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Industry Lackeys and Bad Legislation



In a message dated 03/21/2002 6:17:53 PM Pacific Standard Time, jmuckerheide@cnts.wpi.edu writes:


But since our jobs are to "protect the public from radiation," we must continue to misrepresent the magnitude, and even the nature, of the hazard, to continue to extract our blood money from the gullible public that we are so committed to misinform. But it's a good-paying job.


This is one issue that often comes up.  If I am perceived as "pro-nuclear," I am automatically condemned as a lackey of the industry.  I have much more to gain, in terms of job security, by over-stating risk and lowering acceptable limits, especially because in my position, as a regulator, I have nothing whatsoever to gain from loosened standards, or turning a blind eye to violations.  

In addition to this nutty accusation that safety experts have some ulterior motive to undermine safety, I am aghast that in the area of radiation issues this leads the public to essentially seek only the advice of non-experts.  Their reasoning appears to be that if all experts are lackeys of industry, then one can only turn to non-experts for advice.  This seems to be verging on insanity.

If I have a brain tumor, do I preferentially seek advice from people who have never worked in oncology or neurosurgery?  Do I take a vote of my concerned neighbors to see what I should do?  Do I check with the current "policy" wonks, who don't appear to have any scientific education whatsoever?  No.  I go to a properly educated and experienced expert in the field, because they have the appropriate knowledge base to provide me with the kind of factual data I need to evaluate my options, but with radiation this is rarely the case when an issue reaches the political arena.

And, now, that I'm here on my soapbox, I'd like to take a moment to remind folks again (mostly those of you in California) that we still have four bills on the table - SB 1623 (Romero), SB 1444 (Kuehl), SB 2065 (Kuehl) and AB 2214 (Keeley), which, in my personal, but never humble, opinion, could make our earth flat again.  They are all available for review at:  www.leginfo.ca.gov, and I will be creating a webpage (I hope this weekend) with additional information, including the outrageous misrepresentations made by Senator Romero relative to the NRC's License Termination Rule, and California's implementation of it.  You may express your opposition or support for these bills by calling or writing:

Senator Sheila Kuehl
State Capitol, Room 4032
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 445-1353
Fax (916) 324-4823

and

10951 W Pico Blvd. #202
Los Angeles, CA 90064
(310) 441-9084
Fax (310) 441-0724

Senator Gloria Romero
StateCapitol, Room 4062
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 445-1418
Fax (916) 445-0485    

and

1000 San Gabriel Blvd.
Suite 201
Rosemead, CA 91770-4351
(626) 312-2800
Fax (626) 312-2801

Assembly Member Fred Keeley
Speaker Pro Tem

State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 319-2027 (tel)
(916) 319-2127 (fax)  

District Offices:

701 Ocean Street, 318-B
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
(831) 425-1503 (tel)
(831) 425-2570 (fax)

100Campus Center Building #58
CSUMB
Seaside, CA 93955
(831) 384-1980 (tel)
(831) 384-2913 (fax)

Theoretically, these offices have to tabulate the opposition and support they receive, and make that information publically available, so every call and letter counts.  It would really be a shame, in my opinion, to allow science in this area to be completely overrun by fear-mongers, seeking to generate votes and dollars, at the expense of a woefully uninformed public.

"All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." – Edmund Burke

Barbara L. Hamrick