President Signs $44.5-Million Anti-Radon Bill
President Reagan on Friday signed a bill calling for a three-year, $44.5-million program to help states deal with radon contamination.
The bill authorizes $10 million a year for grants to state and local governments to develop radon programs and $3 million annually for technical assistance. The balance for other activities includes $1.5 million for the Environmental Protection Agency to study radon contamination in schools.
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas found in soil that has been blamed for as many as 20,000 lung cancer deaths annually in the United States.
Another bill Reagan signed is designed to reduce the threat to birds from plastic six-pack rings. It gives the EPA two years to promulgate regulations requiring use of degradable materials in beverage six-pack ring carriers. Sixteen states have laws requiring those materials.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
