radiological environmental monitoring – where we are, where we’re going
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Radiological Environmental Monitoring – Where We Are, Where We’re Going. Dale Holden Duke Energy. Short History – Radiological Environmental Monitoring. Programs established in 1970’s and 1980’s Required for licensee Preoperational and Operational “check” on effluent releases (ODCM) - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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….