acknowledge his professionalism, enthusiasm, and advocacy in sharing the radon awareness message. Kidwell has also volunteered on the Mclean County Radon Task Force for more than 15 years; this task force is part of the McLean County Radon Program coordinated by the Ecology Action Center.
AARST is a nonprofit professional organization of members who are dedicated to the highest standard of excellence and ethical performance of radon measurement, radon mitigation and transfer of radon information for the benefit of members, consumers and the public at large. AARST is an ANSI accredited standards developer and administers the radon credentialing agency, the National Radon Proficiency Program.
The Ecology Action Center is a not-for-profit environmental agency with a mission to inspire and assist residents of McLean County in creating, strengthening and preserving a healthy environment. The EAC acts as a central resource for environmental education, information, outreach, and technical assistance in McLean County.
