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Annual National Radon Action Month Coster Contest Winners from Georgia Honored at UGA

Release Date: 12/14/2004
Contact Information: Laura Niles, (404) 562-8353, niles.laura@epa.gov

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Department of Agriculture Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES) and the University of Georgia’s College of Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) recognized National Radon Action Month Poster Contest winner, fourth-grader Abbi Calvert, State of Georgia first-place winner, Jeneka Avery, and other state of Georgia competition winners today at the University of Georgia’s Fanning Institute in Athens in celebration of the upcoming National Radon Action Month in January 2005. Abbi Calvert of Loganville, Georgia and Jeneka Avery of Monroe, Georgia placed first in the State of Georgia Radon Action Month Poster Contest competition in their respective categories of computer-generated and hand-drawn poster promoting radon testing and the dangers of radon gas.  Abbi’s poster depicted a wheel of chance with the phrase “Don’t Play Games with Radon” stated on the poster and was selected as the winner of the National Contest.  Abbi will be rewarded with an all-expense paid trip for her and her parents to Washington, D.C. in January for the National Radon Action Month Poster Contest awards ceremony.  The Radon Poster Contest, jointly sponsored by EPA and USDA, is intended to raise awareness of radon and the importance of testing homes and fixing elevated levels.  Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is invisible and odorless.  It originates from naturally occurring uranium and radium found in soil, rock and water.  When trapped in buildings, radon can be harmful, especially at elevated levels.        Radon is a serious threat to public health and is the second leading cause of lung cancer.  Nearly one in 15 homes in the U.S. has a high level of indoor radon.  However, radon is a problem that can be fixed.  Reliable radon tests can be purchased from some local hardware stores or from the National Radon Hotline at 1-800-SOS-RADON.  EPA has named the month of January the National Radon Action Month to help educate the public about radon as a potential health risk.  January will be filled with activities on the local and national level to promote awareness of the dangers of elevated levels of radon gas in homes, schools and other frequented enclosed areas.  For further information on the activities that will be occurring during National Radon Action Month, the public can contact EPA’s Office of Indoor Air at 1-800-438-4318, or visit www.epa.gov/radon.