While I can't defend every "ALARA" decision, I suggest that you read the definition of ALARA in 10 CFR 20.1003: "ALARA ... means making every reasonable effort to maintain exposures to radiation as far below the dose limits in this part as is practical consistent with the purpose for which the licensed activity is undertaken, taking into account the state of technology, the economics of improvements in relation to the state of technology, the economics of improvements in relation to benefits to the public health and safety, and other societal and socioeconomic considerations..." [emphasis mine]
Exactly what part of this do you find "criminal"? If you have problems with an inspector's interpretation of this concept, then that's what you should be disputing.
You mention the case of radwaste in a landfill. To me, the reason for making the licensee recover the waste is as much to deter future mishaps and promote good practices as to minimize the risk from that incident. Your argument is equivalent to saying that you shouldn't get a citation for running a red light, since there was no accident.
The opinions expressed are strictly mine.
It's not about dose, it's about trust.
Curies forever.
Bill Lipton
liptonw@dteenergy.com
Les Aldrich wrote:
Bill,... When the average site dose is 17 millirem and we're told by the oversight government agency that we have to reduce the dose further because "ALARA says so" (a direct result of worshiping the idol of LNT), that is a criminal waste of financial resources that could be better used elsewhere.
...
If you don't believe we're wasting money, watch how much is spend when a
government facility inadvertently transfers low-level waste to the local
public land-fill. The cost of searching for and retrieving the offending
radioactive material is easily in 5 significant figures, if not six. The
maximum dose rate that would exist at the land-fill surface if the
radioactive material was left there is usually somewhere in the microrem/y
range.I prefer my tax dollars to go toward using ALARA principles to protect
workers who are engaged in high-dose rate work and/or site cleanup
activities....