EPA Blaims May 5 Tri-Cities Radiation Spike on Radon

After air monitors showed a spike in radiation around Tri-Cities on May 5, news reports around the world blamed the Hanford leaks. Now the EPA has made a statement saying the spike was caused by naturally occurring Radon, and not from the Hanford leaks, according to news reports. The EPA does not want you to ignore the news because Radon is a serious threat in Tri-Cities and they remind people to check their basements with a Radon meter. If you have a basement and need a tester, you can buy one a local hardware stores for as little as $10.

The Department of Health said the radiation coming from Hanford was impossible because of the direction of the wind when the reading was taken. They also had other stations on the west coast have a higher spike in radiation also. Scientists say the the radon came from "natural decay of certain types of elements found in nearly all rocks and soil."