Technical basis for EPA`s proposed regulation on the cleanup of sites contaminated with radioactivity

Journal Article · Fri Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1996 · Health Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1097/00004032-199611000-00004· OSTI ID:416459

Wolbarst, A B; Clark, M E; Doehnert, M ^[1]

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1. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC (United States); and others

The US Environmental Protection Agency is proposing a regulation for the protection of the public and radioactive contamination at sites that are to be cleaned up and released for public use. The rule will apply to sites under the control of Federal agencies, and will impose limits on radiation doses to individuals living or working on a site following cleanup; it will thereby provide site owners and managers with uniform, consistent cleanup criteria for planning and carrying out remediation. This paper presents an overview of EPA`s approach to assessing some of the beneficial and adverse effects associated with various possible values for the annual dose limit. In particular, it discusses the method developed to determine how the choice of cleanup criterion affects (1) the time-integrated potential numbers of non-fatal and fatal radiogenic cancers averted among future populations, (2) the occurrence of radiogenic cancers among remediation workers and the public caused by the cleanup process itself, and (3) the volumes of contaminated soil that may require remediation. The analytic methods described here were used to provide input data and assumptions for the Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA) that supports the proposed regulation; the RIA also considered non-radiological benefits and costs (i.e., public health, economic, and ecological) of the standards. 56 refs., 4 figs., 6 tabs.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• OSTI ID: 416459
• Journal Information: Health Physics, Journal Name: Health Physics Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 71; ISSN HLTPAO; ISSN 0017-9078
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

05 NUCLEAR FUELS
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CONTAMINATION
DOSE LIMITS
RADIATION DOSES
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
REMEDIAL ACTION
SOILS