Governor Stein Proclaims Radon Action Month

Radon Action Month

2026

By The Governor Of The State Of North Carolina

A Proclamation

Whereas, radon is a colorless, odorless, naturally occurring radioactive gas that is released from the ground but can accumulate and reach harmful levels when trapped in homes and other buildings; and

Whereas, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers, responsible for more than 21,000 deaths each year in the United States; and

Whereas, information provided by North Carolina Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology indicates that 90 of the 100 counties in North Carolina have indoor air levels of radon that are above the EPA action level of four picocuries per liter, the unit of measurement for radon gas concentration in the air; and

Whereas, data from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Public Health Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey reports that minorities, people with lower incomes, and those who rent homes are less likely to know about radon gas; and

Whereas, it is important to educate all individuals on the available measures to reduce their radon risks since an elevated indoor level of radon is a preventable and fixable problem; and

Whereas, a simple test available from the North Carolina Radon Program (radon.ncdhhs.gov) and home improvement stores, along with a minor home improvement, when indicated, can mitigate a family’s exposure to this harmful gas;

Now, Therefore, I, Josh Stein, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim January 2026 as “Radon Action Month” in North Carolina and commend its observance to all residents.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Great Seal of the State of North Carolina at the Capitol in Raleigh this seventeenth day of December in the year of our Lord two thousand and twenty-sixth and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fiftieth.