What Have HUD and EPA Done To Deal With High Radiation Levels in Two Montana Cities?

Pursuant to a Congressman's request, a review was made of Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) activities and responsibilities concerning the recently disclosed raised levels of radiation in the areas of Butte and Anaconda, Montana. Of specific concern were: (1) the HUD criteria used for restricting federal funding for housing and other investments in areas of potential hazards; (2) HUD attempts to balance community economic needs with considerations of potential hazards in HUD-supported housing; (3) the responsibility of the costs for testing homes for radiation and whether EPA is able to meet the demand of the required testing; (4) whether this is an isolated incident, and if not, what activity is underway to identify other hazardous sites; (5) remedies HUD and EPA can offer occupants of federally supported housing where hazardous substances have been found; (6) interagency coordination concerning hazardous substances; (7) EPA responsibility for, and administration of, monitoring residential and working area radiation levels in the United States; (8) attempts to study areas of abnormally high cancer rates in order to establish causal relationships; and (9) Veterans Administration (VA) and Farmers Home Administration (FmHA) procedures for handling hazardous substance problems in housing. Observations were also made on the federal responsibility for monitoring and regulating hazardous substances affecting housing.