Regulatory Guidance
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, with a mission to protect human health and the environment, is the primary federal agency providing guidance on radon. Since radon occurs naturally in the environment it is not "regulated" in the same manner as pollutants, rather the EPA makes recommendations on how to address radon concerns.
State's are mostly left to their own devices when it comes to development of radon policies.
Typical state radon programs consist of:
- 1988 Indoor Radon Abatement Act is the primary piece of legislation providing guidance on radon. The goal of the the act is to reduce indoor radon air concentrations to equal ambient outdoor levels, 0.4 pCi/L. The act sets out to meet this goal by funding state programs for training and licensing of radon mitigation professionals, while educating the public on the health risks.
- The EPA has set an action limit of 4 pCi/L for radon concentrations in air, at this concentration the EPA recommends mitigation efforts. The EPA does not enforce the action limit. The World Health Organization advocates for a globally reduced action level of 2.7 pCi/L.
- The EPA has not set a limit for radon concentration for drinking water, however, since 1999 a proposed amendment to the Safe Drinking Water Act has been pending
State's are mostly left to their own devices when it comes to development of radon policies.
Typical state radon programs consist of:
- Training/Licensing/Certification Program for radon mitigation workers
- Building Codes for Radon Resistant New Construction (RRNC)