For anyone in the Uintah Basin that has a basement or a crawlspace, TriCounty Health Department recommends that the home be checked for radon. Radon is a silent killer that is estimated to be of elevated levels in one out of three homes in Utah. Sadly, radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers and is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. In Utah, 25% percent of all lung cancer is caused by exposure to radon. In fact, radon is responsible for 15,000 to 22,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. Although radon, a naturally occurring gas caused by the decomposition of uranium-bearing granite in our soil, can not be seen, it is not hard to find and can be detected by using a home test. TriCounty Health Department in Roosevelt and Vernal have free radon kits. Contact TriCounty Health Department to get your kit.
