Calendar of Events
Upcoming events and things to do in Asheville, NC. Below is a list of events for festivals, concerts, art exhibitions, group meetups and more.
Interested in adding an event to our calendar? Please click the green “Post Your Event” button below.
The Asheville-Buncombe Air Quality Agency is encouraging residents to get their homes tested for Radon during National Radon Action Month.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. after smoking and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is invisible, odorless, and tasteless. Radon is released harmlessly from the ground into outdoor air, but it can accumulate and reach harmful levels when trapped in homes and buildings.
Testing is the only way to know if a home has an elevated level of radon. EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General recommend taking action to fix your home if the radon level is 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) of air or more. Most homes can be fixed for about the same cost as other common home repairs. Taking action to reduce your exposure to radon is a long-term investment in your families’ health and your home.
The NC Radon Program is offering discounted short-term radon test kits for residents of North Carolina. Other short-term radon test kits can also be purchased online for as little as $18 and are available at most home improvement and hardware stores. Additional information can be found at epa.gov/radon.
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Association of Asheville & Buncombe County, Inc., a 501 (c)(3) entity, is currently planning for our 41st annual MLK, Jr. Celebration events. The speaker for the Prayer Breakfast will be Marcia Johnson-Blanco, co-director of the Lawyers’ Committee’s Voting Rights Project.
Marcia Johnson-Blanco is the Co-director of the Lawyers’ Committee’s Voting Rights Project. She
manages the Project’s programmatic and advocacy portfolios which include leading Election Protection, the
nation’s largest non-partisan voter protection program, overseeing the work of the National Commission on
Voting Rights, promoting election reform, ensuring minority participation in the redistricting process and
ensuring that those with felony convictions regain their right to vote.
Marcia is a recognized leader in voting rights who has participated in countless voting rights discussions at
conferences and in the media. She also coordinates the Lawyer’s Committee’s international human rights
initiatives. She has worked on shadow reports discussing U.S. compliance with two important treaties: the
International Convention on the Elimination on all forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) and the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and has presented before the reviewing bodies
during treaty reviews in Geneva Switzerland. Additionally, she serves as the co-chair of the CERD taskforce
of the U.S. Human Rights Network.
HOW TO WATCH
Programming will be available starting 1/15/22 on YouTube. Subscribe and hit the bell icon to receive a notification each time a video is published for MLK Week!
SCHEDULE
Note: Most videos will post by 9:00 AM.
Saturday January 15: Prayer Breakfast
“GIVE US THE BALLOT BOX, THE URGENCY IS NOW!”
Watch
Sunday January 16: “Service to the Beloved Community”
Watch
Monday January 17: Peace March and Rally
“State of Affairs”
Watch
Monday January 17, 6:00 PM : Candlelight Service
“Honoring Community Leaders”
Watch
Tuesday January 18: Community Action Videos
Watch
Wednesday January 19: Closing Celebration:
“Call to Action”
Watch
Update Jan. 4, 2022
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners has extended the countywide face covering requirement for all indoor public spaces through Feb. 16, 2022. The indoor mask requirement also extends to Asheville, Biltmore Forest, Black Mountain, Town of Montreat, Weaverville, and Woodfin.
In Buncombe County, COVID-19 case rates continue to be high, and per the CDC definition, the County remains an area of high transmission. The percent positivity remains in the moderate category, and the death rate remains in the substantial category.
The Asheville-Buncombe Air Quality Agency is encouraging residents to get their homes tested for Radon during National Radon Action Month.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. after smoking and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is invisible, odorless, and tasteless. Radon is released harmlessly from the ground into outdoor air, but it can accumulate and reach harmful levels when trapped in homes and buildings.
Testing is the only way to know if a home has an elevated level of radon. EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General recommend taking action to fix your home if the radon level is 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) of air or more. Most homes can be fixed for about the same cost as other common home repairs. Taking action to reduce your exposure to radon is a long-term investment in your families’ health and your home.
