Today's thread on U-238 concentrations in soil

[Judd Sills <sillsj@GAT.COM>]

After reading the various notes on U-238 and Th-232 release criteria
for various sites, I had a very general question that perhaps some of
the NRC and EPA folks could clarify for me.  The EPA was working
with release criteria that correlated to 15 mrem/yr above background
to (I presume) the maximally exposed member of the general public
from residual radioactive materials.  The NRC proposed rules consistent
with this a few years ago, but final rulemaking has been held-up pending
consideration of the extensive comments recieved about the arbitrary
value of 15 mrem/yr and other similar issues.

I  assume that all uranium processing was done by either NRC or
Agreement State Licensees and that either or both agencies would be the
responsible agency(ies) to establish site specific release criteria, and that 
enhanced natural radioactivity due to technology (e.g., flyash from coal
burning, gypsum mining, etc) would be the responsibility of the EPA to
establish release criteria for such locations.  Is this how the responsible
agencies are being determined, or is there some more complex memorandum
of understanding between the NRC and EPA regarding each agency's scope
of responsibility for release of sites????
J. M. Sills, CHP                                          (619)455-2049
General Atomics, Room 01-166C      Fax:(619)455-3181
3550 General Atomics Court              E-Mail:  sillsj@gat.com
San Diego, CA  92121