Hooray for the NRC!!! This is a first step in establishing a threshold below which no regulatory action is necessary for control to lower levels. 500 mrem is still too low, but at least it's a beginning. Some time after April, 1997 thousands of people will get the benefits of increasing their dose from background by half a rem. I do not say this with tongue in cheek. Al Tschaeche xat@inel.gov