Free kits at local district health offices can save lives
Residents of Clinton and Gratiot counties can receive a free radon test kit to help mark January as National Radon Action Month during the “Test, Fix, Save a Life” campaign sponsored by the state and local health departments, Rep. Paul Opsommer (R-DeWitt) said today. Opsommer hopes area residents will take advantage of this opportunity to test their homes for the tasteless, odorless, colorless, radioactive gas.
“The test is a simple, easy way to protect the safety of our families, and it can be done inexpensively through kits from our local district health departments,” said Opsommer. “Radon is a silent killer and is suspected to be the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States.”
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates radon causes more than 21,000 lung cancer deaths in the United States annually — including 600 in Michigan.
The naturally occurring radioactive gas is found in almost all soil and rock, and is typically harmlessly diluted when it seeps up through the ground into the air. Trouble can develop when it passes through openings in a building’s foundation floor or walls, where it can become more concentrated and over time increases the risk of contracting lung cancer.
As part of the campaign, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment is partnering with local health departments to have low-cost test kits available in every county for $15 or less. Clinton and Gratiot counties are served by the Mid-Michigan District Health Department which has the kits available at no cost that includes postage and laboratory fees.
MMDHD offices are located at 1307 E. Townsend Road in St. Johns and 151 Commerce Drive in Ithaca. For more information on radon and the test kits, contact MMDHD environmental health specialists Sarah Rottiers, 989-227-3107, or Greg Price, 989-875-1020.
For those who are homebound or cannot get to their local health department during normal business hours, test kits are available to order online at http://mi.radon.com. Like the local health department kits, these include postage and laboratory fees in the price.
Test kits may also be available from hardware stores or home improvement centers, but not all include postage and analysis, so citizens are urged to read the packaging before making their purchase.