Free kits to test for deadly gas available through February

University of Nevada Cooperative Extension’s Radon Education Program is offering free short-term radon test kits to Nevadans until Feb. 28. Radon test kits are available at Cooperative Extension offices and partnering locations 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.

Free test kits are available through Feb. 28 at the following northern Nevada locations:

Carson City/Storey County Cooperative Extension, 2621 Northgate Lane, Suite 15, Carson City; Churchill County Cooperative Extension, 111 Sheckler Road, Fallon; Douglas County Cooperative Extension, 1325 Waterloo Lane, Gardnerville; Gardnerville Ranchos GID, 931 Mitch Drive, Gardnerville; Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, 128 Market St., Stateline; Genoa Town Office, 2289 Main St., Genoa.

Elko County Cooperative Extension, 701 Walnut St., Elko; City of West Wendover City Hall, 1111 N. Gene L. Jones Way, West Wendover; Humboldt County Cooperative Extension, 1085 Fairgrounds Road, Winnemucca; Lander County Cooperative Extension, 815 N. Second St., Battle Mountain; Lyon County Cooperative Extension, 504 S. Main St., Yerington; Fernley City Hall, 595 Silver Lace Blvd., Fernley; Central Lyon County Fire District, 246 Dayton Valley Road, Dayton; Mineral County Cooperative Extension, 205 S. A St., Hawthorne; Pershing County Cooperative Extension, 810 Sixth St., Lovelock; Storey County Senior Center, 100 Mill St., Virginia City.

Lockwood Senior/Community Center, 800 Peri Ranch Road, Lockwood; Tonopah Town Office, 140 S. Main St., Tonopah; Washoe County Cooperative Extension, 4955 Energy Way, Reno; Sun Valley General Improvement District, 5000 Sun Valley Blvd., Sun Valley; Incline Village Recreation Center, 980 Incline Way, Incline Village.

A list of locations to get test kits can be found at http://bit.ly/NRAM19kitlocations. Nevadans can also order free test kits online at https://2019freekit.eventbrite.com, or by submitting a radon test kit request online at http://bit.ly/nram19cpn, then mailing the confirmation email and a $4 check or money order to the Radon Education Program’s administration office, 4955 Energy Way, Reno 89502. Write the check or money order to Board of Regents.

For more information, call the Radon Hotline at 1-888-RADON10 (1-888-723-6610) 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.

The Nevada Radon Education Program is a program of University of Nevada Cooperative Extension and is funded by the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health through Grant Number K1-96963519-0 from the EPA. Since the program began in 2007, more than 28,000 homes have been tested in Nevada.