Proposals are pending to dramatically weaken radiation protection standards for the public from nuclear power accidents, "dirty bombs," and all other radiological releases that will increase the allowable radioactive contamination of our air, water, environment and communities. In 2010 The Department of Homeland Security hired the National Council on Radiological Protection and Measurements (NCRP), a strenuously pronuclear organization, to do a report on an Approach to Optimizing Decision Making for Late-Phase Recovery from Nuclear or Radiological Terrorism Incidents. In February 2012 the report Decision Making for Late-Phase Recovery from Nuclear or Radiological Incidents was released for public comment. The scope has expanded beyond dirty bomb cleanup to markedly raise allowable radiation exposures from other sources. The report essentially pushes for increasing allowable risks to the public from radiation to much higher than the longstanding EPA risk range from carcinogens of 1 in a million to 1 in 10,000. Indeed, NCRP recommends permitting exposures as high as 2 rem (2000 millirems) per year, the equivalent of about 1000 chest Xrays every year of one’s life, which EPA estimates would produce an excess cancer in roughly every fifth person exposed. Comments Due April 15, 2013 to atwell@ncrponline.org.
