EVENT PLANNING KIT

Thank you for your interest in National Radon Action Month. Radon is a serious health risk facing 

tens of thousands of Americans. Exposure to radon gas causes more than 20,000 deaths annually and it is 

the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. The challenge is that we can’t see, smell, or taste it, 

so it’s easy to forget that radon may be a problem in any home, school, or building in the country. The potential 

exists to double the lives saved from radon exposure over five years. To protect the lives of all Americans, the U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has designated January as National Radon Action Month. This is a great 

opportunity to increase awareness of radon, promote radon testing and mitigation, and advance the use of 

radon-resistant new construction practices.

Individuals, groups, and organizations concerned 

about healthy people, homes, and communities are 

the driving force in getting the message out to the 

public about the dangers of indoor radon. Your 

efforts are important, and EPA wants to do everything 

possible to make it easier for you. That is why we 

have developed this Event Planning Kit for your use.

You will find information and materials in this Kit 

that you can use to get the word out about radon. 

Use these resources to conduct activities that will 

yield real progress toward reducing radon risk. 

The materials are designed to be customized, so 

please feel free to add or delete language, combine 

projects, or—even better—invent your own new 

projects!

Radon can be deadly, but remember that the 

message you are delivering is a hopeful one. 

Testing for radon and addressing radon risk can 

save lives. We wish you the greatest success with 

your National Radon Action Month activities. 

Please visit www.epa.gov/radon/nram for help 

planning and publicizing your National Radon Action 

Month activities. 

Welcome and Introduction c o n t e n t s

The Kit includes helpful suggestions and many useful 

templates for you to customize. 

Ideas for radon outreach activities .........................2

Success story: Reaching out to Physicians and 

Pediatricians ...........................................................4

Success story: Media and Mini-Grants Raise Radon 

Awareness..............................................................7

Steps for planning successful radon 

outreach activities ................................................10

Radon poster contest tips ....................................13

Radon communication tips ..................................14

Success story: Making Radon Tests 

Easily Accessible ...................................................15

Web communication tips .....................................15

National Radon Action Month messages..............16

A radon fact sheet................................................17

A radon fact sheet in Spanish...............................19

Media outreach tips .............................................21

Success story: Reaching Out to Non-Traditional 

Radon Stakeholders..............................................25

A sample press release .........................................26

A sample op-ed and letter to the editor...............28

Tips for working with your local official ...............30

Success story: Successful Partnering Approaches

to Promote Radon Awareness ..............................30

A sample letter to a government official ..............31

A sample proclamation by a 

government official..............................................32

An order form for EPA’s 

no-cost radon materials .......................................33

R A D O N : T E S T , F I X , S A V E A L I F E .

JANUARY IS NATIONAL

RADON ACTION MONTH

EPA 402-K-10-001 | January 2010 | www.epa.gov/iaq

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)
NATIONAL RADON ACTION MONTH EVENT PLANNING KIT

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Radon Outreach

Ideas for

January is National Radon Action Month—a perfect time to promote radon awareness, testing 

and mitigation, and radon resistant new construction (RRNC). Radon testing is generally easiest 

and most effective in cooler weather months when houses tend to be closed up for warmth.

Organizations just like yours are spreading the word about this preventable health risk. Find 

inspiration from a sample of their events listed below. Consider contacting your state radon 

program for help in planning your activities. You can find contact information for your state 

program at www.epa.gov/iaq/whereyoulive.html.

Please see pages 11 

and 17 of this Kit 

for information on 

obtaining radon test 

kits and ordering 

customizable test kit 

coupons for tracking 

your activities.

Activities

1. Energize Your Partners and 

Stakeholders

Build a Radon Coalition in Your Community

There are many individuals and organizations in 

your community that have an interest in health topics. 

Hold an open forum for interested individuals to 

attend and then establish a coalition to promote radon 

awareness in your community. Every member of your 

coalition will have unique ideas for radon activities and 

will have access to different parts of your community. 

Working together as a group will be the most effective 

way to make radon testing and mitigation a reality in 

all buildings in your community. 

Recognize Radon Champions

If you already have a radon coalition, 

National Radon Action Month is an 

excellent opportunity to recognize your 

partners for their hard work. Host an 

awards ceremony to honor exceptional 

radon advocates. Use the opportunity to 

inspire and energize your radon partners.

Ask Local Chapters of 

Health and Environmental 

Organizations to Promote 

Radon Awareness

Many local organizations in your community have 

regular newsletters, listservs, or mailings that they 

use to reach their members. Contact them to ask 

them to run an article on radon health risk, testing, 

mitigation, and radon resistant new construction. 

Be sure to include information on how to obtain 

additional radon information.

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

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Unsure how to start planning your 

radon outreach activities? The following 

questions can help direct you to the right 

activities for your organization and your 

community.

1. Are you looking to form new 

partnerships or seeking to mobilize your 

existing partners? Read section 1 for tips 

about fostering effective coalitions.

2. Are you aware of important opinion 

leaders in your community? Section 2

contains ideas for how to engage them in 

spreading the word about radon.

3. Looking for new ideas to jazz up your 

community events? Learn what other 

groups have tried in their communities in 

section 3.

4. Does your group seek to reach families 

and children with messages about 

radon? If so, read section 4 for tips on 

working with youth. 

5. Do you seek to reach a wide audience 

with specific key messages? Consider 

implementing a media campaign. Check out 

section 5 for tips on working with the media.

6. Are you looking to raise awareness 

in the workplace? Section 6 can help 

you communicate effectively in the work 

environment.

Choosing the Right Activities


NATIONAL RADON ACTION MONTH EVENT PLANNING KIT

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Ideas for Radon Outreach Activities (continued)

Host a Radon Training Workshop

Provide continuing education for key professionals such as homebuilders, real estate professionals, and 

environmental health professionals. Successful programs have included lunch and learn seminars, training 

courses for governmental housing officials, and meetings about radon resistant new construction.

2. Engage Community Leaders

Ask Your Mayor or City Council to Issue a Radon Proclamation 

Invite your elected officials to proclaim January as “Radon Action Month.” Encourage all 

community members to test for radon. Tips for working with local officials and a sample 

proclamation that you can customize are included in this Event Planning Kit on page 30.

Ask Community Leaders to Spread the Word about Radon 

Churches, community centers, even local beauty salons and barbershops, can be effective venues for 

reaching out to your community. Contact ministers, community leaders, and local civic leaders and 

encourage them to conduct radon outreach to their members. Provide them with educational materials and 

information on test kits to make it easy for them to partner with you.

Work with Health Advocates and Educators

Coordinate with your local health care providers and other healthfocused groups, such as the American Lung Association, to have 

booths, educational sessions, and presentations on radon. Invite your 

mayor or other officials to your event to issue a proclamation and to 

conduct a press event.

Connect with Local Businesses

Home improvement and hardware stores may carry radon test 

kits. Encourage them to promote radon testing in homes, schools, 

and other buildings. Ask them to create radon test kit displays in 

prominent store locations during National Radon Action Month 

and to include information on radon testing in mailings or other 

advertisements during January.

Contact Your Local University Medical Schools and 

Health Care Professionals

Health care students and practitioners can serve as speakers for your 

health fairs and community events. You can also work with health 

care providers to incorporate radon messages into their practices and 

provide educational materials for their patients. See page 4 for New 

York State’s experience interacting with health care professionals.

Coordinate with Your Local Utilities to Promote 

Radon Awareness and Testing

Send a bill insert to your local utility providers (e.g. water, gas, 

electric) and ask them to include it with their January bill statement 

mailings. This is an easy, effective, and inexpensive way to reach the 

vast majority of your community. For an example of reaching out to 

non-traditional stakeholders, see page 25 for Tennessee’s experience.

Collaborate with Experts from the 

Radon Professionals Speaker’s Bureau

Coordinate with the American Association 

of Radon Scientists and Technologists, Inc. 

(AARST) for your community activities. 

You can contact local radon experts from 

the Radon Professionals Speaker’s Bureau 

(through the National Radon Proficiency 

Program) to participate in your event as a 

speaker, conduct a radon test demonstration, 

or field questions from the media. AARST has 

the following Speaker’s Bureau lists available: 

Radon Professionals Speaker’s 

Bureau: An extensive database of radon 

testers, mitigators, and other industry 

professionals across the country who are 

available for speaking opportunities. All 

experts have completed the National Radon 

Proficiency Program. View the list at: 

www.radongas.org/speaker.htm. 

AARST Key Radon Subject Experts: A list 

of selected national experts who are available 

to speak about radon science and health 

risk. View the list at: www.aarst.org/key_

radonscience_speakers.

If you have additional questions or requests 

for coordinating with AARST during National 

Radon Action Month, please send an e-mail 

to: director@aarst.com. 
NATIONAL RADON ACTION MONTH EVENT PLANNING KIT

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Nikolas Webster, of New York State’s (NYS) Bureau of Environmental Radiation Protection at the New York State 

Department of Health (DOH), initiated an innovative program for National Radon Action Month. He began a 

program for doctors dedicated to raising radon awareness among family physicians and pediatricians. He wanted to 

reach areas that he and his staff are unable to personally visit. He believes that if the importance of radon safety is 

communicated in a face-to-face manner by a scientific source within the community, the message will be more likely 

to get across to community members. 

In June of 2007, Nikolas began collecting contact information for physicians in high risk counties by utilizing a 

database within the NYS DOH Web site. He developed a NYS DOH tri-fold brochure highlighting the risks of radon 

exposure. He then wrote a cover letter to physicians, asking if they would be interested in his National Radon Action 

Month program which is trying to increase public awareness. In early December 2007, he and several voluntary 

staff members in his office began to mail out over 3,000 thousand packets containing the physicians guide, the 

NYS DOH tri-fold, an application for a test kit, and the letter. 

About a week and a half after the letter went out, he started getting responses, and was invited to give a talk 

about radon at St. Clare’s Medical hospital in Schenectady County in April, 2008. During the talk he asked 

physicians if they ever talked about radon with their patients, and he provided examples to emphasize that 

patients would be more likely to take the risks of radon exposure seriously if the information was delivered directly 

by their doctor, rather than via a pamphlet. His talk drew the Director of Family Medicine at the hospital, who was 

interested in continuing to reach out to and inform new residents. The Director and Nikolas are currently trying to 

schedule a yearly presentation for all new residents of the hospital. 

Nikolas’ talk was also effective in another way; people in the community were responsive. His office received many 

calls asking questions about radon and test kits. When asked where they received their information, callers let him 

know they had received it from their doctor. He cited one woman in particular as an example, who requested a kit 

and found radon levels of over 100 pCi/L in her home, far above the EPA action level of 4 pCi/L. She subsequently 

ordered two more test kits to confirm her results, and then had her home mitigated. Taking it one step further, 

she contacted her children’s school to see if they would test for radon—demonstrating how one person can 

affect a whole community. 

Since January 2008, he has kept in contact with the doctors, asking them to update their contact information 

and checking to see if they would like more application packets. Instrumental to the success of this project was 

the tracking and evaluation of how many packets were sent out, and the results that came back. The radon test 

kit applications sent back into the office had been assigned a special code so they were able to be tracked. 

For January 2009, Nikolas plans to continue with the projects from National Radon Action Month 2008, and to 

look for more avenues to reach even more physicians and pediatricians in a face-to-face capacity by attending 

local county chapter meetings of physicians’ professional organizations. He would also like to try to involve 

counties who receive money through State Indoor Radon Grants to expand his efforts, and to engage local 

county officials to generate proclamations to stress the importance of radon risk and testing. 

