State Programs in Existence Before Indoor Radon Abatement Act

State Programs in Existence Before Indoor Radon Abatement Act 

The most complete report on the status of state programs before the passage of the Act reviews information in place as of July 1,1987, more than a full year before enactment. The report acknowledged that changes in the scope of the state programs were happening very quickly at that time due to the development of more data, but that the basic analysis of the report would nevertheless be useful in providing a baseline of the situation at one point in time. 

The report further noted the expectation that there would be great variations in state programs due to particular local characteristics, such as the nature of the terrain, the existence of geological or measurement data indicating potential problems, technical uncertainties, differing financial capabilities, and different institutional structures. 

EPA categorized all of the activity in the states into one of four wide levels of development, based on the information available to it at the time. While all of the states had some type of program, most of those programs were not the result of specific legislation directed at indoor radon issues.  

The first grouping was Level 1, Information Program, which consisted of seven states. These states were not managing radon issues, but were disseminating EPA information to homeowners upon request. They did not perceive the need to create a program and had neither a mandate nor resources to do so.  

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