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Natural versus Man-made Radioactivity: Differing Public and Regulatory Perceptions
For RadSafers in east Tennessee, here's an opportunity to hear an
interesting lecture and get continuing education credits.
--Susan Gawarecki
June 2003 Friends of ORNL Lunch/Lecture
“Natural versus Man-made Radioactivity: Differing Public and Regulatory
Perceptions”
by Kent Williams, Systems Analyst and Engineering Economist, Systems
Engineering Analysis Group, Nuclear Science and Technology Division,
ORNL
Short Synopsis:
Most in the nuclear field, but only a small fraction of the public, do
not realize the extent to which radionuclides exist in nature and are
products arising from fuel cycles other than nuclear. Oil and natural
gas drilling and the combustion of coal produce NORMs or "Naturally
Occurring Radioactive Materials" that are released by the physical or
chemical processes involved in these cycles. The regulatory system that
deals with these materials in most cases is markedly different from the
much more stringent one which deals with trace man-made radionuclides
that result from truly nuclear ( fission reactor, nuclear weapons, or
accelerator-related) processes in commercial or Government facilities.
The speaker will survey some of these naturally-occurring radionuclides
and discuss some of the political and regulatory dilemmas which they
precipitate. The author's interest in this subject began when he
participated in a 1993 comparative ORNL-European Community study of the
social and environmental effects of nuclear and other electricity
production fuel cycles. Public objection to DOE attempts to allow the
release of materials with slight man-made radionuclide content to
general commerce have piqued the speaker's interest in comparing these
slightly contaminated substances with naturally occurring substances
that in some cases may actually have higher specific radioactivity, but
are unregulated.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Kent Williams is a systems analyst and engineering economist in the
Systems Engineering Analysis Group of ORNL's Nuclear Science and
Technology
Division. His professional career began as a Co-op Student at Argonne
National Laboratory (East) and later as Development Engineer at Oak
Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant (1970-1985) dealing with Advanced Uranium
Enrichment Technologies such as AVLIS, Plasma, and Gas Centrifuge. At
ORNL he has been involved in the technical/economic analysis of
Electrical Production Fuel Cycles (Coal, Nuclear, etc), Defense Programs
Facilities such as Production Reactors, Plutonium Disposition, Space
Power, Depleted UF6 Disposition, and Generation IV reactor fuel cycles.
All three of Kent's degrees are in Chemical Engineering: a BS and MS
from Purdue and a PhD from UTK. He lives in Oak Ridge with his wife,
Joyce; son, Jared (15), and daughter, Kara (13). Outside interests
include reading, astronomy, music, and photography.
Wed. 18 June 2003: 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
UT Outreach Center (back of Pro-2-Serve offices)
1201 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Oak Ridge, TN
Lunch by the Soup Kitchen will be $7.00
Registered professional engineers who attend shall receive one (1) PDH
certificate.
AGENDA:
11:00 a.m. Socializing and coffee
11:30 a.m. Lunch served
12:00 noon Lecture begins
12:45 p.m. Q&A
1:00 p.m. Adjourn
--
.....................................................
Susan L. Gawarecki, Ph.D., Executive Director
Oak Ridge Reservation Local Oversight Committee
102 Robertsville Road, Suite B, Oak Ridge, TN 37830
Toll free 888-770-3073 ~ www.local-oversight.org
.....................................................
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