AW: AW: AW: [ RadSafe ] Chernobyl's Reduced Impact

[BLHamrick at aol.com]

In a message dated 9/17/2005 7:26:58 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,  
crispy_bird at yahoo.com writes:

<<I do not think it is thriving in the U.S.  I think  it
is about the same at it always has been.  How do you
explain the  fact that many polls that claim the public
believes nuclear power is  important for energy
independance and a cleaner environment.   

Of course, California is not like the rest of  the
nation.<<
 
I think your last sentence says a lot.  However, when I was  reviewing the 
comments received on the NRC's ANPR on "Control of Solid  Materials," I saw at 
least 1,000 comments (out of some 2,500) from all over the  country reiterating 
the anti-nuclear party line - about the terrors  of "deregulating" nuclear 
waste, and about the horrific legacy that  will be left by these disposals.  
Most were carbon copies of comments  suggested by PublicCitizen.org, or another 
organization.  Nevertheless,  they reflected what is often in the media, and 
repeated in State legislatures  throughout the country (see, e.g., the article 
on the I-131 waste which recently  set off a landfill alarm in Ohio - 
_http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?Category=9&ID=239067&r=1_ 
(http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?Category=9&ID=239067&r=1) ).
 
Of course it's all nonsense, as these releases have routinely been made  over 
decades.  The NRC was simply trying to codify the criteria that's been  in 
use over that time - i.e., the criteria for unrestricted release of equipment  
in Regulatory Guide 1.86, or the "twice background" criteria many licensees 
use,  which are all tied to the materials licenses in one form or another 
throughout  the U.S.
 
The fact that the type of disinformation disseminated by certain  
anti-nuclear groups and propagated far and wide by the American media can  actually stop 
a reasonable rulemaking, attempting to simply codify current  practices, in 
its tracks, says to me that this nation suffers from a rather  severe case of 
radiophobia, and it costs us a great deal of money.
 
Barbara