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Indoor Radon: Limited Federal Response To Reduce Contamination in Housing

RCED-88-103 Published: Apr 06, 1988. Publicly Released: Apr 11, 1988.
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Highlights

In response to a congressional request, GAO identified: (1) the status of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) efforts to detect radon and develop methods to reduce radon contamination; (2) actions that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Farmers Home Administration (FmHA), the Veterans Administration (VA), and the National Park Service (NPS), have taken to respond to potential radon hazards; and (3) the potential for federal government liability resulting from indoor radon hazards in federally insured or assisted housing.

Recommendations

Matter for Congressional Consideration

Matter Status Comments
If Congress wants HUD to assume a more active role in responding to elevated radon levels in housing, it may wish to consider outlining expected HUD indoor radon responsibilities. In addition, Congress may wish to specify what activities should be conducted by HUD. Such activities could include, for example, providing prospective mortgage insurance applicants with general radon information through a disclosure notice; sending a notice to all or selected public and Indian housing authorities of the possibility of indoor radon hazards and testing procedures; selling properties only after it has reduced elevated radon levels or attached an addendum to the sales contract advising the purchasers that a radon hazard is present; incorporating and evaluating the effectiveness of radon mitigation techniques in new construction; and reporting to EPA on the effectiveness of any radon mitigation techniques used in HUD-assisted housing.
Closed – Implemented
HUD stated in an April 1991 report to Congress that a 4-year research program is needed before a radon policy can be designed. On May 16, 1990, a House Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee, in radon testing hearings, discussed the possibility of requiring testing in all federal-assisted housing. However, as of September 18, 1991, no legislation has been proposed.
FmHA and VA have no specific statutory mandate to address indoor radon hazards. If Congress decides to outline indoor radon responsibilities for HUD, it may wish to consider the same action for FmHA and VA.
Closed – Implemented
Although Congress has not acted on this recommendation, the House Science, Space and Technology Subcommittee, in May 1990 radon hearings, discussed the possibility of proposing legislation that would require radon testing in all real estate transactions involving federal assistance. However, as of September 18, 1991, no legislation had been proposed.

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Sort descending Recommendation Status
Department of Housing and Urban Development The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and the Administrator, EPA, should define their respective responsibilities and planned actions in response to their shared legislative mandate.
Closed – Implemented
The McKinney Act provided HUD with a specific mandate on technical amendments (P.L. 100-628), which calls for MOU with EPA spelling out their respective roles. MOU was written and signed by HUD on March 30, 1989, and by EPA in July 1989.
Department of the Interior The Secretary of the Interior and the Administrator, EPA, should amend their interagency agreement to require that NPS information on the effectiveness of indoor radon mitigation techniques be provided to EPA for its use and consolidation with other mitigation data.
Closed – Implemented
EPA and NPS have amended their interagency agreement.
Environmental Protection Agency The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and the Administrator, EPA, should define their respective responsibilities and planned actions in response to their shared legislative mandate.
Closed – Implemented
EPA and HUD have entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) describing cooperative efforts on this issue. HUD signed MOU in March 1989, and EPA signed it in July 1989. MOU was required by the McKinney Act (P.L. 100-628), which was enacted on November 7, 1988.
Environmental Protection Agency The Secretary of the Interior and the Administrator, EPA, should amend their interagency agreement to require that NPS information on the effectiveness of indoor radon mitigation techniques be provided to EPA for its use and consolidation with other mitigation data.
Closed – Implemented
EPA and NPS, although already sharing this information on an informal basis, have amended their interagency agreement.
Environmental Protection Agency The Administrator, EPA, should provide for timely consolidation and analysis of private firms' test results on indoor radon measurements.
Closed – Not Implemented
The Indoor Radon Abatement Act of 1988, section 305, requires that EPA create a database, but inadequate funding by Congress resulted in EPA not completing it. Further, H.R. 5138, introduced in the 101st Congress, directs EPA to conduct radon measurement proficiency research and establish a mandatory radon measurement proficiency program. This language was subsequently enacted as law.

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Topics

Agency missionsAir pollutionAir pollution controlBuilding inspectionCarcinogensContaminationHousingInteragency relationsRadiation exposure hazardsRadiation monitoringRadiation safetyRadon