From: | CPEO Moderator <cpeo@cpeo.org> |
Date: | 31 May 2002 23:25:05 -0000 |
Reply: | cpeo-military |
Subject: | [CPEO-MEF] ITRC Press Release |
For Immediate Release Contact: Carl Spreng, (303) 692-3358, carl.spreng@state.co.us State-led team lays groundwork to accelerate cleanup of DOE sites The Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council (ITRC) has just released a document designed to facilitate accelerated closure at the nation's nuclear weapons production sites by enhancing consistency and streamlining decision making. Determining Cleanup Goals at Radioactively Contaminated Sites: Case Studies, produced by ITRC's Radionuclides Team, discusses the requirements of federal regulations and agencies, explains variations in risk assessment approaches, and examines the development of cleanup levels at a dozen radioactively contaminated Department of Energy sites. Each case study has information about the site's background, history and the nature of contamination, remedial actions that have occurred, and contact information. Common elements in the case studies are applicable regulations, risk assessment approaches and calculations, and cleanup levels used or proposed. Calculations of cleanup levels vary from site to site due to different physical settings, cleanup authorities, and risk assessment approaches used. Using science-based cleanup criteria reduces the likelihood that litigation or other factors will delay cleanup. This document facilitates a common understanding among states, stakeholders, sites, and agencies of how various cleanup levels have been and could be derived, making the process more efficient, defensible, and consistent. The Radionuclides Team believes that consistency in developing cleanup goals will encourage selection and deployment of appropriate environmental characterization and remediation technologies. The document concurs with EM's redirection of adopting a consistent risk-based assessment tool for overall cleanup and closure activities. Using a consistent risk assessment approach will accelerate environmental decision making and ensure that cleanup is done in a timely and cost-effective manner. The document ends with 10 conclusions, including the following: * Because of differing bases and differing assumptions, cleanup numbers used at one site should not be used to justify similar cleanup numbers at other sites. * Consistency within given risk assessment approaches is a worthwhile and achievable goal for agencies charged with conducting risk assessments of radioactively contaminated sites. * Variation in health assessment approaches (risk or dose) leads to variation in assessed risk. Models and input parameters make a difference in assessed risks, and they need to be carefully examined for assumptions made. * Workshops and training would help lend consistency to assessment of risks and would greatly assist in application of updated guidance by state, tribal, and federal agencies involved with those risk assessments. Following development of this document, ITRC's Radionuclides Team is working with DOE and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to develop updated radiation risk assessment training to be offered in classrooms and on the Internet. Determining Cleanup Goals and more than 30 other ITRC-developed guidance documents are available through the ITRC Web site at http://www.itrcweb.org/. ITRC is a state-led group that works to overcome regulatory barriers to the deployment of innovative environmental technologies. ITRC participants come from state regulatory agencies, federal agencies concerned with environmental cleanup, environmental consulting firms, and technology vendors. These diverse experts work together in technical teams to develop documents and training to help regulators develop consistent, streamlined approaches to regulating innovative technologies. ITRC products also help environmental consultants improve the way innovative technologies are deployed. ITRC's Radionuclides Team is led by Carl Spreng of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (carl.spreng@state.co.us) and Tom Schneider of the Ohio EPA Office of Federal Facilities Oversight (tom.schneider@epa.state.oh.us). # # # # # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | |
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