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Management of Commercially Generated Radioactive Waste - U.S. ...

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Draft Section 2.2<br />

Issue<br />

43<br />

RADIOLOGICAL ISSUES<br />

Several commenters noted that in preparing the final EIS, reference is needed to the<br />

present development by EPA and NRC <strong>of</strong> Federal guides for radioactive waste management and<br />

standards for high-level radioactive waste. (113-EPA, 154, 198, 202-HEW)<br />

Response<br />

Mention <strong>of</strong> their development appears in Section 3.3 <strong>of</strong> the final Statement.<br />

Draft pp. 2.3.2 and 2.3.3, Tables 2.3.1 and 2.3.2<br />

Issue<br />

Both <strong>of</strong> these tables are taken from an obsolescent reference (ORP/CDS 72-1).. More<br />

appropriate reference would be EPA report ORP/SID 72-1 (Reference 21, draft Section 2.3)<br />

with the cosmic ray doses augmented by the new information in NCRP Report #45 (Reference 10,<br />

draft Section 2.3). (11-3-EPA)<br />

Response<br />

Data from NCRP-45 (NCRP 1975) were used in the final Statement. (ORP/CDS 72-1 was used<br />

by EPA in EPA 520/1-77-009 released in September 1977).<br />

Draft pp. 2.3.2 and 2.3.3<br />

Issue<br />

One commenter noted that the tables on these two pages list the estimated cosmic-ray<br />

and natural terrestrial radioactivity doses to people in each state. The doses are depen-<br />

dent on latitude, altitude, and the presence <strong>of</strong> certain elements in the earth's crust. Mea-<br />

surements were obtained at many locations, and the results averaged within each state, then<br />

reported as an average value for the state. Since there are <strong>of</strong>ten large differences within<br />

a state, the results should have been reported in a way to display this, as by a contour<br />

map. A portion <strong>of</strong> a northern state that contains rock-bearing radioactive material, and is<br />

at a high elevation may not be acceptable as a disposal site. In California, there could<br />

be large differences between the dose received by a person at Lake Tahoe and one in the<br />

Imperial Valley. (214)<br />

Response<br />

Natural background radiation dose was presented only as a perspective against which<br />

other doses could be compared.

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