DEP finds high levels of radon

Grant offers free radon test kits to area residents

YEAGERTOWN -- The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has detected high levels of radon in several residences in Derry Township.

According to a letter that was sent to Derry Township residents from the DEP, radon is an odorless, invisible and radioactive gas that has caused approximately 21,000 lung cancer deaths across the nation. The letter also mentioned that at least one home in Derry Township "had a radon level 25 times higher than the U.S. Environmental Agency's (EPA) recommended action level of four picoCuries per liter of air (pCi/L)."

Due to the high readings of radon in the area, the DEP's Bureau of Radiation Protection, Radon Division awarded a grant to the American Lung Association in Pennsylvania (ALAPA) in order to offer a limited number of free radon test kits to Derry Township residences that are located within the surrounding area of homes where the high radon readings were detected.

"Our GIS data maps show there's not as high a concentration of radon in Mifflin County as in some other counties, but there are some homes over 100 pCi/L," said Deborah Klenotic, deputy communications director for the DEP. "We reach out to all homeowners in specific areas where some radon levels are shown to be high. Because of our geology, Pennsylvania is prone to high radon levels; about 40 percent of homes have radon levels higher than the EPA guideline."

Klenotic also recommended that residents install a radon test kit in their homes in order to detect and potentially lower high radon readings. "It's a very simple process," Klenotic said. "If results show high radon levels, [residents] should contact a radon mitigation contractor."

Residents who received a letter from the DEP were provided with a coupon in order to obtain a free test kit. Individuals who used the coupon would then have a test kit mailed directly to their home from a DEP certified laboratory. Anyone with questions in regards to the kits or would like more information about radon testing and results in encouraged to contact the DEP's Radon Division.