radiological environmental monitoring – where we are, where we’re going

Dale Holden

Duke Energy

Programs established in 1970’s and 1980’s

Required for licensee

Preoperational and Operational

“check” on effluent releases (ODCM)

Verification of “pathways to man”

Established for Routine and Emergency Releases

Primary Pathways of concern –

Releases via air (gas and particulates)

Releases via water (discharge effluent)

Typical Media –

Water – Surface, Drinking, Ground

Air – Particulates, Gas (primarily iodine)

Vegetation – leafy plants, edible products

Typical Media –

Milk (cow, goat, etc.)

Meat (grazing animals – cow, deer, bison, etc.)

Fish

Soil

Sediments

Oysters, shellfish

Determine early trends of environmental build-up (bio-accumulation/animal tissue) of rad material in environment

Measure primary and secondary routes of potential exposure that could have a negative (risk) impact to the general population

Mitigate impact to humans to achieve negligible risk

Nuclear Regulatory Commission Assess Licensee (on-going)

Fund “other” agencies to monitor environmental radiological impacts

State agencies

Private agencies (few)

Other federal agencies (FEMA)

Programs did what they were supposed to – few issues

Nuclear Regulatory Commission ceases additional agency funding in 1998

Accountability shifts from investigative to self-identified

All existing programs meet minimum regulatory requirements

1990’s saw reduction of many programs due to budget constraints and potential deregulation

Facilities aging and seeking license renewal

Areas around facilities have changed

Definition of risk has changed

Technological improvements

Lower detection limits

Improved analytical methods

Resource sharing – internet, web-based

Comfort with nuclear power production…….

Northlake School

Northlake School

McGuire Nuclear Station

Property

Maintain a heightened sensitivity to controls of radioactive material

Green means more than CO2 free – all emissions

Look “hard” for possible problems

Leaking pipes

Washout/rainout/plate-out/building wake effects

New Issues with updated regulations, e.g. C-14

Any radioactive material in the environment can be an issue…..

Risk is a matter of public perception, not biological consequence

Public perception affects development and future expansion

Don’t wait for regulation change to take action – evaluate program with potential consequence in mind

Communicate, Communicate, Communicate

Take the mystery out of the science – Examples:

www.radiationanswers.org/

Take the mystery out of the science – Examples:

http://www.hps.org/

Create relative risk relationships people can understand

There are times we just challenge others with our communication…….

Care

Be prepared to spend $$$ when there may be little technical but much political justification

Always be open and honest – trust is the name of the game

Never Take for granted that you have arrived….