Nikolas offers two key suggestions for anyone interested in implementing similar projects:

f Allow a sufficient amount of time if you plan to make your own information packets.

f Get out into the field and interface directly with people because personal interaction is a more effective way 

of delivering your message. 

The following link provides a PDF version of the NYS DOH tri-fold brochure: http://www.health.state.ny.us/

publications/3168.pdf (English/Spanish).

Reaching Out to Physicians and Pediatricians
NATIONAL RADON ACTION MONTH EVENT PLANNING KIT

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Ideas for Radon Outreach Activities (continued)

3. Take Your Message to the Community

Arrange a Display at Local Sporting Events

Set up a booth or display near a concession stand or ticket window and distribute radon 

educational materials and test kit coupons. Work with the sporting venue to show radon 

Public Service Announcements (PSAs) during half-time or other breaks in play. Visit 

www.epapsa.com to view and order the PSAs.

Display Radon Information at Public Gathering Places 

Libraries, community centers, malls, and transit centers frequented by members of your community are perfect 

locations to provide radon education and testing materials. Supply these locations with radon materials and ask 

them to display the materials in a prominent location. Be sure to check back with these locations frequently and 

provide them with additional materials if necessary.

Provide Radon Education at Home and Garden Events 

Incorporate radon resistant construction techniques into special events with a home and 

garden theme. Groups have promoted National Radon Action Month at a green house 

or eco-house exhibit at state fairs, green building shows, lawn and patio, and landscape 

shows. Work with exhibit organizers to provide outreach and educational materials for 

visitors.

Coordinate with Welcome Wagon or Other New Home Programs

Your community may have a welcome wagon or other programs to welcome new residents. Provide these 

programs with brochures and test kit coupons to include with welcome packages for new residents. Be sure 

to include information about your coalition or program so that individuals can follow up with you if they have 

questions.

Use Direct Mail Effectively

Bring your radon message directly to people’s homes. Send test kit coupons to new parents or radon brochures 

to new homeowners in your community. Target your list of names to the groups you most want to reach and 

design attractive materials to attract their attention. 

4. Reach Children and their Families

Hold a Radon Poster Contest and Awards Ceremony

A radon poster contest is held each year during radon testing 

season. Start early and work with your local school(s) to get 

students to design radon posters. For more information on 

the radon poster contest, visit www.sosradon.org.

Provide Creative Radon Education Programs

Involve science students in conducting radon measurements. 

Sponsor educational events in 4 H or other special classes. 

Offer incentives such as t-shirts or parties for participating. 

Contact school leaders in your community to arrange special 

radon events for students.

Host a Community Baby Shower 

Many communities conduct community baby showers or other events 

for new or expectant mothers. This is a perfect opportunity to provide 

families in your community with information about a variety of 

health topics, including the importance of testing for radon. Provide 

educational materials and a test kit coupon to all attendees.

Conduct a Radon Test Challenge 

Challenges are a fun way to encourage 

testing within your community. Contact a 

radon test kit manufacturer (a list can be 

obtained from your state radon office) to 

obtain test kits, possibly at a discounted 

price, and offer a challenge and “reward” 

for the most test kits distributed, 

conducted, and sent to the lab for 

analysis. Challenges can be conducted 

between cities (have your mayor 

challenge a neighboring community) or 

within your community (have schools in 

your community challenge each other). 

However you conduct your challenge, 

offer a “reward” for the challenge winner, 

but also acknowledge all participants. 

Check your state laws on contests before 

planning your radon test challenge.
NATIONAL RADON ACTION MONTH EVENT PLANNING KIT

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Ideas for Radon Outreach Activities (continued)

5. Work with the Media to Promote Radon Awareness

Promote Radon Public Service Announcements (PSAs)

EPA has a variety of print, radio, and television PSAs available at no cost to educate your 

community about the dangers of radon and the importance of radon testing. Hand delivering 

PSAs to your local media outlets is an effective way to reach large portions of your community, 

and often stations will run PSAs for free! Partnering with your local movie theater provides 

another opportunity to showcase the radon PSAs before the feature film. Lastly, consider 

contacting your state broadcast association for help in getting the PSAs aired. Keep in mind 

that people in your community may speak languages other than English, so be sure to use EPA’s 

bi-lingual materials and reach out to media outlets that serve non-English speaking audiences. 

Visit www.epapsa.com to view and order PSA materials.

Make Your Own Radon PSA

You can also create your own local radon PSA. Local news celebrities like meteorologists, radio 

personalities, and sports anchors will sometimes record PSAs about a worthy cause at their own 

facilities as a public service. Approach the advertising department of local TV and radio stations 

to ask if their broadcast personalities could record a short radon announcement for the station 

to air throughout the radon testing season. 

Once a local station has agreed to record the PSA with their talent and dedicate airtime to 

the PSA, write a short script for the PSA. It should be brief, containing local references and key 

radon messages. Work with the station’s advertising department to make sure that your script’s length 

matches the available free airtime slot (i.e., 15 to 30 seconds).

Tailor the PSA script to match the type of local celebrity you’ve secured. For instance, for a local sports 

anchor in Chicago, your script might look like this:

Hey Bears fans! Winter is time for playoffs, but it’s also the best time to test your home for radon. 

Radon is a naturally occurring gas that can build up to a dangerous level in your home. It can cause lung 

cancer, and it causes about 20,000 deaths each year. Buy a radon test kit at a hardware store today and 

make sure you’re not at risk. Visit [your website] or call 555-555-5555 for more information.

Conduct a Media Campaign

In addition to promoting PSAs, contact your local media 

and ask them to run stories on radon during the radon 

testing season. Provide the media with fact sheets and other 

background materials and offer spokespeople for interviews. 

See page 21 of this Event Planning Kit for information on 

working with the media.

Develop a Compelling Local Story

Give radon a face in your community. Invite the media to talk with 

people who have tested their homes and successfully mitigated a 

radon problem. Providing the media with local radon data (available 

from your state radon program or testing companies) will also help 

you localize the story for your community. Don’t forget to provide 

information on test kit availability and qualified radon mitigation 

professionals in your community.

How Healthy Is Your

Child’s Bedroom?

SURGEON GENERAL’S

WARNING:

RADON CAUSES LUNG CANCER

YOU SHOULD TEST YOUR HOME

Radon is an invisible radioactive gas that

seeps into your home from underground.

Radon attaches itself to your child’s lungs,

where it can begin the process of causing lung

cancer. The only way you can tell if your

home has dangerous levels of Radon is to test

for it. Once detected, homes with high levels of

Radon can be easily fixed. 

For helpful information, call or visit:

1-800-SOS-RADON

www.epa.gov/radon

Radon Action Week

Radon Action Week is typically 

the third full week in October. 

Consider ways to use both 

October and January to full 

advantage in support of your 

radon outreach efforts to the 

public and the media. You can 

use much of the information 

presented in this kit not only for 

National Radon Action Month but 

also Radon Action Week and 

year-round.
NATIONAL RADON ACTION MONTH EVENT PLANNING KIT

7 www.epa.gov/radon/nram

Ideas for Radon Outreach Activities (continued)

Identify Key Spokespeople in Your Community 

Spokespeople can serve as recognizable and respected “faces” for your radon program. Perhaps you can engage 

local politicians, celebrities, scientists, or others that people in your community recognize and trust. Use your 

spokespeople for media interviews and to publicize your radon activities. Encourage your spokespeople to 

publicly test their homes for radon and publicize their results and subsequent actions if their tests show radon 

in excess of EPA’s action level. You can also contact your state radon program to help identify radon technical 

experts if needed.

Write a Press Release 

Write a press release about radon and your radon activities and distribute it to your local media outlets. A 

sample press release that you can customize for your community is included in this Event Planning Kit on pages 

26-27.

Write an Op-Ed or Letter to the Editor

Write a letter to the editor of your local paper(s) to educate your community about the health risks of radon 

and to encourage people to test their homes. Tips for writing an op-ed and letter to the editor and a sample 

op-ed that you can customize for your community are located on pages 28-29.

To have a far reaching impact during 2008’s National Radon Action Month, Steve Melia, from the Wyoming 

Department of Health, focused his activities around a media outreach campaign, along with the distribution of 

free, short-term radon test kits. Steve began by calling radio stations and requesting short interviews to explain 

the dangers of radon. While on the radio shows, he was able to inform the public that the state was offering 

free test kits throughout January in honor of National Radon Action Month. The local CBS television station 

and several radio stations aired the interviews multiple times and broadcasted stories about radon during the 

month of January.

Using the Internet as another outreach medium, Steve placed a radon link on the Wyoming Department of 

Health’s Home Page to provide easy access to the Radon Web page containing a downloadable coupon for a 

free radon test kit. Members of the public could print out and mail in the coupon to receive their kit. As well 

as working with television, radio, and Internet, Steve also coordinated with the Governor’s office to release a 

Governor’s Proclamation for National Radon Action Month, as well as the Department’s Public Information 

Office to issue several press releases.

The roughly 100 to 150 postal requests per day (totaling more than 4,000 requests) for a radon test kit reveal 

the community’s overwhelmingly positive response to the campaign. 

Taking his outreach campaign one step further, Steve made several mini-grants available to Wyoming science 

teachers to conduct radon projects with their science classes. He hopes to attract further media coverage to 

help spread his message about radon and the importance of radon testing. 

Wyoming’s National Radon Action Month 2008 Press Release is available at: 

http://wdh.state.wy.us/news.aspx?NewsID=140.

Media and Mini-Grants Raise Radon Awareness
NATIONAL RADON ACTION MONTH EVENT PLANNING KIT

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Ideas for Radon Outreach Activities (continued)

6. Put Radon Awareness to Work

During National Radon Action Month, you can play an important part in raising awareness in the 

workplace and promoting testing for radon among your colleagues by conducting a radon awareness 

and testing campaign in your workplace.

Get Employees’ Attention

Through E-mail and Web sites:

f Send an e-mail message explaining radon and the risk of radon-induced lung cancer, and ask your 

employees to test their homes and mitigate their homes if radon is detected above the EPA action 

level. In the e-mail, you may refer them to Web sites where they can get more information about 

radon and reducing their risk from radon, such as your organization’s Web site, your state radon or 

public health Web site, and the EPA’s radon Web site at www.epa.gov/radon/index.html. 

f Create a worksite radon testing campaign Web page on your intranet. This would contain links to 

the EPA’s radon Web site, company events you have planned that are related to the campaign or 

local community radon events, information on where employees can obtain test kits, and recognition 

of action being taken as a result of your campaign (i.e., a goal tracker showing how many in your 

company have tested their homes for radon to date). 

In Common Areas:

f Create flyers and hang them in high-traffic areas (e.g., kitchen, hallways, employee lounge, 

storeroom) to publicize the campaign.

f Host a breakfast or lunch where an employee volunteer, a Human Resources representative, or a 

community/state expert presents the basic risks of radon and what action can be taken to reduce 

the risk of radon. Use EPA’s National Radon Action Month PowerPoint presentation template to 

create your presentation. Then, distribute EPA’s fact sheets for audience members to take home. 

Consider customizing the PowerPoint, factsheets, and other resources in the Event Planning Kit to the 

audience and your organization by editing content, adding your organization’s logo, personalizing 

contact information, and more. This could be combined with other health promotion initiatives 

taking place in your workplace.

f If your company has any smoking cessation effort, make sure to include information on radon and 

the higher associated risks of cancer for smokers.

Get Employees to Take Action

By Making it Easy:

f Consider including customized coupons for test kits in paycheck envelopes, paystubs, or mailboxes. 

Coupons can be customized with codes to track their use, providing you with results of your efforts. 

