Re: LNT and resources [Was: Scientific responsibility]

[BLHamrick@AOL.COM]

In a message dated 6/22/2003 6:34:25 AM Pacific Standard Time, crispy_bird@YAHOO.COM writes:


> I wonder how D&D and license termination conpare to
>
> Superfund site clean-ups.  Does anyone have any
>
> information on comparisons?



The GAO's June 2000 report, "Radiation Standards: Scientific Basis Inconclusive, and EPA and NRC Disagreement Continues" provides a rough evaluation of the varying costs of D & D using different dose criteria.  In summary, the report states:


"Our examination of DOE's and NRC's analyses showed potential site-specific cost differences of millions of dollars, in some cases, between cleaning up radioactively contaminated soil to 15 millirem a year and cleaning it up to 25 millirem a year, under various scenarios.  (These analyses do not represent estimates of overall site cleanup costs, which may include factors in addition to soil cleanup, including remediation activities such as the decontamination and removal of contaminated equipment and structures and liquid waste treatment.)  EPA's analysis showed potential nationwide incremental costs in the low billion dollars to achieve more restrictive cleanup levels."


Based on other information in the report, it appeared that EPA's "nationwide" costs were based on "hundreds of sites" nationwide, so that "low billions" nationwide would translate to somewhere in the range of $5 - 20 million dollars increased cost per site to achieve more restrictive cleanups (i.e., below 15 millirem, which EPA headquarters staff have recently stated is emphatically NOT a generic cleanup level to be used by EPA). 


The referenced report is available through www.gao.gov, and it is Report No. GAO/RCED-00-152.


Barbara