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KVNF Regional Newscast: February 3, 2023

Elizabeth Wynne Johnson (CC BY)
Environmental Protection Agency headquarters

Delta County School Board member Beth Suppes recently cautioned school board members and Superintendent Caryn Gibson about adhering to the Sunshine Law, reports the Delta County Independent. The Sunshine Law was created to ensure transparency of all public business.

Suppes’ comments sparked after Gibson proposed a formal vote on the purchase of a 2023 Suburban amounting to just over 54 thousand dollars for the school district. Gibson had discussed the transaction with most board members prior to the January 26 board meeting. Suppes said she could not cast a vote towards purchasing the vehicle since it would have violated the open meetings law.

U.S. Representative Lauren Boebert wants to open Thompson Divide to oil drilling, according to the Daily Sentinel. Boebert passed her first amendment in three years, for a measure that would increase the amount of federal lands available for oil and gas leasing.

The government would be limited on how much it reduces the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve until the Department of Energy develops a plan to increase the percentage of federal lands for the development of oil and natural gas. Last fall, the Biden administration said it is considering a 20-year withdrawal of the Thompson Divide from new oil and gas leases.

Mercy Hospital is Durango’s only hospital with a maternity ward, and it’s no longer allowing women to get their tubes tied, reports the Colorado Sun. In lieu of a public announcement, the Centura Health hospital website said it’s “responsible for conducting itself in a manner consistent with the ethical principles of the Catholic church ministry.” The hospital recently completed a “reeducation” of hospital staff and board members regarding the church’s ethical and religious directives.

January was National Radon Action month and health officials in the Rocky Mountain region are urging people to test their homes for the gas that is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers.

The Environmental Protection Agency says Colorado, Wyoming and Utah have levels of indoor radon far above acceptable levels.

According to the EPA, 50 percent of homes in Colorado have elevated levels of the odorless, colorless gas. The EPA notes that living in a home with Colorado’s average levels of radon is like having 200 chest x-rays each year.

Although naturally occurring in soil, radon can seep into buildings causing significant health risks for people who have long term exposure.

Approximately 500 people a year die in Colorado from radon-related lung cancer.

One non-smoking lung cancer diagnosee is Sally Madden.

Just over a decade ago Madden’s left lung was removed.

The otherwise healthy Boulder resident then had her home tested. She’d been living with radon four times the level the EPA deems safe.

She decided to work on a campaign to raise awareness about the need for radon testing and mitigation.

Madden worked with local realtors and testified before the state legislature calling for mandatory testing in new and older homes, but such a statewide law has yet to pass.

However, movement is happening at a more local level.

Several counties and cities in Colorado (including Boulder, Aspen and Gunnison) now require radon resistant construction for new homes being built.

Health departments in the Rocky Mountain region also offer low-cost radon testing, and Colorado offers subsidies for low income residents who need to install a mitigation system.

Lauren Ericco, a spokesperson with the state’s health department, says testing can be done anytime, but winter is best.

As for Sally Madden, a decade after her surgery, she has recovered well.

While she is on oxygen every night, she says overall her lung function is good.

KVNF’s former news director Gavin Dahl reviewed “Deep Rising” at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival last week. The documentary film examines a potential shift from ocean floor exploration to exploitation by private companies.

That’s your Regional Newscast for today. I’m Cassie Knust.

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Cassie moved to Montrose from Texas in April 2020, right before COVID changed the landscape of the world as we knew it. She brought her love of people and a degree in broadcast journalism to the Western Slope, where she built a strong foundation in local print news. She’s excited to join the KVNF family and grow as a reporter. For Cassie, her job as a journalist is to empower the community through knowledge and information. When she’s not researching and reporting, Cassie loves to spend time with her cat, Jasper, and paint something new.<br/><br/>