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Opinion
ENLARGE
INCLINE VILLAGE, NEV. - There’s no shock value in saying Tahoe sits atop a heap of granite. The rock is clearly visible from Incline Village to Squaw Valley and peaks out of soil and from behind trees at nearly every stop in between.
The shock for some people, said South Lake Tahoe-based consultant Jeff Miner, is that the radioactive gas radon vents through granite, which lies under many houses in the Lake Tahoe area.
“The Sierra Nevada is built on a granite base, and if we’re at 6,000-some feet, and that’s all granite beneath us, it’s generating a ton of radon,” Miner said.
Radon has been shown to lead to thousands of lung cancer deaths each year according to the Environmental Protection Agency, as the gas leaks up into homes for many years.
Adrian Howe, a representative with the Nevada Division of Health, said the gas is odorless and tasteless, meaning people fail to notice its presence.
Miner, who runs a web site dedicated to educating Tahoe residents about radon, www.radonattahoe.com, said he became aware a few years ago when he tested his home from the gas and found a dangerously high level— 6 picocuries per liter— and the EPA recommends no more than 4 pCi/L as a safe level for the home.
“I had a friend one block away who had a 6, and to illustrate how much it can fluctuate in an area, I have a neighbor across the street who had a 17 because they were sitting right over a radon vent,” Miner said.
The gas enters the home under a stacking effect, Miner said.
“If you operate under the notion that hot air rises, the air in your home creates a vacuum under itself,” Miner said. “That pulls radon out of the ground— the gas is searching for a path of least resistance— and into the house.”
Miner said the gas will typically show higher levels in winter and lower levels in summers when homes are well vented.
Wayne Fischer, an Incline resident, tested his Pelton Lane home in January and found levels of about 7 pCi/L.
“The thing that concerns me is that I’ve been living in my home for nine years now, full time,” Fischer said. “This stuff can be worse than smoking for you.”
Miner said not all residents are like Fischer and don’t see the need to test for Radon because it can take years to affect a person— sometimes 20 or more.
“There’s no urgency for a lot of people,” Fischer said. “People have bigger problems, more immediate problems. It’s just not an issue compared to other stuff.”
Howe said he sees the same thing, especially when the gas goes relatively unnoticed.
“It’s an out-of-sight, out-of-mind thing,” Howe.
But, Miner said, living with any radiation is a dangerous proposition.
Testing supplies are available online, from $120 for permanent testing kits to free two-day testing kits available from the Nevada DOH by calling (775) 856-8406.
If a resident finds a radon reading higher than 4 pCi/L, Miner said they should take steps to mitigate the gas.
They can either pay a certified mitigation contractor— there are four in the state of California— to seal their home against the gas, or try to do it themselves.
Homes which sit on a slab are easier to mitigate than a home with a crawlspace, Miner said, as the latter requires a homeowner construct an elaborate plastic membrane and venting system to rid their home of the gas. Information on how to do-it-yourself is available on Miner’s website.
The shock for some people, said South Lake Tahoe-based consultant Jeff Miner, is that the radioactive gas radon vents through granite, which lies under many houses in the Lake Tahoe area.
“The Sierra Nevada is built on a granite base, and if we’re at 6,000-some feet, and that’s all granite beneath us, it’s generating a ton of radon,” Miner said.
Radon has been shown to lead to thousands of lung cancer deaths each year according to the Environmental Protection Agency, as the gas leaks up into homes for many years.
Adrian Howe, a representative with the Nevada Division of Health, said the gas is odorless and tasteless, meaning people fail to notice its presence.
Miner, who runs a web site dedicated to educating Tahoe residents about radon, www.radonattahoe.com, said he became aware a few years ago when he tested his home from the gas and found a dangerously high level— 6 picocuries per liter— and the EPA recommends no more than 4 pCi/L as a safe level for the home.
“I had a friend one block away who had a 6, and to illustrate how much it can fluctuate in an area, I have a neighbor across the street who had a 17 because they were sitting right over a radon vent,” Miner said.
The gas enters the home under a stacking effect, Miner said.
“If you operate under the notion that hot air rises, the air in your home creates a vacuum under itself,” Miner said. “That pulls radon out of the ground— the gas is searching for a path of least resistance— and into the house.”
Miner said the gas will typically show higher levels in winter and lower levels in summers when homes are well vented.
Wayne Fischer, an Incline resident, tested his Pelton Lane home in January and found levels of about 7 pCi/L.
“The thing that concerns me is that I’ve been living in my home for nine years now, full time,” Fischer said. “This stuff can be worse than smoking for you.”
Miner said not all residents are like Fischer and don’t see the need to test for Radon because it can take years to affect a person— sometimes 20 or more.
“There’s no urgency for a lot of people,” Fischer said. “People have bigger problems, more immediate problems. It’s just not an issue compared to other stuff.”
Howe said he sees the same thing, especially when the gas goes relatively unnoticed.
“It’s an out-of-sight, out-of-mind thing,” Howe.
But, Miner said, living with any radiation is a dangerous proposition.
Testing supplies are available online, from $120 for permanent testing kits to free two-day testing kits available from the Nevada DOH by calling (775) 856-8406.
If a resident finds a radon reading higher than 4 pCi/L, Miner said they should take steps to mitigate the gas.
They can either pay a certified mitigation contractor— there are four in the state of California— to seal their home against the gas, or try to do it themselves.
Homes which sit on a slab are easier to mitigate than a home with a crawlspace, Miner said, as the latter requires a homeowner construct an elaborate plastic membrane and venting system to rid their home of the gas. Information on how to do-it-yourself is available on Miner’s website.
