IEMA urges citizens to test their homes for radon      

[JAN. 28, 2006]  SPRINGFIELD -- With many Illinois citizens heeding the call to test their homes for radon during Radon Action Month, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and the American Lung Association of Illinois are making an additional 600 free radon test kits available to citizens.

"The only way you will know if your home has radon is to test," said William C. Burke, director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency. "That's why we joined with the American Lung Association during Radon Action Month to make 600 radon detectors available to the public. Response to those detectors has been tremendous, so we're making an additional 600 detectors available. In addition, links to companies that offer low-cost radon detectors are now on the IEMA website to make it easier for homeowners to obtain test kits."

Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich proclaimed January as Radon Action Month and encouraged citizens to test their homes for the radioactive gas known to cause lung cancer. The U.S. surgeon general has determined that radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the nation, behind smoking. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 21,000 radon-related lung cancer deaths occur annually in the United States, with as many as 900 of those in Illinois.

Radon is a colorless, odorless, tasteless radioactive gas that comes from the radioactive decay of naturally occurring uranium in the soil. It can enter homes and buildings through small cracks in the foundation, sump pumps or soil in crawl spaces. The U.S. EPA determined that homes with radon levels of 4 picocuries per liter of air or more should be fixed to lower the concentration.

The additional free radon detectors are available by contacting the American Lung Association at [phone], ext. 226. In addition, the IEMA Web pages now include links for companies that offer low-cost radon detectors. Those links can be accessed through www.state.il.us/iema.

For more information about radon testing or how to reduce elevated radon levels in your home, call [phone] or 1 [phone].

[Illinois Emergency Management Agency news release]