Radon

The Wyoming Radon Program is proud to announce the winners of the annual radon poster contest for 2020! 

Click here for full contest rules.

Grades 3-6 First Place: 5th grade from Sheridan                                                    Grades 3-6 Second Place: 5th grade from Casper

Grades 7-9 First Place: 9th grade from Dubois                                                        Grades 7-9 Second Place: 7th grade from Sheridan

For questions or more information about the Wyoming Radon Program contact the WDH Wyoming Cancer Program at 307-777-6015.

Radon is a radioactive gas that doesn’t have a color, odor, or taste. Radon seeps up from the earth into the air we breathe, and comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in almost all soil.

To find out more about radon, please visit the EPA radon website.

Your home can be at risk for radon if it is:

• New
• Old
• Well-sealed
• Drafty
• Built with a basement
• Built without a basement

Radon typically moves up through the ground to the air above and into your home through cracks and other holes in the foundation. Your home traps radon inside, where it can build up.

Any home may have a radon problem. This means homes can be at risk for radon whether it is new, old, well-sealed, drafty, with or without a basement.

Nearly 1 out of every 15 homes in the U.S. is estimated to have elevated radon levels.

If radon is allowed to accumulate, it becomes a health concern.

Exposure to the radioactive particles in radon can damage the cells that line the lung and can cause lung cancer.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Wyoming. The EPA estimates that radon causes about 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year in the United States.

Radon can make the lung damage caused by smoking worse, putting smokers with elevated radon levels in their homes at an even higher risk for lung cancer.

Average radon level per county

The Wyoming Department of Health provides free home radon test kits.

Test kits should be used in the lowest livable level of the home (crawl spaces not included) and placed in a central location. Test kits should not be placed next to windows, vents or any area that could cause a draft around the test kit, which could affect the results. Test kits should also be placed in a manner to prevent them from being kicked, bumped or disturbed. Once complete, follow the instructions on the test kit to send it to the laboratory directly. 

Click here to order a test kit online (limit one per order). If more than one test kit is required, please call the Wyoming Radon Program at 307.777.6015 to place the order. For questions or more information, contact the Wyoming Radon Program at 307.777.6015.

If the test kit finds elevated radon levels in your home, please see “Find a radon service provider” below. These services are relatively simple and can usually be completed in about a day, providing an immediate reduction in radon levels.

Please visit National Radon Proficiency Program or the National Radon Safety Board to find a certified radon service provider near you.