Re: we're still our own worse enemy

[Susan Gawarecki <loc@icx.net>]

I'm just back in town and responding to threads that began on Friday. 
Pardon me if it's old news!

Educating the public on what is "appropriate" when it comes to dealing
with different kinds of releases is a never-ending job and relates
directly to risk communication.

Several days after the JCO accident, my administrative assistant's
daughter, a flight attendant with Northwest Airline, questioned me about
whether it was safe to fly into Tokyo airport!  She had concerns about
the radiation release, believing that it was a contaminating release
(like a release of radionuclides).  Although professionals know better
and can fill in the blanks, when you read the media accounts there is
confusing, conflicting, and sometimes just plain wrong information that
somehow the lay public must interpret.  It is really a stretch for me to
imagine that most people out there understand the difference between
neutron flux and a cloud of radioactive gas.  I don't think it was
unreasonable for the flight attendant to be concerned, and I was able to
alleviate her fears by providing some very basic information.

I personally think that educated professionals should accept at least a
small responsibility to give back to their community by acting as a
resource or helping to educate the public.  That's how I ended up in my
job, so I know the rewards can be greater than they initially seem.  And
it is not really that big a burden to occasionally attend a meeting or
hearing, present information to a high school class, or write a letter
to the editor.

As an aside, in my current job I have to deal with state and federal
regulators, activists, general public, professionals, and DOE/contractor
personnel at site and HQ levels.  Once you start with vicious attacks on
agencies or individuals, you lose the personal credibility you need to
effect reforms.  I've found that dealing with people respectfully,
whether you agree with them or not, gets you much further.  And most
federal/contractor employees are as frustrated by the bureaucracy and
the politics as we are, but they also have a significant degree of
loyalty to their employers (as we do).  So perhaps we should all sweeten
our criticism by pointing out needed reforms in a constructive manner.

Regards,
Susan
-- 
==================================================
Susan L. Gawarecki, Ph.D., Executive Director
Oak Ridge Reservation Local Oversight Committee, Inc.
136 S Illinois Ave, Ste 208, Oak Ridge, TN 37830
Phone (865) 483-1333; Fax (865) 482-6572; E-mail loc@icx.net 
==================================================


************************************************************************
The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html