Publication Date

Fall 2012

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Geography

Advisor

Richard Taketa

Keywords

EPA, Funding, Geography, GIS, Radon, SIRG

Subject Areas

Geographic information science and geodesy; Statistics; Environmental studies

Abstract

This thesis examines the SIRG program's effectiveness to target funds to states with the highest risk potential, based on county radon levels and population size. The primary method of determining the program's effectiveness was an analysis of the program's allocation of funds at a regional as well as a state level. The analysis focused on two of four input variables that the EPA utilizes in its regional allocation model (e.g., county radon levels and population size).

The analysis showed that the state-level allocation of funds is only marginally related to a combination of county radon levels and population size, while the regional allocation of funds is primarily related to a combination of these variables. An important distinction between the two allocation models was that the state-level funding includes a matching requirement of at least 40%, whereas the regional funding does not require any matching. The program's dependency on the ability and willingness of state legislators to fulfill this matching requirement diminishes the effectiveness of targeting states with the highest risk potential.

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