Re: Brazil Nut Radwaste Standard

["Jerry Cohen" <jjcohen@PRODIGY.NET>]

>

> But then came the discovery in 2002 that Boeing's Rocketdyne laboratory

> in

> Ventura County had dumped tons of waste with very low levels of

> radioactivity at three Los Angeles city landfills.

>

> The outcry over the Rocketdyne waste prompted state legislation that

> would have prohibited industrial waste with even trace amounts of

> radiation from going to public sites.

>

> Gov. Gray Davis vetoed the legislation, but banned industrial disposal

> until the state could develop its own standards.

>

> It's not known how much radioactive waste has ended up in public

> landfills across the state.



    Several years ago, I was involved in a DOE sponsored study to determine

a reasonable

 de minimis, or BRC level for radioactive waste. One of the conclusions was

that any waste

containing less than 1.0 nCi/g (regardless of the specific radionuclides)

could be considered essentially non-radioactive and disposed of accordingly.

Although this conclusion may have been scientifically sensible, it was

politically incorrect and as such, was ignored.

    One on the many irrationalities in radiation safety regulations is

allowing the consumption of Brazil nuts that typically have a natural

radioactivity content in excess

of 3.0 nCi/g. Apparently, it's OK to eat them, but not to dispose of them in

landfills.

If we were to set a de minimis  radioactvity in landfill standard of <3.0

nCi/g, based on the Brazil nut, I wonder if it would it be accepted? I doubt

it, but it might be fun to try.



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