Costs and Benefits of Mitigating Radon in Drinking Water.docVIP

Costs and Benefits of Mitigating Radon in Drinking Water By Donald F. Vitaliano Professor of Economics Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, New York 12180 (518) 276 -8093 vitald@ December 5, 2001 Abstract: The EPA is considering regulating radon, a naturally occurring soil gas dissolved in drinking water, because it poses a lung cancer risk. This paper estimates benefits and costs of compliance for twenty-nine Upstate New York water systems with radon above the proposed maximum contaminant level. Two parallel estimates are made, one using EPA generic methods it uses to develop national be