Your organization can obtain customizable radon test kit coupons at www.sosradon.org. For more 

information about the test kit coupon program, contact Bruce Snead (bsnead@ksu.edu) at 785-

532-4992 or Brian Hanson (bhanson@ksu.edu) at 785-532-4996.

By Motivating:

f Set a workplace-wide goal of having x% of employees test their homes. Encourage competition 

(inter-office, inter-group, or even an inter-office-floor contest) competition for the highest number of 

tested homes.
NATIONAL RADON ACTION MONTH EVENT PLANNING KIT

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Ideas for Radon Outreach Activities (continued)

f Motivate employees by recognizing their efforts and offering prizes for participation. For example, 

you could offer a complimentary radon mitigation if a home tests above the EPA action level (consider 

partnering with a local mitigator at www.epa.gov/radon/radontest.html to possibly offset the cost 

of the mitigation). “Green” or “healthy home” products such as non-toxic cleaning products, window 

sealing kits, energy saving light bulbs, or other practical products are also good prizes.

By Making it Fun

f Ask parents in your workplace to get their children involved by participating in the National Radon Poster 

Contest for children ages 9-14. This contest asks children to create a poster portraying radon hazards 

and safety, and is held annually to generate interest, enthusiasm, and action about radon safety and to 

increase the number of homes tested for radon.

Get the Word Out

Through the Media:

f Publicize your efforts by writing a press release or letter to the editor of a local newspaper, explaining 

your workplace’s initiative and the results of your collective efforts. Sample press releases and letters are 

available in the Event Planning Kit.

Through EPA:

f View the activities in your state on EPA’s Activities Web page at www.epa.gov/radon/nram/activities.

html and on www.radonleaders.org/nram/events. Then share your workplace activities and events by 

filling out the online Activity Submittal Form at www.radonleaders.org/nram/addevent .

f Share your efforts and the results of your workplace activities with the radon community nationwide 

by completing the online Feedback Form after National Radon Action Month. Your efforts may be 

recognized in the National Radon Action Month newsletter or Web site! 

Piloting New Methods to Reach Employees

For John Hultquist and David Neville of the Utah Division of Radiation Control, the key to a successful 

2008 National Radon Action Month involved brainstorming in unique ways to inform employees 

about radon testing. John and David realized in January that the text block on their paystubs could 

be used for messages, so they sent a message about radon testing (including details about kit 

purchasing) to the payroll department and asked to have it placed into the state employees’ pay 

stubs. Because of the positive response from state employees, John and David also decided that 

January would be the right time to devise a way for all people to be informed about radon test kits. 

John and David contacted the Public Information Officer to set up a link on the State’s Department 

of Health Web page where employees and the general public could go to request a radon test 

kit. The Web page resulted in 131 requests for test kits. The Department of Facilities Construction 

and Management also helped spread the word by distributing radon posters to building facility 

coordinators to place on bulletin boards. The Utah Division of Radon Control also worked with local 

television stations to run stories throughout January on the risks of radon and issued a press release 

in an effort to launch a successful media outreach campaign. The Division also collaborated with the 

Utah Safety Council. The media outreach and collaboration with the Utah Safety Council resulted 

in 2,851 unique visitors to the Utah Division’s Web site, and a sale of 1,700 radon test kits to Utah 

citizens in January of 2008. 

For more information on Utah’s radon efforts, visit www.radon.utah.gov/index.htm.
NATIONAL RADON ACTION MONTH EVENT PLANNING KIT

10 www.epa.gov/radon/nram



Radon Outreach

Steps for Planning Successful

Activities

Below we present ideas to help you think through, plan, 

conduct, and evaluate your activities. 

1. Setting Your Goals

Whether you are conducting a single National Radon Action 

Month event, or developing an entire radon risk reduction 

program for your community, it is important to set goals to 

define what you will achieve. Establishing goals will help you 

to think through which activities provide the most potential 

for reducing radon risk in your community. The U.S. EPA, the 

states, industry leaders, and partner organizations have set 

a national goal of doubling the number of lives saved from 

radon exposure in five years. You can make an important 

contribution to this national effort by setting an ambitious 

goal for National Radon Action Month and the year ahead. 

Whenever possible, your goals should be measurable 

(meaning you have ways to track your progress against 

your goal) and should include a timeline for achievement. 

Examples of radon goals that might make sense for your 

community include:

f During National Radon Action Month, 500 additional 

homes will be tested for radon in my community. To 

achieve this, we will hold three local events to educate 

the public about the dangers of radon reaching 300 

people, and work with local media to direct people 

to our state radon hotline. As a result, we expect a 

50% increase in local calls to the hotline, resulting 

in 700 discounted kits to be requested by interested 

homeowners.

Start the New Year off right by conducting a National Radon Action Month activity or event. A 

successful National Radon Action Month will boost your efforts to educate your community about the 

dangers of radon throughout the entire year and the importance of radon testing, mitigation, and 

radon-resistant new construction.

There are several key steps to conducting 

a successful National Radon Action Month 

activity or event. These include:

1

2

3

4

Set goals for your activity/event

Plan your activities

Conduct your activity

Measure your results

f By 2010, 25% of all homes in my community will have 

been tested for radon.

f By 2011, 50% of homes in my community that have 

radon levels in excess of EPA’s action level of 4 picocuries 

per liter (pCi/L) will have been mitigated.

f By 2012, 50% of all new homes in my community will be 

built using radon resistant construction techniques.

In order to establish your program goals, it is always a good 

idea to know your baseline (i.e. where you are starting 

from). Your local health department or state program may 

be able to provide you with information on the number of 

radon tests conducted in your area to date, the number 

of homes tested that have radon levels that exceed EPA’s 

radon action level of 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L), and 

information on the number of new homes built in your area. 

This baseline information will help you set goals for your 

program and activities that are reasonable and attainable.

In addition to your overall program goals, it is important 

to establish other outputs and outcomes to measure the 

success of your activities. You might choose to measure:

f # of people attending an event.

f # of radon educational materials distributed.

f # of radon test kit coupons distributed and collected 

(redeemed).

f # of radon test kits distributed.

f # of calls to your or your state’s radon program.

f # of “hits” on your radon Web site.

f # of articles about radon published in local media (and 

how many people are reached).

f # of radon Public Service Announcements aired (and 

how many people are reached).

f # of proclamations or radon challenges issued.

f # of media interviews conducted.

f # of radon presentations given.

For every activity you plan, you should consider what you 

would like to measure and how each activity relates to your 

radon risk reduction goals. This information will help you 

determine which strategies produced the best results.

NATIONAL RADON ACTION MONTH EVENT PLANNING KIT
NATIONAL RADON ACTION MONTH EVENT PLANNING KIT

11 www.epa.gov/radon/nram

2. Planning Your Activities

Once you have decided on your goals and how you will measure 

your effectiveness, the next step is to plan your activities. The 

sooner you begin your planning, the more likely you will be able 

to secure the people and resources you need to have it be a 

success. Your activity plan should include:

f The action steps you will take to implement your activities.

f Assignment of responsibilities (i.e. who will help you in your 

efforts and what will they do).

f Timeline. 

f Resources needed (i.e. what people, materials, or other 

resources will you need to plan and execute your event).

In planning your program or activity, there are several things 

you might want to consider:

f Start Realistically. It is better to have a successful small 

event than an unsuccessful large event. Know your available 

resources and the time you have available so you can plan 

an event that will maximize those resources. Your goal 

setting and planning should help you decide the best size 

event(s) for your community.

f Meet Your Audience’s Needs. When planning your event(s), 

keep in mind who you are trying to reach, how they like 

to receive information, and who they most trust on issues 

related to health. Locate your activity in a place that is 

convenient for your target audience and consider how best 

to promote it.

f Identify Key Speakers and Participants Early. If your event 

requires an expert speaker or local official (e.g. a mayor 

or local celebrity), the sooner you can contact them and 

get your event on their calendar, the better. Talk with 

members of your target audience to determine who they 

trust for their health information. You are more likely to 

get participants in your events if they are excited about the 

speakers. It is also a good idea to identify back-up speakers.

f Promote Your Event Broadly. As part of your planning, determine how you will publicize your event. Consider 

the outlets (media and other) and methods that are the most known to and trusted by your target audience. 

Determine what lead time outlets need in order to publicize your event. And remember, not everyone gets 

their information from the same source, so consider a variety of outlets for promoting your events. Visit 

www.nram.cadmusweb.com to publicize your event on the National Radon Action Month Web site.

f Make Your Event Interactive. Depending on your event, be sure to allow plenty of time for your participants to 

ask questions and to interact with your speakers and other experts. If your activity includes information on radon 

testing, be sure to have sample test kits available and to demonstrate how to use test kits. Events can also be a 

good opportunity to form alliances and get commitments from partners.

f Have Plenty of Materials On-Hand. From health fairs to press events, it is critical that you have enough materials 

available to meet your audience’s needs. Be sure to anticipate how many people will attend your event and to 

have materials on-hand for everyone. This is especially true for radon test kit coupons. Participants will be more 

likely to test if they can get a coupon onsite at your event. Also, people are more likely to attend events if they 

know they may receive free materials and giveaways. Publicize the free resources you will have at your event. 

(See pages 33-34 for a list of EPA materials that we will send to you at no cost. In addition, your state radon 

program may have radon informational materials and nominal giveaways for use at your event.) 

Using Radon Test Kits to 

Track Results

You can use test kits to track your program 

results. To promote radon testing, 

customizable radon test kit coupons are 

available to community groups. Your 

community (or even a specific activity) can be 

assigned a specific test kit coupon number. 

For more information about the test kit 

coupon program, please contact Bruce Snead 

(bsnead@ksu.edu) at 785-532-4992 or 

Brian Hanson (bhanson@ksu.edu) at 785-

532-4996.

You can also contact your local test kit 

manufacturer or provider for information 

on ordering test kits or test kit coupons 

with special codes or serial numbers linked 

to your activity or program. With tracking 

codes, you may be able to find out how 

many test kits were purchased and sent to 

the radon laboratory for analysis in addition 

to determining radon test results. Contact 

your state radon program, details available 

at www.epa.gov/iaq/whereyoulive.html, 

for more information about obtaining test 

kits from your state or from a radon testing 

company or laboratory in your area.
NATIONAL RADON ACTION MONTH EVENT PLANNING KIT

12 www.epa.gov/radon/nram





3. Implementing Your Plan

Once you have set your goals and made your plans, it is time 

to act! All of your advanced planning will help your National 

Radon Action Month activities come off more smoothly. 

Successful events:

 Are well publicized to ensure the 

target audience knows where and 

when the event is, how they get there, 

and what to expect.

 Have clear, achievable, and measurable 

goals.

 Involve careful, thoughtful planning.

 Have built-in mechanisms for tracking 

the activity’s success in relation to the 

established goals and objectives. (See 

the following section on measuring 

activity results).

Keep in mind that increasing awareness and motivating 

people to take action takes time. Creating increased 

awareness about radon and the importance of radon testing 

will not happen overnight. However, each event that you 

plan or activity that you undertake will bring you closer to 

your goal of safeguarding your community’s health.

4. Measuring Your Results

Measuring the results of your program or activity is 

important for determining success. When measuring the 

success of your radon activities, ask yourself:

f How did my activities 

contribute to achieving 

my goals?

f What impact is 

my program or 

activity having in my 

community?

f How can the experience 

and the data I receive help me to improve my program?

f What other activities have proven to be the most 

effective in educating my community about radon and 

the importance of radon testing and mitigation?

Measuring results can be relatively simple depending on 

the activity or event. Consider administering a simple 

questionnaire or survey to participants. You can also use an 

event log or other tracking sheet at your event to keep track 

of:

f How many people attend (and their contact 

information).

f How many materials are distributed, especially if you are 

giving out radon test kits or test kit coupons.

f How many members of the press your event attracts and 

how much media coverage your event generates.

f How many requests for follow up or additional 

information you receive.

f How many people pledge to test their home for radon.

