Re: Hanford Site cleanup standards

["Howard Long" <hflong@pacbell.net>]

"Resolved" might be legislation treating ionizing radiation sources like

fluoride in water.



Howard Long



----- Original Message ----- 

From: "William V Lipton" <liptonw@DTEENERGY.COM>

To: "John Jacobus" <crispy_bird@YAHOO.COM>

Cc: "Ted de Castro" <tdc@XRAYTED.COM>; "Jerry Cohen" <jjcohen@PRODIGY.NET>;

"Conklin, Al" <Al.Conklin@DOH.WA.GOV>; "'Dukelow, James S Jr'"

<jim.dukelow@PNL.GOV>; <BLHamrick@AOL.COM>; <RuthWeiner@AOL.COM>;

<radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu>

Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2003 12:48 PM

Subject: Re: Hanford Site cleanup standards





> Although LNTH is not, in itself, a regulation, it is the basis for our

> "risk based" cleanup standards.

>

> I'm not sure what is meant by having this issue "resolved."  Keep in

> mind that the regulations do not claim that LNTH is a fact, only a

> useful precaution for planning purposes.  I do not see enough evidence

> to upset this approach in the near future.  I do not believe that,

> regardless of the outcome of the Cohen-Pushkin et. al. debate, that the

> regulations would be changed solely on the basis of epidemiological,

> especially ecological studies.  We will need to understand a lot more

> about the mechanisms for radiation injury and cancer induction/promotion

> to really determine the validity of LNTH.

>

> In the meantime, the best approach is to remember that the regulations

> can take into account economic and social factors.  I don't see the EPA

> holding out for unreasonable standards, especially if the taxpayers,

> rather than a deep pocket corporation, will be paying the bill.  I

> believe one posting noted that green fielding Hanford would take the

> entire national budget for several years.

>

> BTW - You're all qualified to criticize my postings.  However, I'm

> getting tired of the rather shopworn national security argument; the

> same one Nixon used during Watergate.  While it's true that national

> security concerns may require relaxing environmental standards in some

> cases, this should be done in a rational way, by carefully considering

> risk versus benefit.  National security does not justify giving the

> government, or anyone else, a blank check to pollute.

>

> The opinions expressed are strictly mine.

> It's not about dose, it's about trust.

> Curies forever.

>

> Bill Lipton

> liptonw@dteenergy.com

>

> John Jacobus wrote:

>

> > I did not know that the LNTH was a regulation that

> > required site cleanups.  I thought it was the

> > standards set by EPA, DOE, etc.

> >

> > --- Ted de Castro <tdc@XRAYTED.COM> wrote:

> > >

> > >

> > > > This discussion leads me to wonder what would

> > > result, in terms of adverse effects to humans and/or

> > > the

> > > > environment, if no site cleanup activity were

> > > undertaken at Hanford.

> > >

> > > Which brings us back to LNTH once again!  Until that

> > > issue is resolved -

> > > legitimate and rational questions such as this

> > > cannot be answered.

> > >

> >

> > =====

> > -- John

> > John Jacobus, MS

> > Certified Health Physicist

> > e-mail:  crispy_bird@yahoo.com

> >

> > __________________________________

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>

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