The NC Radon Program is offering discounted short-term radon test kits for residents of North Carolina. Other short-term radon test kits can also be purchased online for as little as $18 and are available at most home improvement and hardware stores. Additional information can be found at epa.gov/radon.
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Association of Asheville & Buncombe County, Inc., a 501 (c)(3) entity, is currently planning for our 41st annual MLK, Jr. Celebration events. The speaker for the Prayer Breakfast will be Marcia Johnson-Blanco, co-director of the Lawyers’ Committee’s Voting Rights Project.
Marcia Johnson-Blanco is the Co-director of the Lawyers’ Committee’s Voting Rights Project. She
manages the Project’s programmatic and advocacy portfolios which include leading Election Protection, the
nation’s largest non-partisan voter protection program, overseeing the work of the National Commission on
Voting Rights, promoting election reform, ensuring minority participation in the redistricting process and
ensuring that those with felony convictions regain their right to vote.
Marcia is a recognized leader in voting rights who has participated in countless voting rights discussions at
conferences and in the media. She also coordinates the Lawyer’s Committee’s international human rights
initiatives. She has worked on shadow reports discussing U.S. compliance with two important treaties: the
International Convention on the Elimination on all forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) and the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and has presented before the reviewing bodies
during treaty reviews in Geneva Switzerland. Additionally, she serves as the co-chair of the CERD taskforce
of the U.S. Human Rights Network.
HOW TO WATCH
Programming will be available starting 1/15/22 on YouTube. Subscribe and hit the bell icon to receive a notification each time a video is published for MLK Week!
SCHEDULE
Note: Most videos will post by 9:00 AM.
Saturday January 15: Prayer Breakfast
“GIVE US THE BALLOT BOX, THE URGENCY IS NOW!”
Watch
Sunday January 16: “Service to the Beloved Community”
Watch
Monday January 17: Peace March and Rally
“State of Affairs”
Watch
Monday January 17, 6:00 PM : Candlelight Service
“Honoring Community Leaders”
Watch
Tuesday January 18: Community Action Videos
Watch
Wednesday January 19: Closing Celebration:
“Call to Action”
Watch
Update Jan. 4, 2022
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners has extended the countywide face covering requirement for all indoor public spaces through Feb. 16, 2022. The indoor mask requirement also extends to Asheville, Biltmore Forest, Black Mountain, Town of Montreat, Weaverville, and Woodfin.
In Buncombe County, COVID-19 case rates continue to be high, and per the CDC definition, the County remains an area of high transmission. The percent positivity remains in the moderate category, and the death rate remains in the substantial category.
The Asheville-Buncombe Air Quality Agency is encouraging residents to get their homes tested for Radon during National Radon Action Month.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. after smoking and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is invisible, odorless, and tasteless. Radon is released harmlessly from the ground into outdoor air, but it can accumulate and reach harmful levels when trapped in homes and buildings.
Testing is the only way to know if a home has an elevated level of radon. EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General recommend taking action to fix your home if the radon level is 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) of air or more. Most homes can be fixed for about the same cost as other common home repairs. Taking action to reduce your exposure to radon is a long-term investment in your families’ health and your home.
The NC Radon Program is offering discounted short-term radon test kits for residents of North Carolina. Other short-term radon test kits can also be purchased online for as little as $18 and are available at most home improvement and hardware stores. Additional information can be found at epa.gov/radon.
Update Jan. 4, 2022
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners has extended the countywide face covering requirement for all indoor public spaces through Feb. 16, 2022. The indoor mask requirement also extends to Asheville, Biltmore Forest, Black Mountain, Town of Montreat, Weaverville, and Woodfin.
In Buncombe County, COVID-19 case rates continue to be high, and per the CDC definition, the County remains an area of high transmission. The percent positivity remains in the moderate category, and the death rate remains in the substantial category.
The Asheville-Buncombe Air Quality Agency is encouraging residents to get their homes tested for Radon during National Radon Action Month.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. after smoking and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is invisible, odorless, and tasteless. Radon is released harmlessly from the ground into outdoor air, but it can accumulate and reach harmful levels when trapped in homes and buildings.
