Emerging Issues in Ionizing Radiation

The Ionizing Radiation committee has evaluated the impact of a number of issues during this last decade. These have included:

• Inconsistent standards for decommissioning nuclear facilities;
• Volumetric release criteria for radioactive material;
• Acceptable criteria for release of construction debris and process piping;
• The potential for the released materials to be recycled and returned to the public domain;
• A Multi agency Radiation survey and Site Investigation Manual (MARSSIM) to perform radiation surveys;
• The Linear No-Threshold (LNT) model for effects to radiation exposure;
• Reasonable limits for exposure based on measurable effects not the detection limit of instruments or a fraction of natural background;
• Changing options for waste disposal; and
• Conflict between different regulatory agencies to define their own limits (i.e EPA says 15 mrem/yr is the right limit for the public but the NRC says 25 mrem/yr is acceptable).

The Committee represents a wide spectrum of industry and government and consequently, consider these issues to have different priorities depending on their particular impact on the task or project. We also foresee the need to address several additional concerns that are emerging from changes in the work force and proposed standards. These issues include:

• Our inability to communicate radiological issues effectively to the public;
• Financial assurance for decommissioning existing facilities. What will the actual costs be in 20 years? Who will pay for the increases?; and
• The emergence of the Safety generalist and the lack of specific technical expertise readily available to the company or regulatory administrator.

The answers to these questions and related topics are not easy nor quick to develop. The members of the Ionizing Radiation Committee are following these issues and provide information to the AIHA as standards are established and solutions are implemented.