COLUMBIA, SC – January is National Radon Action Month, and the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) announced today that it encourages all South Carolinians to test their homes for radon so they may find it, fix it, and potentially save a life.
A free radon test kit may be ordered from DHEC’s website at www.scdhec.gov/radon or by calling 1-800-768-0362. Radon kits may also be purchased through the National Radon Program Services or ordered directly from radon testing companies. If your home is found to have high levels of radon, the level may be greatly reduced by relatively low-cost home repairs.
The EPA estimates that radon is responsible for more than 21,000 lung cancer-related deaths each year. This estimate makes radon the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers and the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. With the vision of “eliminating avoidable radon-induced lung cancer in the United States,” The National Radon Action Plan — A Strategy for Saving Lives was released in November 2015.
To request a kit or for more information on radon, radon testing and mitigation, and radon-resistant new construction, visit www.scdhec.gov/radon.