Testing is the only way to know if a home has an elevated level of radon. EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General recommend taking action to fix your home if the radon level is 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) of air or more. Most homes can be fixed for about the same cost as other common home repairs. Taking action to reduce your exposure to radon is a long-term investment in your families’ health and your home.
The NC Radon Program is offering discounted short-term radon test kits for residents of North Carolina. Other short-term radon test kits can also be purchased online for as little as $18 and are available at most home improvement and hardware stores. Additional information can be found at epa.gov/radon.
Up to this point, we have relied on voluntary contributions to compensate our speakers for their considerable time and effort in preparing and presenting their talks to our members. For some time now, however, this has not been working. Therefore, we will be asking attendees to make their speaker donations prior to attending the talk as part of our new registration process.
This is how it will work. Attendees will register by going to PayPal and sending your contribution to [email protected]. This is Deborah Hellman’s (our Treasurer) PayPal account, and it will show up as Akashic Records Education. Contribute to our speaker (add a note that you are registering for AFOA’s January 2022 meeting) and Deborah will send you the Zoom link and password for Benjamin’s talk within 24 hours before the presentation. Of course, please do not share this link and password with anyone else.
We are asking you to make a minimum speaker’s donation of $5. Feel free to contribute more and the PayPal account will also be open after the talk if you are inclined to increase your donation amount. We hope that you appreciate that our speakers put in many hours of preparation in order to deliver an informative and enjoyable presentation filled with astrological insight. If you feel that you cannot afford the minimum donation, you may contact Deborah at [email protected] to negotiate a sliding scale fee. Also, if you do not have access to PayPal or are having a difficult time making the donation, please contact Deborah.
In 2021, we experienced a world still turned upside down. So what can we expect in 2022?
AFOA founding member Benjamin Bernstein will give his annual forecast lecture via Zoom on Friday, January 21 at 7 PM US Eastern Time. This call may reach capacity, so register early.
The Saturn-Uranus square that we experienced last year is still active in 2022 and Benjamin will be telling us about an important “mini grand trine” that will be coming into aspect soon. Expect Benjamin to be recharged and full of his good energy as we explore what lies ahead astrologically.
To register, go to PayPal at https://www.paypal.com/us/home and make your minimum $5 speaker’s donation to [email protected]. Your Zoom link and password will be emailed within 24 hours before the presentation. The event is being recorded and all registrants will receive a recording link shortly afterward.
AstroShaman” Benjamin Bernstein hosts This Week in Astrology, a Top 10 Astrology Podcast, and is a 3-time Best Astrologer Winner. He has done over 9000 Astrology, Shamanic Healing and Life Coaching sessions with a global clientele, and runs the “Awakening Plus” online spiritual support membership. He has lectured or taught at national Astrology conferences and retreats, and wrote the Shamanic Astrology chapter in the book Transpersonal Astrology: Explorations at the Frontier.
Learn more about Benjamin’s work at https://www.astroshaman.com/
We look forward to seeing you!
Update Jan. 4, 2022
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners has extended the countywide face covering requirement for all indoor public spaces through Feb. 16, 2022. The indoor mask requirement also extends to Asheville, Biltmore Forest, Black Mountain, Town of Montreat, Weaverville, and Woodfin.
In Buncombe County, COVID-19 case rates continue to be high, and per the CDC definition, the County remains an area of high transmission. The percent positivity remains in the moderate category, and the death rate remains in the substantial category.
The Asheville-Buncombe Air Quality Agency is encouraging residents to get their homes tested for Radon during National Radon Action Month.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. after smoking and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is invisible, odorless, and tasteless. Radon is released harmlessly from the ground into outdoor air, but it can accumulate and reach harmful levels when trapped in homes and buildings.
