Federal Agencies Pledge to Reduce Radon Exposure

摘要

EPA and eight other federal agencies have pledged to focus their efforts on reducing radon exposure in homes throughout the nation. According to EPA, radon exposure is the leading cause of nonsmoking lung cancer and leads to more than 21,000 deaths each year. In addition, it is an invisible, odorless and radioactive gas that occurs in 1 in 15 American homes. Agency leaders are stressing the importance of testing your home for radon, especially if it has not been tested in the past 2 years. The agencies, which also include the General Services Administration and the departments of Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Interior and Veterans Affairs, plan to shape a national action plan that includes immediate and long-term steps to reduce radon exposure.