Ultimately, your goal is to achieve as many mitigations of 

high radon homes and new homes built radon resistant as 

possible, as these are the long-term results that save lives. If 

your state program has reporting requirements, determine 

what data may be available to you. Use this information 

when setting your goals and measuring your results. You 

may also consider partnering with local mitigators and 

builders to host your events and activities and measure 

results of your outreach efforts. By helping you achieve your 

goals to educate the public about radon they will be helping 

create more demand for radon services—a possible win-win 

situation for everyone. 

EPA is particularly interested in hearing about your 

successful activities and your results so we can share 

great ideas and effective activities with our nationwide 

network of radon partners. Please share information 

about your events using the Activity Submittal Form at 

www.radonleaders.org/nram/addevent. After your 

event, please respond when we follow up with you to 

get information about your results. You will also have an 

opportunity to learn more about successful strategies your 

colleagues from across the country are using to save lives 

from radon exposure. 
NATIONAL RADON ACTION MONTH EVENT PLANNING KIT

13 www.epa.gov/radon/nram

Raise awareness about radon and recognize poster contest winners by hosting an awards ceremony 

for your state or local poster contest winners. An awards ceremony reaches families, motivates 

children, and offers a compelling story for the media. The following tips provide guidance for holding 

a successful awards ceremony.

Radon Poster Contest Tips

f Grants up to $1,000 are available (as funds allow) for 

every state, territory, and tribal nation that has a radon 

poster contest.

f Conduct your radon poster contest during the time 

period specified in the contest guidelines at www.

sosradon.org. Consider hosting the awards ceremony in 

conjunction with National Radon Action Month. 

f Once the posters have been judged, confirm the 

availability of key individuals. Invite poster contest 

winners, parents, teachers, principals, and government 

officials, and obtain permission from parents for the use 

of their children’s photos.

f Secure a location, such as a school auditorium or city 

hall, for hosting the event.

f Arrange travel and special activities for the winners, such 

as a tour of state capital and meetings with officials.

f Notify local and state press about the event and prepare 

photos of the winning posters for the media. See the 

Media Outreach section on page 21 for more tips on 

reaching out to the media.

f Arrange event logistics. There are numerous details to 

consider for a successful awards ceremony. Some to 

consider include: send invitations; create certificates 

or plaques for the winners, prepare speakers; write a 

program; hire a 

photographer; 

prepare the 

posters to be 

displayed, and 

assemble a press 

kit to give to any 

media that attend 

the event.

If you would like more information on planning and implementing a radon poster contest awards 

ceremony, please contact Bruce Snead (bsnead@ksu.edu) at 785-532-4992 or Brian Hanson (bhanson@

ksu.edu) at 785-532-4996 to receive a copy of the Poster Contest Awards Ceremony Toolkit on CD-Rom.”
NATIONAL RADON ACTION MONTH EVENT PLANNING KIT

14 www.epa.gov/radon/nram

The following tips will help you develop radon messages and materials that will appeal to your 

audience. 

f Be accurate: Scientific accuracy is vital to your program’s credibility and will help you achieve desired outcomes. Using 

EPA’s key messages will help you ensure that you are communicating the most accurate, up-to-date radon information. 

Please see Basic Radon Facts on page 17 for EPA’s key messages. You can also visit www.epa.gov/radon for additional 

radon information. 

f Be credible: Recent EPA market research revealed that 

many Americans respond more favorably to messages 

about radon when they are delivered by credible sources. 

This research informed EPA’s PSA campaign promoting the 

Surgeon General’s warning about radon and lung cancer. 

(Visit www.epapsa.com for more information about 

radon PSAs.) Other familiar experts in your community 

can also be highly effective when communicating about 

radon. Think about credible sources including celebrities, 

government officials, health professionals, and other 

individuals or organizations who can effectively deliver 

radon messages in your community. 

f Be clear: Keep it simple. Clear messages for lay audiences 

contain as few technical and scientific terms as possible. 

Eliminate any information that the audience does not need 

in order to take action against radon. 

f Be consistent: Messages and graphics should reinforce 

each other, not send different signals. Make sure your 

messages and graphics are consistent across all your 

communications. 

f Be relevant to your audience: One size does not fit 

all. Consider the needs of your different audiences when 

disseminating messages and materials. For example, if you 

are conducting outreach in a county with a large Spanishspeaking population, try to provide Spanish materials. See 

page 19 for a Basic Radon Fact Sheet in Spanish. 

f When conducting outreach to families with young children, you may want to combine radon messages with information 

about other children’s health issues that your organization addresses. Children’s Health Month in October would be an 

ideal time to bundle radon messages with other children’s health issues like asthma or lead.

Radon Communication

Tips

Helpful Resources 

Radon Communication Tips adapted from: National Cancer Institute. (2001). Making Health Communications Programs Work. 

Rockville, MD. 

EPA offers the following tools to help you create 

your National Radon Action Month messages and 

materials: 

f Templates: To get started on your materials, 

use EPA’s templates including a customizable 

fact sheet available at www.epa.gov/radon/

pdfs/nram/basic_radon_fact_sheet.doc. 

f Boilerplate messages: Use the boilerplate 

National Radon Action Month messages on 

page 16 for your Web site or print materials. 

f Graphics: National Radon Action Month 

graphics are available for you to use for a 

variety of materials. Visit www.epa.gov/

radon/nram/event_kit.html to download 

Web and print versions of the National Radon 

Action Month banner which appears in this 

Kit. 
NATIONAL RADON ACTION MONTH EVENT PLANNING KIT

15 www.epa.gov/radon/nram

If you use the Web to communicate with your 

audience, make sure to include information 

about National Radon Action Month. Link to 

EPA’s National Radon Action Month public Web 

site page. It is designed for individuals who 

would like to know more about how they can 

take action during National Radon Action Month: 

www.epa.gov/radon/nram/public.html. 

You can also create your own National Radon 

Action Month page on your Web site. Here are 

some tips and tools for creating a Web page 

dedicated to National Radon Action Month: 

f Use EPA’s National Radon Action Month Web site as a 

model for creating your own Web page: www.epa.gov/

radon/nram/public.html.

f Use the boilerplate National Radon Action Month 

messages provided on page 16 of this Event Planning 

Kit. Also make sure to include local radon statistics and 

information on National Radon Action Month events and 

activities in your state.

f Use EPA’s National Radon Action Month graphics for your 

Web site. Web graphics are available for download at 

www.epa.gov/radon/nram/event_kit.html.

Web Communication

Tips

Web Communication Tips adapted from: National Cancer Institute. (2001). Making Health Communications Programs Work. Rockville, MD. 

Basic Web Site Tips 

Whether you are updating your radon Web site or 

adding some new information on National Radon Action 

Month, these basic guidelines will help you create 

appealing Web site content:

f Create content that is accurate, credible, consistent, 

and clear. 

f Design pages with a clean and consistent design 

(e.g., a simple background, legible type, a few 

carefully selected colors, predictable headers).

f Utilize bullets to highlight main points and steer clear 

of large text blocks. Use plenty of white space to give 

readers’ eyes a break. 

f Use captioned images that convey your message in 

graphical format.

f Use small graphic files to ensure fast display of pages.

f Make it easy for users to logically move from section 

to section with simple navigation tools (e.g., side or 

top bars).

f Track site usage and invite user response. Not only 

will you know more about activity on your site, but 

your users will feel more involved if given regular 

opportunities to submit comments. 

f Visit www.usability.gov for more helpful tips on 

developing Web site content.

Making Radon Tests Easily Accessible 

The Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services really took Missouri residents into account when it created a new 

online registration tool on its Web site for residents to order a free radon test kit. In the fall of 2007, Carol Bell and her 

colleagues proposed this online registration system to ultimately save time and money that would otherwise be used to 

manually register citizens wishing to receive a radon test kit.

On January 1, 2008, just in time to promote the new service available to Missouri residents during National Radon 

Action Month, the online registration tool was made available. Registration numbers were low for the first few days, but 

increased throughout the month as more citizens became aware they could request a radon test kit in such a convenient 

manner. Visit this site to register: http://www.dhss.mo.gov/Radon/FreeTestKit_Registration.html.

Missouri received an overwhelmingly positive response to this new on-line registration system. During the first six 

months of 2008, Missouri had a 300% increase in requests for radon test kits compared to the same period last year, 

and the state processed over 6,000 online requests.

With the state and other support, Carol and her team provided enough radon test kits and educational materials to 

meet the overwhelming demand at no cost to Missouri residents. By creating an online registration system for radon 

test kits, Carol successfully utilized a new tool to reach out to the community and make an impact lasting well beyond 

National Radon Action Month.
NATIONAL RADON ACTION MONTH EVENT PLANNING KIT

16 www.epa.gov/radon/nram





The brief messages below are designed to help you communicate with the public and stakeholders 

about National Radon Action Month. You can use this language for your Web site, newsletters, flyers, 

and other materials. Feel free to customize the messages to suit your communication goals. 

National Radon Action Month

Messages

Consumer Message

You can use the following message to encourage individuals in your community to take action against radon during National 

Radon Action Month. 

January is National Radon Action Month

Test Your Home. Protect Your Health. 

During January’s National Radon Action Month, the U.S. Surgeon General and 

the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) urge all Americans to protect their 

health by testing their homes for radon. Radon is a natural radioactive gas that 

you can’t see, smell, or taste but could be present at a dangerous level in your 

home. As the second leading cause of lung cancer deaths in the U.S. and the 

first leading cause among non-smokers, radon claims more than 20,000 lives 

annually. If a high radon level is detected in your home, you can take steps to fix 

it to protect yourself and your family. For more information about what you can 

do to protect your health and take action against radon during National Radon 

Action Month, please visit www.epa.gov/radon/nram/public.html. 

Stakeholder Message

As part of your radon outreach activities, you may want to encourage other 

stakeholders to get involved in efforts to increase radon outreach in January. The 

following message can be used to promote National Radon Action Month to a wide range of community partners and other 

radon stakeholders. 

January is National Radon Action Month 

Join the Effort to Prevent Lung Cancer Deaths from Radon

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has designated January as National Radon Action Month. In January, communities 

lead activities and host special events to raise awareness of the health effects of radon exposure, promote testing and 

mitigation, and advance the use of radon resistant new construction. Join the national outreach efforts today and help 

prevent thousands of lung cancer deaths from radon! EPA offers free tips and tools to help you plan and implement radon 

outreach activities in your community. Visit www.epa.gov/radon/nram/partners.html to learn more about how you can 

get involved.

Basic Radon Facts

Radon fact sheets in English 

and Spanish are provided in 

this Kit. You can use the PDF 

versions on pages 17-20 to 

disseminate to your audience 

or you can add your own logo 

and contact information to the 

customizable English version 

available at: www.epa.gov/

radon/pdfs/nram/basic_radon_

fact_sheet.doc. 
www.epa.gov/radon

Radon is a cancer-causing, radioactive gas.

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas released in rock, soil, and water from the natural decay of 

uranium. While levels in outdoor air pose a relatively low threat to human health, radon can accumulate 

to dangerous levels inside buildings. You can’t see, smell, or taste it, but an elevated radon level in your 

home may be affecting the health of your family.

Exposure to radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the 

United States and the number one cause among non-smokers. The 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that radon causes 

more than 20,000 lung cancer deaths in the country each year. Only 

smoking causes more lung cancer deaths. If you smoke and your 

home has radon, your risk of lung cancer can be higher.

