January is National Radon Action Month, and University of Nevada, Reno Extension’s Radon Education Program is offering free short-term radon test kits to Nevadans from Jan. 1 through Feb. 29. Radon test kits are available at Extension offices and partnering locations, as well as at free 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 and house fires.

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.

The risk of radon-caused lung cancer can be reduced. A simple three-day test can determine if a house has a radon problem, and winter is an ideal time to test a home for radon. If radon problems are found, they can be fixed. 

Scheduled presentations for northern Nevada are:

Jan. 9 at Incline Public Works, 1220 Sweetwater Road, Incline Village, at 6 p.m.

Jan. 14 at Carson City Senior Center, 911 Beverly Drive, Carson City, at 6:30 p.m.

Jan. 15 at South Valleys Library, 15650 Wedge Parkway, Reno, at 6 p.m. 

Jan. 16 at Genoa Town Hall, 2287 Main St., Genoa, at 6:30 p.m.

Jan. 18 at Sparks Library, 1125 12th St., Sparks, at 11 a.m. 

Jan. 19 at Downtown Reno Library, 301 S. Center St., Reno, at 11 a.m.

Jan. 30 at CVIC, 1604 Esmeralda Ave., Minden, at 6 p.m. 

Feb. 6 at Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, 128 Market St., Stateline, at 6 p.m.

Feb. 8 at Northwest Reno Library, 2325 Robb Drive, Reno, at 11 a.m. 

Feb. 12 at Lockwood Senior Center, 800 Peri Ranch Road, Lockwood, at 12:15 p.m.

Feb. 20 at Storey County Senior Center, 100 Mill St., Virginia City, at 1 p.m. 

Scheduled presentations for southern Nevada are:

Jan. 22 at Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, at 6 p.m. 

Jan. 24 at James Gibson Library, 100 W. Lake Mead Parkway, Henderson, at 10:30 a.m.

Jan. 24 at A.D. Guy Knowledge Center, 817 N St., Las Vegas, at 5:30 p.m.

Jan. 25 at Boulder City Library, 701 Adams Blvd., Boulder City, at 3 p.m.

Jan. 26 at Sahara West Library, 9600 W. Sahara Ave., Las Vegas, at 2 p.m. 

Jan. 27 Paseo Verde Library, 280 S. Green Valley Parkway, Henderson, at 6 p.m.

Jan. 28 at Summerlin Library, 1771 Inner Circle Drive, Las Vegas, at 6 p.m. 

For those who cannot attend a presentation, free test kits are available through Feb. 29 at the following northern Nevada partner locations:

Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, 128 Market St., Stateline.

Genoa Town Office, 2289 Main St., Genoa.

Indian Hills General Improvement District, 3394 James Lee Park Rd. #A, Carson City.

West Wendover City Hall, 1111 N. Gene L. Jones Way, West Wendover.

Fernley City Hall, 595 Silver Lace Blvd., Fernley.

Central Lyon County Fire District, 246 Dayton Valley Road, Dayton.

Tonopah Town Office, 140 Main St., Tonopah.

Storey County Senior Center, 100 Mill St., Virginia City.

Lockwood Senior/Community Center, 800 Peri Ranch Road, Lockwood.

Sun Valley General Improvement District, 5000 Sun Valley Blvd., Sun Valley.

Incline Village Recreation Center, 980 Incline Way, Incline Village.

Extension offices at the following locations:

• Battle Mountain, 815 N. Second St.
• Carson City, 2621 Northgate Lane, Suite 15.
• Elko, 701 Walnut St.
• Ely, 995 Campton St.
• Eureka, 701 S. Main St.
• Fallon, 111 Sheckler Road.
• Gardnerville, 1325 Waterloo Lane.
• Hawthorne, 205 S. A St.
• Lovelock, 810 Sixth St.
• Tonopah, #1 Frankie St. Old Courthouse.
• Reno, 4955 Energy Way.
• Winnemucca, 1085 Fairgrounds Road.
• Yerington, 504 S. Main St. 

In southern Nevada, free test kits are available through Feb. 29 at the following locations:

Henderson City Hall City Clerk’s Office, 240 S. Water St., Henderson.

A.D. Guy Knowledge Center, 817 N. St., Las Vegas.

Extension offices at the following locations:

• Caliente, 360 Lincoln St.
• Las Vegas, 8050 Paradise Road, Suite 100.
• Logandale, 1897 N. Moapa Valley Blvd.
• Mesquite, 155 N. Willow St.
• Pahrump, 1651 E. Calvada Blvd.

A list of presentations and a list of test kit locations can be found at the Extension website. 

Nevadans can also request a free test kit online, or by mailing in the confirmation email from the Radon Test Kit Request form. Mailed test kits will require $4 for shipping and ordering through Eventbrite will incur a $1.22 online handling fee. 

For more information, call the Radon Hotline at 1-888-RADON10 (1-888-723-6610) or visit the Nevada Radon Education Program website at RadonNV.com. Extension, the EPA and the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health urge all Nevadans to test their homes for radon.

The Nevada Radon Education Program is a program of University of Nevada, Reno Extension and is funded by the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health through Grant Number K1-96963520-0 from the EPA. Since the program began in 2007, about 30,000 homes have been tested in Nevada.