University of Nevada Cooperative Extension offers free test kits at public meetings in January
January is National Radon Action Month, and University of Nevada Cooperative Extension’s Radon Education Program is offering educational presentations about radon health risks at several Carson City, Lake Tahoe and Douglas county locations. Free test kits will also be available at the presentations.
Scheduled presentations for Carson City, Incline, Stateline and Minden are:
- Jan. 25 – Carson City Senior Center, 901 Beverly Drive, Carson City, at 6 p.m.
- Jan. 26 – Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, 128 Market St., Stateline, at 6 p.m.
Jan. 27 – CVIC Hall, 1604 Esmeralda Ave., Minden, at 6 p.m.- Jan. 28 – Incline Village GID Public Works, 1220 Sweetwater Road, Incline Village, at 6 p.m.
INFORMATION: www.RadonNV.com, or call 888-RADON10 (888-723-6610).
Radon is a naturally occurring, radioactive gas that is colorless, odorless and tasteless. It comes from the ground and can accumulate in homes, raising the risk of lung cancer. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates 21,000 Americans die each year from radon-caused lung cancer, killing more pe
ople than secondhand smoke, drunk driving, falls in the home, drowning or house fires.
In Nevada, one in four homes tested show radon concentrations at or above the EPA action level. According to experts, living in a home with radon concentrations at the action level poses as much risk of developing lung cancer as smoking about half a pack of cigarettes a day.
The risk of radon-caused lung cancer can be reduced. A simple three-day test can determine if a house has a radon problem, and winter is an ideal time to test a home for radon. If radon problems are found, they can be fixed.
For those who cannot attend a presentation, free radon test kits are also available through Feb. 29 at the Carson City County Cooperative Extension, 2621 Northgate Lane, in Carson City, at Douglas County Cooperative Extension, 1325 Waterloo, in Gardnerville, at Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, 128 Market St., in Stateline, and Nevada Tahoe Conservation District, 400 Dorla Ct., in Zephyr Cove.
The Nevada Radon Education Program is a program of University of Nevada Cooperative Extension and is funded by the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health. Since the program began in 2007, more than 21,000 homes have been tested in Nevada.
Cooperative Extension, the EPA and the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health urge all Nevadans to get their homes tested for radon. For more information, visit the Nevada Radon Education Program website at www.RadonNV.com, or call the Radon Hotline at 888-RADON10 (888-723-6610).
