AW: [ RadSafe ] unbelievable and unacceptable messages on RADSAFE

[Franz Schönhofer]

Dear Steven,

 

I did not expect that anybody on this list would be really interested in the
situation of radiation protection and even less on our application of ALARA
in Austria. Sorry for that misconception! 

 

Before I retired about three years ago I have been forced to spend about
five years at the Department of Radiation Protection at the Ministry of
Agriculture, Forestry, Environmental Protection and Water Management. I was
practically not allowed to do anything reasonable, but though I drafted a –
in my opinion reasonable – proposal for an ordinance on naturally occurring
radioactive material (NORM) it has more than seven years after not been
implemented yet. Though my collegues from other European countries urged me
to participate in the relevant European Union meetings I was never sent to
any of them. Anyway you might regard me as an (unsuccesful)  „regulator“.

 

I refrain from boring RADSAFErs by internals from the Austrian government,
but I proceed to what you are obviously interested in – ALARA.

 

Austria has adopted the relevant EU directive into national law, with some
small reservations. So any regulations in the context of the EU Directive is
– hopefully – in compliance with an ALARA concept. 

 

We have in Austria a very simple and most effective method of restricting
use and discharge of radioactive material: Any company or institution, which
wants to use radiioactive material and would discharge any of it has to have
a license. This licence has to be granted by the relevant authority. The
companies have to apply for the licence producing an expertise by a
specialist who is acknowledged by the authorities. The authorities decide
about the application and they put forwardfor instance conditions like the
concentration and the amount of radionuclides to be emitted through stacks
of waste water. 

 

Though I am one of the foremost to critizise Austrias policy against nuclear
power and the politically motivated anti-Czech actions I think that this
system is very effective and helpful. I do not know of any complaints by
companies involved, but only of positive reactions. 

 

Steven, I hope this helps – though it is really unspectacular. In case you
receive any other messages from other countries I hope you forward them to
RADSAFE.  

 

 

Franz Schoenhofer, PhD

MinRat i.R.

Habicherg. 31/7

A-1160 Wien/Vienna

AUSTRIA

 

-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: Steven Dapra [mailto:sjd at swcp.com] 
Gesendet: Sonntag, 04. März 2007 22:27
An: Franz Schönhofer; radsafe at radlab.nl
Betreff: Re: [ RadSafe ] unbelievable and unacceptable messages on RADSAFE

 

March 4

        You are correct, Franz, in stating that "this list is an
international one".  I would like to hear something from Austria.  Why don't
you present a short discussion and assessment of the current state of ALARA
in Austria.  (I do not know how widespread ALARA is, and am assuming it is
used in Austria.)  You could tell us how Austrian regulators interpret and
apply ALARA.  You could explain what the nuclear industry thinks of the
regulators, and of ALARA, and how the industry copes with both.  That would
be a good place to start.  After that has been thrashed out, we could move
on to ALARA in other European countries, and in the Scandanavian countries.

Steven Dapra
sjd at swcp.com