Re: More on politics and a kinder, gentler America

[Ronald Morgan <rgmorgan@lanl.gov>]

At 02:54 PM 11/27/96 -0600, jacobus%nihrsb.dnet@dxi.nih.gov wrote:
(in part)

>
>Finally, with regard to getting rid of the linear, non-threshold hypothesis,
>I wish you luck.

Thank You.

>It is a theory.

True.

>I do not think it is a driver of 
>regulations.

Unfortunately, it DOES drive regs, because anti-nucs use it (very
effectively) to preclude the application of common sense.

>Lawyers and politicians, and the fear of litigation are.

Lawyers and politicians are playing "follow the leader." They couldn't do
what they're doing without the tacit approval of the public (silence is
golden...for anti-nucs) 
  
>And the fact that there is such a thing as "acceptable risk."  
>ALARA is what should drive regulations.

AGREED...When (and IF) REASONABLE is returned to the acronym.  And it is the
mis-application of LNT that has driven REASONABLE out of the acronym. I'd
have no beef with LNT if it were applied with some semblance of common sense
(read RISK vs BENEFIT).
ron
>
>
>John Jacobus
>john_jacobus@nih.gov
>
>My employer disavows any knowledge of what I am really up to.
>
>
>
          **************************************
          Ron Morgan <rgmorgan@lanl.gov>
          Operational Health Physics (ESH-1)
          Los Alamos National Laboratory
          MS K-487, Los Alamos New Mexico, 87545
          Phone (505) 665-7843
          Fax   (505) 667-6116
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