[ RadSafe ] Legal Problems with ALARA and Decommissioning

[Dan McCarn]

Dear Prof. Raabe:

I've given a number of affidavits to court & regulatory hearings as well as
pre-trial depositions and courtroom testimony.  The only time I felt
"comfortable" was providing affidavits to the NRC where I was able to use
my full geological / scientific vocabulary to describe an issue.  I've also
given courtroom expert witness testimony in a trial for which not a single
juror had even a High School education.  That was the most challenging of
all, and sadly, the least rewarding.

One of the most important aspects of a scientist or engineer is to explain
issues to a team of lawyers - whether that is an analysis of formal
courtroom testimony or someone's "expert" affidavit on an issue.

I found the document relatively easy to read... compared to others I've had
to macerate on for days and found them quite indigestible.

Dan ii

Dan W McCarn, Geologist
108 Sherwood Blvd
Los Alamos, NM 87544-3425
+1-505-672-2014 (Home – New Mexico)
+1-505-670-8123 (Mobile - New Mexico)
HotGreenChile at gmail.com (Private email) HotGreenChile at gmail dot com


On Thu, Feb 21, 2013 at 2:28 PM, Otto G. Raabe <ograabe at ucdavis.edu> wrote:

> February 21, 2013
>
> Reading this document makes me glad that did not choose a career in law.
>
> However, it seems to me that the resolution of Shieldalloy issue will
> remain
> with the NRC even though NJ has become an agreement State.
> An exception has been made, for which there was precedent cited.
>
> Apparently the Court somewhat bought the ALARA argument,
> although that may not have made much difference.
>
> It seems that an unnecessary interruption the long interchange
> with the NRC was the main factor.
>
>
> ************************************************
> Prof. Otto G. Raabe, Ph.D., CHP
> Center for Health & the Environment
> University of California
> One Shields Avenue
> Davis, CA 95616
> E-Mail: ograabe at ucdavis.edu
> Phone: (530) 752-7754   FAX: (530) 758-6140
> ************************************************