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

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133<br />

RISK PERSPECTIVES<br />

made in this section are for the purpose <strong>of</strong> giving a perspective as to the rela-<br />

tive impacts <strong>of</strong> radiological wastes versus the hazards <strong>of</strong> other materials in the envi-<br />

ronment. Such comparisons are not intended to justify the potential impacts from radioac-<br />

tive waste management but are intended to assist the reader in understanding the concept <strong>of</strong><br />

risk as it relates to radioactive waste management.<br />

The points regarding chemical toxicity are well taken. The toxicity <strong>of</strong> many substances<br />

depends on chemical form whereas radioactivity is relatively independent <strong>of</strong> chemical form.<br />

However, some dependence still exists because the chemical state <strong>of</strong> the radionuclide deter-<br />

mines its movement in the body.<br />

The number <strong>of</strong> automobile deaths was included merely for perspective. A nation that<br />

apparently condones the loss <strong>of</strong> 55,000 lives annually on the highways may not,-as one is<br />

sometimes led to believe, be interested in perserving human life.<br />

Contamination <strong>of</strong> land is important as suggested. In the Statement the degree <strong>of</strong> impor-<br />

tance is reflected in the number <strong>of</strong> health effects that such contamination would produce.<br />

Draft p. 3.1.28<br />

Issue<br />

The measurement <strong>of</strong> the equivalence <strong>of</strong> the hazards <strong>of</strong> waste repositories and natural<br />

ore is a complex subject. Many <strong>of</strong> the hazard indices are concerned only with the amount <strong>of</strong><br />

radioactive material and its toxicity, without consideration <strong>of</strong> routes by which the activ-<br />

ity can reach man. (113-EPA)<br />

Response<br />

The comment is well taken. However, the routes to man for the ore and waste will be<br />

quite similar in this case.<br />

Draft pp. 2.1.16, 2.1.18, 3.1.64<br />

Issue<br />

Several commenters noted that there does not appear to be treatment <strong>of</strong> the hazard index<br />

<strong>of</strong> the waste versus the toxicity <strong>of</strong> the natural ore (over time) in the context <strong>of</strong> the real<br />

risk presented by the spent fuel or high level waste in a repository. (38, 166, 196,<br />

218-DOI)<br />

Response<br />

The high-level waste toxicity equals the toxicity <strong>of</strong> the ore that produced it at 1500<br />

years. See Figure 3.4.1 <strong>of</strong> the final Statement.

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