Illinois agency, others meet to talk radon

SPRINGFIELD — Illinois officials want to raise awareness about a leading cause of lung cancer. And it's not smoking. It's radon.

Radon is a colorless, odorless radioactive gas that seeps from the ground into homes and buildings. The Environmental Protection Agency says it's the second leading cause of lung cancer. Among nonsmokers, it's the leading cause.

The Illinois Emergency Management Agency held a meeting in Springfield Tuesday with health officials, contractors, teachers and others to share ideas about how to educate people about the dangers of radon.

The IEMA says radon's been detected in more than 40 percent of Illinois homes tested. It says there are nearly 1,200 radon-related lung cancer deaths in the state each year.

Radon can often be dealt with in buildings by installing special ventilation systems.