The National Safety Council is sponsoring a national radon poster contest in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Agriculture open to students from nine to 14.

The deadline for submitting entries is October 15.

Students can help spread an important public health message by participating in a national contest to raise awareness about radon, a colorless and odorless gas that is prominent in Pennsylvania and recognized as a leading cause of lung cancer.

The contest is open to students’ age nine to 14 who are enrolled in a public, private or Department of Defense school, children who are home schooled, or those in a scouting organization or sponsoring club for the arts, computers, science, 4-H or anything similar.

Entries will be judged in one of two categories: hand-drawn and computer-generated submissions. Each category will have a national winner, who will receive, along with parents and the sponsoring adult, an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., to participate in an awards ceremony in January 2007.

A winning submission and runner-up will be chosen from each state and U.S. territory for entry into the national contest.

Radon is a naturally-occurring radioactive gas produced by the breakdown of uranium in rocks and soil. It enters homes through tiny cracks in basements and foundations, killing an estimated 22,000 people each year --- the second-leading cause of lung cancer deaths in the United States.

There is no way to know the radon level in a home without testing. Radon test kits typically cost about $25. For homes found to have radon, mitigation systems are available to quickly and significantly reduce levels.

Information on the requirements for the posters, submission and release forms, and other information on the national radon poster contest is available at the National Safety Council’s website or by calling 202-293-2270.

For more information on radon, visit the DEP Radon webpage on radon or call 1-800-23 RADON.

9/22/2006