The Storey Teller News and commentary on what’s really going on in Storey County.
January is National Radon Action Month, and University of Nevada Cooperative Extension’s Radon Education Program is offering free short-term radon test kits to Storey County Residents on February 15th.
Radon test kits are available at Cooperative Extension offices and partnering locations, as well as at presentations statewide.
Radon is a naturally occurring, radioactive gas that’s 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 estimates 21,000 Americans die each year from radon-caused lung cancer, killing more people than secondhand smoke, drunk driving, house fires and unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning combined.
In Nevada, one in four homes tested show radon concentrations at or above the EPA action level. Living in a home with radon concentrations at the action level poses a risk of developing lung cancer. . This risk is similar to the risk posed by 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.
Free Radon Test Kits distributed on February 15th 2018 at the Storey County Senior Center at 12:45 p.m.
The University of Nevada Cooperative Extension’s Radon Education Program will hold a presentation to discuss Radon and the Free Test Kits on February 15th 2018 at the Storey County Senior Center, 100 Mill St., Virginia City, at 12:45 p.m.
For those who can’t attend a presentation, free radon test kits are available through Feb. 28 at the Storey County Library, 175 E. Carson St., Virginia City.
Nevadans can also order free test kits at https://fee4freekit.eventbrite.com, or by mailing in the Radon Test Kit Order form, also available online for printing at http://bit.ly/NRAM18freekit. Ordered test kits will require $4 for shipping.
Test kits and presentations are offered in Southern Nevada. For information, call the Radon Hotline at 888-RADON10 (888-723-6610), or visit the Nevada Radon Education Program website at http://www.RadonNV.com. Cooperative Extension, and Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health urge all Nevadans to test their homes for radon.
For information about Cooperative Extension, visit http://www.unce.unr.edu.
