Trash pickup note: If Independence Day falls on a Monday\, trash pic kup in West Bloomfield is delayed by one day.

In addition to changing your clocks\, we remind you to use these dates to check your smoke detector batteries also. Although many modern detecto rs have 10-year batteries\, it’s a good practice to check them anyhow. Aft er all\, smoke detectors can fail for other reasons.

Oakland County encourages home Radon Testing during Nation al Radon Action Month

Rad on test kits are half-price at Health Division offices during January.
Environmental Health Service hours are 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. Mondays t hrough Fridays.

Radon testing kits are half-off at Oakland County Health Division offices during the month of January to mark National Radon Action Month. For only $5\, residents can test t heir homes for the colorless\, odorless\, and tasteless gas which is the s econd-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States\, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

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Testing your hom e is the only way to know if you and your family are at risk of radon expo sure\, since you cannot see\, smell\, or taste radon.
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The Health Division recommends testing homes for radon gas during th e winter months since windows and doors typically remain closed\, allowing radon gas to collect inside and be more easily detected. The Michigan Dep artment of Environment\, Great Lakes\, and Energy (EGLE) encourages radon testing every two years as homes settle and new cracks form in the foundat ion that may cause radon levels to change.
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Radon test kits for hom es are available for purchase at Health Division offices in Pontiac and So uthfield:
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North Oakland Health Center\, 1200 Telegraph\, Bu ilding 34E\, Pontiac
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South Oakland Health Center\, 27725 Greenfi eld Road\, Southfield
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Hours are Monday – Friday\, 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
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After January\, the cost of a radon test kit will ret urn to $10. There is no charge for mailing the kit to the lab or for the a nalysis and results. An envelope is included in the kit.
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Radon is a naturally occurring\, invisible\, odorless gas. The gas can sometimes ge t into homes through cracks in floors or walls and can accumulate\, becomi ng a health hazard. According to EGLE\, approximately 30 percent of homes tested in Oakland County have had elevated levels of radon. The only way t o know if your home has high radon levels is to test. If high levels of ra don are found\, contact the Health Division’s Environmental Health Service s at 248-858-1312 in Pontiac or 248-424-7191 in Southfield for more inform ation about radon mitigation and service providers.
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Visit www.epa.gov/rad on or www.oakgov.com/community/health for more information\ , or contact Nurse on Call\, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday\ , at 800-848-5533 or noc@oakgov.com. F or up-to-date public health information\, follow @publichealthOC on Facebo ok and Twitter.
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