Radioactively Contaminated Sites: Getting Scientific Information into Cleanup Decisions

Abstract

The U.S. Department of Energy is responsible for more than 100 sites across the United States previously used for nuclear research and industrial-scale production activities. Cleanup decisions for these facilities are following the general process established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Under this process, risks are estimated for three kinds of receptors to guide decisions on residual contaminant levels: cleanup workers, the environment, and a hypothetical future public. So far most decisions have been driven by the public receptor, the only one who in fact will likely never incur the exposures assumed in these analyses. This bias has led to“overcleanups“ that resulted in unnecessary environmental damage and worker exposures and accidents at certain sites where remedial actions have already been implemented. To improve upcoming decisions, a balance must be struck among the three risk categories to achieve net health and environmental protection. Recommendations for better cleanup decisions include: maintain federal control to preserve environmental resources and preclude conversion to residential use, collect selected site-specific data needed to resolve key scientific uncertainties in predictive environmental transport and fate models, and communicate more effectively with oversight agencies and the public about major risk tradeoffs.