Perhaps you know someone who has succumbed to lung cancer and they never smoked a day in their life.

Bruce Erikson is one such person. He lived a healthy, active life only to be taken early by a cancer he could not believe he had. Radon is often called the silent killer. Why? Because it can cause damage without any indication that it is occurring to you. January is National Radon Action Month and that is what we hope you take after reading this -- action. It is not just about awareness because this won't help you; you need to take action and find out if radon is negatively affecting you or your loved ones.

Radon is a naturally occurring, invisible, odorless, cancer-causing, radioactive gas coming from the ground. Radon is present in small amounts in the outdoor air, but when a house is placed over that ground, radon gas can be concentrated and thus indoor levels of radon can increase to become dangerous to your health. Radon can seep through any crevice it may find from cracks in walls to gaps around pipes. Radon's non-discriminating nature means it can enter any type of home or building -- new or old, with or without a basement. Radon exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. Only smoking causes more lung cancer deaths. Radon is currently estimated to be responsible for as many as 21,000 deaths each year.

Radon levels vary around the country, but no home is free from risk. In Montana nearly 50 percent of the homes have high radon levels (above 4 picocuries/liter). The EPA rates Montana as having the highest potential risk for radon. The only way to know if you are at risk for radon exposure is to test your home. Conducting a radon test is as easy as opening a package, placing the detector in a designated area, and after a set number of days, sending the detector back to the lab for analysis. Testing kits are available at any local hardware store for around $20, or they can be purchased online from the American Lung Association (ALA) for only $13 at www.lungoregon.org. The ALA of the Northern Rockies has partnered with ALA Oregon to provide this low-cost online service that includes the shipping.

If your home does have an elevated level of radon, a qualified radon mitigation contractor can make repairs to solve the problem and protect your family.

A variety of methods are used to reduce indoor radon levels, from sealing cracks in floors and walls to changing the flow of air into the home. Simple systems (known as sub-slab depressurization) use pipes and fans to remove radon gas from beneath the concrete floor and foundation before it can enter the home. Radon is vented above the roof, where it safely disperses. Other methods may also work in your home. The right system depends on the design of your home and other factors.

In an effort to raise community awareness and to take action against this silent killer, Lewis and Clark County, along with the National Association of Counties, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, and the American Lung Association, have teamed to provide a series of outreach opportunities for the community to gain knowledge and increase safety in their homes. Lewis and Clark County has been granted 200 radon test kits by the National Association of Counties for free distribution to low and moderate income families throughout the county. The free radon kits are available through the Cooperative Health Center (443-2584), Child Care Partnerships (443-4608), the County Superintendent of Schools (447-8304), the Lewis and Clark County Commission Office (447-8304) and the City of Helena Building Department (447-8437).

In addition to offering free radon test kits, the city and county commissions have proclaimed January to be Radon Action Month in Helena and Lewis and Clark County. Throughout Radon Action Month radon fact presentations will be made to local groups, including to members of the Building Industry Association, local government and citizen groups.

For more information about radon and radon resistant construction please go to www.epa.gov/radon or call the Montana DEQ at 406-841-5200.

Paul Tschida is with the state Department of Environmental Quality, Dick Paulsen is with the American Lung Association, and Andy Hunthausen is a Lewis and Clark County commissioner.