Re: HPS Decommissioning Section

[Emil Kerrembaev <kerrembaev@nscl.msu.edu>]

This is a very good idea.

Eric, is there an initiative group?
I would like to get more information about it and to enjoy the group.

kerremba@pilot.msu.edu
Emil Kerrembaev.



>Dear RadSafers-
>
>Are you Interested in Forming the Decommissioning Section of
>the HPS?
>
>There are a number of HPs who consider that their primary professional
>interest and livelihood resides in the environmental remediation or
>decommissioning field.  Professional activities may include 1) radiological
>surveys in support of decommissioning, 2) survey instrumentation, 3)
>pathway modeling (e.g. RESRAD), and 4) involvement and feedback on
>decommissioning rulemakings that establish radiation site cleanup
>standards (e.g. NRC finalized rule on May 21, 1997).  If the feedback is
>positive, I would consider initiating a petition for establishing a
>Decommissioning Section of the HPS.  Plenary members could sign the
>petition at the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education*s (ORISE)
>booth at the HPS meeting in San Antonio.
>
>So why another HPS Section?  President Rich Vetter recently
>expressed his support for diversity within our professional Society.  I
>believe that there are a number of health physicists who now find their
>job responsibilities more related to decommissioning than any other
>*branch* of health physics. This is not surprising*the nuclear power
>industry is seriously considering decommissioning for a number of
>plants that are approaching the end of their operating licenses, the DOE
>is trying to get the bulk of their environmental cleanups completed in 10
>years, and federal research money is being spent on research related
>to environmental remediation (better procedures, instrumentation,
>decontamination and volume reduction techniques, etc.).  So let*s
>continue to recognize our membership*s diversity and endorse the
>*branch* of health physics involved with environmental remediation or
>decommissioning.
>
>What would be the purpose of the Decommissioning Section? This
>Section would be charged with staying abreast of rulemakings,
>advances in instrumentation, survey techniques (MARSSIM), and other
>decommissioning program improvements.  Additionally, the
>Decommissioning Section could serve as a conduit for communicating
>the Society*s positions on the decommissioning rulemakings and
>responding to reports that NRC*s rule of 25 mrem/y allows deadly
>amounts of radiation at decommissioning sites.  This is consistent with
>the HPS-2000 Strategic Plan*s goal to *enlighten our news media
>personnel on radiation protection issues.*
>
>Finally, this Section would sponsor sessions at national HPS meetings
>and promote papers in the HP Journal that provide new approaches to
>decommissioning activities, discuss lessons learned*maybe even
>expand the *Operational Topics* section to include a similar section,
>*Decommissioning Topics.*  I*d like to see more diversity in the HP
>Journal articles*more operational-type articles, especially those related
>to decommissioning approaches, radiological survey techniques,
>lessons learned, etc.
>
>I welcome your feedback on this proposal for a Decommissioning
>Section.
>
>Eric Abelquist
>ORISE
>abelquie@orau.gov
>(423) 576-3740