Re: LNT, Collective Dose

[BLHamrick@aol.com]

In a message dated 02/23/2001 3:55:41 PM Pacific Standard Time, 
jjcohen@prodigy.net writes:


> "But EPA acknowledges its authority "to establish nonzero MCLGs for
> carcinogens if the scientific evidence" indicates that a "safe threshold"
> exists. See Final Rule, 63 Fed. Reg. at 69,401/2. And petitioners here
> assume the validity of the linear default assumption. "
>
> -- I sure don't want to hurt EPA's feelings :-), but the above statement is
> total nonsense. There is no way to prove a threshold. Logically, it is
> impossible to prove any negative. If you administer a given low dose to a
> million animals and observe no effect, how can you be certain that if you
> gave it to just one more, the effect would not be observed. Maybe "extremely
> unlikely" doesn't mean impossible, but it's good enough for me.


I agree with you 100% here, but just try that logic on the political bodies 
and in courts of law...They have a hard time with the comprehending the utter 
absurdity of trying to prove a negative...Hence we have things like the Tooth 
Fairy project...an apt name, since I can't prove there are no Fairies 
either...

Barbara