Nearly 4,000 homeowners in Lancaster and York counties in the state of Pennsylvania will receive letters this month to notify them of the high radon levels in their area. The letters will go to 2,000 homeowners in Lancaster and 1,500 homeowners in York.
These homeowners will be offered free radon testing kits because of the high levels of the radon gas in their areas. The letters will be coming from the Department of Environmental Protection and the American Lung Association.
“Pennsylvania is prone to high radon levels. From years of data we know that some parts of the state have higher radon levels than others, and we want to get test kits into the hands of homeowners in these areas,” DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell said. “We certainly continue to encourage all Pennsylvania homeowners to test as well.”
Radon cannot be seen, smelled, or tasted, and it’s also radioactive. It can seep into a home from the water supply, the soil, or leaks and cracks in the home’s foundation. This dangerous gas is a known carcinogen, as the Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer today in the United States.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency has a recommended guideline for radon levels, capping the safe level at four picocuries per liter. If the levels are about that guideline, the home should undergo treatment of some kind. Since 1985, the DEP uses data showing radon levels at 100 pCi/L or higher to identify areas for targets outreach, and then they invite residents to provide addresses for treatment if they wish.
The municipalities in Pennsylvania are about to receive quite a shock when the letters come in the mail, but hopefully relief will also come. The free coupons for radon testing will go to every single homeowner living in the targeted counties, meaning that treatment will hopefully be just around the corner.