EPA partners up to cut radon exposure.

• Position: Lung Cancer - Brief article

The Environmental Protection Agency, American Lung Association, and a number of other groups are seeking to prevent 3,200 lung cancer deaths annually by 2020 through radon exposure reduction strategies. Exposure to radioactive radon gas is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. The goal is to reduce high radon levels in 5,000,000 homes, apartments, schools, and child care centers. The partnership includes three Federal departments and agencies, and nine national organizations.

"Working together creates new opportunities for reducing the risk from radon. Combining our resources will save American lives by magnifying our effectiveness in preventing exposure to radon in homes and schools," says EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy.

Strategies include requiring radon testing and reduction systems as a standard practice in housing finance and insurance programs, and institutionalizing radon risk reduction through building code requirements.

The strategy builds on the 2011 Federal Radon Action Plan, which has led to protections from radon in more than 105,000...