The La Crosse County Health Department is urging homeowners to test their homes for radon this month. 
January is Radon Action Month. 
Radon is a gas that occurs from the natural breakdown of uranium in the soil. It can't be seen, smelled, or tasted. 
It kills approximately 21,000 people a year from lung cancer, making it the second leading cause of death from that disease in the US. 
Mekaela Malloy with the Health Department said the geology of our area lends itself to more cases of radon exposure.
"In Wisconsin as a whole, we see typically about one in ten homes have a high radon level. In the Coulee Region goes from one to three homes because we have that porous soil that allows the gas to come up a little quicker."

While the geology plays a role, geography also is a factor. 

"So, if you test your home for radon and you don't have any, you don't have high levels, that doesn't mean that, say, your neighbor might not have high levels. It really just depends on your specific home and where it's sitting," Malloy said. 

The county has short-term radon testing kits available, the first step in the process. Because it's Radon Action Month, the Health Department is offering them for $9.00 each. 

The kits are available at the Health Department as well as at every La Crosse County Library branch. 

Additional Information:

https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/radon/index.htm

https://www.epa.gov/radon