Testing is the only way to know if a home has an elevated level of radon. EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General recommend taking action to fix your home if the radon level is 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) of air or more. Most homes can be fixed for about the same cost as other common home repairs. Taking action to reduce your exposure to radon is a long-term investment in your families’ health and your home.
The NC Radon Program is offering discounted short-term radon test kits for residents of North Carolina. Other short-term radon test kits can also be purchased online for as little as $18 and are available at most home improvement and hardware stores. Additional information can be found at epa.gov/radon.
Receive a Light Language transmission from the Galactic Magdalene Lineage. This powerful activation does not come through believing in anything. It does not come through a book, education or philosophy. It comes naturally through alignment with the Divine Source that is alive inside of you. This alignment activates the inner wellspring of Peace and Divine Love that is always feeding and nourishing you. No matter what is occurring in the outer world, experience the truth of who you are as a Sovereign Divine Being of Light.
Ana Estrada is a Quantum Light Practitioner with more than 25 years experience of working consciously with Beings of Light and Ascended Masters. Her graduate degrees in Transformative Art and Spirituality took her to the Amazon jungles and the temples of India where she studied shamanic cultures and visionary art making processes. She is certified as an Intuitive Energy Healer in various healing modalities and serves as a channel for the Divine Mother and her sacred Light Language. Ana offers Quantum Light Alignment Sessions privately and at sacred sites around the world.
Donations are appreciated and received via Paypal: [email protected]
For more information about Ana and the Quantum Light Practice visit:
http://www.QuantumLightPractice.com
Join us for an acorn processing adventure. Learn the ins & outs of one of the oldest traditions of food acquisition.
* This is an in-person class happening in Asheville, NC. Due to location policies, participants will be asked to wear a mask indoors. If you’re feeling ill, please stay home & contact us as soon as possible to request a refund so your ticket can be made available to others. Make sure to purchase a ticket beforehand – this will sell out.
We will be on a nutty ride together in this class. Learn the ins & outs of one of the oldest traditions of food acquisition. You will obtain a clear understanding of all the steps involved in this somewhat complex & incredibly rewarding process. Plus you can process & taste an ancient food which is basically impossible to buy. This class will have hands-on opportunities for those interested.
🌳
Our presentation covers:
1) Oak identification
2) Acorn selection
3) Storage
4) Cracking & shelling
5) Winnowing + grinding
6) Cold & hot leaching
7) Recipes
🐿
This is a slightly advanced food to forage, but anyone can do it. You will definitely be feeling more connected with Oaks by the end of it. Looking forward to connecting over one of the most abundant and delicious foods on the planet.
🍄
About your instructor:
Bryan is an avid forager and permaculturist who leads events on wild food foraging, land stewardship and ecotherapy. He holds a master’s degree in counseling psychology which he fuses with his passion for Earth-care to facilitate therapeutic nature-connection experiences. He has practiced & studied foraging extensively with many top-level teachers across the country. His mission is to build healing ecosystems to bring communities into a balanced relationship with the Earth and one another.
Update Jan. 4, 2022
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners has extended the countywide face covering requirement for all indoor public spaces through Feb. 16, 2022. The indoor mask requirement also extends to Asheville, Biltmore Forest, Black Mountain, Town of Montreat, Weaverville, and Woodfin.
In Buncombe County, COVID-19 case rates continue to be high, and per the CDC definition, the County remains an area of high transmission. The percent positivity remains in the moderate category, and the death rate remains in the substantial category.
The Asheville-Buncombe Air Quality Agency is encouraging residents to get their homes tested for Radon during National Radon Action Month.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. after smoking and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is invisible, odorless, and tasteless. Radon is released harmlessly from the ground into outdoor air, but it can accumulate and reach harmful levels when trapped in homes and buildings.
Testing is the only way to know if a home has an elevated level of radon. EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General recommend taking action to fix your home if the radon level is 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) of air or more. Most homes can be fixed for about the same cost as other common home repairs. Taking action to reduce your exposure to radon is a long-term investment in your families’ health and your home.
