The EPA is urging residents in the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains to “Check Your Nest” and reduce home radon levels.

Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming are among the states with the highest lung cancer risk due to radon gas.

DENVER – January is National Radon Action Month and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is working with our partners to spread the word about the health risks of radon in homes, the importance of testing, and steps homeowners can take to reduce risk in the Rocky mountains and states of the Great Plains Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming.

Radon is a known carcinogen and is estimated to cause over 20,000 lung cancer deaths in the US each year. In fact, a colorless, odorless gas is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. The good news is that health risks and exposures are preventable – checking and lowering the radon levels in your home and saving lives is easy.

These years Call to action – “Check your nest!” especially important for residents of our region, since a significant number of these states are at risk of high levels of indoor radon, which can cause lung cancer. The best way to protect yourself from radon is to do a simple and inexpensive test in your home. The EPA recommends that homeowners take steps to reduce radon levels when they exceed an action level of 4.0. picocurie per liter (or 4 pCi/l).

Map of radon zones in the USA

“Understanding the level of radon in your home is one of the most important steps you can take to protect your health and the health of your family.” said Regional Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency K.S. Becker.. “I encourage you to take some time to check on your nest this winter so you can be sure that quality time spent inside with friends and loved ones is not only comfortable, but safe.”

Want to know more? The information and resources below can help!

what can you do

  • Learn the Basics – Visit the EPA Radon website for a wide range of information, including free radon publications.
  • Check your home – The US Environmental Protection Agency and US Surgeon General recommend that all homes in the US be screened for radon. Learn more about testing your homeincluding how to get an easy-to-use test suite.
  • Fix your home if necessary – If your test results are elevated, the EPA recommends hiring a certified radon reduction specialist to install a mitigation system that will prevent radon from entering your home. Read more about how to reduce radon levels in your home. Environmental Protection Agency “Consumer Guide to Radon Reduction“.
  • spread the word – Verify Media resources here and share the infographic on social media and in your community to spread the word about the importance of radon testing. Tell your family and friends about health risks from radon.
  • Building a new house? Do this radon resistant. Read more about radon-resistant new buildings in »Getting Rid of Radon: A Step-by-Step Guide to Building Radon-Resistant Homes.

BY STATE INFORMATION for Region 8 Environmental Protection Agency

COLORADO Radon Fast Facts

  • Half of all homes in Colorado have high levels of radon.
  • Living in a house with an average level of radon in Colorado (6.4 pCi/L) for example, do 200 chest x-rays a year.
  • Approximately 500 people in Colorado die each year from radon-induced lung cancer.
  • The State of Colorado has a Low Income Assistance Program (LIRMA) that can pay for radon reduction activities if the following eligibility requirements are met: www.coloradoradon.info.

COLORADO Radon experts

  • Christine Kelly: Radon Program Manager, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, (303) 692-3442,[email protected] 
  • Patty Dooley-Strapelli: Boulder County Public Health,www.radonawarecolorado.org, (303) 441-1560,[email protected]
  • Heidi Nafman Onda: Radon lung cancer survivor, radon awareness advocate., (303) 594-4787,[email protected]
  • Sally A. Madden: Radon lung cancer survivor, radon awareness advocate., (303) 807-6438,[email protected]

MONTANA Radon Fast Facts

  • Nearly half of all homes in Montana have high levels of radon.

MONTANA Radon experts

  • Michael L. Gustafson: Montana Small Business Ombudsman, Radon Coordinator, Montana Department of Environmental Quality, (406) 444-6592, Michael [email protected]
  • Paul Chida: Energy Specialist, Montana Department of Environmental Quality., (406) 444-6464, [email protected]

NORTH DAKOTA Facts about radon

  • The EPA classifies all counties in North Dakota as Zone 1 with the highest potential for elevated radon levels.
  • 63 percent of homes in North Dakota have elevated radon levels above the EPA action level of 4.0 picocuries per liter (pCi/L).

NORTH DAKOTA Radon Experts

  • Justin Otto: Radon Program Manager, North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality, (701) 328-5246, [email protected] 
  • Gary J. Schwartz: Professor in the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of North Dakota., (701) 777-6598, [email protected]

NORTH DAKOTA Fast Facts

  • Living in a house with an average level of radon in South Dakota (9.6 pCi/L) is like having300 chest x-rays per year.

SOUTH DAKOTA Radon Experts

UTAH Facts about radon

  • 1 out of 3 tested homes in Utah has elevated levels of radon.
  • Utah has the lowest smoking rate in the country, but lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the state.

UTAH Radon Experts

WYOMING Facts about radon

  • The average radon level in Wyoming is 5.1 pCi/L, which is above the EPA action level of 4 pCi/L.
  • Of the 99 municipalities in Wyoming, 18 have implemented radon control measures in their building codes.
  • On average, 1,397 Wyoming homes are tested for radon each year, and 118 homes are mitigated each year.
  • Radon test kits are available free of charge until supplies run out for Wyoming residents inhealth.wyo.gov/radon.

WYOMING Radon Experts

  • Randy Norton-Herrington: Public Relations and Media Coordinator, Wyoming Cancer Control Program, Department of Health; (307) 777-6015; [email protected]

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