Radon Press Release

“One in every two homes in Nebraska has an elevated radon level and yours could be one of them,”said Mark Versch, environmental health analyst from the Nebraska Department of Health and
Human Services. Fortunately, there are simple solutions to lower elevated levels of radon in homes.

Versch will be in the Panhandle to inform residents how to protect their family from the negative
health risks posed by radon and answer any questions regarding radon and radon mitigation.
Versch will be speaking at the Chadron Housing Information Fair, January 18 from 3 to 6 p.m. at
the Dawes County 4-H building in Chadron. He will also speak to the public at the Alliance Library
and Learning Center, Room C on January 19 at 5:30 p.m. The general public as well as realtors,
plumbers, heating & air conditioning contractors, home builders and other interested contractors
are invited to attend.

January is National Radon Action Month, and PPHD will be kicking off a radon test kit contest in
area schools in a campaign to draw attention to radon as a serious public health issue and, more
importantly, to motivate Panhandle residents to take action to protect themselves and their families
from the negative health risks posed by radon by testing their homes. Radon is a naturally
occurring, invisible, odorless gas that is harmless when dispersed in outdoor air, but when trapped in
buildings, can be harmful at elevated levels and is the second leading cause of lung cancer.

All houses have some radon, but houses next to each other can have very different radon levels.
The only way to know if your home has dangerous levels of radon is to test it. Free radon test kits
are available by calling PPHD at 308-487-3600 or toll free at 866-701-7173.