Do you have radon in your home? Get free test kits from Walking Mountains, Vail Health, Eagle County

Radon gas exposure can cause lung cancer. Walking Mountains Science Center has partnered with Vail Health’s Shaw Cancer Center and Eagle County’s Environmental Health Department to raise awareness and offer free radon test kits.

January is National Radon Action Month and is a perfect time to test homes for radon because windows and doors are typically closed. The test kit is simple and easy to use with detailed instructions, and includes a prepaid and addressed envelope to send for analysis.

According to the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, approximately 40% of Eagle County homes have radon gas above the Environmental Protection Agency’s recommended “action limit.” The EPA states that the normal level of radon found in outside air is around 0.4 pCi/L (Picocuries per Liter of Air), and the action limit for radon in a home is 4.0 pCi/L. The most common time for radon testing in homes is during a real estate transaction. But Eagle County residents can test their homes for free any time by picking up a kit. Kits are limited to two per household per year.

Radon is an invisible, odorless, radioactive soil gas that enters homes through cracks in solid floors or walls, construction joints, crawl spaces, and gaps in suspended floors or around service pipes. Inside a home, radon mixes with the air we breathe, which can present a serious health risk if high levels of radon are inhaled over time. Radon exposure is the leading cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers and causes over 20,000 lung cancer deaths in the U.S. each year.

The following steps are recommended for learning about radon levels in your home:

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• Complete a short-term test. If results are 4.0 pCi/L or higher move to the next step.
• Complete a follow-up test. If results are 4.0 pCi/L or higher move to the next step. 

If your first short-term test result is more than twice the EPA’s 4.0 pCi/L action level, you should take a second short-term test immediately. Long-term tests are also an option for follow-up, which gives you an understanding of your year-round average radon levels.

Mitigation is advised if the average of your first and second test is 4.0 pCi/L or higher. Radon mitigation is available through several local certified contractors. Walking Mountains can provide a list of contractors. Call 970-328-8777 or email energy@walkingmountains.org. Rebates are available.

A home energy assessment is required for the rebate. That assessment is a thorough energy audit of your home, including checking combustion appliances for safe operation and recommendations for energy-saving measures. To schedule a home energy assessment or learn more about rebates, go to Walkingmountains.org/energy. To learn more about radon, go to cdphe.colorado.gov/hm/radon or call Eagle County Environmental Health, 970-328-8755.

Free radon tests kits are always available at:

• The Eagle County Environmental Health Department desk at 550 Broadway in Eagle.
• The El Jebel Community Center, 20 Eagle County Drive in El Jebel.
• The front desk at Walking Mountains, 318 Walking Mountains Lane in Avon.

Test kits are available in January only at the Avon office of Eagle County Public Health, 100 West Beaver Creek Boulevard.

If you’re unable to pick up a test in person or you have questions, email Diego Betts at Walking Mountains, diegob@walkingmountains.org, or call 970-328-8777.