What are the potential effects of a stone quarry on the radon levels in your home? Presented by the Americus Area Community Coalition. Learn how to protect yourself. This is part of an educational series for the citizens in Americus, Indiana who are opposed to the proposed Rogers Group stone quarry. Help us stop the stone quarry.

1. Americus Area Community Coalition

2. Allen Hofmann
4740 Masons Ridge Road
Lafayette, Indiana
47909

4. “Radon is a cancer-causing, radioactive gas that
can be found all over the United States. Radon
comes from the natural radioactive breakdown
of uranium in soil, rock and water and gets into
the air we breathe. Radon tends to accumulate
in enclosed structures, so it is particularly a
problem in homes.”
– Indiana Department of Environmental
Management (IDEM)

5. • Rock, soil, water, and air
– Radon Control Services, Lafayette, IN

6. • Geologists say water can move through rock
layers from granite and carry uranium and
radium, which give rise to radon.
• Water can pool in limestone, which can increase
the risk of radon gas.
• Richard Scrivener (British Geological Survey) said:
"If your property is situated over a fracture in
limestone, then there's a possibility you'll have
high radon levels.”
– BBC News

7. • Limestone is known to have low amounts of
uranium and radium as constituents as
compared to areas that have more granite and
similar materials.
– Michael H. Murphy, Health Physicist/ RSO
• USEPA

8. EPA

9. • Per USEPA, one of every fifteen homes in the
US is estimated to have elevated radon levels.
• Per IDEM, close to one of four homes tested in
Indiana found
elevated radon
levels.

10. • The average home has indoor radon levels of
1.3 pCi/L (picocuries per liter of air) and an
average outdoor reading of 0.4 pCi/L

11. Radon is
estimated to
cause
thousands of
lung cancer
deaths in the
US each year.
-EPA

12. Radon Level
If 1,000 people who smoked were
exposed to this level over a
lifetime*...
The risk of cancer from radon
exposure compares to**...
WHAT TO DO:
Stop smoking and...
20 pCi/L About 260 people could get lung
cancer
250 times the risk of drowning Fix your home
10 pCi/L About 150 people could get lung
cancer
200 times the risk of dying in a
home fire
Fix your home
8 pCi/L About 120 people could get lung
cancer
30 times the risk of dying in a fall Fix your home
4 pCi/L About 62 people could get lung
cancer
5 times the risk of dying in a car
crash
Fix your home
2 pCi/L About 32 people could get lung
cancer
6 times the risk of dying from
poison
Consider fixing between 2 and 4
pCi/L
1.3 pCi/L About 20 people could get lung
cancer
(Average indoor radon level) (Reducing radon
levels below 2 pCi/L is difficult.)
0.4 pCi/L About 3 people could get lung
cancer
(Average outdoor radon level)
Note: If you are a former smoker, your risk may be lower.
* Lifetime risk of lung cancer deaths from EPA Assessment of Risks from Radon in Homes (EPA 402-R-03-003).
** Comparison data calculated using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 1999-2001 National Center for Injury
Prevention and Control Reports.
from "A Citizen's Guide to Radon: The Guide to Protecting Yourself and Your Family From Radon"

13. Radon Level
If 1,000 people who never
smoked were exposed to
this level over a lifetime*...
The risk of cancer from
radon exposure compares
to**... WHAT TO DO:
20 pCi/L About 36 people could get
lung cancer
35 times the risk of drowning Fix your home
10 pCi/L About 18 people could get
lung cancer
20 times the risk of dying in a
home fire
Fix your home
8 pCi/L About 15 people could get
lung cancer
4 times the risk of dying in a
fall
Fix your home
4 pCi/L About 7 people could get
lung cancer
The risk of dying in a car
crash
Fix your home
2 pCi/L About 4 person could get
lung cancer
The risk of dying from poison Consider fixing between 2
and 4 pCi/L
1.3 pCi/L About 2 people could get
lung cancer
(Average indoor radon level) (Reducing radon levels
below
2 pCi/L is difficult.)
0.4 pCi/L (Average outdoor radon
level)
Note: If you are a former smoker, your risk may be higher.
* Lifetime risk of lung cancer deaths from EPA Assessment of Risks from Radon in Homes (EPA 402-R-03-003).
** Comparison data calculated using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 1999-2001 National Center for
Injury Prevention and Control Reports.

14. • You can purchase a radon test kit on
Amazon.com, ranging in price from $8-$20
• You can go to Lowe’s and buy one for $12.95
from First Alert. Lab testing cost $30 .
• You can go to Home Depot and buy one for $9.98
from ProLab. Lab free, postage $4.
• Menards sells a 30 day test from First Alert for
$28. Free lab testing and postage prepaid.
• You can hire radon consulting services to come in
and measure it for you for a price from $120-
$150.

15. • If you get an excessive radon value on your
first test, it is recommended that you retest to
verify before you pay for remediation

16. • If you verify you are above a value of 4 pCi/L,
you should pursue remediation.

17. • This is a typical
remediation
solution, and will
result in a
reduction of 80-
99% of your radon
level.

18. • Brian Geswein of Radon Control Services,
based in West Lafayette, has offered a group
discount to AACC members for radon
mitigation services
• Use our AACC web site to find details of the
program:

19. • Blasting in bedrock creates fissures and paths
for radon migration
• You must establish a benchmark prior to the
beginning of blasting (seismic activity)

20. Help yourself, help your neighbors
• Arrange to have your home tested this month.
• Contact Dave Weiner once you have a
baseline reading from your test kit.
• Setup periodic follow-up tests to track
changes in radon levels.
www.americusacc.com