Radon is found all over the United States.

Radon has been found in elevated levels in homes in every state. No area of the country is free from risk. 

Indeed, two homes right next to each other can have vastly different radon levels. Just because your 

neighbor’s house does not have an elevated level of radon does not mean that your house will have a low 

radon level. The only way to know if your home is under the EPA action level of 4 pCi/L is to test.

High levels of radon in homes usually come from the surrounding soil. Radon gas enters through cracks 

and openings—such as sump pump lids and plumbing features—on the lower levels of your home. Hot 

spots include basements, first-floor rooms, and garages, but radon can be found anywhere in your house.

You should test for radon.

The U.S. Surgeon General recommends that all homes in the U.S. be tested for radon. Testing your house 

for radon is easy to do. If your house has a radon problem, you can take steps to fix it to protect yourself 

and your family. 

You can find out if your home has an elevated radon 

level by conducting a simple test. It’s as easy as 

opening a package, placing a radon detector in a 

designated area, and, after a set number of days, 

sending the detector back to a lab for analysis. The lab 

will then inform you of your radon test results. 

Radon test kits are available at your local home 

improvement or hardware store, or in some cases 

from your state radon office. You can also order them 

from Kansas State University (KSU) or radon testing 

companies. Another option is to hire a qualified tester 

Radon Facts





Basic



How to Obtain Radon Test Kits 

To obtain an easy-to-use radon test kit, you can:

 Purchase a test kit from your local home 

improvement or hardware store. Many kits are 

priced under $25.00.

 For information on obtaining test kits and test kit 

coupons, visit www.sosradon.org. 

 Contact your state radon program, details available 

at www.epa.gov/iaq/whereyoulive.html, for 

more information about obtaining test kits from 

your state or from a radon testing company or 

laboratory in your area.
www.epa.gov/radon

Basic Radon Facts (continued)





to do a radon test for you. Contact your state radon office 

about obtaining a list of qualified testers. Information about 

testing your home for radon and finding a test kit is also 

available by calling 1-800-SOS-RADON. 

Radon is measured in picocuries per liter of air (pCi/L), a 

measurement of radioactivity. EPA and the Centers for 

Disease Control and Prevention recommend that homes 

with radon levels at 4 pCi/L or higher should be fixed. EPA 

also recommends that Americans consider fixing their 

homes for radon levels between 2 pCi/L and 4 pCi/L. Based 

on a national residential radon survey completed in 1991, 

the average indoor radon level is about 1.3 pCi/L in the 

United States. The average outdoor level is about 0.4 pCi/L. 

You can fix a radon problem.

The cost of making repairs to reduce the radon level depends on several factors, including how your 

home was built. Most homes can be fixed for about the same cost as other common home repairs, 

like painting or having a new hot water heater installed. Look in your local phone book or call your 

state radon office to locate radon mitigators in your area if you find an elevated radon level in your 

home.

New homes can be built with radon-resistant features.

Radon-resistant construction methods can be effective in reducing radon entry. When used properly, 

these simple and cost-effective techniques can help reduce the accumulation of radon gas in homes. 

Every new home should be tested after occupancy, even if it was built using radon-resistant 

construction methods. If radon levels above EPA’s action level at or above 4 pCi/L are detected, it is 

easier and less expensive to reduce radon levels in homes that have been built with radon-resistant 

construction techniques. 

Radon presents a serious health risk, but it can be controlled easily and costeffectively. Take action today. Encourage your friends and family members to do 

the same!
19 www.epa.gov/radon/nram

MES NACIONAL DE RADÓN KIT DE PLANIFICACIÓN DE EVENTOS







Hoja de datos sobre el radón

El radón es un gas radiactivo que causa cáncer.

El radón es un gas radiactivo que proviene de la descomposición natural del uranio un elemento que 

está presente en las rocas, el suelo y el agua. Los niveles de radón al aire 

libre representan un riesgo mínimo para la salud humana, sin embargo este 

puede acumularse en el interior de cualquier edificio hasta alcanzar niveles 

perjudiciales para la salud. Usted no puede verlo, olerlo ni probarlo, pero 

cuando su nivel es elevado dentro del hogar, puede afectar a la salud de 

toda su familia.

La exposición al radón es la segunda causa principal de cáncer pulmonar en 

los Estados Unidos y la principal en las personas que no fuman. De acuerdo 

con la Agencia de Protección Ambiental (EPA, por sus siglas en inglés) de 

los EE.UU. el radón es el causante de más de 20,000 muertes anuales en el 

país. Solamente el fumar causa más muertes debido al cáncer pulmonar. El 

riesgo de contraer este tipo de cáncer es mayor si usted es un fumador y si 

hay niveles altos de radón en su hogar.

El radón se puede encontrar por todo los Estados Unidos.

En todos los estados se han encontrado hogares con niveles elevados de radón. No hay un área que 

esté exenta de riesgo. La única manera de saber si el nivel de radón en su hogar está dentro de los 

limites establecidos por la EPA, o sea 4 pCi/L, es haciendo la prueba para detectarlo. 

Los niveles altos de radón que se encuentran en los hogares usualmente provienen del suelo de los 

alrededores. El radón penetra a los pisos más bajos de su hogar a través de grietas y aperturas tales 

como tapas de pozo de sumidero, y cañerías. Aunque el radón se puede encontrar en cualquier 

parte de su hogar los lugares más propensos son el sótano, los cuartos del primer piso, y los garajes.

Para obtener un kit o paquete de las pruebas de 

radón, usted puede: 

 Comprar el kit o paquete en la ferretería de su 

localidad. Muchos de estos kits generalmente 

cuestan menos de $25.00. 

 Para obtener información adicional de cómo 

hacer la prueba en su hogar, visite la página del 

web www.sosradon.org. 

 Comunicarse con el programa de radón de su 

estado para obtener más información sobre 

cómo obtener la prueba de detección de radón. 

Vea más detalles en la página web en 

www.epa.gov/iaq/whereyoulive.html.

Usted debe hacer la prueba de 

radón.

El Cirujano General de los EE.UU. recomienda 

que se haga la prueba de radón en todos los 

hogares, la cual es fácil de hacer. Si usted tiene 

problemas de radón en su hogar, puede tomar 

medidas para su propia protección y la de su 

familia.

Con una simple prueba de detección de radón 

usted puede saber si en su hogar hay niveles 

de radón elevados. 

Cómo obtener el kit de las pruebas 

de radón 
20 www.epa.gov/radon/nram

Hoja de datos sobre el radón (continued)





Usted mismo puede hacer la prueba o contratar una persona calificadaen radón para que la haga por 

usted. La oficina a cargo del programa de radón en su estado le puede proveer una lista de personas 

calificadas en radón y en algunos casos el kit o paquete con la prueba.

También puede pedir la prueba de Kansas State University (KSU).

El radón se mide en unidades de picocuries por litro (pCi/L) de aire, 

que es una medida de radiactividad. La EPA y los Centros para el 

Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades (CDC, por sus siglas en 

inglés) recomiendan reducir los niveles de radón en los hogares 

que tengan una concentración de 4 pCi/L o más. La EPA también 

recomienda que se reduzcan los niveles de radón entre 2 pCi/L y 4 

pCi/L.

Usted puede solucionar el problema de 

radón.

El costo de las reparaciones para reducir la concentración de radón 

en su vivienda depende de varios factores, incluyendo la manera 

en que fue construida. En la mayoría de los hogares el problema se 

puede resolver por una cantidad de dinero similar a la que costaría pintar la vivienda o instalar un 

sistema de agua caliente nuevo (calentador de agua). Para localizar los contratistas calificados busque 

en la guía telefónica local o comuníquese con el programa de detección de radón de su estado.

Las casas nuevas pueden ser construidas con características 

resistentes al radón.

Utilizar técnicas de construcción resistentes al radón puede ser un método efectivo para prevenir que 

este gas entre en las casas. Cuando estas técnicas simples y de bajo costo se aplican apropiadamente 

pueden reducir el nivel de radón acumulado en los hogares.

Aunque se hayan utilizado técnicas resistentes al radón al momento de la construcción después de 

mudarse a una casa nueva usted debe hacer la prueba de radón. Si los niveles de concentración de 

radón son iguales o superiores a los 4 pCi/L recomendados por la EPA, será mas fácil reducirlos si se 

emplearon técnicas de construcción resistentes al radón. 

El radón representa un riesgo muy serio para la salud, pero puede ser controlado 

fácilmente y a bajo costo. Tome medidas hoy mismo. ¡Anime a sus amistades y 

familiares para que hagan lo mismo!

MES NACIONAL DE RADÓN KIT DE PLANIFICACIÓN DE EVENTOS
NATIONAL RADON ACTION MONTH EVENT PLANNING KIT

21 www.epa.gov/radon/nram

A successful media outreach approach can increase the success of your event. The following tips will 

help you capture media attention for your radon activity, event, or program.

Tell the radon story.

The best way to gain the media’s attention is to provide facts 

about the dangers of radon to public health. Radon is the 

second leading cause of lung cancer, second only to smoking, 

and radon exposure is the number one cause of lung cancer 

among non-smokers. 

f Remember to involve the media in all radon-related 

activities, such as testing demonstrations and poster 

contests.

f Invite the media to talk with people who have tested their 

homes for radon and successfully mitigated the radon 

problem, or whose homes were built radon-resistant.

f Arrange for interviews with doctors and other respected 

experts and spokespeople who can discuss the dangers of 

radon and steps to mitigate health risks. 

f Plan a press conference at an “on-the-scene” location, 

such as at a home that will be tested for radon to 

demonstrate how easy it is to test and to provide the 

media with a visual for publicizing the issue.

Once you have designed an interesting event, there are a few 

general steps you can follow to ensure that you get the best 

coverage possible.

Please see pages 23-24 for more specific ideas on telling the

radon story in your community.

Build successful relationships with the 

media.

f Establish a list of national and local media, taking note of 

beat reporters. Beat reporters are assigned to a specific 

area or topic, such as community health and science.

f Contact beat reporters and editors to introduce yourself 

and to establish a point of contact for information. 

f Think of reporters as avenues for getting radon 

information to the public. 

Start with a good media list.

A good list is one that is relevant. In choosing whom to 

approach, it is important to consider who is likely to want to 

tell your radon story, as well as whom you would like to do it. 

You may want to include small newspapers and community 

newsletters in addition to major newspapers and television 

Media Outreach

Tips

and radio stations. While you want to cast a broad net, you 

do not want to waste time and resources with media outlets 

or reporters who are not right for the event.

At major newspapers and television and radio stations, in 

most cases, it is appropriate to contact the assignment desk 

or assignment editor. The assignment editor will usually give 

you the name and contact information for the beat reporter 

who covers topics related to radon.

In radio, you should contact the news director. Your local 

library may have a media guide listing names and addresses 

of the people you may want to contact. You can usually 

get this information from the Web site of the radio station 

as well. Be sure to get your contact’s e-mail address. Many 

reporters prefer to get releases and other background 

materials by e-mail rather than hard copy.

Please see page 24 for a list of relevant media outlets to 

consider.

A good list is an accurate list. Once you have developed 

a list of potential contacts to target, double check that list 

for accuracy by calling the publication or station. Call the 

main number to make sure the person you have selected 

to contact is still in that position, and that the contact 

information you have is accurate. 

Write a good pitch letter.

After you have a targeted list of reporters and editors,

you’ll need to write a pitch letter. The pitch letter alerts 

editors and reporters to your story and tells them why they 

should cover radon issues. Please see page 23 for tips on 

writing a pitch letter.

Write a press release.

A well written press release can yield more media coverage 

than any amount of advertising could bring to radon. Please 

see pages 26-27 for press release tips and a sample press 

release. 

