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Re: Cost-Benefit Analyses
ALARA and cost-benefit justification has been nothing more than a
means to provide a regulatory "feel good". When the regulatory
limits were higher than today, there was no implicit regulatory
requirement for ALARA. The exposures were higher then. Since the
mid 80's and early 90s, the emphasis has been to reduce dose to
workers (power reactor world specifically) and the mean and
average dose per worker AND facilities have come down. The INPO
criteria for maintaining worker doses lower, with site goals, had
helped in this. Then came the 1994 10CFR20. How many
Radasfers have really undergone an ALARA cost-benefit audit by
the NRC or other regulatory bodies? Perhaps on large dose tasks,
i.e., steam generator changeout. But other jobs?
In summary, dose to workers is lower than ever. There is a
continual debate on the risk issues, and LNT in general. Yet we
continue to harp on cost benefit analysis. What risks are we trying
to prevent. As someone has already stated, the value more likely
than not, should be a site specific value. I would suspect that a
facility that has the highest dose to workers and cumulative dose
would need to spend a lot more $$$ to reduce those levels, than a
facility that has the least person-rem. In other words, there are
many factors that have to be considered, beyond a fixed value.
------------------
Sandy Perle
Technical Director
ICN Dosimetry Division
ICN Plaza
3300 Hyland Avenue
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Office: (800) 548-5100 x2306
Fax: (714) 668-3149
sandyfl@earthlink.net
sperle@icnpharm.com
ICN Dosimetry Website:
http://www.dosimetry.com
Personal Website:
http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/1205
"The object of opening the mind, as of opening
the mouth, is to close it again on something solid"
- G. K. Chesterton -
The opinions expressed are solely, absolutely, positively, definitely those of the author, and NOT my employer
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