FW: OHA News Release 1/4: Oregonians urged to test homes for radon

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FYI. s. fuchs dc

From: Oregon Health

Authority [mailto:oha@...]

Sent: Wednesday, January 04, 2012

8:19 AM

Sharron Fuchs

Subject: OHA News Release 1/4:

Oregonians urged to test homed for radon

January 4, 2012

Media contact: Stone, 971-673-1282,

desk; 503-602-8027, cell; chrristine.l.stone@...

Oregonians are urged to test their home for radon, a leading cause

of lung cancer in the United States

Testing is easy, inexpensive and can save a life

You

can’t see it, smell it or taste it, but radon could be in your home at

dangerous levels. The Oregon Radon Program is working with the United States

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in a nationwide campaign to educate

people about the dangers of radon. January is National Radon Action Month.

“It’s

estimated that radon causes over 20,000 lung cancer deaths per year in the U.S. The only

way to know if your home has high radon levels is to test,” said Brett Sherry,

radon coordinator for Oregon Health Authority’s Public Health Division.

Radon

is a naturally occurring gas that comes up from the ground. It can get drawn

into our homes, where it can build up to unsafe levels. Radon is the second

leading cause of lung cancer after smoking, and the leading cause of lung

cancer among non-smokers.

If

you find that your home has high radon levels, it can be fixed. Qualified radon

mitigation professionals can effectively reduce radon levels in homes.

In

2010, the Oregon Legislature passed new legislation on radon. These laws

created building codes that address radon in new residential structures and

public buildings in Baker, Clackamas, Hood

River, Multnomah, Polk, Washington

and Yamhill counties. The laws also require radon information to be made

available to new home buyers by the Oregon Real Estate Agency.

Testing

homes for radon is simple and inexpensive. Radon test kits can be purchased at

local hardware and home improvement stores or online. Many test kits cost

between $10 and $25. The American Lung Association in Oregon (ALAO) offers test

kits for $14, which includes the cost of shipping, handling and analysis. You

can find a link to ALAO on the Oregon Public Health’s radon website at www.healthoregon.org/radon.

For

more information about radon, radon testing and mitigation, radon-resistant new

construction, or to order a test kit online please call the Oregon Radon

Program at 971-673-0440 or visit the Oregon Public Health’s radon website at www.healthoregon.org/radon

or EPA’s website at www.epa.gov/radon/nram.

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