WILLIAM DONALD SCHAEFER, Governor

WHEREAS, Scientists from the United States Environmental
Protection Agency and the United States Center for Disease
Control estimate that the number of lung cancer deaths per year
nationwide attributable to radon ranges from 5,000 to 20,000; and

WHEREAS, The United States Environmental Protection Agency
estimates that 8 million of the nation's 70 million homes, or 12
percent, have unsafe levels of radon; and

WHEREAS, Recently, homes in Maryland have been found to have
unsafe indoor radon levels; and

WHEREAS, Reported incidences of high radon concentrations in
Maryland homes have focused attention on the need to identify
effective approaches to reducing indoor radon concentrations;
now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, That the
Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is requested to conduct a
research program that includes a comprehensive radon survey in
all jurisdictions of the State to determine:

(1) the full scope of the presence of elevated levels
of radon in residential dwellings;

(2) whether there are areas in the State that have
higher indoor radon concentrations than others; and

(3) efforts that should be made to minimize elevated
radon level in future homes and to deal with elevated levels in
existing homes; and be it further

RESOLVED, BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, That the
Governor is requested to establish a Radon Task Force to study
the extent of the radon problem in Maryland and to develop an
appropriate course of action for the State to take regarding
radon; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force be composed of:

(1)  1 member of the House of Delegates, appointed by
the Speaker of the House, and 1 member of the Senate of Maryland,
appointed by the President of the Senate; and

(2)  a representative of the Office of Environmental
Programs of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene,
appointed by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Mental
Hygiene; and

(3)  a representative from the Department of Natural
Resources, appointed by the Secretary of the Department of
Natural Resources; and

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