The NC Radon Program is offering discounted short-term radon test kits for residents of North Carolina. Other short-term radon test kits can also be purchased online for as little as $18 and are available at most home improvement and hardware stores. Additional information can be found at epa.gov/radon.
Update Jan. 4, 2022
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners has extended the countywide face covering requirement for all indoor public spaces through Feb. 16, 2022. The indoor mask requirement also extends to Asheville, Biltmore Forest, Black Mountain, Town of Montreat, Weaverville, and Woodfin.
In Buncombe County, COVID-19 case rates continue to be high, and per the CDC definition, the County remains an area of high transmission. The percent positivity remains in the moderate category, and the death rate remains in the substantial category.
The Asheville-Buncombe Air Quality Agency is encouraging residents to get their homes tested for Radon during National Radon Action Month.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. after smoking and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is invisible, odorless, and tasteless. Radon is released harmlessly from the ground into outdoor air, but it can accumulate and reach harmful levels when trapped in homes and buildings.
Testing is the only way to know if a home has an elevated level of radon. EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General recommend taking action to fix your home if the radon level is 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) of air or more. Most homes can be fixed for about the same cost as other common home repairs. Taking action to reduce your exposure to radon is a long-term investment in your families’ health and your home.
The NC Radon Program is offering discounted short-term radon test kits for residents of North Carolina. Other short-term radon test kits can also be purchased online for as little as $18 and are available at most home improvement and hardware stores. Additional information can be found at epa.gov/radon.
Update Jan. 4, 2022
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners has extended the countywide face covering requirement for all indoor public spaces through Feb. 16, 2022. The indoor mask requirement also extends to Asheville, Biltmore Forest, Black Mountain, Town of Montreat, Weaverville, and Woodfin.
In Buncombe County, COVID-19 case rates continue to be high, and per the CDC definition, the County remains an area of high transmission. The percent positivity remains in the moderate category, and the death rate remains in the substantial category.
The Asheville-Buncombe Air Quality Agency is encouraging residents to get their homes tested for Radon during National Radon Action Month.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. after smoking and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is invisible, odorless, and tasteless. Radon is released harmlessly from the ground into outdoor air, but it can accumulate and reach harmful levels when trapped in homes and buildings.
Testing is the only way to know if a home has an elevated level of radon. EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General recommend taking action to fix your home if the radon level is 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) of air or more. Most homes can be fixed for about the same cost as other common home repairs. Taking action to reduce your exposure to radon is a long-term investment in your families’ health and your home.
The NC Radon Program is offering discounted short-term radon test kits for residents of North Carolina. Other short-term radon test kits can also be purchased online for as little as $18 and are available at most home improvement and hardware stores. Additional information can be found at epa.gov/radon.
Lise Hamlin, Public Policy Director of HLAA in Washington DC, will discuss the organization’s agenda for 2022. Important topics include: Medicare Expansion to cover hearing aids, input to FDA regarding Over-the-Counter hearing aids, and more accessibility topics relative to the pandemic.
Update Jan. 4, 2022
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners has extended the countywide face covering requirement for all indoor public spaces through Feb. 16, 2022. The indoor mask requirement also extends to Asheville, Biltmore Forest, Black Mountain, Town of Montreat, Weaverville, and Woodfin.
In Buncombe County, COVID-19 case rates continue to be high, and per the CDC definition, the County remains an area of high transmission. The percent positivity remains in the moderate category, and the death rate remains in the substantial category.
The Asheville-Buncombe Air Quality Agency is encouraging residents to get their homes tested for Radon during National Radon Action Month.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. after smoking and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is invisible, odorless, and tasteless. Radon is released harmlessly from the ground into outdoor air, but it can accumulate and reach harmful levels when trapped in homes and buildings.
Testing is the only way to know if a home has an elevated level of radon. EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General recommend taking action to fix your home if the radon level is 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) of air or more. Most homes can be fixed for about the same cost as other common home repairs. Taking action to reduce your exposure to radon is a long-term investment in your families’ health and your home.
