(CNN) -- Florida Gov. Charlie Crist warned Sunday that more flooding could be on the way in parts of the state already hard-hit by Tropical Storm Fay, now a tropical depression.
Saquin Scott watches a crew remove a tree that just missed his home Saturday in Gadsden County, Florida.
1 of 3 more photos » Crist told reporters he would take an aerial tour Sunday of the areas that took the worst of the storm.
Also Sunday, President Bush declared a "major disaster" area in Florida, making the counties of Brevard, Monroe, Okeechobee, and St. Lucie eligible for federal funds.
Fay, the tropical storm that wouldn't go away, has weakened to a tropical depression, but forecasters warn it could still drop up to a foot of rain along its path over northwest Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.
Fay was marching west-northwestward at 10 mph Sunday morning, and forecasters warned that the storm could spawn isolated tornadoes Sunday in the Florida Panhandle, western Georgia and Alabama. Watch trapped residents get rescued »
Fay, which sprang to life eight days ago over the Dominican Republic, caused flooding and at least 10 deaths in Haiti before sweeping over Cuba, the Florida Keys and onto the Florida peninsula.
The storm spent several days circling the central and upper coast of Florida with heavy rain and severe flooding before beginning its current westward track.
Fay is blamed for 11 Florida deaths.
Another storm-related death was reported in Cairo, Georgia -- about 35 miles north of Tallahassee -- when a teenager playing near a drainage area was swept away in rising waters, the National Weather Service reported.
Fay's disorganized center was about 60 miles east-northeast of Mobile, Alabama, and about 30 miles north-northeast of Pensacola, Florida, the hurricane center advisory said.
Radar measured Fay's top sustained winds at about 35 mph late Saturday, and it is expected to gradually weaken over the next two days, the center said.
"Fay is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of 6 to 12 inches across the extreme western portion of the northern Florida Peninsula, the Florida Panhandle, southwestern Georgia, the southern and central portions of Mississippi and Alabama and eastern Louisiana," the hurricane center said.
It also said some areas could get as much as 20 inches of rain.
While all tropical storm warnings and watches have ended, emergency officials along the Gulf Coast are braced.
In New Orleans, a famously low-lying city, the Army Corps of Engineers said its canal flood-watch teams have been activated as a precaution.
In anticipation of the storm's westward movement, teams will "mobilize to their duty stations 8 a.m. Sunday, and monitor canals and levees in the city," the Corps said in a written statement Saturday.
Col. Alvin Lee, New Orleans District commander, said the actions were "precautionary measures for the safety of the public."
"However, we are prepared to close the gates and run the pumps should the need arise," he said.
The Corps took responsibility after Hurricane Katrina flooded most of New Orleans in 2005 for not having built sufficient levees against flooding.
The National Hurricane Center said isolated areas of eastern Louisiana could have up to 20 inches of rain.
Mobile County, Alabama, opened five shelters and called in swift-water rescue teams in anticipation of flooding, said Steve Huffman, spokesman for the county's emergency management agency.
"The storm is actually weakening. That's not to say we're not going to have rain," Huffman told CNN. "We're still expecting some flooding because of this. We've got everything on standby -- hopefully it won't come to that.
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Sunday, August 24, 2008
Fight over Radon in Granite Countertops Heats Up
Written by Joel Bittle
The Marble Institute of America better get ready for another round of fighting because the issue of radon in granite countertops is back. For the past decade, the MIA has been trying, with much success, to squash the rumor that granite countertops have the potential to add dangerous amounts of radon in the home. A new study being conducted by Houston area not-for-profit BuildClean is raising old fears about the dangers of granite countertops, and its preliminary results show that while most granite countertops in the study contain very little to no radon at all, the countertops that do contain radon have levels that are frighteningly high. While consumers can be secure in the fact that the vast majority of granite is perfectly safe, a small percentage is still in question, and no independent scientific study exists to assuage consumer fears.
The first issue of Solid Surface in 1995 explored the possibility that granite countertops may pose a health risk. Soon, the MIA issued their response, which attacked the credibility of the science involved in the study as well as the fact that the advertisers in the journal included companies that competed with granite countertop manufacturers. But one phrase in the response, a highlighted phrase no less, is troubling: “…actual levels of radon gas emmissions are so low as to be insignificant and generally represent no threat.” As a father, I don’t want to be assured that there is “generally” no threat to my family. I want to know there is no threat. And after BuildClean* found that 3 of 95 granite countertops contained harmful amounts of radon, would the MIA consider such a small number to be “generally” no threat? I’m sure the owners of those three countertops are not reassured.
(*Correction: BuildClean did not find that 3 of 95 countertops contained harmful amounts of radon. Rather, the results are from a study by Dr. William Llope, a Rice University Physicist, who is not associated with either BuildClean or the MIA. His comments can be found on the third page of comments below.)
