National Radon Action Month

national radon action month, radon, radon exposure, Radon Testing, water 7 Comments

By Wendy Dew

I work in EPA’s Denver regional office, and we’re proud to congratulate 14-year-old Maison Ann Williams, from Utah, who was the first place winner in the 2014 National Radon Poster Contest. It never ceases to amaze me how engaged kids are in protecting the environment.

Radon is a cancer-causing, radioactive gas that comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water. EPA estimates there are about 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year from radon exposure in the U.S. It can be found all over the U.S. and it can get into any type of building — homes, offices, and schools. You can’t see radon, and you can’t smell or taste it, but it may be a problem in your home. The good news is that you can pretty easily fix the problem.

It’s important to get your home tested; I should know. We knew our new house in Colorado had higher than safe levels of radon (it’s built on a large granite boulder, surrounded by decomposing granite). Within a few weeks of moving in, we put in a radon mitigation system with a commercial-sized fan and two vents in our basement. We tested continuously for a year, and our levels went down to safer levels. Whew!

Teaching others about radon, and what you can do about it, is where the poster contest comes in, which we run with Kansas State University. Tell your kids that entries for this year’s contest will be accepted from March through October. Students ages 9-14 from states and tribal nations across the country, and all U.S. territories, are encouraged to create posters that raise radon awareness and encourage radon testing in every home. The top three national winners will win a prize, and their poster will be used in radon awareness efforts.

I’m so glad that students like Maison are helping to spread the word about radon and the danger it can pose to families. Remember: test, test, and test some more if you do not know what the radon levels are in your home. January is National Radon Action Month … what a great time to test!

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About the author: Wendy Dew is the Outreach and Education Coordinator for EPA Region 8.

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