[ RadSafe ] Re: Radiation Hormesis

[John Jacobus]

Syd,
  You are quite right.  I would say that regulartory agencies do write and enforce regulations that implement the laws.  But regulations have to be posted in the Federal Register for a commentary period for public review, so I doubt they do it every day.  My impression is that public comments seldom have an impact during the process.  

"Syd H. Levine" <syd.levine at mindspring.com> wrote:
  But EPA DOES write law. They do it every day! The legislators have 
delegated the vast majority of regulatory duties to administrative agencies 
like EPA. Historically, this goes back to the original railroad regulatory 
scheme in the very late 1800s, but has become a true monster since 1970 when 
Nixon gave us the EPA.

Congress merely says regulate some particular activity, and EPA is charged 
with developing the administrative law to accomplish same. Worse yet, if 
the agency decides you have violated some provision of this voluminous 
administrative law, you get the dubious honor of having the matter 
adjudicated before an "administrative law judge", generally an employee of 
the agency that promulgated the regulation to begin with. If you ever do 
get to see a "real" judge, deference will be given to the agency ( a nice 
way of saying what you say will not matter).

Pity is not what EPA deserves, I fear.

Syd H. Levine
AnaLog Services, Inc.
Phone: (270) 276-5671
Telefax: (270) 276-5588
E-mail: analog at logwell.com
Web URL: www.logwell.com



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John Jacobus" 
To: "Brennan, Mike (DOH)" ; 
Sent: Friday, December 28, 2007 11:49 AM
Subject: RE: [ RadSafe ] Re: Radiation Hormesis


> The BEIR-VII report has an appendix that discusses hormesis.You can read 
> it on-line.
>
> http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=11340&page=332
>
> Have pity on your EPA friends. They did not write the laws.
>
>
> "Brennan, Mike (DOH)" wrote:
> "All science is either physics or stamp collecting." Ernest.
> Rutherford
>
> I am reminded of the story of a zoologist, biologist, and physicist each
> being asked to discuss the most important aspects of elephants. The
> zoologist discussed the social aspects of the herd how elephants
> interact with their environment. The biologist discussed the huge
> amount of food the elephant consumes and processes in which it is
> processed. The physicist gets up, thinks for a minute, and starts,
> "Assume the elephant is a sphere..."
>
> On the topic of hormesis; I would love for someone to do some definitive
> research, well designed and meticulously controlled, that would address
> both the claims and the criticisms. I will even allow as to how I would
> LOVE to have hormesis confirmed, if for no other reason than the
> entertainment value of watching my friends in the EPA struggle with
> setting maximum and minimum desired radon exposure levels. Sadly, I
> have yet to see anything about such research being done. The hormesis
> papers I've seen show as much evidence of cherry picking as the
> anti-(fill in the blank for whatever you don't like) papers.
>
> _______________________________________________
>
>
> +++++++++++++++++++
> "If history teaches any lesson it is that no nation has an inherent right 
> to greatness. Greatness has to be earned and continually re-earned."
> - Norman Augustine, Chairman of the National Academies Committee
>
> -- John
> John Jacobus, MS
> Certified Health Physicist
> e-mail: crispy_bird at yahoo.com
>
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+++++++++++++++++++
"If history teaches any lesson it is that no nation has an inherent right to greatness.  Greatness has to be earned and continually re-earned."
- Norman Augustine, Chairman of the National Academies Committee 

-- John
John Jacobus, MS
Certified Health Physicist
e-mail:  crispy_bird at yahoo.com
       
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