EPA extends grant for radon programs at Kansas State University Engineering Extension

MANHATTAN — National Radon Program Services at Kansas State University, a part of Engineering Extension, has been awarded a $200,000-per-year, three-year grant to conduct national radon technical assistance for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The grant will continue work begun in 2009 and will provide for the ongoing sale of short- and long-term radon test kits to citizens wanting to test their home — with more than 7,000 sold in the last program year; a radon hotline that processed more than 16,000 calls during the last program year; maintenance of a website that had more than 160,000 unique visits last year; and technical assistance to other federal agencies such as HUD and EPA regional offices, state radon programs, the radon industry and private citizens.

"The specific goal of the project is to prevent future lung cancer deaths by increasing the public's knowledge of radon and the need to test and mitigate homes and schools," said Bruce Snead, director of Engineering Extension and lead on the grant. "We will also increase the number of homes, schools and other structures built with radon-reducing features; build state and tribal technical capacity in radon; and support radon policy implementation for radon risk reduction."