Douglas residents testing for radon, but few are fixing problem

People are checking for radon gas, but it doesn't appear that many are doing much to fix the problem.

Test kits are flying off the shelves, with and estimated 1,200 new free tests distributed so far this month, according to University of Nevada Cooperative Extension Douglas County Educator Steve Lewis.

Douglas County has had a good return on the kits with 69 percent being returned for processing.

"The state folks have been really impressed with the number of free kits that have been processed," Lewis said. The rate is one of the highest in the state, with 1,256 valid tests, so far. Douglas also has one of the highest single number of results exceeding the Environmental Protection Agency's action level with 514 locations all over the county.

But Lewis said the state has only received reports that three-dozen homes in the Valley have been retrofitted to vent the radioactive gas that is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers in the nation.

"The bad news is that 41 percent of the test kits processed exceed the action level, but we've only heard that 35 homes have been fixed. People need to take it seriously when they receive a positive test."

This year 30 people responded to a radon education session at Sheridan Acres that was attended by as many as 300 last year. A session in Stateline was attended by 60 people, which is higher than last year's turnout.

Lewis said the program included a local radon mitgator to give people some idea about how to fix a high radon reading.

Radon is an odorless, tasteless radioactive gas that results from the decay of uranium in the soil. It can seep into homes, where it gathers in quiet places, especially when a home is closed up for the winter. In order to fix a high radon level, the gas must be vented from the crawl space out past the living part of the home and up into the atmosphere.

Lewis said the state didn't have figures for people who may have corrected the issue themselves or hired a non-certified contractor.

There are two things we want people to understand," Lewis said. "You only have to test to understand your risk. Every house is different, but they are all fixable. You don't have to move. You can fix it."

Douglas County residents can receive a free test kit by going to the Douglas County Cooperative Extension Office at 1329 Waterloo in Gardnerville.

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that as many as 8 million homes in the United States currently have elevated level of radon gas. They also predict that if action is not taken to correct this problem, between 15,000 and 22,000 deaths will occur in 2010 from exposure to the gas. Radon causes more deaths each year in the U.S. than any other in-home hazard including fires and carbon monoxide deaths combined.

UNCE's Radon Education Program offers educational programs and literature to Nevadans to educate citizens about the radon health risk.

For more information, visit the UNCE web site, www.unce.unr.edu/radon. Groups seeking a program presentation should contact Megan Long at the Radon Hot Line, 1-888-RADON10 to reserve a date.