ML21264A172
| ML21264A172 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 09/21/2021 |
| From: | Thomas Wellock Office of Public Affairs, NRC/SECY |
| To: | |
| References | |
| Download: ML21264A172 (1) | |
Text
Radium Part II: Try ing to Close Pandoras Box
U nt il 1 9 4 5, r a dium w a s t he be s t-know n r a dioa c t ive ma t e r ia l. I t w a s w ide ly found in c ons ume r a nd me dic a l pr oduc t s. A nd, a s w e s a w in Pa r t I of t his s e r ie s, it be c a me not or ious for fa t a lly s ic ke ning r a dium w a t c h-dia l pa int e r s in t he 1920s. Wit h fe w e x c e pt ions, ove r s ig ht of public a nd workplace safety for radium was mostly a state r e s pons ibilit y, a nd t he fe de r a l g ove r nme nt s r ole w a s limit e d t o s uc h is s ue s a s pr e ve nt ing fa ls e a dve r t is ing a nd r e g ula t ing ma il s hipme nt s.
A t t ha t t ime, r a diois ot ope s c a me fr om jus t t w o limit e d s our c e s. T he y w e r e pa ins t a king ly is ola t e d fr om natural ores, as was radium, or created in s mall batches in particle accelerators. Thes e accelerators fire be a m s of e le c t r ons, pr ot ons a nd ot her pa rt icles a t element s t o crea t e ra dioa ct ive is ot opes. Toda y t he pr oduc t s of t he s e t w o pr oc e s s e s a r e c a lle d N A R M s hort for Nat urally-Oc c ur r ing a nd A c c e le r a t or-Pr oduc e d R a dioa c t ive M a t e r ia l.
Sc ie nt is t s w or king on fis s ion a nd t he M a nha t t a n Pr oje c t disc ove r e d ne w r a dioa c t ive is ot ope s w it h int e r e s t ing pr ope r t ie s. T he y s oon be c a me w ide ly a va ila ble t o s c ie nt is t s, w ho found ma ny us e s for t he s e pr oduc t s, fr om me dic a l t o ba s ic r e s e a r c h. T he y w e r e unde r fe de r a l c ont r ol a nd s oon e c lips e d t he s ma ll a m ount s of r adium a nd ot he r N A R M t ha t e x is t e d be for e t he w a r. C old-Wa r s e c ur it y c onc e r ns de ma nde d fe de r a l c ont r ol of nuc le a r t e c hnolog y a nd t his ne w r a dioa c t ive ma t e r ia l.
St ill, t he 1946 At omic E ne r g y Ac t a voide d int r uding on s t a t e a ut hor it y ove r N AR M. I t foc us e d t he At omic E ne r g y C ommis s ion s ove r s ig ht on fis s iona ble ma t e r ia l s uc h a s ur a nium a nd t hor ium a nd r e a c t or-pr oduc e d is ot ope s. T he A E C c ont r olle d t he va s t ma jor it y of r a dioa c t ive ma t e r ia l.
T his divis ion of pow e r didn t dis t ur b e x is t ing s t a t e a ut hor it y but ma de litt le t e c hnic a l s e ns e. A n is ot ope pr oduc e d in a r e a c t or w ould be ide nt ic a l t o one found in na t ur e or pr oduc e d in a n a c c e le r a t or.
Moreover, s t a t e overs ig ht wa s uneven.
R a dium ha d los t it s lus t e r a nd fa lle n int o dis us e. Sa fe r r e a c t or-pr oduc e d is ot ope s a nd s our c e s w it h s hor t e r ha lf-live s mos t ly r e pla c e d r a dium for me dic a l us e s. R a dium c ons ume r pr oduc t s dis a ppe a r e d fr om s t or e s by t he 1970s. B ut pr oduc t s ma de w it h r a dium dur ing it s he yda y (s e e Pa r t I ) r e t a in t he ir ha z a r d for a long t ime.
So, fr om t ime t o t ime, r epor t s w ould e me r g e of pr oduc t s found in s ome one s a t t ic or offic e, or c ont a mina t ion found in a building. T his pr ompt e d t he Public H e a lt h Se r vic e t o la unc h a pr og r a m t o c olle c t a nd s a fe ly dis pos e of old r a dium s our c e s.
B e g inning in t he la t e 1 9 6 0 s, s t a t e r a dia t ion c ont r ol offic e r s c a lle d for le g is la t ion t o g ive t he AE C a nd la t e r t he N R C t he pow e r t o r e g ula t e r a dium a nd ot he r N AR M. I n 1985 t he N R C a s ke d t o be g ive n a ut hor it y ove r N A R M w a s t e dis pos a l, but C ong r e s s t ook no a c t ion. T he s t a t us quo r e ma ine d, in pa rt due t o diffic ult ie s C ong r e s s ha d de c iding on t he fe de r a l a g e nc y be s t s uit e d t o r e g ula t e r a dium a nd ove r s e e c le a nup.
L it t le c ha ng e d unt il t he 1990s w he n t e r r or is m pr ovide d a ne w dime ns ion of c onc e r n. E x pe r t s w or r ie d t ha t unt r a c ke d or s t ole n r a dioa c t ive s our c e s, inc luding r a dium, c ould be us e d in dir t y bombs. B e t w e e n 1998 a nd 2003, a s pa r t of t he U. S. de le g a t ion t o t he I nt e r na t iona l At omic E ne r g y Ag e nc y, t he N R C w or ke d w it h me mbe r na t ions on a c ode of c onduc t for r a dioa c t ive s our c e s. T o limit t he pot e nt ial for ma lic ious a c t s, t he c ode a ppe a le d t o e a c h c ount r y t o de ve lop a na t iona l s ys t e m of r e g ula t ion for a lis t of r a dioa c t ive s our c e s r a dium a mong t he m.
I n t he w a ke of 9/11, s uppor t for t he I AE A c ode g a ine d mome nt um. C ong r e s s inc lude d a pr ovis ion in t he 2 0 0 5 E ne r g y Polic y A c t g iving N R C ove r s ig ht of r a dium a nd ot he r s our c e s of N A R M. A c ons e ns us for fe de r a l r e g ula t ion e me r g e d only w he n na t iona l s e c ur it y is s ue s joine d long-s t a nding he a lt h c onc e r ns.
B y Thoma s We lloc k, NR C H is t or ia n