BEFORE YOU BUY, TEST FOR RADON EPA ADVISES TOUGHER RISK-REDUCTION RULES

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 7, 1993                   TAG: 9304070081
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Short
BEFORE YOU BUY, TEST FOR RADON EPA ADVISES TOUGHER RISK-REDUCTION RULES
The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday said it is advising home buyers to ask for radon test results and learn whether the house has a radon reduction system before deciding on their dream house.
The EPA also recommends that home sellers test the home for radon before putting it on the market and take steps to reduce radon levels if necessary.
If no test has been conducted, the sales contract should spell out who should conduct the test, the type of test and when to test, the EPA said.
"The contract could also include details on how the buyer and the seller will handle radon reduction measures that may be necessary," the agency said.
The EPA says radon gas now is considered the second-greatest cause of lung cancer in the United States.
The agency also proposed a set of standards and techniques for controlling radon before the construction of houses is completed.
The new standards are intended to serve as a model for state and local organizations as they develop and enforce building codes.
The steps they call for include sealing cracks and other openings in the foundation through which radon could seep into the finished house.
"About 150,000 new homes are built annually in areas of the United States that have a high radon potential," the agency said. "Over the next five years, the radon risk reduction achieved by installing . . . radon-resistant features in these new homes will save over 200 lives."
EPA said the cost of installing radon-control features during construction of a house runs between $350 and $500. It said it can cost as much as $2,500 to retrofit an old house.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB