Re: Gas pipeline safety- Radon-222 dose vs. holdup in transit??

[RadiumProj@cs.com]

I was able to locate the citation to the EPA document in question last 
evening. It's citation:

Johnson, R. H., Jr., D. E. Bernhardt, N. S. Nelson, and H. W. Calley, Jr. 
Assessment of Potential Radiological Health Effects from Radon in Natural 
Gas. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Report No. EPA-520/l-73-004. 
Washington, D.C.: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Radiation 
Programs, 1973.68 pp. 

What is relevent to radsafe's focus is that this document ended up estimating 
radon dose to the US population [at then estimated average Rn-222 levels at 
the point of use] in unvented applications and arrived at a large total 
person-rem [TBE] and a goodly number of radon related lung cancer deaths per 
year.

The use of natural gas and even propane and butane in domestic unvented space 
heating and cooking applications is an energy related use that results in 
radiation dose to real people, and theoretical deaths. What I'd like to see 
[I've ordered the report] is what was the EPA's estimate at the time and cost 
of reduction of dose and what value they ended up assigning to a hypothetical 
fatality from lung cancer that justified their decision to recommend no 
action to increase hold-up times on pipeline natural gas to domestic 
end-consumers. And of course, how does this comparison of the EPA's 
unacceptable cost of reducing radiation dose to consumers from an energy 
related use like natural gas compare to the costs it has been willing to in 
effect mandate in energy sectors like nuclear waste disposal? This is a very 
relevant point considering the EPA's  push to reduce mildly elevated radon in 
homes which it has now accepted as a significant issue, and the increasing 
call to more and more natural gas use by many interests, not all fringe 
anti-nuclear environmental groups.

I have read that with the increased national demand for natural gas, 
suppliers are having a hard time keeping up with peak demands. I would 
imagine that this reduces any holdup time from the point of extraction and 
increases the average radon levels, but I have no recent data on this point.

Stewart Farber
email: radiumproj@cs.com

================================

In a message dated 8/22/00 9:52:08 AM Eastern Daylight Time, NSSIHOU@aol.com 
writes:

> If you locate the EPA document you are seeking, you should keep in mind 
that 
>  the Radon may now be much lower than in the 70's. 
>  
>  And don't be surprised at the levels you find on the Propane storage tanks 
> at 
>  your local distributor. 
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