University of Nevada to hold radon awareness event at TRPA

The University of Nevada Cooperative Extension’s Radon Education Program is offering free radon test kits and an educational presentation about radon on Thursday, March 2 at 6:00 p.m. at the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) offices.

Free radon test kits will be available for Nevada residents and test kits can be purchased at low-cost for out-of-state residents.

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. EPA estimates that 21,000 Americans die each year from radon-caused lung cancer, killing more people than secondhand smoke, drunk driving, falls in the home, drowning, and house fires.

One in four Nevada homes tested show radon concentrations at or above the EPA action level. The potential is higher in Stateline, where 70 percent homes tested have an elevated radon level. Experts say 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 home has a radon problem and if radon problems are found they can be fixed. Winter is the ideal time to test a home.

For more information, call the Radon Hotline at (888) 723-6610 or visit the Nevada Radon Education Program website at www.RadonNV.com. For more information about the upcoming radon presentation at TRPA, contact Susan Howe, director of the Nevada Radon Education Program, at (775) 336-0248.

TRPA is located at 128 Market Street, Stateline, Nev.