EPA Proposes Million-Year Health Standards
Posted on: Tuesday, 9 August 2005, 18:00 CDT
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing 1 million-year public health standards for a planned radioactive waste disposal facility.
The EPA proposal is designed to protect public health for 1 million years at the Yucca Mountain, Nev., facility. Under the standards, people living close to the facility would not receive total radiation higher than natural levels experienced routinely in other areas of the nation.
It is an unprecedented scientific challenge to develop proposed standards today that will protect the next 25,000 generations of Americans, EPA Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation Jeffrey Holmstead said.
The proposed standards set a maximum dose level for the first 10,000 years -- more than twice as long as recorded human history. To provide safety beyond 10,000 years , the EPA proposes a separate, higher dose limit based on natural background radiation levels.
The standards would also require the facility to withstand the effects of earthquakes, volcanoes and significantly increased rainfall, while safely containing the waste during the 1 million-year period.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is responsible for implementing EPA's standards and determining if the Yucca Mountain facility can be safe enough to contain nuclear waste.
Source: United Press International
Related Articles
- NQF Endorses Consensus Standards to Reduce Waste and Promote Safe and Effective Use of Imaging Procedures
- Apollo Gold Announces Credit Facility of $5,150,000
- China Direct Commences Magnesium Production at Two New Facilities Adding 12,000 Metric Tons of Annual Capacity
- TRADE NEWS: Agilent Technologies, ETS-Lindgren Test Equipment Selected By AT4 Wireless for Use in First Test Facility for WiMAX(Tm) Radiated Performance Test
- Midatech Group Announces the Opening of cGMP Standard Facility for the Production of Nanoparticles
- Psychiatric Solutions Announces Definitive Agreement to Acquire 9 Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities With Over 1,000 Beds
- Modine Part of EPA Cleanup Program; Radiator Manufacturer Looking for Ways to Use Less Lead
- EPA Yucca Mountain Radiation Standard Receives Some Backing
- EPA's Proposed Standards on Radioactive Waste Questioned
- EPA Logic on Radiation Questioned
 |
 |
User Comments (0)
RSS Feeds