In 1984 Stanley Watras, while working on the construction of the Limerick Nuclear Power Plant in Pennsylvania set off radiation monitoring alarms at the plant.

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In 1984 Stanley Watras, while working on the
construction of the Limerick Nuclear Power Plant
in Pennsylvania set off radiation monitoring
alarms at the plant. Since there were no
radioactive materials on-site yet, the cause went
undetermined until Mr. Watras walked through the
monitor in the morning upon arrival, setting off
the alarms.
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In response to growing evidence of a public
health problem

• 1985 EPA establishes a radon program to address
  the public health risk.
• 1986 Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization
  Act (SARA) Congress authorized EPA to coordinate
  federal, state and private efforts to assess and
  reduce radon health risks.
• 1988 Indoor Radon Abatement Act (IRAA)
  authorizes EPA to provide technical
  assistance/information to the public and award
  grants to states to lower indoor radon levels.

EPA Radon Programs
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Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act

• 1986 1998 EPA operates the Radon Proficiency
  Program.
• RPP establishes proficiency standards for
  measurement and mitigation contractors.
  Participates must
• Complete prescribed training
• Pass a standardized test and follow EPA
  standards.
• 1998 EPA privatizes RPP. Operation continued by
  National Environmental Health Association (NEHA)
  and the National Radiation Safety Board

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Indoor Radon Abatement Act

• 1990 Under the authority of IRAA, EPA initiates
  the State Indoor Radon Grants (SIRG) program
  providing money to States to develop local radon
  programs. Most states have used the funds to
  assess problems and identify high risk areas
  develop radon strategies, distribute information
  to the public establish state certification
  programs and initiate partnerships with local
  governments in high risk radon areas.

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SIRG funds may used to

• Educate the public, real estate professionals,
  home inspectors, home builders, and building code
  officials on the risks of radon and how to
  mitigate it.
• Promote radon-resistant building methods to home
  builders.
• Encourage the adoption of radon-resistant
  building codes.
• Promote radon testing and mitigation as a part of
  all real estate transactions.
• Encourage the public to test their homes for
  radon.

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SIRG Fund Allocation by Fiscal Year and Region SIRG Fund Allocation by Fiscal Year and Region SIRG Fund Allocation by Fiscal Year and Region
Allocation EPA RegionFY 06 AllocationFY 07
Region 1, Boston 809,100 760,500
Region 2, New York 704,100 661,700
Region 3, Philadelphia 815,400 766,30
Region 4, Atlanta 1,339,700 1,259,400
Region 5, Chicago 1,762,800 1,657,500
Region 6, Dallas 0 446,000
Region 7, Kansas City 694,100 652,600
Region 8, Denver 569,200 S534,900
Region 9, San Francisco 538,100 506,000
Region 10, Seattle 206,500 194,000
Total 7,439,000 7,439,000
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Re-Focusing the Message

• Response to initial efforts to inform the public
  of the radon risk has been slow. As a result, EPA
  has refined the message and developed new
  strategies to achieve specific goals, to include

• Focusing resources on the greatest risk
• geographic areas with the highest-risk
  populations.
• Promoting Radon Resistant New Construction
• Working with state local governments on the
  adoption of Appendix F of the International
  Building Code.
• Promoting testing and mitigation during real
  estate transfer.

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Estimated State Radon-Related Lung Cancer Deaths

• 21,385 - Total of EPA State Risk Estimates, Sep
  2007, Draft
• 21,100 - National EPA Risk Assessment, 2003
• Factors/Data needed for the calculations
• Estimated average radon levels for Zone 1, 2 3
• Estimated average radon level for each State
• State Lung Cancer Death Rates (U.S. - Radon
  13.5)
• Population by Zone and State

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Estimated State Radon-Related Lung Cancer Deaths

• The estimates are intended to put state specific
  risks in context to that of the national risk
  estimate (21,100 annual radon lung cancer
  deaths). States are encouraged to consider the
  use of these estimates strategically in their
  SIRG program related risk reducing activities.
• The EPA has established three criteria under the
  SIRG program for making State grant award
  decisions (1) degree of risk (2)
  funding/match and (3) measurable
  results/performance.

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Annual Radon-Related Lung Cancer Deaths
It takes an estimated 1,542 mitigations or
5,292 homes built radon resistant to save a life

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Annual Radon-Related Lung Cancer Deaths
It takes an estimated 1,542 mitigations or
5,292 homes built radon resistant to save a life

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Re-Focusing the Message

Actions to increase public awareness and
community involvement

• EPA has designated January of every year as
  Nation Radon Action Month
• During the month communities sponsor activities
  and host events to increase awareness and bring
  the message to the public through a wide variety
  of media outlets.
• New PSAs using the Surgeon Generals Warning on
  the radon risk.

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Re-Focusing the Message
Actions to increase public awareness and
community involvement

• Radon Webinar is an interactive web-based means
  to facilitate discussion among State Programs for
  increased action.
• RadonSIRG Listserve provides EPA States a
  opportunity to share ideas, answer questions and
  discuss strategies.
• A stakeholders Consensus Building Dialogue was
  held in an attempt to negotiate agreements for
  improved nationwide results.

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Re-Focusing the Message
Actions to increase public awareness and
community involvement

• EPA Region 7 held its First Annual Radon
  Stakeholders Meeting to build new or strengthen
  existing partnerships among interested groups.
• The American Society for Testing and Materials
  (ASTM) in cooperation with the EPA published two
  consensus-based standards ASTM E-2121, Standard
  Practice for Installing Radon Mitigation Systems
  in Existing Low-rise Residential Buildings and
  ASTM E-1465, Standards for Radon-Resistant New
  Construction.

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Re-Focusing the Message
Actions to increase public awareness and
community involvement

• Improved SIRG accountability emphasizing
  activities achieving the greatest radon risk
  reduction.
• Radon Moisture Study to determine whether
  Active Soil Depressurization (ASD) techniques
  reduce moisture entry.
• EPA in partnership with the Conference of
  Radiation Control Program Directors (CRCPD) has
  developed the Building Technical Capacity
  Project to build technical capabilities at the
  state and local levels of government.

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State Radon Legislation - By the Numbers
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• States have regulations requiring state
  specific measurement and mitigation standards
  and/or standards for licensing of individuals who
  measure mitigate radon in buildings.
• States have laws requiring the disclosure
  environmental hazards, including radon in
  conjunction with real estate transactions.
• States have some type of requirement for the
  testing of radon mitigating elevated levels of
  radon and/or for the use of Radon-Resistant
  building techniques in schools, childcare centers
  and other public buildings.
• States have adopted RRNC Building Codes.
• This does not include local governments.

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Resources

• US Environmental Protection Agency
  www.epa.gov/radon
• Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors
  (CRPCD).  www.crcpd.org/Radon.asp
• Environmental Law Institute www2.eli.org/index.cfm
  
• Nation Conference of State Legislatures
  www.ncsl.org/index.htm
• National Environmental Health Association
  www.radongas.org
• National Radon Safety Board www.nrsb.org

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EPA Radon Publications
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EPA Radon Publications
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EPA's Map of Radon Zones
THANKS!