Look around for information on radon in granite and you will find many sites telling you the “truth” or uncovering “myths” about radon. Since many of the statistics cited are the same, it’s clear that much of the information comes from the MIA response linked above or from an updated (though with the same references) MIA PDF. My personal favorite was a site titled “Ask an Expert - 9 Myths about Granite” where they claim that “No one today takes credit for starting the rumor, and certainly no one supports it.” No one? They then make the claim that granite actually has healing properties. Most troubling is the fact that, as experts, they don’t seem to know that “lose” is spelled with only one “o.” The most common argument you’ll find, that radon occurs naturally, really needs to be taken out of their playbook. Just because it’s on the periodic table of the elements doesn’t mean I want it in my house. I’m talking to you, Californium.
In late 2007, the MIA scuffled with Home Safety Systems, which sells radon detectors. Like the fight over the original journal article, this seems to be another example of competing companies arguing science, which doesn’t sit right with me. The current BuildClean study is funded in part by Silestone and Cambria, two competitors of granite countertops. (Ironically, Silestone is a sponsor of the “Ask the Experts” article above - their logo is at the bottom of the page.)
So how do we start trusting that granite is safe? An independent study done by the EPA would be a good start. Leave corporate interests out of it. And don’t give us general findings - tell us exactly what was found. Since radon is found naturally in some parts of the earth, the MIA needs to admit that there is a possibility that some granite will contain radon, and then show how they are making sure such slabs do not make their way into our homes. Are granite countertops screened for radon before reaching the consumer? (Maybe the folks over at Home Safety Systems can help the MIA out with that.) Otherwise, without solid assurances, it won’t be long until consumers reject granite outright.
For information on green alternatives to granite, try Green Counter Culture.
For information on Radon: Go to www.safe-homes.com
The Marble Institute of America better get ready for another round of fighting because the issue of radon in granite countertops is back. For the past decade, the MIA has been trying, with much success, to squash the rumor that granite countertops have the potential to add dangerous amounts of radon in the home. A new study being conducted by Houston area not-for-profit BuildClean is raising old fears about the dangers of granite countertops, and its preliminary results show that while most granite countertops in the study contain very little to no radon at all, the countertops that do contain radon have levels that are frighteningly high. While consumers can be secure in the fact that the vast majority of granite is perfectly safe, a small percentage is still in question, and no independent scientific study exists to assuage consumer fears.
The first issue of Solid Surface in 1995 explored the possibility that granite countertops may pose a health risk. Soon, the MIA issued their response, which attacked the credibility of the science involved in the study as well as the fact that the advertisers in the journal included companies that competed with granite countertop manufacturers. But one phrase in the response, a highlighted phrase no less, is troubling: “…actual levels of radon gas emmissions are so low as to be insignificant and generally represent no threat.” As a father, I don’t want to be assured that there is “generally” no threat to my family. I want to know there is no threat. And after BuildClean* found that 3 of 95 granite countertops contained harmful amounts of radon, would the MIA consider such a small number to be “generally” no threat? I’m sure the owners of those three countertops are not reassured.
(*Correction: BuildClean did not find that 3 of 95 countertops contained harmful amounts of radon. Rather, the results are from a study by Dr. William Llope, a Rice University Physicist, who is not associated with either BuildClean or the MIA. His comments can be found on the third page of comments below.)
Look around for information on radon in granite and you will find many sites telling you the “truth” or uncovering “myths” about radon. Since many of the statistics cited are the same, it’s clear that much of the information comes from the MIA response linked above or from an updated (though with the same references) MIA PDF. My personal favorite was a site titled “Ask an Expert - 9 Myths about Granite” where they claim that “No one today takes credit for starting the rumor, and certainly no one supports it.” No one? They then make the claim that granite actually has healing properties. Most troubling is the fact that, as experts, they don’t seem to know that “lose” is spelled with only one “o.” The most common argument you’ll find, that radon occurs naturally, really needs to be taken out of their playbook. Just because it’s on the periodic table of the elements doesn’t mean I want it in my house. I’m talking to you, Californium.
In late 2007, the MIA scuffled with Home Safety Systems, which sells radon detectors. Like the fight over the original journal article, this seems to be another example of competing companies arguing science, which doesn’t sit right with me. The current BuildClean study is funded in part by Silestone and Cambria, two competitors of granite countertops. (Ironically, Silestone is a sponsor of the “Ask the Experts” article above - their logo is at the bottom of the page.)
So how do we start trusting that granite is safe? An independent study done by the EPA would be a good start. Leave corporate interests out of it. And don’t give us general findings - tell us exactly what was found. Since radon is found naturally in some parts of the earth, the MIA needs to admit that there is a possibility that some granite will contain radon, and then show how they are making sure such slabs do not make their way into our homes. Are granite countertops screened for radon before reaching the consumer? (Maybe the folks over at Home Safety Systems can help the MIA out with that.) Otherwise, without solid assurances, it won’t be long until consumers reject granite outright.
For information on green alternatives to granite, try Green Counter Culture.
For information on Radon: Go to www.safe-homes.com
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