ML20042F850
| ML20042F850 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 04/19/1990 |
| From: | Taylor J NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO) |
| To: | Lugar R SENATE |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20042F851 | List: |
| References | |
| FRN-53FR49886, RULE-PR-CHP1 CCS, NUDOCS 9005100079 | |
| Download: ML20042F850 (2) | |
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' NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION l
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WASHINGTON, D, C. 205$5
% 4, April 19,1990
.The Honorable Richard G. Lugar United States Senate Washington, DC-20510 i
Dear Senator lugar:
l 1 am responding to your letter of April' 3, l1990, which requested our consideration of issues raised by your constituent, Ms. Laura M. Lane.
Ms. Lane's concerns involve the-disposal of low-level radioactive wastes-
-i and, in particular, those wastes. characterized as'"below regulatory concern" or "BRC."
I would first note that the Nuclear _ Regulatory Commission'(NRC) has not published any, proposed regulations.which would allow disposal of low-level waste (LLW) under the BRC provisions of the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy AmendmentsActof1985(Pub.L.99-240).
However. the Act directed the NRC to establish standards and procedures... and' develop the technical-capability for considering and acting upon petitions to exempt-specific radioactive waste streams from regulation.-.-, due-to the presence of radionuclides in such waste streams in sufficiently110w concentrations-or i
quantities:as to be below regulatory concern."- In response-to the: legislation, NRC develo)ed and published in 1986, a Statement of Policytand> Procedures which outlines tie criteria for considering such petitions.
I have. enclosed a copy of the statement which you may find.useful in responding to. Ms. Lane (Enclosure 1). We are aware that the nation's nuclear power utilities are l
preparing such a petition but, to date, this petition has not beennsubmitted to us.
Besides this 1986 policy, the Commission continues to b'e active in pursuing the development of a broad policy that would identify the principles and. criteria that govern Commission decisions which could exempt radioactive material f rom some or all regulatory controls. This broad policy, the subject of the enclosed 3
4 advance notice (Enclosure 2),-would apply not only to BRC waste disposals but -
also to other decisions which would allow licensed radioactive material to be released to the environment or to the general public. Thus, the policy would also provide the basis for decommissioning decisions involving the release of lands,' structures, or recycled materials for unrestricted use as well as decisions regarding consumer product exemptions. We believe the nation's best interests would be served by a policy that establishes a consistent risk framework
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within which exemption decisions can be made with assurance that human health and the environment are protected. Such a policy would also contribute to the j
focusing of our limited national resources on those risks with greatest potential impact on public health and safety.
900s100079 900419 FULL TEXT ASCil SCAN PDR ORG NE ED FDC V(
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4 The Honorable Richard G. Lugar 2
i In addressing Ms. Lane's specific concern regarding potential BRC waste disposals, I would point out that any LLW conssoered to be "below regulatory concern" under the provisic% of' Pub. L.99-240 would only involve materials with the lowest levels of r dtw ft M ty content.
In fact, the level of j
e radioactivity for some risentfei BRC wastes may be such a small fraction of natural background radfotton that it may not be readily detectable, i
It may be also helpful to summarize the typical expenres which we all routinely l
receive from a variety of sources of radiation.
These exposures occur from radiation'that is natural in origin as well as from sources which involve man-made uses of radioactive material.
In total, as estimated by the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP Report No. 93), the effective dose equivalent received by an average individual in the United States p(opulation is about 360 millirem per year.about 300 millirem per year) is a result of nat; Of this total, over 83 percent and its decay products, while medical exposures such as x-rays, when averaged over the U. S. population, contribute an estimated 15 percent (53 millirem per i
year). Other man-made sources, including nuclear fallout, contribute the remaining 1 to 2 percent of the total exposure.
The remaining 1 to 2 percent also includes the contribution from nuclear power plant effluents.
I am presenting this total exposure " picture" to provide a perspective on the hypothetical risks which may be associated with potential BRC waste disposal practices. This perspective is one of several that the Commission believes i
are relevant to its decisions involving regulatory resource allocations to control the potential radiological risks associated with the use-of radioactive materials.
In closing, I want to assure you that we take our mandate to protect the health and safety of the public very seriously. As a result, the concerns expressed by your constituent are among those that we must carefully consider l
and address es we carry out our regulatory mission.
Sincerely, n
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mes M. Tay r xecutive D ector for Operations i
Enclosures:
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- 1. Final Policy (51 FR 30839)
- 2. Federal Register (53 FR 49886)
- 3. Package Incoming Material l
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