Events to teach radon safety and offer free test kits to Nevadans

January is National Radon Action Month, and University of Nevada Cooperative Extension’s Radon Education Program is offering free short-term radon test kits to Nevadans from Jan. 2 through Feb. 28.

Radon test kits are available at Cooperative Extension offices and partnering locations, as well as at presentations statewide.

Radon is a naturally occurring, radioactive gas that’s colorless, odorless and tasteless. It comes from the ground and can accumulate in homes, raising the risk of lung cancer. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates 21,000 Americans die each year from radon-caused lung cancer, killing more people than secondhand smoke, drunk driving, house fires and unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning combined.

In Nevada, one in four homes tested show radon concentrations at or above the EPA action level. According to experts, living in a home with radon concentrations at the action level poses a risk of developing lung cancer similar to the risk posed by 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 house has a radon problem, and winter is an ideal time to test a home for radon. If radon problems are found, they can be fixed.

Scheduled presentations for Northern Nevada are as follows:

Jan. 17 — Verdi Community Library & Nature Center, 270 Bridge St., Verdi, at 4 p.m.

Jan. 23 — Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, 128 Market St., Stateline, at 6 p.m.

Jan. 24 — Carson City Senior Center, 911 Beverly Drive, Carson City, at 6:30 p.m.

Feb. 7 — South Valleys Library, 15650 Wedge Parkway, Reno, at 6 p.m.

Feb. 8 — CVIC, 1604 Esmeralda Ave., Minden, at 6 p.m.

Feb. 15 — Storey County Senior Center, 100 Mill St., Virginia City, at 12:45 p.m.

Feb. 21 — Incline Village GID, Public Works, 1220 Sweetwater Road, Incline Village, at 6 p.m.

Feb. 24 — Northwest Reno Library, 2325 Robb Drive, Reno, at 2 p.m.

For those who can’t attend a presentation, free test kits are available through Feb. 28 at the following area locations:

Carson City/Storey County Cooperative Extension, 2621 Northgate Lane, Suite 15, Carson City.

Carson Tahoe Cancer Resource Center, 1535 Medical Parkway, Carson City.

Churchill County Cooperative Extension, 111 Sheckler Road, Fallon.

Douglas County Cooperative Extension, 1325 Waterloo Lane, Gardnerville.

Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, 128 Market St., Stateline.

Lyon County Cooperative Extension, 504 S. Main St., Yerington.

Fernley City Hall, 595 Silver Lace Blvd., Fernley.

Central Lyon County Fire District, 231 Corral Drive, Dayton.

Storey County Library, 175 E. Carson St., Virginia City.

Incline Village Recreation Center, 980 Incline Way, Incline Village.

Nevadans can also order free test kits at https://fee4freekit.eventbrite.com, or by mailing in the Radon Test Kit Order form, also available online for printing at http://bit.ly/NRAM18freekit. Ordered test kits will require $4 for shipping.

Test kits and presentations are offered in Southern Nevada. For information, call the Radon Hotline at 888-RADON10 (888-723-6610), or visit the Nevada Radon Education Program website at www.RadonNV.com. Cooperative Extension, the EPA and the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health urge all Nevadans to test their homes for radon.

For information about Cooperative Extension, visit www.unce.unr.edu.