ML20029B997
| ML20029B997 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 08/13/1990 |
| From: | Carr K NRC COMMISSION (OCM) |
| To: | Hampton J MIAMI HERALD |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20029B990 | List: |
| References | |
| FOIA-90-415, FRN-53FR49886, RULE-PR-CHP1 NUDOCS 9103220176 | |
| Download: ML20029B997 (3) | |
Text
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
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J August 13, 1990 CHAlmuAN Mr.. Tim Hampton, Editor TheJ'lami Herald one Harald Plaza Miami, Florida 33101
Dear Mr. Hampton:
I want to clarify the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's policy on exempting slightly radioactive materials that are below regulatory concern, which you address in your July 6 editorial.
The NRC's goal is to protect the public health and safety and the environment and I am confident our recent policy accomplishes our goal.
When the NRC implements this policy, we will ensure that any levels of tadiation from exempted activities will be comparable to the low levels that most of us encounter in routine activities such as the use of smoke detectors in our homes today.
NRC has been exempting very low levels of radioactive materials on a
case-by-case basis for many years The Commission has a
demonstrated track record of developing and anforcing tough regulations to ensure the public is protected from radioactive waste.
Our Below Regulatory Concern Policy is an attempt to tailor the amount of regulatory control to the potential risk posed by such waste.
Let me give you a frame of reference with respect to radiation.
We each get about 360 millisen per year of radiation dose from outer space,
- air, food, drink, soils, building materials, and medical exams.
In fact, our policy is basically consistant with the recommendations of the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements and the latest scientific assessments on the risk of radiation by scientists in national and international groups, including the National Academy of Sciences and the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation.
For example, a recent National Academy of Sciences report noted no increase in health effects has been documented in populatio%
residing in areas of high natural background radiation. I want to emphasize that most of the radiation levels used by the eminent scientists who wrote this study as a basis for risk estimates are a thousand times higher, that is 10 Em (not 10 millirem), than the levels in the NRC's policy statement.
In short, the estimates of health effects cited in your editorial as being associated with the BRC policy are simply not reasonable.
9103220176 910314-PDR FOJA BECKER90-415 PDh
st Mr. Jim Hampto: Safety is our responsibility, and it is a matter that Ve at the NRC take most seriously.
The NRC's goal is to protect the public health and safety and we are confident that regulatory decisions based on current and sound scientific information will do just that.
Sincerely, A.
Kenneth M. Carr e
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