2. What is Radon?
Radon
• A naturally occurring, radioactive gas released
from rocks, soil, and water
• Can accumulate to dangerous levels inside
buildings
• We can’t see, smell, or taste radon
• Can be a problem in any home, school, or
building across the country
3. What is the problem?
• Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer
among non-smokers
• Radon causes more than 20,000 lung cancer
deaths annually in the United States
4. What is the solution?
• Test your home or building for radon
– It’s the only way to know if you have a radon
problem
• You can fix a radon problem
– Most homes can be fixed for about the same
cost as other common home repairs
5. How can you help?
• Raise Radon Awareness!
− Get the message out about the dangers of radon
year-round
− Conduct special activities and events in January
during National Radon Action Month
− Go to www.epa.gov/radon/nram to learn how you
can help.
6. January is National Radon Action
Month
Who should participate?
• Individuals, groups, and organizations concerned about
lung cancer and public health
What is the goal?
• Increase public awareness of radon, promote radon
testing and mitigation, and advance the use of radon-
resistant new construction practices
• Ultimately save lives from radon-induced lung cancer
Now is the perfect time to get involved!
7. Last Year’s National Radon
Action Month Results
[Highlight recent National Radon Action Month
results of your choice (e.g., at the national or
state/local level, or project-specific) to provide
context and set the stage for development of
goals for the upcoming National Radon Action
Month]
8. How To Get Involved in National
Radon Action Month
• Set a goal to reduce radon risk in your
community
• Plan activities and events in January
– Work with radon partners in your community
• Publicize your activities and recognize your
successes
• Collect results from your activities
• Share your project ideas, efforts, and results at
www.epa.gov/radon/nram/activities.html.
• Use National Radon Action Month to kick off a
broader radon awareness campaign in your
community
9. Engage Different Stakeholders
• State radon programs • Human resources,
environmental, and safety
• Tribal Nations and Pueblos
officers at work sites
• Government agencies
• Advocacy organizations
• Non-profit organizations concerned
• Radon testers & mitigators about cancer
• Local businesses • Schools
• Housing professionals • Homeowners’
• Health care professionals associations
• Other community-based
groups interested in
public health
10. National Radon Action Month
Success Stories
[Choose from success stories on:
www.epa.gov/radon/nram/activities
Or
www.epa.gov/radon/nram/archive]
11. Tools and Resources Available
• National Radon Action Month Web site:
www.epa.gov/radon/nram
– Consumer information
• Information for individuals who want to reduce
their family’s risk of lung cancer
– Partner information
• A downloadable National Radon Action Month
Event Planning Kit
• A national map showing the activities and events
you submit
• Regular updates about radon outreach
• Success stories
• Links to additional radon materials and resources
12. Event Planning Kit
• Available for download from National Radon Action
Month Web site
• Resource to help you plan, implement, and
evaluate your activities
• Includes many useful templates, tips, and examples
– Radon fact sheets
– Media outreach tips
– Tips for holding a Radon Poster Contest
– Sample press release, op-ed, and letter to the editor
– Sample proclamation
– And more!
13. More Resources
• Newsletters
– Receive the latest updates in your e-mail
• Public Service Announcements (PSAs)
– Free print, radio and television PSAs are
available for you to personally deliver to your
local media outlets
• Graphics
– Variety of styles so you can customize Web or
print materials
– Available in low- and high-resolution
14. Sample Timeline: Planning Stage
• Summer – Set Your Goals
– Establish a baseline
– Consider how different activities reach different
audiences and contribute to radon risk reduction
– Identify ways to track results
• Fall – Plan Your Activities and Events
– Choose your activities
– Engage key partners and clarify responsibilities
– Establish your timeline and resources needed
– Explore ways to publicize your activities and events
– Submit a brief description of your activities and events to
the National Radon Action Month Web site
15. Sample Timeline: Implementation
• January
– Publicize your activities and events
– Track your results
– Share your success
• Submit a brief description of your activities and
events at www.epa.gov/radon/nram/activities.html
16. Sample Timeline: Evaluation & More
• February - March
– Use your tracking data to evaluate the overall
results of your activity
– Share your success with EPA and other radon
stakeholders
– Continue working with your community to raise
radon awareness
• Promote radon awareness during other special
emphasis periods year-round, such as Lung
Cancer Awareness Month (November) or
Children’s Health Month (October)
– Build on your successes for the next National
Radon Action Month!
17. For More Information
See the National Radon Action Month Web site
and Event Planning Kit at:
www.epa.gov/radon/nram
Contact [provide your name and contact
information]
Together we can save lives from
radon-induced lung cancer!
Editor's Notes
Radon gas enters homes and buildings through cracks and openings on the lower levels. Hot spots include basements, first-floor rooms, and garages. Radon is a serious health risk facing tens of thousands of Americans. Radon is found all over the United States. No area is free from risk.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that radon causes more than 20,000 lung cancer deaths each year , and is the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers . Only smoking causes more lung cancer deaths.
