ML20206Q069
| ML20206Q069 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 01/07/1999 |
| From: | Schmidt D NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| To: | Allison S, Molieri R AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20206Q074 | List: |
| References | |
| REF-WM-3 NUDOCS 9901140046 | |
| Download: ML20206Q069 (3) | |
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UNITED STATES j
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
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January 7,1999 Ms. Shannon Allison and Ms. Rachel Molieri c/o Mrs. Falk and Mrs. McEachen Mesa High School 1630 E. Southern Avenue Mesa, Arizona 85205
SUBJECT:
INFORMATION RESOURCES FOR YOUR RESEARCH PROJECT ON EFFECTS OF URANIUM MINING ON THE HEALTH OF NAVAJO WORKERS
Dear Ms. Allison and Ms. Molieri:
You recently wrote to Robert Carlson, one of the Project Managers in the Uranium Recovery Branch, asking for information resources related to effects of uranium mining on the health of Navajo workers. I am a health physicist (specialist in radiation safety) in the Branch, and am responding for Mr. Carlson.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission does not regulate uranium mining; our regulatory involvement begins at uranium mills, where uranium is extracted or concentrated from uranium ores. Because we are not directly involved in regulating uranium mining, I do not know of primary resources that would be directly applicable to your research. However, I can make a few suggestions for contacts you may want to try.
If you haven't already contacted them, staff at the Mine Safety and Health Administration l
(MSHA) may have some useful information. The MSHA is one of the Federal agencies that
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l does regulate mining activities. There is an MSHA field office in Mesa. You might also want to l
contact the National Mining Association (NMA), which is an industry organization to which a p/[f 3 l
number of uranium mining and milling companies belong. The NMA has its headquarters at
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113017* Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20036. Information about the MSHA and NMA can be UO found on their Internet Web sites. Another potential contact is the New Mexico Museum of
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Mining, located in Grants, New Mexico. This museum may be particularly useful because a lot gy l
of uranium mining took place in New Mexico, and many Navajo worked in New Mexico uranium mines. Unfortunately, I do not know an address for the museum.
In researching your topic, you may want to look for information related to the Radiation Exposure and Compensation Act (passed in 1990). This law provides for monetary compensation for some uranium miners who worked in underground uranium mines located in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, or Wyoming, between 1947 and 1971, and who developed lung cancer or nonmalignant respiratory disease.
9901140046 990107 N
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S. Allison and R. Molieri )
i An additional, potentially useful resource is the RADSAFE Internet mailing list. This is an e-mail list for health physicists, medical physicists, radiological engineers, and others who have a i
professional interest in radiation protection. If you subscribe to RADSAFE, you can post i
questions to the mailing list. There are many radiation safety professionals who participate in the RADSAFE mailing list, and you might find some people who have significant knowledge that would be useful for your project. I have participated in the RADSAFE list for a few years, and have found it very useful to be able to reach so many people involved in radiation safety. You can find out more about the RADSAFE mailing list (and can subscribe) through its Intemet web 4
i site, at url:
4 http //www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~ rad /radsafe.html If you have any additional questions on this subject, please feel free to contact me by phone, at (301) 415-6919; by e-mail, at dws2@ nrc. gov; or by mail.
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Sincerely, d
[ Signed by]
Duane W. Schmidt, Health Physicist
. Uranium Recovery Branch Division of Waste Management 1
Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards 4
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DISTRIBUTION:
File Center RCarlson URB r/f PUBLIC DOCUMENT NAME: S:\\DWM\\ URB \\DWS\\a-m-1298.wpd OFC URB URB b5 CAbrSd NAME DSchmidt DATE 1/5 /99 1/0d/99 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY 1
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S. Allison and R. Molieri An additional, potentially useful resource is the RADSAFE Internet mailing list. This is an e-mail list for health physicists, medical physicists, radiological engineers, and others who have a professionalinterest in radiation protection. If you subscribe to RADSAFE, you can post questions to the mailing list. There are many radiation safety professionals who participate in the RADSAFE mailing list, and you might find some people who have significant knowledge that would be useful for your project. I have participated in the RADSAFE list for a few years, and have found it very useful to be able to reach so many people involved in radiation safety. You can find out more about the.RADSAFE mailing list (and can subscribe) through its Internet web site, at url:
http://www.ehs.uiuc.ed u/~ rad /radsaf e.html If you have any additional questions on this subject, please feel free to contact me by phone, at (301) 415-6919; by e-mail, at dws2@nrc. gov; or by mail.
Sincerely, b(
QF Duane W. Schmidt, Health Physicist Uranium Recovery Branch Division of Waste Management Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards t
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