Re: NRC Decom Rule-WashPost Article -Reply

[erollins <erollins@conterra.com>]

Jim Hardeman wrote:
> 
> RADSAFEr's --
> 
> You'll be happy to know that the folks who would be
> implementing whatever cleanup rules that the feds come up
> with (i.e., state rad health folks) for the most part like a
> dose-based, all pathways approach to a cleanup rule, without
> any arbitrary limitations on the dose due to an individual
> pathway. I was just in a 3-day meeting with my counterparts
> in EPA Region IV here in Atlanta (along with EPA and NRC)
> and we urged EPA to rethink their strategy on the cleanup
> rule. We didn't really get hung up on the "15 mrem/yr vs. 25
> mrem/yr" controversy.
> 
> One of the points that was made the strongest by one of the
> state directors is that EPD continues to "pretend" that it's
> Safe Drinking Water MCL's protect the public to 4 mrem/yr ...
> and that's just not true. There are three (3) drinking water
> MCL's related to radioactive materials ... and they are applied
> separately. The 4 mrem/yr MCL applies only to beta/photon
> emitters, and the numerical limits were calculated with older
> dosimetry models (ICRP 3 perhaps?). There is a separate
> MCL for alpha emitters (15 pCi/l) and a third for combined
> Ra-226/Ra-228 at 5 pCi/l. Uranium is specifically excluded
> from the alpha MCL, as is radon.
> 
> We proposed that EPA relook at the drinking water rules and
> include ALL radioactive materials in a single MCL ... perhaps
> 10 mrem/yr EDE. We are confident that this would result in a
> greater level of protection that the current system.
> 
> Whether EPA will take our advice is anybody's guess.
> 
> Jim Hardeman, Manager
> Environmental Radiation Program
> Environmental Protection Division
> Georgia Department of Natural Resources
> 4244 International Parkway, Suite 114
> Atlanta, GA 30354
> (404) 362-2675  fax: (404) 362-2653
> Jim_Hardeman@mail.dnr.state.ga.us
> 
> >>> Duane Schmidt <DWS2@nrc.gov> 05/22/97 07:01 >>>
> 
> The EPA had urged the NRC to adopt a 15 millirems-a-year
> maximum and had recommended that the agency establish a
> requirement for a minimum of 4 millirems contamination in
> ground water.
Actually there are 4 MCLs when you consider the limit of 20,000 pCi set
for tritium which relates to, I believe, about 1 mrem per year.

Gene Rollins 
6130 Rutledge Hill
Columbia, SC
803-649-7963
erollins@conterra.com