As an individual – You can test your own home for radon. Do-it-yourself test kits are available for purchase on-line or at home improvement stores. Or you could hire a qualified radon service professional to test for radon in your home. Fix your problem. Locate radon mitigators in your area to help determine next steps for your home or building. Contact your state radon program to determine whether there are requirements associated with providing radon measurement and or radon mitigations/reductions in your state. Some states maintain lists of contractors available in their state or they have proficiency programs or requirements of their own. Contact one or both of the two privately-run national radon programs who are offering proficiency listing/accreditation/certification in radon testing and mitigation. (Reference herein to any specific commercial products, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government.) The National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) National Radon Proficiency Program Toll Free: (800) 269-4174 or (828) 890-4117 Website: www.neha-nrpp.org / The National Radon Safety Board (NRSB) Toll Free: (866) 329-3474 WebSite: www.nrsb.org
Another important action you can take is to encourage others in your community to learn about radon and promote this important public health message.
To protect the lives of all Americans, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has designated January as National Radon Action Month. National Radon Action Month is a time when state and local radon programs, non-profit organizations, the radon industry and others join EPA to ramp up efforts and results. Radon can be deadly, but the message you are delivering to your community is a hopeful one. Testing for radon and addressing radon risk can save lives. Our collective efforts during National Radon Action Month will go a long way toward building and maintaining radon outreach successes and risk reduction results throughout the year.
National Radon Action Month is the perfect time to build on the efforts of other radon champions in your town, county, state, and across the country. Planning activities and events mean you are part of the national effort to save lives from radon exposure. National Radon Action Month activities can range from: Writing a letter to the editor of a newspaper or magazine; Having your mayor sign a proclamation to declare January as National Radon Action Month; Organizing a radon poster contest and recognizing the winner; Coordinating a radon booth at a health fair; and much more! Use your existing resources to promote your activities – your Web site, newsletters, listservs, etc. Reach out to media to help spread your message – ask them to cover your event or other radon topics or ask them to run radon public service announcements (PSAs). PSAs are available for free by visiting www.epapsa.com. EPA’s National Radon Action Month Web site offers stakeholders the opportunity to see what others are doing. You can share your own ideas and information and read about other activities planned in your area. The partnerships you form or strengthen, and the activities and events you conduct, around National Radon Action Month can support your year-round radon outreach efforts.
A wide variety of organizations across many sectors have interests in health and environmental topics. Reach out to different stakeholders in your community and work to establish a coalition. Each stakeholder may have different ideas for radon activities and events and how to raise awareness in different parts of the community. Local government agencies and non-profit organizations support many related issues Public health Environment Public safety Housing programs Housing professionals that may need to communicate or be aware of radon issues include real estate agents home inspectors builders and contractors Radon test kits can be obtained from some state radon programs, many home improvement and hardware stores, and the National Safety Council. Also consider contacting radon test kit manufacturers directly. Your state radon program can provide more information about obtaining test kits in your area.
There are a number of National Radon Action Month success stories to share. Stories from the most recent National Radon Action Month are available on the Activities page and stories from previous National Radon Action Months are available on the archive page. Or, share a National Radon Action Month success story or idea that you know about but is not on the National Radon Action Month Web site.
EPA has developed a variety of tools and resources to help you plan and implement successful outreach activities. You can find all these resources through www.epa.gov/radon/nram. Be sure to check back often for updates and new materials! The National Radon Action Month Web site has two sections. One section has general consumer information about radon and National Radon Action Month, and the other has information for partners interested in planning activities in support of National Radon Action Month.
The Event Planning Kit will help you plan and implement a variety of activities and events in your area.
The National Radon Action Month Newsletter is sent to partners about once a month from Fall through Spring (e.g., September – February). You will find information about the latest updates to the Web site, helpful tips for planning your activities, outreach ideas, and details about what other groups are doing to support National Radon Action Month. Anyone can sign up to receive the National Radon Action Month Newsletter. Please forward the Newsletter broadly and encourage others to sign up.
Establish a baseline so you know where you are starting before you implement your activities. Contact your state radon program or a local health department to help you collect radon statistics for your community. Goals should be measurable and include a timeline for achievement. For example: “In January 2009, 500 people will attend our event, resulting in 300 test kit coupons distributed and a return rate of 25%.” Plan activities that you and your partners can get excited about. Define the audience for your activity and find ways to publicize it to them. Establish a time line, determine resources you need, and then assign responsibilities or ask for volunteers. Submit a brief description of your National Radon Action Month activities and events to the EPA Web site. Your submittal allows EPA to track and showcase activities and events , so all radon stakeholders can see progress and trends from year to year, share success stories, and identify potential partners.
Make sure your target audience knows where and when the event is, how to get there, and what to expect. All your hard work will pay off. Each event or activity that you undertake will bring you closer to your goal of safeguarding your community’s health. Measuring your results is an important part of your activity. Use an event log to track data such as number of participants or number of materials distributed, or number of home mitigations. Record your successes online. EPA is eager to share the results of your successful activities with our nationwide network of radon partners
Asking yourself questions about the success of your activity is part of measuring your results: How did my activities contribute to my overall goals? How can this experience and the data I received help me to improve my program? If you haven’t done so already, be sure to submit a brief description of your activities and events, and share your results, with EPA. Your information allows EPA to give important exposure to our collective efforts and share ideas throughout the nationwide network of radon partners. Together we are helping save lives from radon exposure!