Write an op-ed or letter to the editor. 

Publications’ opinion sections are another great place to 

promote radon awareness. Author an op-ed describing 

your experience with radon and encourage others in the 

community to conduct radon tests. Writing an op-ed 
NATIONAL RADON ACTION MONTH EVENT PLANNING KIT

22 www.epa.gov/radon/nram

introduces the publication’s readership to radon, puts a local 

angle on the issue, and helps readers learn what they can do to 

prevent exposure to radon. If the publication has written about 

radon or related topics recently, you can respond to the article 

with a letter to the editor. Please see pages 28-29 for a sample 

op-ed.

Develop a media kit.

Make it as easy as possible for the media to do their jobs. 

Provide them with statistical information about radon from 

reputable sources and provide simple graphics if you have 

them. Anything you can do to make it easy for reporters to 

write a story will help. Put together a media kit with a full range 

of information about radon issues, testing and mitigation, 

radon-resistant new construction, and the specifics of your 

radon event. A media kit can include the following materials:

f Pitch letter

f Press release*

f Radon fact sheet*

f Radon materials order form*

f Biography or background information of speakers and 

experts available to talk about radon issues

f Proclamation*

f Calendar of events

f List of radon kit manufacturers and laboratories and their 

toll-free numbers

f List of local stores that carry radon kits, complete with 

contact information

f Your contact information

f State radon program contact information

f Web site addresses as appropriate

Follow up.

You’ve sent your materials out to the reporters and editors 

on your list and allowed time for them to look over the 

information. Now it’s time to make follow-up calls. During your 

follow-up calls, you should:

f Be prepared. Make notes for your calls and be prepared to 

take notes during the calls. Plan what you are going to say 

ahead of time and stick to it. Try to anticipate any questions 

or objections you might hear and have an answer prepared. 

Always remind the media that radon is a serious health risk 

that is easy to overlook because it is an odorless, invisible, 

and tasteless killer. Also remember to send the message that 

radon testing and mitigation is convenient and cost-effective.

f Be polite and brief. Editors and reporters are usually on a 

very tight schedule and they will appreciate it if you get right 

to the point. Identify yourself, tell them why you are calling, 

and offer to answer any questions they may have.

f Ask for coverage. After you have confirmed receipt of 

your letter and answered any questions, ask for coverage of 

your event.

Remember these points.

Timing is everything. Consider the editor’s 

schedule when you place your calls. Newspapers 

are usually working on a mid-afternoon deadline 

for the next day, so late afternoon is the best 

time to call. Call the staff of noon news programs 

after 3:00 p.m. and call the evening news in the 

morning.

More than one call may be required. This 

is especially true with television stations. Often 

the assignments for a given day are not made 

until that morning. The station’s ability to send 

a crew to your event can be affected by other 

events taking place that day. If a media outlet has 

expressed interest in covering your event but has 

not committed to it, call on the day of the event 

and ask again for their coverage and remind them 

of the details.

Don’t get discouraged. You are competing 

against other story ideas and current events. You 

might feel as though you are getting the runaround. It’s possible that one person will tell you 

to speak to another or to call back at another time. 

If so, follow their directions. It is also possible that 

people will be short with you because they are 

busy. The best strategy is to be courteous, helpful, 

creative, and most of all, persistent. Remember 

that the media needs news to fill their programs 

and newspapers. Let them know why your story is 

worthy and make it as easy as you can for them to 

cover your issue and events.

Reporters may not attend your press 

conference as a matter of policy. This is where 

personal relationships help in convincing them 

to make an exception. However, if a reporter tells 

you in advance that he or she will not be able to 

make it to your press conference, send them a 

press release anyway and encourage them to use 

the information to build a story with their own 

sources. Determine the point of contact reporters 

may attempt to call for additional information 

and discuss with these individuals the importance 

of providing a clear message that emphasizes the 

health risks and the opportunities for managing the 

risks. The best way to establish good relationships 

with the media is to offer them opportunities for 

interesting and newsworthy stories. Offer a hardto-get interview, local human interest stories, 

eye-catching visuals or pictures, and good audio 

for those in radio news. Always present your 

information as something that readers, listeners, 

and viewers deserve to learn.

*

Samples of these materials are included in this Event Planning Kit. Some samples are 

provided in MS Word and can be accessed at http://www.epa.gov/radon/nram/event_

kit.html.
NATIONAL RADON ACTION MONTH EVENT PLANNING KIT

23 www.epa.gov/radon/nram

How to Pitch a Story

Pitching a news story to a reporter, editor, or producer 

can seem intimidating, but it is not difficult if you prepare 

yourself adequately. The most effective way to contact the 

media with a story idea is through a “pitch letter,” which 

provides the reporter or media with all the information they 

need to pursue the story. 

Use the following tips to write a good pitch letter: 

1. E-mail is often the best way to get your letter in front of 

the right person. Plan to follow up your e-mail with a 

timely phone call.

2. Keep it short. Journalists don’t have much time to 

spend each day reading pitches. Begin your pitch with 

your most compelling information to grab the reader’s 

interest, and explain the story in just a few paragraphs. 

If you have a news peg (see below), make it clear at the 

beginning of the letter.

3. Provide all the information journalists need to cover the 

story. Make sure your pitch covers the “Who, What, 

When, Where, Why, and How” of the story. Include your 

contact information, list possible sources, and include 

any relevant background material. If you have written a 

press release, paste that into the e-mail. 

4. If you are pitching a broadcast outlet, remember that 

they are interested in gathering video footage. Tell them 

about possible photo-ops or events.

News Pegs

Journalists often look for “news pegs,” which make a 

discussion of a broad issue relevant to the moment and 

“newsworthy.” When trying to obtain coverage of radon 

issues, look for news pegs and point them out to the media 

when you speak to them. News pegs can be breaking news, 

or a simple event that brings a story into focus or makes it 

more timely. Below are some possible radon-related news 

pegs that can help frame other media pitches and guide 

your discussions with reporters.

f January is National Radon Action Month! This “month” 

is a great reason to promote radon awareness, and 

reporters will use that information to guide their 

coverage. Why is January a good time to take action 

against radon? Because it’s an ideal month to test for 

radon in your home. 

f Death of someone from lung cancer that was thought to 

be radon-related.

f Any speech, rally, event, or meeting can be an 

opportunity to involve the press.

f Any national coverage of radon, cancer-causing agents, 

or other health/air-quality disaster can be an opportunity 

to remind readers that people can be exposed to a 

high level of radon every day, without knowing it. Local 

outlets look for ways to make national stories more 

relevant to local readers. 

f Adoption of a radon resistant new construction code.

Radon Story Pitches

Here are some ideas for pitching the radon story to your 

local health, parenting, real estate, government, and other 

media outlets. 

Nonsmokers Are at Risk for Lung Cancer – Although 

many people may be concerned about cancer prevention, 

nonsmokers may think they are not at risk for lung cancer. 

Is there someone in your area that has been diagnosed 

with lung cancer but never smoked? Work with local cancer 

advocacy groups to identify potential interviewees who 

would be willing to tell their stories. Tell the media about 

your spokesperson’s life, battles, and provide tips on testing 

for and reducing radon levels in homes and other buildings.

Pitch to: Health outlets

Preventing Radon Exposure Can Help Prolong Your 

Life – Longevity is a popular consumer theme that can 

be leveraged to tell the radon story. Like diet, sleep, and 

exercise, having a healthy home and preventing radon 

exposure can have a positive effect on long-term health. 

This story would be particularly appealing to publications 

promoting natural health/lifestyles. Pitch to: Health 

outlets

Prevent Radon for Healthier Homes – Because most 

people spend so much time inside, homes typically account 

for a major share of exposures to toxics that are harmful for 

families. Unlike other environmental hazards like lead paint, 

mold, moisture, and pests, you can’t see or smell radon. 

Radon is a preventable health threat in the home. Pitch to: 

Health, parenting, home/real estate outlets

Getting Your Home Ready for Winter – When a home 

is closed up during cooler weather months, radon can soar 

to a harmful level. Winter is usually an ideal time to test a 

home for radon. Editors may be interested in including this 

information in tips, columns, or articles about getting one’s 

home ready for the winter. 

Pitch to: Home/real estate outlets

Child-Proofing Your Home – Radon is often an 

overlooked health threat for parents who are concerned 

about creating a safe environment for their infants and 

children. Babies and children spend most of their time 

indoors and they are especially vulnerable to environmental 

health threats. Editors may wish to include information 

about the dangers of radon into stories about baby/childproofing or tips for home health and safety. Pitch to: 

Parenting outlets

Telling Your Radon Story
NATIONAL RADON ACTION MONTH EVENT PLANNING KIT

24 www.epa.gov/radon/nram

Radon Testing in Action – If a well-known local business, 

organization, or government official is going to conduct a 

radon test, make it a media event. Invite the local press to 

observe the test beginning, and have officials and sources 

available for comment on the importance and ease of radon 

testing. When the test results are ready, invite the media 

back for an announcement of the results. 

Pitch to: Local government, health outlets

Consider the following outlets for pitching your local 

radon story. 

Health

f Local newspaper health reporter/health department

f Health producer at local news station

f Health reporter/producer at radio station

f Hospital medical newsletters

f Natural health publications

f Local retiree/senior publications

f To find other local health publications, reach out to 

your local hospital, clinic, gyms, and nursing/senior 

homes to see what publications they subscribe to or 

stock in their lobbies.

Children/Parenting

f Local newspaper education/youth reporter

f Newspaper columnists who write on parenting/

children’s issues

f Local newspaper’s “Kids” section

f News desk at a local TV or radio station

f Local parenting magazines

f School newsletters

f To find publications in your area that focus on 

children’s issues or parenting, reach out to your 

school board. Ask if they circulate newsletters to 

which you could contribute an article. 

Home/Real Estate

f Real estate reporter/section of local newspaper

f Real estate listings magazines

f Local construction, real estate, or broker trade 

publications

f Local decorating/architecture/home and garden 

magazines

f If you’re having trouble locating local real estate 

publications, reach out to a real estate professional 

and ask what publications they read or advertise in.

Local Government

f Metro section or local government reporters and 

columnists at newspapers, TV stations, and radio 

stations

f Local government Web site (city, county, state)

f Online bulletin boards for your neighborhood or 

town

Other Local Outlets

f Local consumer magazines like The Virginian, The 

Washingtonian, Cleveland Magazine.

f Local blogs are a top source for area outreach. Try 

to find a blog dedicated to covering local news, 

parenting, or local politics for radon outreach.

f Does your area include Hispanic or Asian media? 

Don’t forget to reach out to Spanish-language or 

other media targeted toward an ethnic or nonEnglish-speaking demographic.

f If there is a university or college in your area, contact 

their student newspaper(s).

f Cable channels and public broadcasting often offer a 

variety of local home, parenting, or news programs 

that might be amenable to a discussion on radon.

f Check talk radio listings for similar local programming 

options.

f If you don’t get much response from local 

newspapers or broadcast outlets, try contacting their 

Web page staff. Often, outlets employ reporters for 

Web-only content.

Personal Story – Did you test your home for radon as 

part of National Radon Action Month? Whether the test 

revealed an elevated level or not, offer to tell your story to 

the media. Remind them that you tested as part of National 

Radon Action Month, and describe why you tested. Did you 

do it for your children? Do you know someone who had 

lung cancer? How are you taking action to fix your home if 

radon is present? A compelling, emotional angle to radon 

coverage helps put a human face on the issue. Pitch to: 

Health, home/real estate, parenting outlets

Media Outlets 
NATIONAL RADON ACTION MONTH EVENT PLANNING KIT

25 www.epa.gov/radon/nram

Amy Inabinet of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) wanted to try something 

different in 2008 to promote National Radon Action Month. Knowing that many 

homes throughout Tennessee still needed to be tested for radon, and that most 

people receive an electric bill every month, Amy reached out to 20 electric utility 

cooperatives in smaller counties, hoping they might incorporate radon messages 

into their customer communications. She sent them a variety of basic radon 

information and images allowing the cooperatives to choose formats best suited for 

delivery along with their particular customer bills or newsletters.

