VERMONT — Long-term exposure to radon gas is the number one cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. Criterium-Lalancette Engineers is working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in a nationwide campaign to educate Americans about the dangers of radon exposure and to encourage them to take action to protect their homes and families.
Radon is an odorless, tasteless, colorless, radioactive gas that is responsible for approximately 21,000 deaths every year. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates radon is present at elevated levels in about one in eight homes in Vermont and one in three homes in New Hampshire. “However,” says Richard Lalancette, president of Criterium-Lalancette Engineers, “because you can’t see or smell radon, people tend to downplay the risk and ignore the possibility that there might be a silent killer in their home.”
Any building can have radon: new or old buildings, well-sealed or drafty buildings, and buildings with or without a basement. An elevated radon level is easy to fix, but the only way to know if a building needs to be fixed is to test.
Radon testing is simple and inexpensive. Radon test kits can be obtained through the Vermont Department of Health, at local hardware stores, or through a certified lab. Also, certified radon measurement providers can be hired. If discovered, a radon problem can be fixed by a certified radon mitigator for a cost similar to that of many common home repairs.
January is National Radon Action Month. Criterium-Lalancette Engineers urges Vermont and New Hampshire residents to take action by testing their homes for radon. Protect your family from this silent killer. For more information on radon, log onto www.epa.gov/radon or www.criterium-lalancette.com/radon-and-water-fact-sheet, or call Criterium-Lalancette Engineers at 1-800-639-4535.