Radon and Politics
Radon and Politics
The Watras Incident
With the energy crunch of the late 1970's came increased efforts to
insulate and seal homes to minimize heat loss. With the construction of
energy-efficient homes that decreased ventilation and air turnover,
scientists and government officials began to see the dangers of radon.
By 1985, the infamous Watras incident had provided the impetus for
government action. Stanley J. Watras, a construction engineer at
Limerick nuclear power plant in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, set off
radiation monitors installed to ensure the safety of the workers. The
Philadelphia Electric Company, which owned the plant, determined that
Watras' skin and clothing were contaminated with natural radiation
unrelated to activities of the power plant. Testing of Watras' home
revealed astronomically high radon levels of 2,700 pCi, and the Watras
family relocated while repairs were made. A regional testing program was
conducted in 2,900 homes around the area, and 40% showed above average
radon levels, although none as high as the Watras' home. Mainly through
the Environmental Protection Agency, the government launched several
advertising campaigns that have since been criticized as alarmist and
overzealous by some scientists and members of the media, although at the
time pressure was building for action by the EPA. The questions are: how
should the radon problem be presented to the public? The public has the
right to be informed, but since the dangers of radon have not been
satisfactorily quantified, what should be the official policy of government?
The Work of the EPA
In 1986, the Indoor Air Quality Research Act (Title IV, Pub. L. No.
99-499, 403, 12 Oct, 1986) designated the EPA as chief administrator of
radon policy, and under Richard Guimond, first director of the newly
established radon division, an aggressive campaign was launched to inform
homeowners about radon. Two brochures, "Radon Reduction Methods: A
Homeowner's Guide" and "A Citizen's Guide to Radon: What It Is and What
to Do About It" were published by the EPA. More than a million copies of
the second pamphlet were issued, however this publication glossed over
uncertainties in the data presented and virtually disregarded the effects
of smoking. On page one, the booklet declares that from "5,000 to about
20,000 lung cancer deaths a year in the United States in 1986 may be
attributed to radon." On the next to last page is the statement,
"smoking may increase the risk of exposure to radon," however it is known
that most radon-caused deaths could be eliminated if smoking were
eliminated.
10 Although misguided in focus, the pamphlets were an
attempt
to satisfy critics such as Newsweek, whose August 18, 1986 issue had the
headline, "Radon Gas: A Deadly Threat--A Natural Hazard Is Seeping into 8
Million Homes." The Newsweek article cited environmentalists and
politicians criticizing the lack of action by the EPA and its failure to
inform the public of the risk.
In 1988, Congress signed into law the Indoor Radon Abatement Act,
solidifying the autonomy of the EPA in constructing U.S. radon policy and
making the pledge that the "national long-term goal...is that air within
buildings in the United States should be as free of radon as the ambient
air outside."
11 By this time, the EPA's efforts to encourage
public action were frustrated despite considerable media coverage. In
1989, the EPA published "Reporting on Radon," which described radon
daughters as "tiny time-bombs" that "go off" in the lungs as alpha
particles "slam into unshielded lung cells." 12
A more aggressive campaign was begun with the help of the Ad Council that
minimized the scientific uncertainties described in earlier
publications. The production of pamphlets, pins, t-shirts and bumper
stickers with advertisements on billboards, television and in print cost
the EPA $2.5 million by 1991, urging people to call 1-800-SOS-RADON
because "what you don't know can do more than hurt you. It can kill
you." One television advertisement showed a family transformed into
skeletons, and another pamphlet declared: "Protect your family against
Radon--the silent killer." The 1992 edition of the "Citizen's Guide"
advises homeowners to take action if their radon level is above 4 pCi/L,
and acknowledges the synergism between smoking and radon. The only
reference to uncertainty appeared on page 11: "Like other environmental
pollutants, there is some uncertainty about the magnitude of radon health
risks." 13 The guide
concludes with the statement: "You will reduce your risk of lung cancer
when you reduce radon levels," and "radon levels below 4 pCi/L still pose
some risk."
What the experts are saying: 
