Free Radon Test Kits

A limited number of free kits to test for this gas will be available to residents, officials say.

Mayor Bert Steinmann and the Ewing Township Health Department, in conjunction with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, are working together to provide free Radon Test Kits to Ewing Township residents in need of testing their homes for this dangerous gas.

Test Kits are limited and available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Ewing Township Homeowners can reserve a kit by calling 609-883-2900 Ext. 7621. Residents will be required to schedule an appointment in order to pick up their test kit.   

Radon FAQ

Here are a few facts about radon, and what you can do to help keep your family healthy and safe.

• Radon is an odorless and invisible radioactive gas naturally released from rocks, soil, and water.
• Radon can get trapped inside homes and buildings and build up in the air. Over time, breathing in high levels of radon can cause lung cancer.
• Radon levels are usually higher in basements, cellars and living spaces in contact with the ground. However, considerable radon concentration can also be found above the ground floor. 
• Overall, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Radon is responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year. About 2,900 of these deaths occur among people who have never smoked.
• There are several proven methods to reduce radon in your home, but the one most used has a vent pipe system and fan, which pulls radon from beneath the house and vents it to the outside. This system, known as a soil depressurization system, does not require major changes to your home.

Levels of radon differ from home to home, which is why it is important to test your house. The average U.S. indoor air level of radon is 1.3 picocuries per liter. At three times that level, the risk of lung cancer from radon is greater than the risk from fire. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the New Jersey DEP recommend taking action to reduce radon levels if the level in the home is greater than or equal to 4 pCi/L.

Ewing as a municipality ranks as a Tier 2 radon potential, see the NJDEP’s Radiation Protection Element website. This means that there is a moderate radon potential for homes in Ewing.

Tier Assignment Report (2015)

Testing for Radon

Testing for radon is simple and inexpensive. The NJDEP Radon Program provides answers to technical questions and a list of certified companies that provide testing services or do-it-yourself test kits.  While they do not recommend one service provider over another, be sure to make sure that any company being consulted is properly certified to perform the work. Contact the program at (800) 648-0394 or http://www.njradon.org.

You should also test for radon if you are buying or selling a home or have renovated your home since you last tested.

If a test indicates a radon problem, an affordable mitigation system can be installed. A list of certified mitigation companies is also available from the DEP Radon.

How to receive your free radon test kit

• Call 609-883-2900 Ext 7620
• Available while supplies last.
• Schedule your appointment

Additional Resources

• Information for Home Buyers and Sellers - pdf (nj.gov)
• New Construction – Radon Prevention - NJDEP-Bureau of Environmental Radiation

* Grant funds for this program were made available to the Ewing Township Department of Health via a grant from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Radon Awareness Program.