SUBJECT: General Business
Title
A Declaration in Support of Radon Action Month
Body
DEPARTMENT: Legislation
PRESENTER: Jennifer Carroll, Mayor
TIME ESTIMATE: 10 minutes
only required for non-consent items
SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND OF SUBJECT MATTER:
Radon is a serious health risk facing tens of thousands of Americans. Exposure to radon gas causes more than 22,000 deaths annually and it is the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. In Colorado, approximately 500 people die every year from radon-induced lung cancer. The average indoor radon level in Colorado is 6.4 pCi/L. That exposure level for one year is like having 200 chest x-rays per year. That’s more than 3 x-rays per week, per person, per year. Radon cannot be seen, smelled or tasted so many of us do not realize that radon can be a problem in any building in the country.
To bring attention to this issue and protect the lives, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designated January as National Radon Action Month. The Town of Erie is joining in the effort to raise awareness of the dangers radon can pose by proclaiming February as National Radon Action Month in Erie.
Attached is an infographic that briefly explains the threat radon poses and a roadmap of how public health agencies can work to reduce radon exposure in our communities.
For more information on this topic please visit <https://www.epa.gov/radon>. Additional information on National Radon Awareness month can be found at <https://aarst.org/nram/>.
Board Priority(s) Addressed:
ü Safe and Healthy Community
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Proclamation
2. Radon Awareness Infographic
3. Boulder County Public Health Radon Awareness Presentation
4. Radon Reduction Roadmap