CEDAR RAPIDS, IA - Funding from the Iowa Department of Public Health will allow 110 Linn County residents to receive a FREE in-home radon test kit from Linn County Public Health. Radon test kits are normally sold for $5 each and are a simple, effective way to test for the presence of radon in the home.
Radon is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that comes from the earth and enters our buildings. Nearly half of Linn County homes are expected to have radon levels over the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recommended mitigation level. Linn County and all counties in Iowa have a predicted average indoor radon level more than the EPA’s recommended action level of 4.0 pCi/L (picocuries per liter). Radon is prevalent year round; however radon levels tend to be higher during colder months.
“We are very pleased to be able to offer a limited number of radon test kits to Linn County residents at no cost” says Jim Hodina, Environmental Public Health Services Manager. “Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. Residents should be aware that the only way to know if your home has radon is to test.”
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Effective January 1, 2013, straightforward building techniques and practices were adopted in the Linn County Code of Ordinance, Chapter 3, Linn County Building Regulations to control radon entry at the time of construction for one and two family dwellings. Building radon out of the home during construction is less costly than controlling the gas after the home is built.
The Linn County Board of Supervisors has issued a proclamation stating that January 2013 is OFFICIAL RADON ACTION MONTH in Linn County.
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For more information about radon, visit www.epa.gov/radon/