Another round of radon kits is coming to the Hope community.
Starting on Nov. 28, the District of Hope — through a partnership that the Fraser Valley Regional District has with Take Action on Radon, and the BC Lung Foundation — now have additional kits available for residents. This, according to FVRD on their radon page update, will help to “increase local awareness of radon presence in our communities.”
“We got the test done in the recent past and there were some issues in which the old houses, they were having problems with the radon gases and associated number of medical elements,” said Gurvinder Sodhi, the Communications and Systems Analysis Advisor for the District of Hope.
According to Sodhi, kits are being given away at the district town hall to Hope locals. The district is encouraging residents to register with them, so that they’re able to get an accurate number on radon levels in the area. Radon test kits can also be purchased online or borrowed from the Fraser Valley Regional Library.
According to FVRD, particularly concerning results were found in Hope and FVRD Electoral Area H. Eighteen homes, from those areas, tested in the 200 to 600 Bq/m3 range, with two homes in Electoral Area H going over the 600-mark.
“If high radon levels in your home are detected, you may want to speak with a radon mitigation professional about how to lower the radon in your home,” FVRD’s web page info recommends.
Agencies responsible include The BC Ministry of Health and the BC Centre for Disease Control for radon-related health-related concerns, but FVRD officials including board director Chris Kloot has been advocating for significantly more tests to be made available.
Radon is an odourless, colourless, radioactive gas, that is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. It originates from the breakdown of soil and plants, and gets into people’s homes through cracks in the foundation and other entries.
In addition to Hope, the free test kits from FVRD are also available for all residents who live in FVRD Electoral Areas A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, and member municipalities (District of Kent (Agassiz), Village of Harrison Hot Springs, City of Mission, and City of Chilliwack).
Everyone is encouraged to learn about the level of radon gas exposure in their homes by setting up a radon test kit. They can register for a free test kit at www.fvrd.ca/radon. The kits will be available from Nov. 28, 2023, to Dec. 8, 2023.