Information Contributed by Eleanor Divver
Governor Cox of Utah has made a declaration that the State of Utah joins the national initiative of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to educate the public about the dangers and risks of elevated indoor radon gas levels. The declaration is attached.
Other actions promoting National Radon Action Month in Utah include the press release shown below and a social media post that will be advertised with Facebook Moms Groups + KSL News viewers.
PRESS RELEASE
January 2025
CONTACT:
Ginger Zamora
(385)245-4603
dgzamora@utah.gov
Stop the silent killer at home - National Radon Action Month brings awareness to radon poisoning and how to stop it
Salt Lake City, UT - During National Radon Action month in January, Utah residents are encouraged to test their homes for dangerous levels of radon. Radon, a naturally occurring radioactive gas, is the number one cause of lung cancer death for non-smokers. Although Utah has the lowest rate of smoking in the nation, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in our state. It is tasteless, odorless, and invisible to the naked eye.
“During the winter we are often focused on our outdoor air quality, but we should also take a look at our indoor air quality,” says Eleanor Divver, DEQ Radon Program Coordinator. “I’ve had too many conversations with families who are facing the health consequences of high levels of radon in their home, a place where they expect to feel safe. The only way to know if your home has unsafe levels is to test, and National Radon Action Month is the perfect time to do it.”
Radon in Utah
● 1 in 3 Utah homes and 1 in 2 West Valley homes tested have radon levels that exceed what is considered safe for humans at 4 picocuries or higher. Picocuries are a trillionth of a curie, the unit used to measure radiation. The average radon level of tested homes in Utah is 5.3 picocuries, and the highest recorded radon level is a home in Beaver at 664.
● Every 10 picocuries is equivalent to smoking a pack of cigarettes a day.
● Radon has been proven to cause lung cancer, and it is classified as a known human carcinogen.
● Mitigation systems effectively lower radon to safe levels. Homeowners should verify that their mitigation system installer is a Certified Radon Professional (CRP) by visiting radon.utah.gov.
The only way to detect radon is by using a radon kit. To help protect Utah residents from
the health impacts of radon, the Utah Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has testing kits available to order for $11 at radon.utah.gov.
Eleanor Divver | Small Business Assistance | Radon Coordinator
Phone: 801.536.0091
SBEAP.Utah.Gov | Radon.Utah.Gov
United States