January is National Radon Action Month
Garfield County offers free radon test kits for homes
PRESS RELEASE
January 22, 2013
Locations to pick up test kits are as follows:
- Garfield County Public Health Department locations at 2014 Blake Avenue, Glenwood Springs, and at 195 W. 14th Street, Rifle,
- All town halls and city halls in Garfield County,
- The Clean Energy Economy for the Region (CLEER) office at the Third Street Center in Carbondale.
GARFIELD COUNTY, CO – Radon is a radioactive gas responsible for hundreds of lung cancer deaths in Colorado each year. It enters homes through the ground, contaminating the air inside. Garfield County Environmental Health staff encourages residents to pick up a free radon test kit during January, which is National Radon Action Month.
The kits determine the level of radon gas in a home.
Long-term exposure to radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers, and the second leading cause of lung cancer in smokers. Radon is naturally occurring. It is rarely an issue outdoors, however, in buildings it may accumulate, unless properly vented. It comes from the radioactive decay of uranium, which occurs naturally in soil. Radon is colorless, odorless, and tasteless, and can enter homes through cracks in the floor or spaces around utility pipes.
Due to Colorado’s geologic makeup, 52 of the state’s 64 counties are at high risk for radon, including Garfield County. The gas moves unpredictably through soil, so it’s possible for radon to collect in a home, but not affect the home next door. Testing is easy and free!
Visit the Garfield County website for general radon information, this information on test kits, a radon guide producing by federal agencies, and information from the state of Colorado. Or call Garfield County Public Health at 970-625-5200, ext 8106, for more information.
Radon