The NC Radon Program is offering discounted short-term radon test kits for residents of North Carolina. Other short-term radon test kits can also be purchased online for as little as $18 and are available at most home improvement and hardware stores. Additional information can be found at epa.gov/radon.
Update Jan. 4, 2022
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners has extended the countywide face covering requirement for all indoor public spaces through Feb. 16, 2022. The indoor mask requirement also extends to Asheville, Biltmore Forest, Black Mountain, Town of Montreat, Weaverville, and Woodfin.
In Buncombe County, COVID-19 case rates continue to be high, and per the CDC definition, the County remains an area of high transmission. The percent positivity remains in the moderate category, and the death rate remains in the substantial category.
The Asheville-Buncombe Air Quality Agency is encouraging residents to get their homes tested for Radon during National Radon Action Month.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. after smoking and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is invisible, odorless, and tasteless. Radon is released harmlessly from the ground into outdoor air, but it can accumulate and reach harmful levels when trapped in homes and buildings.
Testing is the only way to know if a home has an elevated level of radon. EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General recommend taking action to fix your home if the radon level is 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) of air or more. Most homes can be fixed for about the same cost as other common home repairs. Taking action to reduce your exposure to radon is a long-term investment in your families’ health and your home.
The NC Radon Program is offering discounted short-term radon test kits for residents of North Carolina. Other short-term radon test kits can also be purchased online for as little as $18 and are available at most home improvement and hardware stores. Additional information can be found at epa.gov/radon.
Update Jan. 4, 2022
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners has extended the countywide face covering requirement for all indoor public spaces through Feb. 16, 2022. The indoor mask requirement also extends to Asheville, Biltmore Forest, Black Mountain, Town of Montreat, Weaverville, and Woodfin.
In Buncombe County, COVID-19 case rates continue to be high, and per the CDC definition, the County remains an area of high transmission. The percent positivity remains in the moderate category, and the death rate remains in the substantial category.
The Asheville-Buncombe Air Quality Agency is encouraging residents to get their homes tested for Radon during National Radon Action Month.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. after smoking and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is invisible, odorless, and tasteless. Radon is released harmlessly from the ground into outdoor air, but it can accumulate and reach harmful levels when trapped in homes and buildings.
Testing is the only way to know if a home has an elevated level of radon. EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General recommend taking action to fix your home if the radon level is 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) of air or more. Most homes can be fixed for about the same cost as other common home repairs. Taking action to reduce your exposure to radon is a long-term investment in your families’ health and your home.
The NC Radon Program is offering discounted short-term radon test kits for residents of North Carolina. Other short-term radon test kits can also be purchased online for as little as $18 and are available at most home improvement and hardware stores. Additional information can be found at epa.gov/radon.
Update Jan. 4, 2022
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners has extended the countywide face covering requirement for all indoor public spaces through Feb. 16, 2022. The indoor mask requirement also extends to Asheville, Biltmore Forest, Black Mountain, Town of Montreat, Weaverville, and Woodfin.
In Buncombe County, COVID-19 case rates continue to be high, and per the CDC definition, the County remains an area of high transmission. The percent positivity remains in the moderate category, and the death rate remains in the substantial category.
The Asheville-Buncombe Air Quality Agency is encouraging residents to get their homes tested for Radon during National Radon Action Month.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. after smoking and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is invisible, odorless, and tasteless. Radon is released harmlessly from the ground into outdoor air, but it can accumulate and reach harmful levels when trapped in homes and buildings.
Testing is the only way to know if a home has an elevated level of radon. EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General recommend taking action to fix your home if the radon level is 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) of air or more. Most homes can be fixed for about the same cost as other common home repairs. Taking action to reduce your exposure to radon is a long-term investment in your families’ health and your home.
The NC Radon Program is offering discounted short-term radon test kits for residents of North Carolina. Other short-term radon test kits can also be purchased online for as little as $18 and are available at most home improvement and hardware stores. Additional information can be found at epa.gov/radon.