ML19332A291

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Responds to Enclosing News Article Re Risk Assessment Techniques.Commission Uses Risk Assessment Techniques,Particularly Where Comparison of Alternative Courses of Action Can Be Made
ML19332A291
Person / Time
Issue date: 07/29/1980
From: Hendrie J
NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
To: Ritter D
HOUSE OF REP.
Shared Package
ML19332A292 List:
References
NUDOCS 8009110417
Download: ML19332A291 (1)


Text

.

lCODISPONDHTCE C00.:ISSION N UNITED STATES f

p NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

. gJ WASHINGTON. D.C. 205SS

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July 29, 1980 THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS OFFICE OF THE POOR QUAUTY. PA The Honorable Don Ritter United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515

Dear Congressman Ritter:

I appreciated the articles from the Wall Street Journal and the Allentown Call-Chronicle you sent along with your " letter of June 17, 1980.

I have been meaning to write you about them and am embarrassed that it has taken so long to do so.

I am glad to see some attention to your Comparative Risk Bill, H.R.

4939, being given by the media. Articles of the kind you sent will help to create some understanding of risk assessment and its value in policy making. We need that kind of input, for regulatory decisions and also for the Congress, and I hope you will keep pushing the concept.

We are making increasing use of risk assessment techniques in our work here at the Commission, particularly where a comparison of alternative courses of action can be made with these techniques.

In such cases, the inevitable broad error bands on absolute probabilities do not matter so much.

The ratios between alternatives are generally good enough to use in~ decision-making, and are certainly more quantitative than our col-lective intuitive judgments.

If I can be of help in supporting your legislative efforts in this area, please let me know.

I will be glad to do whatever I can.

Si cerely,

\\

'oseph

. Hendrie Comissioner l

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.8009110 4//7