Lack of Regulation for Radon in Drinking Water

“Public Education: Requires the state to prepare a public education/awareness program or document related to radon.”

This current Massachusetts state law seems like a good start on a long list of laws and regulations to keep the citizens of Massachusetts safe from one the deadliest gases that many of us are constantly in contact with on a daily basis. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer deaths right after smoking, which when exposed to tobacco smoke and radon is paired together, one’s chances of developing lung cancer multiplies. So, with this being said, it is a good thing that this law is followed by many more to make sure these deaths are preventable. The only problem is that that long list in reality is a very short one, actually consisting of only one meaningless law. I might have gone to long lengths to get this point across, but the reality of the whole situation is absurd, that exaggeration of the circumstances has to be done. With radon being so deadly, it would seem exceedingly necessary to have many regulations in place so that we are all safe from such the sad and heartbreaking experience of developing lung cancer, but this is far from the truth in Massachusetts. Many other states might only have a few laws in place, which is also illogical, but they actually have some sort of urgency to them unlike this state’s one and only law. Just looking at the many laws already in place, it seems like they should be mandatory in every state, but there is such scarcity in the amount of laws each state puts into place. When it comes to Massachusetts, they are on the bottom of the totem pole, foolishly not adopting such important radon state laws as: the requirement of child day care centers to test for radon, the requirement of group day care homes to test for radon, establishing a green building tax credit program that includes radon, requirement of home builders to report radon levels on home site, and most importantly, the requirement of establishing safe levels of radon in water and many more. This is where my paper begins to take shape. When radon is released in the ground, it can also dissolve and accumulate in groundwater, such as well water, and affect drinking water supplies. Radon gas easily escapes from water once the water is exposed to air. Radon gas is released into the indoor air of a home by simply running the water for household purposes. With such a lack of government involvement in this national health problem, I feel really strongly in getting this message across about the urgency of this problem.

I became aware of this issue when my uncle, Kenny Belsito, a community advocate for radon policies urged my parents to test our house for any significant Radon exposure because of the high risk involved leaving it unnoticed. At first, I didn’t think anything of it, thinking it was just a normal test that would do no harm if left untreated, but when I prodded my uncle