Stone & Tile Industry News

Industry wins correction for recent flawed radon television coverage

The Marble Institute of America has obtained a correction from a daytime talk show that ran an alarmist, one-sided segment on granite countertops and radon/radiation.

The syndicated show "The Doctors," aired the inaccurate segment on October 24th. The show announcer even made the false claim that "the EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) says that some stone presents the same health risks as smoking a half pack of cigarettes per day." Since the airing, the MIA legal team has been diligent in working with lawyers from CBS Television Distribution to correct the inaccuracy.

As a result:

The segment in question has been pulled from The Doctors website and from any other websites that picked up this story.
Any search of The Doctors website for keywords like "radon, radioactive, countertops, etc." now pulls up a correction that begins:

"On October 24, we featured a segment discussing granite countertops and the potential for these countertops to emit radon gas. In that segment, we inadvertently attributed the following statement to the EPA: ‘The EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] says some types of granite countertops could be as bad as smoking a half a pack of cigarettes a day.’ The EPA did not make this statement regarding the health risks of granite countertops."

This victory would not have been achievable if not for the scientific research conducted over the past five years and continues today.

This work to protect the natural stone industry comes at a price, however. Our legal costs to combat "The Doctors" story in the past two weeks alone were significant. Getting the word out about granite safety, adds additional cost.

The MIA and the stone industry owe a sincere debt of gratitude to the many members from around the world who have helped to underwrite this research effort. Click here for a list of companies that have made contributions (over and above the money raised from your MIA membership dues).

We have raised more than $100,000 this year to cover the costs of the most recent research efforts. Unfortunately, we need an additional $40,000 to fully subsidize the program, which includes steps needed to get the findings published in a scientific journal. Please join these fine companies with a small pledge to help spread the word and continue our defense of natural granite. Anything you can contribute is greatly appreciated.

Click Here to Make a Contribution to the Truth About Granite Fund

Thank you for your ongoing support! The MIA will continue to underwrite studies to scientifically demonstrate the safety of our products for both our employees and our customers.