ML20044A699
| ML20044A699 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 05/10/1990 |
| From: | Taylor J NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO) |
| To: | Lautenberg F SENATE |
| References | |
| FRN-53FR49886, RULE-PR-CHP1 CCS, NUDOCS 9007020084 | |
| Download: ML20044A699 (5) | |
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. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION UNITED STATES:
g W ASHING TON, D. C. 20655 l
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May 10, 1990 The Honorable Frank R. Lautenberg United States Senate i
Washington, DC, 20510
Dear Senator Lautenberg:
I am responding to your letter of April 6,1990, which was forwarded to us_
i from the Department of Energy.
In your letter, you requested our consideration-I of issues raised by your constituent, Ms. Susan Groff. Ms. Groff's concerns involve the disposal of, low-level radioact b wastes and..in particular,'those l
'l wastes characterized as "below regulatory; concern" or "BRC."
I would first note tha't' the Nuclear Regulatory Comission-(NRC) has not:
1 waste (LLW) y proposed regulations which would allow disposal:of low-level-published an o
under the BRC provisions of the Low-Level Radioactive Waste-Policy Amendments Act of 1985 (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... duet to the presence of-radionuclides in such waste streams in sufficient 1y' low concentrations or -.
quantities as to be below regulatory concern."
In response to'the legislation, j
NRC developed and published in 1986, a Statement.of Policy and Procedures which outlines the criteria for considering such petitions.
I have enclosed a copy of the statement which you may find useful in responding to Ms. lGroff.
(Enclosure 1).
Besides this 1986 policy, the Commission continues to be active. in pursuing the l
development of a broad policy that would identify the principles and criteria that govern Commission decisions which could exempt radioactive material from l
some or all regulatory controls. This. broad -policy, the subject of-the enclosed 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.
diso-provide the basis for decommissioning decisions involving ~the release of
[_
lands, structures, or recycled materials for unrestricted use as well est J
decisions regarding consumer product exemptions. We believe the nation's best interests would be served by a policy:that establishes a consistent risk-framework within which exemption. decisions can be made with assurance that human: health 4
and the environment'are protected.
Such a policy would also contribute to the focusing of our limited national resources on those risks with greatest potential impact on public health and safety.
I in further addressing your constituent's concerns regarding potential BRC waste disposals, I would point out that any LLW considered to be "below: regulatory concern" under the provisions of Pub. L.99-240 would only-involve materials a
with the lowest levels.of radioactivity content.. In fact, the level of L
radioactivity for some potential BRC wastes may!be such a small fraction of-p natural background radiation that it may not be readily detectable, f
5 9007020084 900310
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l PDR ORG NE ED PDC m ASCilSCA 7
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an The Honorable Frank R. Lautenberg 2
F lt may be also helpful to sunrnarize the typical exposures which we all routinely receive f rom 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 redioactive material, in total, as estimated by the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP Report No. 93), the etfective dose equivalent-received by an average individual in the United States population is about 360 millirem per year.
Of this total, over 83 percent (about 300 millirem per year) is a result of natural sources, including radon and its decay products, while medical exposures such as x-rays (53 millirem per when averaged over the U. S. population, contribute an estimated 15 percent 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 provit'e a perspective on the hypothetical risks which may be associated with potential BRC waste disposal practices. This perspective is one of several that the Conunission believes are relevant to its decisions involvir,9 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 and address as we carry out our regulatory mission.
Sincerely,
/
Vff
~
anks M. Tay E cutive Director for Operations
- 1. Final Policy (51 FR 30839)
- 2. _Feaeral Renister (53 FR 49886)
- 3. Incoming F~aterial i
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APR :: ;;;0 Fr. -.,o. o n.] m - 4 g he x
N The Hono le Frank'R.~Lautenberg United cates Senate Wash gton, D. C.
20510
Dear Senator Lautenberg:
This will acknowledge your recent letter in which you referred a letter from your constituent:
(:
Ms~. Susan Croff 18 Rodney-Place Demarnst, NJ 07627 Because the subject of your constituent's letter does not fall within the purview of the Department of Energy, we have forwarded;your letter to:
Mr. Frank Ingr:am Assistant to the Director office of Public Affairs Nuclear Regulatory Commission-Washington, D.C.
20555
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Sincerely,.
Am>
Bonnie Betancourt Director of Special Projedts Office of the Executive ' Secretariat Enclosure
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g DE.hr Directort I am enclosing a copylof a' letter.I have received from Ms.-Susan Groff.
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Please provide any information you.might habe regarding this issue'in order that I might be-able to respond to my constituent's inquiry.
Please return the enclosed correspondence with-your report and mark the envelope to the attention of Tom Dosh.-
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