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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Monday, Jan. 5, 2009 |
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Gov. Ritter Urges Households to Test for Radon GasDENVER — Gov. Bill Ritter today proclaimed January to be Colorado Radon Action Month and urged residents to test their homes for radon, a radioactive gas responsible for hundreds of Colorado cancer deaths each year. The colorless, odorless, tasteless gas enters homes through cracks in the floor or spaces around utility pipes and accumulates unless properly vented. Long-term radon exposure is the leading cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers and the second leading cause of lung cancer in smokers. “January is an ideal month to test your home for radon, because short-term tests require closed windows and doors,” Gov. Ritter said. “Testing is easy, and it’s the only way to know for certain if your health is at risk, and to make your home safe to prevent harm to you and your loved ones.” The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment provides coupons for reduced-cost radon test kits at www.coloradoradon.info. The Web site also lists contractors certified by the National Environmental Health Association to install systems to remove, or mitigate, radon. “The Environmental Protection Agency recommends installing a mitigation system if your home tests above four picocuries per liter of air,” explained Chrystine Kelley, radon program coordinator in the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Division. “Qualified contractors can seal cracks and install ventilation systems to prevent radon from collecting in your home.” Certified contractors installed 8,597 new mitigation systems statewide in 2007, an increase of 764 from 2006. Merely opening a window will not remove radon from the home. Radon results from the radioactive decay of uranium, which occurs naturally in soil. Due to Colorado’s geologic makeup, 52 of the state’s 64 counties are at high risk for radon. The gas moves unpredictably through soil, so it’s possible for radon to collect in one home, but not in a home next door. The complete text of the governor’s proclamation can be read at www.coloradoradon.info. Colorado residents also can call the state’s Radon Hotline at 1-800-846-3986 or check with their local health department, county extension office or public health nurse for radon information. ---30--- |
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