Crossroads at Big Creek Hosts Forum in Radon Mitigation

The Door County League of Women Voters, Sustain Door, and the Door County Environmental Council are all sponsors of a presentation about the dangers of radon to take place Wednesday, Feb. 16 from 7 – 9 pm at Crossroads at Big Creek in Sturgeon Bay.

The presentation will feature Jessica Wanserski, RS, MS, Environmental Sanitarian with the Manitowoc Health Department and local county conversationalists.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that about 20,000 lung cancer deaths each year in the U.S. are radon-related. Exposure to radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. Radon is an odorless, tasteless and invisible gas produced by the decay of naturally occurring uranium in soil and water. Lung cancer is the only known effect on human health from exposure to radon in air.

Between five and ten percent of the homes in Wisconsin have radon levels above the US EPA guideline of 4 pCi/L for the year average on the main floor. Every region of Wisconsin has some homes with elevated radon levels.

A 10-minute videotape shows the installation of a radon mitigation system in a home, made with the UW-Extension in 1998 and provided to all main libraries in the state, titled Radon Reduction: Sub-Slab Depressurization.

The Crossroads in located at 2041 Michigan Street in Sturgeon Bay. If the weather is too severe for the presentation, a snow day has been set for Wednesday, Feb. 23.

For more information visit doorcounty.wi.lwvnet.org.