A 1988 U.S. government advisory
recommended that homeowners have
their homes tested for radon gas. It further
recommended that homeowners
have any dangerous levels corrected.
Since then, however, the problem has
largely slipped out of the public's view.
This lack of front-page exposure
shouldn't lull builders and remodelers
into thinking the radon issue is fading
away. Quite the opposite is true. Some
states are passing radon-mitigation
laws. The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) itself is developing
model construction guidelines to
reduce radon infiltration into buildings.
No states yet have laws or building
codes that mandate radon testing, mitigation,
or prevention. However,
Pennsylvania, Florida, Minnesota,
Iowa, and New Jersey are considering
requiring radon testing in all realestate
transactions. And New Jersey
now requires builders