Abating lead paint is costly, making education and prevention all the more important. EPA requires that people buying and renting or remodeling homes be told about known lead problems and be given the right to test for lead paint. Improperly removing lead paint B by sanding, burning or sand-blasting B can put people at risk of acute lead poisoning. Sandblasting incidents from Bedford Hills, New York to Short Hills, New Jersey have turned homes and surrounding property into virtual toxic waste sites. EPA also recommends that homes be tested for radon.
Radon is second only to cigarette smoke in causing lung cancer.
It is an invisible, odorless gas that emanates from certain types of rock and soil and can build up in lower levels of a home. While most homes won't have a radon problem, the test is simple and inexpensive, and there are straightforward ways to remove radon buildups where they exist. Community health decisions often involve questions of risk. In 1999, when the New York Metropolitan area was threatened by the West Nile virus and seven people died, health officials used pesticides to combat disease-carrying mosquitos . EPA works to ensure that states and localities reduce human risks from pesticides by applying them properly.