With January being National Radon Action Month, the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension’s Radon Education Program is offering free short-term radon test kits to Nevadans from Jan. 1 through Feb. 28.

Radon test kits are available at Cooperative Extension offices and partnering locations, as well as at presentations statewide.
 
Radon is a naturally occurring, radioactive gas that is colorless, odorless and tasteless. It comes from the ground and can accumulate in homes, raising the risk of lung cancer. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates 21,000 Americans die each year from radon-caused lung cancer, killing more people than secondhand smoke, drunk driving, house fires and unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning combined.
 
In Nevada, one in four homes tested show radon concentrations at or above the EPA action level. According to experts, living in a home with radon concentrations at the action level poses a risk of developing lung cancer similar to the risk posed by smoking about half a pack of cigarettes a day.
 
Scheduled presentations for Northern Nevada are:

Jan. 17 at Verdi Community Library & Nature Center, 270 Bridge St., Verdi, at 4pm.
Jan. 23 at Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, 128 Market St., Stateline, at 6pm.
Jan. 24 at the Carson City Senior Center, 911 Beverly Drive, Carson City, at 6:30pm.
Feb. 7 at South Valleys Library, 15650 Wedge Parkway, Reno, at 6pm.
Feb. 8 at CVIC, 1604 Esmeralda Ave., Minden, at 6pm.
Feb. 15 at the Storey County Senior Center, 100 Mill St., Virginia City, at 12:45pm.
Feb. 21 at Incline Village GID, Public Works, 1220 Sweetwater Road, Incline Village, at 6pm.
Feb. 24 at Northwest Reno Library, 2325 Robb Drive, Reno, at 2pm.