Tennessee Magazine, with a subscriber base of 770,000, highlighted Amy’s efforts 

with the cooperatives in their January 2008 issue, which led to an overwhelming 

response of nearly 4,000 requests for free radon test kits—nearly six times the 

number of requests received for the entire year of 2007! Requests were received 

from 90 of 95 Tennessee counties, demonstrating the reach of the article and 

Amy’s other outreach efforts.

To continue building awareness about radon and radon testing throughout the 

year, Amy helped coordinate a highly publicized Governor’s Proclamation for 

National Radon Action month. She and her colleagues also created a tri-fold 

brochure offering information on the dangers of radon and free test kits to be 

distributed at conferences around the state, as well as to non-traditional radon stakeholders, including rural health 

associations and the Tennessee Bee Keepers.

TDEC is also working to expand a program they implemented with the Department of Health during the 2008 

National Radon Action Month. The Department of Health periodically offers “exchange stations” where mercury 

thermometers can be exchanged for digital thermometers. During National Radon Action Month, TDEC partnered 

with the Department of Health to offer radon test kits at these exchange stations. TDEC and the Department of 

Health are now working to establish a pilot project to have kits offered at the exchange on a regular basis. 

Reaching Out to Non-Traditional 

Radon Stakeholders
NATIONAL RADON ACTION MONTH EVENT PLANNING KIT

26 www.epa.gov/radon/nram

Send a press release to the media to announce your radon campaign and increase your 

community’s awareness of radon issues. A well written press release can yield more 

media coverage than any amount of advertising. Here are a few steps to take to ensure 

you get the coverage you deserve.

f Keep your press release concise. Reporters and editors don’t have 

time to read through lots of text. Your press release should be no 

longer than one page and should focus on the facts and the call to 

action for your community.

f Grab their attention. At the upper left-hand margin, just under your 

letterhead, you should have the words “For Immediate Release” in 

bold, capital letters.

f Make it easy for them to learn more. Somewhere near the top of 

the page, list your contact information including your name, title, 

telephone numbers, fax number, and e-mail address. Also, indicate if 

you have health or other experts on hand to provide interviews.

f Include a headline such as “Health Risks in Our Community: How You Can Protect Your Family”.

f Include a dateline or the city and state from which the press release is issued.

f Craft a lead paragraph. The first paragraph should grab the reader’s attention and contain relevant 

information, such as the five Ws (who, what, when, where, and why) if you’re publicizing an 

upcoming event.

The sample release on the next page can serve as a guide for creating your own. Be sure to time the 

release during or near National Radon Action Month. Or, if your radon campaign activities will occur 

during an alternate time, send this out to fit your schedule. Print the letter on your organization’s 

stationary and fill in local information where [indicated]. You may also wish to tailor this release to 

announce a special event, press conference, or other local campaign activity. See the Media Outreach 

Tips section on page 21 of this Kit for more information about working with the media.

Press Release

Sample
NATIONAL RADON ACTION MONTH EVENT PLANNING KIT

27 www.epa.gov/radon/nram

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: [Point of contact’s name and phone number]

PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITY’S HEALTH IN THEIR HOMES 

RADON – A SILENT KILLER 

Citizens Urged to Test Homes for Radon, the Second Leading Cause of Lung Cancer in U.S.

[Your city, state, date] — [Organization] is working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

(EPA) in a nationwide campaign to educate Americans about the dangers of radon exposure and to 

encourage them to take action to protect their homes and families. In our community, [organization] is 

conducting [briefly describe local radon action activities] during National Radon Action Month in 

January. 

Radon is present at elevated levels in about [X]% of [area] homes (info available from your state 

radon office). Radon is a naturally occurring, invisible, odorless, tasteless gas that is dispersed in 

outdoor air, but which can reach harmful levels when trapped in buildings. Scientists have long been 

concerned about the health risk of radon, but never before has there been such overwhelming proof 

that exposure to elevated levels of radon causes lung cancer in humans.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that radon is responsible for more than 20,000 

lung cancer deaths per year. Radon is the leading second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. after 

smoking and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. “However,” says [spokesperson]

from [organization] “because you can’t see or smell radon, people tend to downplay the health effects 

and ignore the possibility that there might be a silent killer in their homes.”

Testing homes for elevated levels of radon is simple and inexpensive. Radon test kits can be purchased at 

local hardware and home improvement stores or directly from radon testing companies. Many are priced 

under $25.00. Radon problems can be fixed by qualified contractors for a cost similar to that of many 

common home repairs such as painting or having a new water heater installed.

[Organization] urges [community] residents to take action during this year’s National Radon Action 

Month by testing their homes for radon. Radon poses a serious threat to our community’s health but 

there is a straightforward solution. For more information on radon, radon testing and mitigation, and 

radon-resistant new construction, call [organization] at [organization’s phone number] or visit our 

Web site at [organization’s Web site], or visit EPA’s National Radon Action Month Web site at 

www.epa.gov/radon/nram.

Sample Press Release (continued)
NATIONAL RADON ACTION MONTH EVENT PLANNING KIT

28 www.epa.gov/radon/nram

Op-Ed and Letter 

Sample

to the Editor

Write an Op-Ed or Letter to the Editor

A well-written op-ed or letter to the editor can raise awareness in your community by helping readers understand 

what they can do to prevent exposure to radon. Write an op-ed when you want to introduce radon issues to your 

community and/or describe a personal experience with radon. An op-ed is your opinion and should be written to 

grab the reader’s attention and deliver an accurate message. Op-eds can vary in length between 400-750 words 

long. You can write a letter to the editor when you want to respond to the publication’s coverage of radon or add a 

different perspective on related topics. A letter to the editor is shorter than an op-ed, usually 150-200 words. Here 

are some tips on submitting an op-ed or letter to the editor:

f Personalize your submission. It will be more compelling to the editors and the readers if your submission 

resonates with your community. 

f Include your contact information when submitting your op-ed or letter—include your address, phone number, 

and e-mail. 

f Initially, send your op-ed 

or letter to just your first 

choice publication. Wait a 

few days after submission 

and follow up with a phone 

call to gauge interest. If the 

publication has decided not 

to run your op-ed or letter, 

go ahead and submit it to 

another publication. 

f Always follow-up with a 

phone call a few days after 

submitting your op-ed or 

letter. If your writing is 

rejected, ask editors what 

was lacking in your piece 

so that you can revise or be 

better prepared for the next 

submission opportunity.

The following letter to the 

editor is an example of how you 

can respond to a publication’s 

coverage of relevant topics in 

order to highlight your radon 

message. The op-ed on page 29 

can be used as a template and 

you can personalize your own 

introduction. 

Sample Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor,

Thank you for notifying the community about the threat of asbestos near 

the site of the demolished paint plant (“Asbestos Poses Threat,” January 21). 

However, your article failed to note that our area is already at a high risk for 

cancer caused by a dangerous gas.

Townsville is described by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as an atrisk area for elevated radon levels. Radon is a gas that can seep into buildings 

from the earth, accumulate, and pose a substantial health risk. It is estimated 

that 20,000 people die in the U.S. each year from radon-related cancer. 

Easy, inexpensive testing options are available for homes and businesses to see 

if you are at risk. While high-profile health risks are certainly big news, please 

continue to educate the community on the easily preventable risk of living 

with prolonged radon exposure. 

My organization will be holding an event on January 30 at the Marie Williams 

Community Center to promote awareness of this serious threat, and we will be 

offering coupons for reduced priced radon test kits. 

Thank you,

Jane Doe

Radon Campaign Organizer
NATIONAL RADON ACTION MONTH EVENT PLANNING KIT

29 www.epa.gov/radon/nram

Sample Op-ed (continued)

TOO MANY THINGS THREATEN OUR HEALTH — 

DON’T LET RADON TAKE ITS TOLL

Intro Example One (Individual):

As a man in his late 40s, it seems like there’s always some new threat to my health. High blood 

pressure, heart disease, and prostate problems have begun to plague my friends and colleagues. 

Luckily, one health threat in our community is easy to detect and reduce exposure: Radon.

Intro Example Two (Organization):

Seatbelts. Sunscreen. Low-sodium diets. There are many actions that we can take to stay safe and 

healthy. Some of them, like cutting back on chocolate cake and carefree days under the sun, require 

a little bit of sacrifice. Others, like quitting smoking, can require a huge amount of effort. But there’s 

one big action we can take to help protect our health that requires very little effort or sacrifice: 

radon testing.

Body:

Radon exposure kills an estimated 20,000 people in the U.S. each year—a number that could be 

dramatically reduced by easy, inexpensive home testing and repair. 

Radon is a naturally occurring, radioactive gas that can accumulate in your home and can cause 

cancer in you and your children. Radon usually comes from the surrounding soil and can enter 

through cracks and openings on the lower levels of your home. 

Many people don’t know about radon because you can’t see, smell, or taste it. But exposure to 

radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States and the number one cause of 

lung cancer among non-smokers. Although lung cancer can be treated, the survival rate is one of 

the lowest for those with cancer. 

Radon levels vary around the country, but no home is free from risk. The only way to know if you 

are at risk for radon exposure is to test your home. Conducting a radon test is as easy as opening 

a package, placing the detector in a designated area, and after a set number of days, sending the 

detector back to the lab for analysis. Many kits are available at your local hardware store for under 

$25. If your home does have an elevated level of radon, a qualified radon mitigation contractor can 

make repairs to solve the problem and protect your family. 

The U.S. Surgeon General recognizes radon as a health risk and recommends that all homes across 

the country be tested for radon. Testing your home, and making repairs if necessary, is a small 

price to pay for the health of your loved ones. The world is full of unknowns and potential hazards 

like radon, but thankfully, we can eliminate it before it can hurt us. Life is short enough—don’t let 

something as easy to fix as radon make it even shorter.
NATIONAL RADON ACTION MONTH EVENT PLANNING KIT

30 www.epa.gov/radon/nram

Engaging Your Elected Officials to Promote Radon Awareness

National Radon Action Month is the perfect time to get your local and state officials involved in radon outreach programs. 

Elected officials can be valuable allies in educating the public about the health affects of radon and the importance of testing. 

Use the customizable sample letter to an elected official on page 31 to recruit him or her to be a radon leader and help save 

lives. Examples of actions your elected official could take include the following: 

Local Official

NATIONAL RADON ACTION MONTH

Tips for Working with Your

Successful Partnering Approaches to 

Promote Radon Awareness

To promote the 2008 National Radon Action Month, Cindy 

Ladage and her team at the Illinois Emergency Management 

Association (IEMA) partnered with the American Lung 

Association of Illinois (ALA) and the American Respiratory 

Health Association (ARHA). The team coordinated successful 

activities to raise radon awareness and promote free radon 

test kits.

The Illinois Radon Awareness Act went into effect January 1, 

2008; just in time to pique media and consumer interest in 

radon risk awareness during National Radon Action Month. 

The governor announced the new law as he issued the 

proclamation, drawing more attention to January efforts.

