TOWN OF KILLINGWORTH
HEALTH DEPARTMENT
323 RT 81, Killingworth, CT 06419
PHONE: (860)663-1765 x223 FAX: (860)663-3305
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Press Release
Free Radon Test Kits Available from the Killingworth Health Department
January 15, 2019
The Killingworth Health Department wants to let residents know that they still have 32 free radon test kits available and now is the best time to test your home for radon. Residents can stop into the office Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. to pick up their free test kit. Radon gas is the leading national environmental cause of cancer mortality. Health officials estimate that radon is responsible for more than 21,100 lung cancer deaths each year in the United States.
A naturally occurring, radioactive gas formed from the natural decay of uranium, radon is found in rock, soil and water. While radon in outdoor air poses a relatively low risk to human health, it can enter homes from the surrounding soil and become a health hazard inside buildings.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends that homes with radon levels at or above 4.0 pCi/L be fixed. Homeowners should consider reducing their potential lung cancer risk by fixing homes with radon levels between 2 pCi/L and 4 pCi/L. Smokers exposed to radon have a much higher risk for developing lung cancer.
Radon problems can be corrected by qualified radon contractors, with costs typically ranging between $1,200 and $1,500. A homeowner should hire a qualified radon mitigation (reduction) contractor to decrease airborne radon levels.
To learn more about radon and to obtain a list of qualified radon mitigation contractors, please visit the CT Department of Public Health Radon Program website at, www.ct.gov/dph/radon.
Test kits are also available in most hardware stores and from the American Lung Association, https://www.lung.org/our-initiatives/healthy-air/indoor/indoor-air-pollutants/radon.html.
Additional information may be found on the EPA web site, http://www.epa.gov/radon/index.html.
For more information please contact the Killingworth Health Department at (860) 663-1765 x223.
Prepared by Paul Hutcheon, Director of Health, Town of Killingworth, phutcheon@townofkillingworth.com, (860) 663-1765, x223.
