Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Environmental Protection Warns Of High Levels Of Radon

A man holds a radon test kit.
Pennsylvania DEP
A still from a Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection video demonstrating how to use a radon test kit.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is warning residents about dangerously high levels of radon.

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that may cause up to 21,000 lung cancer deaths a year nationally.

A spokesperson for the agency says he could not share which area is affected.

The agency says at least one home has a radon level 25 times higher than recommended. In a letter sent to one resident, the agency says Pennsylvania generally has "some of the highest radon values in the country."

The state is providing grant money to the American Lung Association in Pennsylvania for free radon tests kits to Hampden Township residents.

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.