IEMA hosted four continuing education courses for real 

estate agents, utilizing its partnership with the Association 

of Realtors to create a curriculum, approved it for continuing 

education credits, and promote the courses to realtors. The 

Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) 

approached IEMA to create a course focusing on radon and 

radon-resistant building. Cindy and her team presented this 

course to employees of the construction and demolition 

industry, home inspectors, developers, realtors, code officials, 

and property managers.

Cindy and ALA also presented radon risk information and 

gave away test kits to EPA Region 5 and ALA employees. 

She and her partners conducted a media campaign on the 

distribution of free radon test kits during January and sent 

a press release that was picked up by local newspapers, 

magazines, and other publications. ARHA worksed with news 

media contacts to publish coupons for free test kits from 

IEMA, receiving attention in markets of over nine million such 

as Chicago. 

The results were astounding! In January, the IEMA distributed 

over 8,000 test kits. So many test kits were requested, IEMA 

was backlogged until February when they distributed another 

8,000 test kits and in March, over 7,000. IEMA distributed 

more than 33,000 radon test kits to date in 2008.

f Issue a proclamation to proclaim January as National 

Radon Action Month and hold a proclamation signing 

ceremony (see below). 

f Issue a press release and conduct interviews with local 

media about the importance of testing homes for 

radon and fixing homes with a problem.

f Record a radio or video public service announcement 

to promote radon awareness and testing. Contact 

the National Council of State Legislatures for more 

information.

f Feature National Radon Action Month activities, links to 

your state radon program, and National Radon Action 

Month banners that link to www.epa.gov/radon, on 

your Web site.

f Attend a radon poster contest award ceremony or sign 

a certificate of recognition for the winner. View the 

winners of the National Radon Poster Contest at 

www.sosradon.org.Hold an event in your city during 

National Radon Action Month and provide free or lowcost test kits. 

If you are seeking a proclamation:

f Contact your mayor’s or governor’s office to 

determine how proclamations are issued and to 

get your proclamation on the schedule in January 

(proclamations can take several months so plan early). 

If your governor is issuing a proclamation, encourage 

your mayor to do the same. 

f Write a sample proclamation and send it with a request 

letter (see page 32) to the appropriate person in the 

official’s office. 

f Provide the official’s office with information about 

radon, health statistics, and National Radon Action 

Month community activities. Follow up with the 

official’s office to check on the status of your request.

f Coordinate a proclamation signing ceremony and 

invite the media and community stakeholders. Press 

coverage can attract attention to the proclamation and 

radon issues. Ask the official’s office if you can post the 

proclamation in public places.
NATIONAL RADON ACTION MONTH EVENT PLANNING KIT

31 www.epa.gov/radon/nram

Letter

Sample

to Government Official

NATIONAL RADON ACTION MONTH

[Date]

[The Honorable and full name of official]

[Address of official]

Dear [Title (e.g., Senator, Mayor, Governor) and last name]:

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has designated January as National Radon Action 

Month. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, responsible for more 

than 20,000 deaths annually in the United States alone. [If available, add local facts about radon]. In 

support of this effort, I am writing to ask you to help us raise awareness about radon risk in our state this 

January, which will help save lives throughout the year.

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas released in rock, soil, and water that can accumulate to 

dangerous levels inside homes, schools, and other buildings. It cannot be seen, and has no odor; the 

only way a family can know if their house has a radon problem is if they test for it. The good news is that 

radon problems can be fixed. Getting the word out to your constituents about the importance of testing 

for radon and fixing a radon problem can save lives in our state/communities.

Here are four important actions you can take to get the word out about radon and save lives in our 

community: 

Proclaim January as National Radon Action Month in our state/community and hold a 

proclamation signing ceremony with key health officials, community activists, and the press (see 

sample proclamation page XX);

Use your Web site to let your constituents know January is National Radon Action Month. Provide a 

link to EPA’s radon page and use the National Radon Month web banners available online at 

www.epa.gov/radon, feature National Radon Action Month activities planned in our state and 

highlight our state’s winner of the National Radon Poster Contest at www.sosradon.org.

Conduct an interview with local media – in addition to traditional radio, television, and print 

media, consider podcasts or other emerging media;

Attend a local radon event – See www.epa.gov/radon/nram/activities.html to find events in our 

area to promote radon awareness in our state/community. 

With your leadership we can prevent lung cancer deaths in our community by educating the public about 

the danger of radon. Thank you.

Sincerely,

[Name]

[Organization]

[Phone Number/E-mail Address]
NATIONAL RADON ACTION MONTH EVENT PLANNING KIT

32 www.epa.gov/radon/nram

Proclamation Letter

to Government Official

[Date]

[The Honorable and full name of official]

[Title of official]

[Address of official]

Dear [Honorific and name]:

I am writing to request that you proclaim the month of January as Radon Action Month in [county/city/town 

and/or state]. Your proclamation would be in conjunction with other cities and states around the country who, in 

partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, are taking the lead in observing National Radon Action 

Month. 

In [area], radon is present at elevated levels in about [X]% of homes (information available from your state 

radon office).

One in 15 homes across the United States has elevated radon levels. With more than 20,000 deaths each year, 

radon exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer deaths in the United States and the number one cause 

among non-smokers. In light of these concerns, the EPA has designated January as National Radon Action Month. 

During National Radon Action Month, [organization name], in conjunction with EPA, will strengthen our efforts 

to educate the public about the dangers of radon and 

what can be done to minimize the health risk from 

exposure to elevated levels of indoor radon. As part of 

our education efforts we will: [insert activities].

I have enclosed a fact sheet that will give you more 

information about the dangers of exposure to indoor 

radon. I have also taken the liberty of drafting a sample 

proclamation for your consideration. We would be truly 

honored to have your support. Please contact me if you 

require any additional information. Thank you for your 

consideration of this request.

Sincerely,

[Your name]

[Title]

[Organization]

[Phone number/E-mail address]

[County Executive’s, Mayor’s, Governor’s] Proclamation In Support of

Radon Action Month in [County, City, and/or State]

WHEREAS, radon is a colorless, odorless, naturally occurring radioactive gas that threatens the health of 

our citizens;

WHEREAS, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer deaths in the United States and the 

number one cause among non-smokers;

WHEREAS, one in 15 homes across the U.S. has an elevated radon level;

WHEREAS, any home in [community] may have an elevated level of radon, even if other homes in the 

same neighborhood do not;

WHEREAS, testing for radon is simple and inexpensive;

WHEREAS, identified radon problems can be fixed;

WHEREAS, [your organization] and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are supporting efforts 

to encourage Americans to test their homes for radon, mitigate elevated levels of radon, and build new 

homes with radon-resistant materials and features.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, [name], [title] of [county, city, and/or state] do hereby proclaim:

JANUARY [Dates], [Year]

Official Radon Action Month

In [County, City, and/or State]

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this [date] day of [month], in the year [year].

(Signature of Official)
NATIONAL RADON ACTION MONTH EVENT PLANNING KIT

33 www.epa.gov/radon/nram

EPA has both print and electronic materials available to you at no-cost. Some materials have limited quantities. 

Make sure you get your materials requests in early so you have your materials for National Radon Action Month.

Radon Materials Order Form

Publication

Breathing Easy: What Home Buyers and Sellers Should Know About Radon

This short, educational video covers how to address radon in residential real estate transactions. 

The primary audiences are home buyers and sellers, real estate sales agents, and brokers. Home 

inspectors, mortgage lenders, other real estate practitioners, and radon services providers will also 

find the video helpful. This publication is available in VHS, CD and DVD. [EPA 402-V-02-003 (TRT 

13.10)]

Building Radon Out: A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Build Radon-Resistant Homes 

This 81-page, fully illustrated guide contains all the information you need to educate home 

builders about radon-resistant new construction (RRNC). [EPA 402-K-01-002, April 2001]

•	 PDF version: http://www.epa.gov/radon/pdfs/buildradonout.pdf 

Buying a New Home: How to Protect Your Family From Radon

This introductory brochure provides basic information on radon-resistant construction in new 

homes. [EPA 402-F-98-008, April 1998]

•	 HTML version: www.epa.gov/radon/pubs/rrnc-tri.html 

A Citizen’s Guide to Radon: The guide to protecting yourself and your family from radon

This recently revised guidance offers strategies for testing your home for radon and addresses 

what steps to take after you have tested, the risk of radon, and radon myths. [EPA 402-K-07-009, 

Revised May 2007]

•	 HTML version: www.epa.gov/radon/pubs/citguide.html

•	 PDF version: http://www.epa.gov/radon/pdfs/citizensguide.pdf

Consumer’s Guide to Radon Reduction: How to Reduce Radon Levels in Your Home

This recently revised booklet is for people who have tested their home for radon and confirmed 

that they have elevated radon levels. [EPA 402-K-06-094, Revised December 2006]

•	 HTML version: www.epa.gov/radon/pubs/consguid.html 

•	 PDF version: http://www.epa.gov/radon/pdfs/consguid.pdf

El Radón: Guía para su protección y la de su familia

“A Citizen’s Guide to Radon” in Spanish. [EPA 402-K-93-005, September 1993]

•	 HTML version: www.epa.gov/radon/pubs/elradon.html

EPA Map of Radon Zones

The purpose of this map is to assist national, state, and local organizations to target their 

resources and to implement radon-resistant building codes. This map is not intended to be used 

to determine if a home in a given zone should be tested for radon. Homes with elevated levels of 

radon have been found in all three zones. All homes should be tested regardless of geographic 

location. [EPA 402-F-93-013]

•	 Print-quality versions in JPG and PDF: www.epa.gov/radon/zonemap.html

Guía del Radon para el Comprador y Vendedor de Viviendas

“Home Buyer’s and Seller’s Guide to Radon” in Spanish. [EPA 402-K-02-001, Julio de 2002]

•	 HTML version: www.epa.gov/radon/pubs/hmbyguidsp.html 

•	 PDF version: http://www.epa.gov/radon/pdfs/hmbuyguidsp.pdf 
NATIONAL RADON ACTION MONTH EVENT PLANNING KIT

34 www.epa.gov/radon/nram

Radon Materials Order Form (continued)

Publication

Home Buyer’s and Seller’s Guide to Radon

This booklet is intended for anyone who is buying or selling a home, real estate and relocation 

professionals, home inspectors, and others. [EPA 402-K-06-093, November 2006]

•	 HTML version: www.epa.gov/radon/pubs/hmbyguid.html 

•	 PDF version: http://www.epa.gov/radon/pdfs/hmbuygud.pdf 

Learning About Radon A Part Of Nature

Written for Native Americans, this 18-page booklet discusses radon’s place in the world, the 

basics on testing, and how homes can be fixed to reduce radon levels. [EPA 402-K-02-002, 

February 2002]

•	 PDF version: http://www.epa.gov/radon/pdfs/learning_about_radon.pdf 

Radon—A Physician’s Guide: The Health Threat With A Simple Solution

This booklet enlists physicians in the national effort to inform the American public about the 

serious health risk posed by indoor radon gas. [EPA 402-K-93-008, September 1993]

•	 HTML version: www.epa.gov/radon/pubs/physic.html 

Ordering Radon Materials

• EPA has a variety of print, radio, and television PSAs available in English and Spanish. View and order Radon PSAs

at www.epapsa.com.

• EPA publishes a variety of documents in both print and electronic formats. Order materials online at

www.epa.gov/epahome/publications.htm.

• You may also order the EPA materials listed in the Event Planning Kit by contacting:

National Service Center for Environmental Publications (NSCEP)

Fax: (301) 604-3408

E-mail: nscep@bps-lmit.com

Or by calling:

(800) 490-9198 (Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m. eastern time)

For Further Information:

• Contact your state radon program director, available at www.epa.gov/iaq/whereyoulive.html, to find out about 

additional radon materials to help you educate your community.